Book Review: Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Publish Date: February 22, 2011

Trade Paperback, 352 pages 

Fiction
ISBN: 978-1451609820

My Review:
Why I read this: The premise sounded very interesting and I have heard about this author before so I jumped at the chance to read and review this so I could try out a new author.

My thoughts: Wow, what a book.  Ms. Pekkanen really has an inside look on marriage and womanhood.  When Michael has a death experience one day during a meeting, he changes completely.  Without consulting his wife, Julia, he decides he will give away all he owns in order to make amends for things he has done.  He also wants to concentrate fully on his wife Julia who he has neglected since starting his own business on the way to becoming a multi-millionaire.  But it's not that simple.  Julia has gotten use to their life and she resents him for pulling the money out from under her and she's holding other resentments as well.

Honestly there were times I thought I would put the book down.  Julia would seem a little childish but then Ms. Pekkanen would delve into the whys of her actions and thoughts and then I understood Julia so much more.  I think every woman will find some of herself in Julia, whether it has to do with marriage or relationship with family members or just trying to get ahead.  Julia turns out to be a remarkable character who grows through the book and learns to let go.  I enjoyed watching her journey and really felt for her at times.  Anyone who is married knows there are always rocky times and you both have to work to make it last.  Ms. Pekkanen does a wonderful job of showing this yet showing that sometimes it's better not to give up.

Michael was fascinating and it's not until later in the book that you really get into his motivations as well and you begin to understand the whys of what he is doing.  I think the author did a magnificent job of layering the plot so we pulled away layer by layer to see how the characters would develop next.  At times I wanted to bop both of them on the head, but there was a purpose to those times and it made the other times in the novel all the more special.

I also enjoyed Julia's friend, Isabelle, she brought a nice sideline into the story and also some humor.  I think all women want a friend like Isabelle, one who will laugh with you, cry with you and set you straight when you need to be.  I enjoyed watching their friendship.

The book moves quickly.  It is like you open the book to the first page and the next thing  you know you have read 100 pages and if those first 100 pages went fast then the last half of the book moves even faster.  It kept me up past my bedtime because I just had to finish it to see what would happen.

And that is all I am going to give you - just know it is a special book.  If you enjoy stories by Emily Giffin and Elizabeth Berg then give Sarah Pekkanen a try.  I know I am going to go back and read Opposite of Me now that I have read Skipping a Beat.  These are the types of stories I really enjoy.  Give me women characters who are struggling and not perfect, ones I can relate to and you have me hooked.  Ms. Pekkanen has gained a new fan in me after reading Skipping a Beat.

 
My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About the Book:

Julia and Michael meet in high school in their small, poverty-stricken West Virginia hometown. Both products of difficult childhoods -- Julia’s father is a compulsive gambler and Michael’s mother abandoned his family when he was a young boy – they find a sense of safety and mutual understanding in each other. Shortly after graduation they flee West Virginia to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar,Washington D.C. home. From the outside it all looks perfect – Julia has become a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has launched a wildly successful flavored water company that he sold for $70 million. 

But one day Michael stands up at the head of the table in his company's boardroom -- then silently crashes to the floor. More than four minutes later, a portable defibrillator manages to jump-start his heart. Yet what happened to Michael during those lost minutes forever changes him. Money is meaningless to him now - and he wants to give it all away to charity. A prenuptial agreement that Julia insisted upon back when Michael's company was still struggling means she has no claim to his fortune, and now she must decide: should she walk away from the man she once adored, but who truthfully became a stranger to her long before his near-death experience - or should she give in to her husband's pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?

About the Author: 

Sarah Pekkanen is the author of The Opposite of Me and Skipping a Beat. Her work has been published in People, The Washington Post, USA Today, The New Republic, The Baltimore Sun, Reader’s Digest, and Washingtonian, among others.  She writes a monthly Erma Bombeck type column for Bethesda Magazine, and has been an on-air contributor to NPR and E! Entertainment’s “Gossip Show.”  She is the winner of a Dateline award and the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship. Sarah lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and three young sons.

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FTC Information: I received this book from Crystal at BookSparks PR.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review: Mystify by Artist Arthur

Mystify by Artist Arthur

Publisher: Kimani

Publish Date: January 18, 2011

Paperback, 256 pages
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Mystyx series #2

My Review:
Why I read this: I read Manifest last year and really enjoyed it and wanted to read more of the series.


My thoughts: Manifest was told from Krystal's point-of-view.  Manifest comes to us from Sasha's point-of-view.  It was fascinating to meet the next member of the three Mystyx characters.  I really liked Sasha and how she saw things.  She was a fascinating character and I enjoyed reading a book from her perspective.

