Happy Birthday Shakespeare! (It was me that got an awesome gift however)

The fine folks at Sterling Publishing have outdone themselves again! I received an e-mail from them asking me if they could send me their new "Signature Shakespeare" series in honor of his birthday, which is today. I said sure and waited anxiously by the mailbox for it to arrive. Let me tell you that I was BLOWN AWAY by what showed up in my mailbox yesterday. Sterling has really outdone themselves this time with a beautiful product that my shelves aren't worthy of. Here are a few pictures of what I received:

 I received 4 beautiful, white hardcover books. Those aren't pictures on the front of the covers, they are actually some sort of die cut work that is outstanding. The big title jacket comes off the books, but I'm going to leave mine on because I love the way they look.

These two picture are from the inside of the "Hamlet" book. They are layered paper cutouts that lay over one another to form a picture. The craftsmanship of the books is unreal.

 These final two photos are just examples of what some of the pages look like inside the books.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, or just a fan of beautiful books, then you need to head over to the Sterling website (click here) and pick these books up. They are a wonderful collection piece and you won't want to miss out on getting them. Please, do yourself a favor and pick these up. You will regret it if you don't.

Book Review: Tube Riders by Chris Ward

The Tube Riders by Chris Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Tube Riders by Chris Ward was one of the best books that I have read in a very long time. I don't say this often because I hate movie adaptations of books, but I think this book would make an amazing movie. Chris is one of the best "builders" I have come across. Allow me to explain what I mean: the world that the tube riders live in is so rich in detail that I can totally see myself running alongside them as they are running from the government. I can feel myself hanging off the side of subway trains with them as they are rushing through the tunnels. The characters are well developed and easily loved or hated depending on whose side you are one. I love the internal struggles that some of them have throughout the book.

This book was great for me on other levels as well. I have a degree in psychology and I loved watching the interactions of the protagonists and the antagonists. I loved the fact that Chris let us into the minds of his characters. I think that adds so much to a book.

The plot is well developed and keeps you wanting more. I read some other reviews that called the book "gritty and rough", which I think is a great way to put it. There aren't a lot of frills, but man does this book keep you wanting more. I'm sometimes put off buy 500+ page books, but this one was well worth the time that went into reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a love for reading. I don't care what genre you like, this book is well written and you will love the depth of the plot and the characters that you encounter. Give this book a try. You won't be sorry that you did.

Overall Rating: 5/5

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