The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Nobody Knows: What we sweep under the carpet
Because Nobody Knows was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Chelsy Scherba
I love the author’s conversational tone and ease of storytelling. Right off the bat he sets up an interesting scenario of deception and manipulation that made me curious as to what he did to fool people about his condition. I like the title, and the picture on the cover is excellent for depicting Parkinsons. He introduces himself and the people in his life perfectly; as I was reading, I could actually imagine I was watching an Oscar winning biography because it is written in much the same way. The author is very talented. I don’t usually read this genre and probably wouldn’t have searched for or found it outside the program. The editing is perfect, no mistakes that I noticed. I wasn’t influenced by the review or lack of a review either way. I really enjoyed the sample and would be interested in reading this book at a later date. I will add it to my list.
First Ten review added on May 13, 2018, at 6:33 am by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. However, I liked the title. It made me curious about the plot of the book. The image of shoes on the cover confused me at first, but it probably makes sense when considered along with the title. Having read the sample, I found the writing style a little formal. It was not conversational and easy to read. However, some of the quotes used (such as the quote before the introduction) kept me interested in the book. The book seems professionally edited. Since I do not read this genre usually, I will not be reading this book further.
First Ten review added on May 13, 2018, at 6:31 am by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jwalker73
I was unsure if this was fiction or non-fiction based on the cover and title. There was nothing in particular to make me feel drawn to this book, so I would have passed it by. The blurb did not appeal to me, particularly as I do not usually read books that fall into the religious and inspirational fiction genre. I did, however, like that the OBC reviewer explained that the protagonist was not a'perfect Christian'. I found the sample slow to start, although I enjoyed the author's storytelling ability, for example, when telling the tale of how Jake's father took him to the pub on Christmas Eve, and the story of the mother's refusal to do the laundry. The book appears professionally edited. While I am enjoying the tales, I did not feel invested enough in the story to want to read the rest of the novel. For this reason I do not intend to buy it today
First Ten review added on May 13, 2018, at 5:55 am by jwalker73.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
Judging by the cover alone, I wasn't too excited about sampling this book. I was convinced, however, that it is worth looking at by the OBC review, which stated that it's about the struggles of a young Christian. The sample appealed to me when it began with a powerful bible verse and reiterated strong family values. That's what I liked most about it. I also appreciate that I encountered no errors, which brings me to the conclusion that the book underwent professional editing. The introduction of way too many characters, however, repulsed me and for this reason, I won't read the rest of the book. The only thing I would change about the book is to reduce the number of characters introduced at the beginning.
First Ten review added on May 13, 2018, at 4:28 am by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I probably wouldn't have sampled this book on the basis of the description as although it's listed as other fiction, it seems like a memoir, which isn't a genre I read much. I won't buy and read the whole book on the basis of the first ten pages because although they were good, I just have a long list of books to read at the moment. I got the impression the book was professionally edited as I didn't notice any errors. I liked the character of the father best because the pride he took in being an ironworker brought him to life. Maybe this isn't something that needs to be improved as such, but the author says that he can't complain about his upbringing then describes issues like his father missing Christmas because he was drinking! I didn't see an OnlineBookClub review, which didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 13, 2018, at 2:35 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kathryn Price
This is not usually the type of book I read - I tend to enjoy the more unrealistic genres - sci-fi/fantasy, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, etc. I was slightly intrigued by the prologue, especially as to why he felt like his life was a sham, but not enough by the rest of the sample to consider giving the rest of the book a shot. I didn't find any editing errors, and the overall format flowed well - I'm sure it's a wonderful book, just not one I'm interested in reading right now. I would recommend anyone who likes realistic, down-to-earth books to give it a shot, though I can only vouch for the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 11:09 pm by Kathryn Price.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The title of this book is very intriguing. The cover is okay. The blurb on amazon was also interesting. I would have liked to have seen an OBC review so I could get more information about the plot. The first ten pages were professionally edited. The book starts with a religious verse which made me wonder how big of a part religion plays in this book. I thought the pages before chapter 1 kind of sounded like a rant. I feel like the blurb and prologue created a lot of hype, but the first chapter was not as intriguing.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 9:56 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
When I first saw the cover of this one I assumed it would be a laid back autobiography or biography, so the Amazon description had me more interested than I first expected. The idea of exposing not just a big secret or even several secrets but a whole hidden life sounded interesting, and the introduction and first chapters are setting that up quite well so far. The writing is excellent and I can feel that “good guy dad who does no wrong and is impeccably honorable” vibe. I haven’t found any errors, and really have nothing negative to say other than that the book wasn’t entirely free! I didn’t expect a memoir to capture my attention so much, and I definitely want to finish it sometime.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 8:55 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
bookowlie