The mystery of strange weather patterns and the darkness that seems to be overcoming their small town continues for the 3 "Mystyx" from Manifest.  As they learn more in this book, the reader does as well and we are treated to new characters both good and bad.  The storyline expands more in Mystify and makes me ready to read the next book.  More romance follows as it did for Krystal in the first book, it does for Sasha in this book.  But Mystify is not all about the romance, it's more of a side storyline to help develop Sasha's character.  The real storyline is how the Mystyx are still trying to understand their powers and figure out what is happening in their home town and how they can prevent a horrible event from happening in the future.

It's a fascinating storyline and I was hooked through the whole book.  Some big things happen but I didn't feel there was a big thing overall.  This felt like more of a transitional book, though it can be read as a stand-alone.  I enjoyed the book and I am definitely intrigued to read the next book as well.  I really want to know what will happen to the characters and the epilogue has me scratching my head as well (in a good way).

If you enjoy a different type of paranormal from the typical (but fun) vampires and werewolves, then try out the Mystyx series.  You can start with Manifest or just pick of Mystify.  Both are entertaining books that have interesting characters and a plot that moves each book along at a great pace.


My Rating: 4.0/5.0


About the Book:

Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They'd be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.

Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn't be worse. Sasha's father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there's Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx's own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life—and even her destiny….

FTC Information: I received this book from Lisa Roe at Online Publicist for a honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review: Scones and Bones by Laura Childs

Scones and Bones by Laura Childs

Publisher:Berkley

Publish Date: March 1, 2011

Hardcover, 320 pages 
A Tea Shop Mystery #12
Fiction, Mystery, Cozy
ISBN: 978-0425238967

My Review:
Why I read this:  I was contacted by the author last year to review Bedeviled Eggs which is one of Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  I loved it so much that I pretty much begged the author to review more of her books.  Okay, I didn't really beg, but I did ask nicely :)  She is wonderful too and sent me the ARC of Scones and Bones so I could try another one of her series.


My thoughts:  I am starting to realize that I really enjoy Cozy Mysteries.  They are a lot of fun with out all the sometimes gruesome details of other mystery and suspense novels and it's also fun to watch an amateur solve the case.  And Ms. Childs makes some very interesting characters in her books that I found endearing and I enjoyed watching through the book.

This is the first book I have read in The Tea Shop Mystery series, and it's the 12th book in the series.  But don't let that stop you if you haven't read any in the series.  I know I would know and understand the characters more if I had read the earlier books, but I never felt lost and I got to know the characters well and found that this book is a good stand-alone cozy mystery.  Will I go back and read the series now?  Sure I will and I will continue to read from this point.  The characters and the setting have really drawn me in and I look forward to having another series to read.

Let's talk a little about characters.  Theodosia, Drayton and Hayley seem to be the main characters.  They are the owners and workers at their tea shop in Charleston, South Carolina.  I loved getting to know them a little in this book and found I really liked all three of them and liked how the work together even though they are all three very different people.  Theodosia (Theo) takes the lead role in the book and she and Drayton work together to solve the mystery with help from some other friends, while running the tea shop and participating in the Food and Wine week that is going on in the city.  To go along with the mystery there may also be some romance brewing.

I also found the setting to be fascinating.  Charleston is a town I would like to visit and since I live just a few hours north on the North Carolina coast I loved the setting.  I also loved the pirate lore in this book.  Using Blackbeard is a great plot device.  Everyone knows about Blackbeard and I loved seeing our own beloved Beaufort Inlet mentioned in the book (I live and work just a few miles from there and that is where the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's ship has been found).  Ms. Childs does a wonderful job with pirate lore and incorporating it into the story and into the Charleston area.

The mystery was fun.  I liked following Theo and Drayton around as they met other people and began to put the pieces together.  Though I did somewhat suspect who did it, it still came as a surprise once they figured it out.  It makes a great cozy mystery and I enjoyed reading every minute of it.

My only problem with the whole book was I felt the ending was a little rushed.  I understand that this happens sometimes.  Even though I was a bit disappointed with this, it did not take away from my overall love for the book.  And I will definitely be picking up the next one in this series to see where a storyline from this book goes and to see what kind of mystery Theo and Drayton get to solve next.

 
My Rating: 4.25/5.0


About the Book:

Savor the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of The Teaberry Strangler. 
 
Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is lured into attending the Heritage Society's "Pirates and Plunder" soiree. But it's an antique diamond skull ring that gets plundered by someone who murders a history intern in the process. Theodosia knows she'll have to whet her investigative skills to find the killer among a raft of suspects.
About the Author: 

Laura Childs, is also the author of the Scrapbooking mystery series and the Cackleberry Club mystery series. In her past life she was a Clio Award-winning advertising writer and CEO of her own marketing firm. 

