potter Books

I have loved each page of every book of the Potter saga since I was first introduced to that very special first book some ten years ago. what a remarkable journey it has all been. True, this finale is a bit off the path of the previous books, but just as enjoyable and a very logical conclusion to Harry's path to the gates of adulthod.

So thoroughly enjoyed, along with the remarkable and highly engaging,SIM0N LAZARUS-a vastly entertaining story for the older adolescent and beyond--and clearly, a read more should know about! (the Eckhart Tolle blurb on the cover says it all.)

Simply the best set of books I have ever read. Period. This last installment of the series does not dissappoint. If you have read the first 6 books, you simply must read the Deathly Hallows. Here, all your questions will be answered. J. K. Rowlings is the best author of our times!

well the book was in pretty good condition. there was some sort of stain on it, but oh well i will live. can't beat the price

This book was awesome. From the first chapter I was involved. I have loved Harry since the moment I first opened a book. My only thing was, was that I woul have liked more of a story from Voldermorts defeat to 19 years later. We need another book! AWESOME, is the best I can describe.

I wasn't at all disappointed by the ending of the Harry Potter series. If anything I was even more excited. I loved it and you will too!

The book is absolutely in perfect condition and arrived very quickly! Smooth transaction. Would be a pleasure to do business with again! A++

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3IW41C4XRB81Q This is one of the better textbooks I have
on the subject. One will have to put the
time in but the book does a
good job explaining concepts.
If I may suggest something that
has helped my studies greatly, a little book called
Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to
Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can
Be Read to You!. I know that many students out
there are like me and would rather listen to
material than have to read it themselves. I use
programs like the one that is reading this review
to have my texts read to me. This is a god send
for me. One can get this title on amazon.

This book is better than the 6th edition. More precised and less pages to read.Just love it!!!

Received product in brand new condition (exactly as stated on the posting). Good delivery time.

Have used Amazon.com in the past with great satisfaction. This experience was highly disappointing. When initially ordering the 6 book boxed set of Harry Potter books, I ATTEMPTED ordering with a NO CHARGE for shipping. I understood delivery would be slightly longer and did not object. The problem started when I tried to check out. Amazon.com had my credit card info from prior purchases yet when attempting to complete my checkout, I was not able to pull up my account info. Since the info did not appear, I assumed the order was not completed. I then tried a second time to order and this time somehow was successful? in placing and completing the order. This is where my frustration and disappointment begins. I was being charged over $11.00 for a RUSH delivery which was not necessary. Next I receive 2 confirmations for my single order. I attempted obviously unsuccessfully to cancel the RUSH delivery, but somehow was still not able to. I now have 2 sets of the same books and have now incurred more than double the cost of 1 set. I also read that cancellation cannot occur once delivery has been sent. I have no idea where my 3 emails went pleading my dilemma and requesting cancellation and a credit for the RUSH delivery set nor do I understand why my previous transactions were flawless and this one HORRIFIC. As delighted as I've been with reading the books, I still have an UNOPENED set that I've been charged for and do not feel confident any longer that I can rely on or trust Amazon.com for any future ordering. Ideal customer service would accept my returning the unopened set of books and crediting me this expense. If this should occur, then I could continue doing business with Amazon.com.

Fran Larson

Books arrived promptly in a sturdy box for shelf storage. Particularly nice binding on books.

These are very entertaining books: both kids and adults would like them. Of course, it would be nice if book 7 was included in the series, but I don't think it is in paperback yet. My only complaint was that the set took quite some time to arrive.

This series is an amazing series, one of the best, although i do have another series which i think is the best, It is not because these books arent as good, becasue they are perfect for all ages. MY favorite book series is about what intrests me most. I hope that makes since. This is a great story. It never gets old. For me, i have it in audio, and well im addicted. Like some people listen to music while working on something, i listen to harry potter. LOL. Not that i do that for all books. I can do that because i know the story so well. If it was a new audio book to me i would have to give it all of my attention. HP is like a great song that sticks in you head. I can easliy focus on what im doing, without needing to give the story much attention and still follow along. I'm not suggesting that you do this, but it improves my vocabulary, reading speed, etc. Harry Potter are great books. These are 5th grade books, which that does help toward me not needing to give it much attention. I simply think it is a must see and own.

