Amazon Reviews and the Truth

I get sucked in by Amazon reader reviews - and I know better!

I don't "surf" much, but when I do, I'm likely to be found sifting through the pages at the amazin' Amazon of a bookstore. (Yes, I prefer REAL bookstores, but I'm stuck in front of a computer a lot.)

I love the convenience - Amazon has been able to deliver a few titles my library can't! - but I do make some mistakes. For example, I fell for great reviews, including one in an in-flight magazine, of Pete Dexter's Paper Trails.

I admit I fell for the catchy subtitle (True Stories of Confusion, Mindless Violence, and Forbidden Desires, a surprising number of which are not about marriage). I also love essays - good ones - and I thought the award-winning author and former Philadephia newspaper columnist would have a nice collection. There were a few gems, but overall, I found the lot uneven and uninspired. Sigh.

Guess it's back to Barbara Kingsolver for me.

And back to Amazon...

I'm sold on the site, for several reasons - including the various means of delivery offered by the giant e-tailer.

For example, Amy Friedman's collections of stories for preschoolers, Tell Me a Story and Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic can be purchased on CD or as MP3 downloads.

And speaking of these stories, they really do deserve the good reviews they've gotten. A friend of mine who teaches preschool (3-4 year olds) says her kids beg for them.

How 'bout you? Can you spout off about a book that didn't deserve the marketing hype or the reviews it got? Or, can you point out a little-known, wonderfully written book that was largely overlooked?