 

Website

FTC Information: I received this book from the author for a honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

February Summary

February Summary 

1. The Big Show Stopper by Ken Dalton - read 2/2/2011
2. Deadly Codes Screenplay by JP O'Donnell and  - read 2/5/2011
3. The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver - read 2/5/2011
4. Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich - read 2/8/2011
5. The Resurrection by Mike Duran - read 2/9/2011
6. The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase - read 2/10/2011
7. A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck - read 2/12/2011
8. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf - read 2/12/2011
9. The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner - read 2/16/2011
10. The Promises We Keep by Erin Healy - read 2/17/2011
11. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich - read 2/18/2011
12. Final Vector by Allen Leverone - read 2/19/2011 
13. How to Flirt With a Naked Werewolf - read 2/22/2011
14. Chocolate and Vicodin by Jennette Fulda - read 2/24/2011 
15. The Heart Doctor and the Baby by Lynne Marshall - read 2/25/2011
16.  Scones and Bones by Laura Childs - read 2/27/2011
17. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich - read 2/28/2011
18. Mystify by Artist Arthur - read 2/28/2011
    

Review books:14

Library Books:3
Books from my bookshelf:1

A much better month than January even though it was 3 days shorter.  I need to get busy reading to make my goal at the end of the year.  The good thing - I have really enjoyed all the books I have read this month!

Favorite of the month:This is really tough this month because there are lots of contenders.  I could go through and list by different genres but I think I am going to choose These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf - just an amazing book that you must check out if you haven't yet.

So how was your reading month?


Challenge Progress:

• YA Reading Challenge:  7/50
• Support Your Local Library Challenge:  8/51
• 100+ Reading Challenge:  31/217
• 2011 Audiobook Challenge:  4/20
• 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge:  0/15
• Cruizin' Through Cozies: 0/12
• 2011 A to Z Challenge (Titles): 13/26
• 2011 Reading From My Shelves Project:  0/24
• Edgar Awards Reading Challenge:  0/6
• 2011 Debut Author Challenge:  2/30
• 2011 Ebook Challenge:  3/20
• Book Bucket List:  0/12
• 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die:  0/5
• The Alphabet in Crime Fiction:  2/26
• 2011 Show Me the Free Reading Challenge:  0/12

What are You Reading Monday - February 28

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in! 

Books Completed Last Week 

• How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
• Chocolate and Vicodin by Jennette Fulda 
• The Heart Doctor and the Baby by Lynne Marshall

Reading Now: 

• Scones and Bones by Laura Childs (review)
• Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran (review)
• Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (library, audiobook)

Next:

• Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
• The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry
• Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
• Red Wolf by Liza Marklund

Summary -

Busy week, with my birthday on Saturday - it was a great day and a great week.

Best of the week: Chocolate and Vicodin because it felt like I was talking to someone who understands me and how my health is at this time.


How was your week?

New eBook Publisher: Istoria Books Press Release

ISTORIA BOOKS

eBooks You Want to Read at Prices You Want to Pay ™

February 23, 2011

Contact: Libby Sternberg, editor-in-chief (LibbyMalinSternberg@gmail.com or IstoriaBks@gmail.com)

ISTORIA BOOKS ACQUIRES DIGITAL RIGHTS TO

GARY ALEXANDER’S DRAGON LADY AND AWARD-WINNING ROMANCE AUTHOR JERRI CORGIAT’S FIVE-BOOK BACKLIST

Istoria Books, a new digital publisher dedicated to releasing “eBooks You Want to Read at Prices You Want to Pay” ,™ has recently acquired digital rights to six books, by authors Gary Alexander and Jerri Corgiat.

Istoria will publish Gary Alexander’s literary novel Dragon Lady in April 2011. Set in 1965 Saigon, Dragon Lady tells the story of Joe, a young draftee, who becomes obsessed with a Vietnam girl named Mai, his own "Dragon Lady" from his beloved Terry and the Pirates cartoon strips that his mother still sends him. As he pursues a relationship with her, Saigon churns with intrigue and rumors--will the U.S. become more involved with the Vietnamese struggle? What's going on with a special unit that's bringing in all sorts of (for the time) high tech equipment? Will the U.S. make Vietnam the 51st state and bomb aggressors to oblivion? But for Joe, the soldier, the big question is--does Mai love him or will she betray more than just his heart? Gary’s intelligent voice, filled with dry wit, and his own experiences give this story a sharp sense of truth, recounting the horror and absurdity of war. Reminiscent of books such as Catch-22, Dragon Lady serves up equal measures of outrageous humor and poignant remembrance. Gary served in Vietnam in ’65. When he arrived, he joined 17,000 GIs. When he left, 75,000 were in country.