The box set came to me quick and in mint condition! I really couldn't have asked for a better transaction! The books arrived well within the given arrival dates, and were obviously brand-new, or atleast unopened! I am very happy with this dealer and would not hesitate to purchase for them again in the future.

This is such a beautiful book! Wonderful homestyle recipes! This book is a great read! For the beginner cooks - it is so encouraging; and for the seasoned cooks - it is a reminder that cooking is a joy to be shared! This book would be a 'keeper' it you were not a Trisha Yearwood fan - if your are - it is a wonderful bonus!!

I was so excited to hear that she was coming out with a cookbook. I am a big fan so this was a must have for me. I've made the deviled eggs "her way" and they're great!! My kids couldn't get enough of them.

The recipes are tasty and so easy to follow. The personal stories are a nice touch. It is nice to get to see a positive side of a celebrity, instead of all the negative things you see in the media.

This would be a great cookbook for the new bride or a daughter just starting to cook. The recipes are pretty basic and mimicked a lot I had in my recipe files, but that must mean they are GOOD recipes! The brownies were very good, but don't over bake or they dry out. I used the icing for the German chocholate cake on the brownies and it was to die for!

I ordered this book as a gift for a friend at work, who loves Trisha Yearwood, and he also loves to cook. Well .... decided to keep the book for myself, and now I'm just waiting for HIS book to arrive in the mail! Trisha's style of cooking is much like the cooking that I grew up on in Georgia, and alot of her recipes are nearly the same as mine -- but I am enjoying the variations, as well as the new recipes I have never tried before. The Pecan Pie Muffins are to die for!! Be sure to try those !!! And, yesterday, my husband and I picked blackberries and I tried the Blackberry Cobbler recipe - it was a bit different than my own recipe, and we truly enjoyed it! If you like Southern cooking, you can't go wrong with this cookbook. Trisha tells little stories about some of the recipes also, and the entire book is fun to read. HIGH recommendations!

Okay, perhaps I exaggerate just a bit, but I have made about eight of the cookie recipes and every one of them has been a hit. The Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies are the best cookies ever. Sometimes the recipes are more work than anticipated for a simple task like making cookies, but the results are always worth the extra step involved.

I collect cookbooks, but this cookbook actually sits on the shelf in my kitchen. As a grandmother, I like to make cookies for my grandchildren.....lots of recipes that are actually do-able....not complicated. There is also a lot of other information about baking cookies, tips, etc. I think this is a good book to have on hand.

With a title of "Martha Stewart's Cookies" and her smiling picture plastered on the cover one would expect Martha Stewart to have written the cookbook. Instead it's "From The Editors of Martha Stewart Living" magazine and as such appears to be a compilation of recipes and features that have run in the magazine.

After the table of contents, there is a multi page section of pictures of various cookies with their name and what page the recipe is on. The cookies are listed in general categories such as "light and delicate, crumbly and sandy, chunky and nutty, cakey and tender, crisp and crunchy" and "rich and dense" with the corresponding page number for the section.

"Light and delicate" section begins our journey through 175 cookie recipes. The section starts off with "Meringue Porcupines," before moving through "Fortune Cookies, Bratseli, Langues-De-Chat, Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars" among many others listed in this section which began on page 20. Most of the recipes are not simple and require some dexirity with kitchen appliances, pastry bags, etc. to achieve anything close to the items picture here. There are a few pictures of items in various stages of preparation, but the pictures are small and therefore doing not provide much detail.

The "soft and chewy" cookies take over starting on page 56. Of course, one would expect a recipe for "Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" and there is one. Also included are recipes for "Coconut Macaroons, Chocolate Macaroons, Chocolate Malt Sandwiches, Whole-Wheat Date Bars" and many others. The same format is used with most of the pictures in this section depicting the finished product.

At page 104 the book shifts to consider "crumbly and sandy" cookies. "Almond Horns, Pecan Logs, Springerle, Apple-Cheery Crumble Bars, Sand Tarts" and many more cookie recipes make up this section. The same format continues and again in this chapter, most of these are labor intensive cookies requiring lots of experience in the kitchen.

"Chunky and nutty" is the next section starting on page 164. "Rocky Ledge Bars, Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies, Pine Nut Cookies, Magic Blondies" and many more appear here. All appetizing and all carried in the same format as earlier ones in the book.

Page 188 marks "cakey and tender" with items such as "Lemon Madelines, Lebkuchen, Raspberry Almonds Blondies" and many others. All delectable and nearly all very complicated to make and depicted in the same format used throughout the book.

Page 218 marks the start of "crisp and crunchy" with such one as "Chocolate-Orange-Espresso Thins, Chocolate Pretzels, Striped Icebox Cookies, Chocolate Sandwiches" and others.

"Rich and dense" begins on page 264 with items such as "Baci di Dama , Chocolate Thumbprints, Truffle Brownies, Rugelach Fingers" and many others .

Starting on page 306 there is a section on "tools and techniques." Here you will find information on ingredients, tools for making dough or shaping the dough, and information on how to drop dough, decorating cookies and other useful items. There are pictures, but they are small like most of the pictures in this book so detail is hard to come by.

Now that you have made the cookies you have to know something about "packing and giving." Starting on page 328 this section is devoted to various ways to present the efforts of your hard won labor via sacks, cookie drums, window boxes, etc.

A list of sources for ingredients and supplies, a listing of photo credits and an index bring this paperback cookbook to a close. A cookbook that you will have to pin down in some way without breaking the spine to use. And a cookbook that does feature delectable recipes which are very complicated.

Beyond the fact there is no reference to dietary information at all as well as the fact that is done by the editors of her magazine instead of Martha which is a bit misleading since this info is inside and not on the cover, the biggest issue is the recipes themselves. No doubt they are "the very best treats to bake and to share." They are also very complicated, very labor intensive and rather impossible to do unless one has numerous people under their command to take care of things while one is the kitchen or anything to do beyond being in the kitchen. While the book is decent, except for the small pictures, it doesn't really matter because the book isn't practical for many cooks. Like most of her books, her magazines and her TV show, it operates in the principal that there is nothing else to do.

For those of us who truly have our hands full with a job, child care, and a host of other issues, the book simply doesn't work.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008

These cookies never fail. I love the beautiful picture for every recipe, and the picture index at the front. This book is perfect for a cookie-aholic.

As many of Martha Stewart`s books, this one has lots of photographs and delicious recipes, aswell as nice wrapping ideas for giving cookies away. I own many cookie books but this one is now my favorite.

I love to cook because I love to eat great food. And this cookbook is awesome. It gives any cook (wether you are experienced or not) the permission to experiment with food....creating meals that are just so delicious. Thank you Alice for your wonderful inspirations, I will continue to share this work of food art with all my foodie clients and friends.

And if you are on the fence about purchasing this book...you will not regret it...

Cheers,
Vanessa Tricoche, CHHC, Education Specialist
www. alivetolove.com

This book goes beyond being a cookbook. Alice Waters has included many helpful facts and methods for foods and food preparation. Its a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in "good" cooking and food prep.

Can you still use this book if you don't have a Meyer lemon tree in your backyard, a friend who makes artisanal cheeses and a farmers market overflowing with organic heirloom vegetables? Yes, you can. I have several of the Chez Panisse cookbooks and while I enjoy them, I only use them occasionally. This is not a restaurant cookbook but one with everyday recipes that I use frequently. I have made several of the salads, soups and vegetable dishes. The recipes are, as the title promises, simple and usually there are several variations given. I find these are particularly helpful as they give you a starting point but also encourage you to be a little more creative and use what you have instead of requiring a long shopping list. In addition to the recipes there is a lot of text, many detailed explanations of techniques and even an accomplished cook can learn something new.

I love this book- it is one of the first guides I reach for in the kitchen when I want to get something good cooking properly. I am not a seasoned pro, and cooking is a fairly new venture for me. For this reason, the lengthy descriptions of particular techniques are very, very helpful. I like that the book is sprinkled with philosophy about healthy relationships with food, and the value that goes into making healthy, fresh foods. Definitly a great addition to any kitchen.

I signed this out of the library, renewed it as long as I could, returned it, signed it out again, and once again kept it as long as I could. I rarely buy cookbooks any more, but I'll be setting aside some money from next month's grocery budget for this one.

I think this book will be most useful to a beginning cook, or to anyone who uses a lot of convenience and prepared foods at home and wants to start cooking more 'from scratch'. Alice Waters covers all the basics in Part I "Starting From Scratch" including choosing ingredients, planning menus, and a good set of 'foundation recipes.' Part II expands on the foundation recipes and includes plenty of interesting and tasty variations.