Gary Alexander also writes mystery; his three mystery novels in the Buster Hightower series are published or under contract to be published by print publisher Five Star/Cengage. A Vietnam vet himself, Gary lives in Seattle.

Istoria will also publish the backlist of award-winning romance author Jerri Corgiat this spring. The list includes five books in the Love Finds a Home series originally published by Penguin’s Signet imprint. The titles are:

Sing Me Home

Follow Me Home

Home at Last

Home by Starlight

Take Me Home

            The Love Finds a Home series includes five award-winning books set in the small town of Cordelia, nestled in the Missouri Ozarks. Each novel showcases different members of the extended O'Malley family and their sometimes bumpy journeys toward happiness. These well-told stories will resonate with readers confronting similar challenges--struggles with ailing businesses, damaged reputations, recovery from heartbreak and divorce, children's difficulties, career changes, and serious illness. From the first book to the last, readers will be entranced by the magnificent setting and the loving O'Malley family. Jerri Corgiat's voice sings throughout every story, capturing the beauty of the landscape and the strong emotions of her characters. Likened to bestselling women's fiction author Susan Wiggs, Corgiat excels at descriptive writing, making the reader want to book a flight to fictional Cordelia to spend more time with the O'Malley clan.

            Just a glimpse of praise for Jerri Corgiat's Love Finds a Home books:

·         "....a powerfully moving story...a brilliant read..." Romance Reader at Heart

·         "Ms. Corgiat has become one of my 'must read' authors..." Romance Junkies

·         "....a rich multidimensional novel..." Contemporary Romance Writers

·         "...very poignant, filled with nuances..."  The Romance Readers Connection

·         "...unforgettable characters resonate long after the last page is turned..." RT Bookclub, Top Pick

·         "…warm and touching...one of those wonderful romances that truly captures the heart...filled with joy and laughter, pathos and challenges..." Midwest Book Reviews

·         "...fast-paced, with flowing phrases and realistic characters..." Readers & Writers Ink Reviews

Jerri Corgiat lives in the Midwest and is a former bookseller and winner of a first-place Award of Excellence from the Reviewers International Organization.

Istoria Books is a new digital publisher formed in 2010 by Libby and Hannah Sternberg, both of whom are published authors, along with Matthew Sternberg. The publishing house’s inventory until now has consisted of books by Edgar-nominated author Libby Sternberg, who serves as Istoria’s editor-in-chief.

Istoria recently opened to submissions and will accept unagented queries. They will publish fiction in a wide variety of genres: romance, women’s fiction, historical, literary, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, young adult. Submission guidelines are available at their website-- www.IstoriaBooks.com

Istoria Books releases are available on all major ebook etailers, most notably Amazon’s Kindle store, Smashwords.com and Bn.com, in addition to others.

A humorous piece by Libby Sternberg about the evolution to the Kindle (“From Papyrus to Gutenberg to Kindle”) was published by the Wall Street Journal on January 5.

Reviewers interested in Istoria Books offerings should contact Libby Sternberg at LibbyMalinSternberg@gmail.com or IstoriaBks@gmail.com

 

Book Review: Chocolate and Vicodin by Jennette Fulda

Chocolate and Vicodin by Jennette Fulda

Publisher: Gallery

Publish Date: February 22, 2011

Trade Paperback, 304 pages 
Non-fiction, memoir
ISBN: 978-1439182024

My Review:
Why I read this: I was sent the blurb and offered the book.  This sounded like my life in so many ways except I don't have a non-stop headache, but I am a chronic pain sufferer.  I lost 60+ lbs and was in the best shape of my life in January 2008 and I was also training for a half-marathon and had run 8.5 miles one weekend.  The next week I could hardly get out of bed.  It felt like I had been hit by a truck and I knew it wasn't the running as I had built up from 5 minutes of running to the 8.5 miles in over a year and a half.  I started going to a slew of doctors who said I was the model of perfect health.  But I was still exhausted and in pain.  I have gotten a couple of different diagnosis now and have prescriptions to help with various things.  I am better than I was in 2008 but I still do not go a day without pain.  So I thought I would be able to relate to Jennette and of course I was hoping she would tell me something magic that might fix me :)


My thoughts:  Chocolate and Vicodin is a must-read for anyone suffering with chronic pain or those that live with someone with chronic pain.  Ms. Fulda will not solve your problems for you but she will make you feel much less alone with your pain and make you smile at the same time.  I am honestly afraid of support groups because who wants to be around others complaining.  Ms. Fulda is able to explain her situation and all that she goes through without sounding like she's complaining.  She just shows you the real side of herself and how she is pulling herself through even though she still does not have a diagnosis.  I understand the not-knowing.  I can somewhat name my problem, though there is still some gray area to mine as well, but to not know at all has to be tough.