I usually use recipes and cookbooks for inspiration and rarely follow recipes to the letter. However, I decided to use this book with my 10 yr. old who is learning to cook. Since she wanted to begin with dessert (naturally!) we made the 1-2-3-4 Cake, which turned out beautifully with the suggested variation of adding orange zest and juice and filling with whipped cream. We also tried several of the salads in Part II for our lunchtime. The Jicama Salad with Orange and Cilantro was good, but we increased the cilantro to twice the maximum amount suggested. We also enjoyed the Green Bean and Tomato Salad (we subbed Roma for cherry tomatoes, and added feta) and the Lentil Salad. I've never prepared a lentil dish my children liked until this one, so I was very pleased, and my daughter quite proud.

Although I like Alice Waters' approach and enjoyed reading this book and trying the recipes, I've given it 4 instead of 5 stars. First, although I try to 'eat locally and sustainably' I'm awfully tired of reading/hearing chefs' admonitions to do so. Like a lot of people, I have to work within a strict food budget, and it is more expensive to get fresh local produce, dairy, and meat than it it to get it at the supermarket. It's a privilege to be able to choose this, and I'm grateful that I can, but it's also a struggle and I'm a little weary of people who talk about sustainability as a moral imperative rather than a privileged choice. Another criticism of this book is simply that many of the recipes are very restrained in their use of herbs and spices. Beginning cooks might not even detect these flavors unless they increase amounts, and beginning cooks are often reluctant to deviate from the recipe. However, to be fair, Waters' does encourage readers to cook with all their senses, and to adjust seasonings. A good method for learning how to cook herbs and spices is to add the seasoning incrementally, tasting after each addition until you can taste it and are happy with the flavor.

So, buy this book and use it often, but don't feel guilty if your potatoes came from the supermarket and your eggs aren't organic, and be sure to follow Waters' advice about looking, smelling, and tasting as you cook.

I ordered Harry Potter and the Half-blood prince CD audio book, narrated by Jim Dale. I received a cd with "all the harry potter books", instead.
Not at all happy -

I absolutely love this book. It is incredible. I read it the first time and thought it was good, but the second time was amazing. I am really looking forward to the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall:
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2.5 stars -- The story is weak exposition (for the most part) filling in holes in the plot / milieu that needed to be filled before the conclusion of the series to satisfy the Harry Potter fan base. The concept of Horcruxes is not new to the fantasy setting (many authors have used them before with wide circulation in the D&D realm for Liches). The death of Dumbledore is expected not the exact method of it. The milieu is getting dark but does not quite feel right for where I would have taken the story.

Characters:
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The use of the Pensieve for background development is a nice trick but seems to be used a bit much in the story. You could have just had Dumbledore explain things which would have worked just a well. The background of Tom Riddle is interesting but you quickly see how evil he is...did not need to belabour it as much as was done. Harry is growing a bit but is still emotionally stunted compared to the other characters; I am not sure why this annoys me so much when I reading the books. I guess I would like to see the characters learn from their mistakes instead of repeating them all the time.

Ron and Hermeine are clearly going to work out in the next book as are Ginny and Harry.

Snape is done very well in the book. The death scene of Dumbledore is done very well with great impact. The depth of Snape character is unmatched by the other characters in the entire story. The underdog role of Snape in the face of constant social pressure and potential lethalness is very well done (inserting a bit from the last book). The anger and betrayal felt in the death scene when Snape kills Dumbledore is well engineered and affective.

Draco: His true character is demonstrated -- a wuss. He is all talk and no show. I know JKR is going for redemption for him but he could really have had it. Draco only realizes the implications of his actions late in the book and could done many things about it.

Dumbledore: Many things are annoying about him in this book. The trying to make up for lost time with Harry is done pourly and ineffectively. It would have been much easier to actually tell Harry things..but wait you can not do that as Harry has not learned to block out the Dark Lord as people have been trying to get to do that for three books but he is too proud / self-important to do it.

Plot:
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The plot is terribly weak. Dumbledore's death is needed to advance the plot. I must give credit to JKR for setting up the last book well in HBP. She has done a very good job of laying out the plot many books ago and utilizing the plot hooks through the books. The unfortunately part is that you have to read some slow scenes that in hind sight could have been removed.

The Horcruxes are over used in my mind. Also, it should be nearly impossible to find them regardless of how much you have insight into the Dark Lord's mind. A smart wizard would have taken much stronger methods of protection and obfuscation for the objects.