The book is written in a real yet a humorous manner.  I love when she gets snarky at times (mostly in her mind), that is the same way I feel at times and to be able to get that out would be wonderful.  Ms. Fulda proves that you can get through it like she does and there are days when you will be down but sometimes you just have to adjust your reality, change your life to suit it and move on.  I think this is the core message.  Another things I took away - it is normal to feel alone when suffering from something that others can't see.  Like she says - it's easy for someone to see you are in pain when you are curled up in a ball, but when you are going on with everyday life the best way you can, then the pain is harder to see (I paraphrase).

I loved this book, I felt like I was talking with a friend when I was reading it and I saw so much of myself while reading it.  I would like to thank Ms. Fulda for this excellent book and for showing me I'm not alone and also for teaching me some ways to express myself around others so they understand what I am feeling.  I think she does a great job of showing all the different doctors and procedures she had done just to try and find a diagnosis and giving her real feelings.  That is what I really loved.

I think Jennette is an amazing woman, to first lose 200 pounds, run a half-marathon with a headache and to continue to plow through life.  She has given me hope that I can continue on as well and maybe one day I will run my half-marathon as I originally planned in 2008. I think her ideas of laughter as medicine is the best suggestion and I will go on trying to find the positive on the tough days and looking to my wonderful husband for laughter on the bad ones.


One quote I loved and could relate to from the book:

I’d read about other people’s experiences at these institutes on the headache forums online.  I’d been surprised that people in that much pain had been able to set up and maintain online forums but there they were. I was a lurker on the forums and never posted or interacted with others. I wasn’t sure why I’d never struck up a conversation with my fellow pain sufferers.  It was just easier to lurk, read up on the information I needed, and then log off without getting too involved in other people’s misery.  When I’d blogged about my weight loss , I didn’t start commenting on other peoples blogs until I’d lost almost one hundred pounds.  I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to have my headache before I felt comfortable to raise my hand in front of the class and talk about it.  

I often feel the same way - I have lurked on forums for my problems but never post - I just don't feel right for some reason.

Some other quotes that resonated with me:

Not having a name for my disease was almost as frightening as the disease itself.  How could I fight something I couldn't name?

My headache no longer seemed like a big deal. I clearly wasn't the only person in the world in pain. I probably wouldn't even make the list of top ten most suffering people in the building. A dose of perspective might not be a cure, but it made me feel a lot better about my own situation.  No matter how bad your life was, there was always someone whose life was worse.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:

Jennette Fulda went to bed on February 17, 2008, with a headache, and more than three years later, it still hasn’t gone away. Yes, she’s tried everything: intravenous drugs, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, subliminal messaging, marijuana (for medical purposes only), heavy drinking (which just made it hurt more), and lots and lots of chocolate. A pint of ice cream makes her feel better, but her insurance doesn’t cover mint chocolate chip.

In this painfully honest, smart, and funny memoir, the popular PastaQueen.com blogger who chronicled her nearly two hundred pound weight loss in Half-Assed shares her incredible journey to find relief from a chronic headache. As she visits countless doctors, indulges all manner of unsolicited advice from the Internet, and investigates every possible cause, from a brain tumor to a dead twin living in her brain, Jennette considers what it means to suffer, how to live with pain, and why the best treatment might be the simplest: laughter.

About the Author: 

Jennette Fulda is a writer, web designer, weight loss inspiration, chronic headache sufferer, blogger, and overall busy person. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Jennette was born weighing 8 pounds 5 ounces, but eventually tipped the scales at 372 pounds before losing almost 200 pounds through diet and exercise. She chronicled the experience on her blog, PastaQueen, and in her book, "Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir."

In 2008, Jennette got a headache that still hasn't gone away, regained 50 pounds, and wrote about the ordeal in her second book, a humorous headache memoir called "Chocolate & Vicodin: My quest for relief from the headache that wouldn't go away."

She chronicles her life after the "after" photo in her blog, PastaQueen, and does freelance web design at Make My Blog Pretty.

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FTC Information: I received this book from Ayelet Gruenspecht, Associate Publicist for Simon and Schuster for a honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.