Actions:
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The action is lacking up until the end of the book. The Death Eater raid on Hogworts is done fairly well. However, I still do not understand why the "good guys" are not killing the Death Eaters outright. There are many opportunities to do so. It is a war; war is a terrible thing with terrible costs. If the point is to show that violence and killing is bad, why not show the change in a beloved character after the battle where the character killed / executed a stunned Death Eater. If you are going for dark in the story/setting, the rounding up and killing of the captured Death Eaters would drive the point home very easily.

American GIs were forced to kill or be killed in WWII. When they came home, they did not discuss the fighting, horror and death but rather they did their best to celebrate life and build a better life for their families. It was their personal sacrifice that led to their ability to achieve so much; the strongest people are forged in the hottest crucibles.

Action:
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It is fairly weak until the climax.

Prose:
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It is on par with the prior books -- aka not evolving much.

Summary:
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Overall: 2.5 stars
Characters: 2.5 - 3 stars
Plot: 1.5 - 2 stars
Action: 2 stars until the end 3.5 - 4 stars (Dumbledores death is well done)
Prose: 3 stars

WOW, she really did a great job of getting everyone fired up for book 7. The ending was torture. I don't know if that makes me happy or really angry. I find myself continually amazed at how she created all this in her head and if she knew how things would turn out from the very start.

In the Sixth installment of JK Rowlings Harry Potter series, "The Half-blood Prince", she continues the thrill ride. As yet another year passes for Harry Potter, of all the changes that have come to him, the trials, difficulties, and changes, this year will bring some of the most ardent yet.

Pro. Dumbledore begins to teach Harry himself, but these private lessons held in the Master's Office are not the lessons that he is use to. The two takes a 'stroll down memory lane' as it were, reviewing key memories that Dumbledore has managed to collect concerning Voldemort's past and his rise to power. Together they learn the secret to Voldemort's seeming indestructibility, and devise plans to end the Dark Lord, once and for all.

This is the most compelling of the Harry Potter series yet, the heat begins to get cranked a little higher, and the pressure goes up on Harry and his friends. The mystery of the "Half-Blood Prince" keeps you guessing right up until the end.

****WARNING, THE REST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!****

It was hard reading the end of this book, for somehow I had managed to avoid hearing details of those last few chapters before reading them. Reading that ending, was one of the hardest things I've read I think. Rowlings really makes you feel you know these characters, not just Harry and his close friends, but Dumbledore and the other major characters as well. Standing on the top of that tower, watching helplessly along side Harry as he watches the murder of his mentor, hero, and friend, is nearly heartbreaking.

I highly recommend this story for anyone who is a Harry Potter fan, or just a general fantasy fan(though I suggest reading the first 5 first if you haven't).

RD Williams, author of "The Lost Gate"

The two books contain some entertaining facts and trivia that adds to the whole Harry Potter universe and the Harry Potter experience.

I especially loved the funny little "arguments" and "notes" scribbled on the book "Fantastic Beast and Where To Find Them".

These books are soooo cool and even though they are short you're sure to read them again and again. It was nice to see all the writing they left behind (ron,hermione and harry) Very witty makes you laugh just reading thier inscriptions (and smile fondly) bless them

Both of these books are great for Harry Potter enthusiasts. "Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them" is especially neat because there are notes from Harry, Ron, & Hermoine scribbled in the book that will give you a good laugh. I'd love to see more books like these 2, possibly a Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. Hopefully, J. K. Rowling will also write the encyclopedia that she hinted at.

Any Harry Potter fan will love these books. They are a fun read, inexpensive, and the proceeds go to a great cause. Twenty percent of the retail sales price less taxes from the sale of Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them will go to support children's causes throughout the world through a special Harry's Books fund, helping one of Britian's most successful charities, Comic Relief. See the note from J.K.Rowling just inside the book. I didn't know about this until after I bought the set, but if I had been undecided about the purchase and known this, it would have convinced me to buy. Hope it does the same for you. You will enjoy!

What a great read, it really gave the reader a little more insight into the world of Harry Potter. Both books had a wimsical but educational feel to them. I really enjoyed the written inserts of harry and Ron writing in the book, just like any other kid would do. It allowed the books to have a comical touch added. A great read for any age group, now if only there would be "A Hstory of Hogwarts" to go with it , I believe it would complete.