I probably wouldn't have sampled this book on my own due the Amazon classification of Christian fiction (I don't care for religous-themed books). The Amazon blurb is edited well and I liked the first part of the plot summary in the first paragraph. Then the rest of the summary became overly general and I didn't get a good sense of the main focus of the plot. I read a few of the Amazon reviews amd was able to get a better idea of the plot - that the main character had family issues and immoral temptations. I also liked one of the reviewer's comments that the book contains some humor. I was pleasantly surprised by the well written sample. The author has a nice, conversational writing style and the Introduction section gives a good explanation of the main character basically living the American dream of a nice wife and children, nice house, etc. I also liked the backstory of the character's childhood in an iron mining town in Minnesota. Based on the sample, I am interested in reading further.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 8:44 pm by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ccrews0408
Based on the review, had I not read the first 10 pages, I would not have read this book. I couldn't really get a feel for what the book was about. It stated it chronicled the main character's life and his morals we're tested, but nothing that enticed me to read it. Now that I have read the first 10 pages, I still don't plan on reading this book. He hints at misleading his family his entire life, but didn't say how within the first few pages. At one instance he said his hometown was in Minnesota and then in the next paragraph stated it was Virginia. There was an official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 7:53 pm by ccrews0408.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
RebeccasReading
This is not a book I would have normally read. Nothing in the cover or title drew my interest. However, after reading the sample, my opinion has changed. I am curious to see what behavior the author thinks is so terrible that he had to cover it up for so many years. I enjoyed his honesty about himself. That is rare to see. I think the cover could be improved a little to make it more eye catching. It seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 6:03 pm by RebeccasReading.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Izesicle
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover. The subtitle made me curious as to the contents.
I am not going to buy and read the whole book because I do not like Christian books.
Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited. I didn't notice typo or grammar errors.
What I like the most in the bit I read is that the writing seemed sincere and the character was self-aware.
What could be improved is introduction was a bit wordy.
The book has an Official OnlineBookClub review that I saw.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 2:39 pm by Izesicle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
BookishCreature
At first glance, I was not interested in reading this book because I do not generally read books with religious themes. It's just personal preference - even though I was curious about the author's treatment of Parkinson's disease, this just isn't a book for me. After reading the first ten pages, I found that I really liked the author's tone and the way he deftly sketched each character's personality over the course of the first chapter. I got a real sense of what life was like for the main character. I found no errors, so I think the book has been professionally edited. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, but it's ultimately not a book for me because of its subject matter. I will not be finishing it.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 2:06 pm by BookishCreature.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bianka Walter
The cover and title of this book give absolutely nothing away. Only after reading the Amazon blurb did I finally know what this book was about. The introduction of the book was very personal and earnest, and it made me want to learn more about Jake Horton's story. The Bible verse at the beginning of the book alerted me to the fact that there would be a religious undertone, which I don't usually enjoy. The first bit of the book consisted mostly of scene setting and character building, and was edited very well. This is not a book that I would usually read, especially because until I looked more closely into it, I had no idea what it was about. I don't generally read memoirs or religious books. Even with the fantastic reviews on Amazon, the sample of the book did not change my mind, and I won't be buying it today.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 2:03 pm by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kat Berg
The cover would not grab my attention, but the blurb and customer reviews may have caught my attention. Given the right mood, I possibly would have read a sample based on these things. The book seems well edited and I did not notice any errors.
I like that the book does not try and sugarcoat what life looks like, even though it is a Christian genre book. Saints are not perfect. At first, however, I thought it was a memoir and not fiction, and I was a bit turned off by the main character (which is more of a problem with memoir than fiction, for me). I felt impatient for the book to get to the point. It is a book that I would likely just skip to the end and read how things turned out, or I would skim it rather than reading the whole thing. I am not sure how that can be translated to a way to improve the book, but hopefully, it is a helpful point.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 12:26 pm by Kat Berg.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Heidi M Simone
If it wasn't for this program, I would not have sampled this read. The title makes me curious, but the cover is unappealing. Typically, I don't read many Christian-based novels, and the blurb doesn't pique my interest. Though there are several positive reviews, including the OBC one, these don't sway my opinion of the book one way or the other. Based on what I read, the book could use another round of editing. For instance, at the end of Chapter One, the line, "Dad's clever little joke, "What does a blonde consider 'long and hard'?" has a double quotation mark right before the word, "What", and it should be a single quotation mark. The first-person perspective brings a conversational and open tone to Jake's voice as he describes his upbringing. Though his relationship with his somewhat distant father, religious mother, and learning about his mother's falling out of love with her husband (the inconsiderate jokes probably contributed to this) seems like a good foundation of where Jake will be starting his journey in this book, I don't find myself connecting with him. Because of this lack of connection and the fact I don't read many Christian-based books, I do not plan on buying and reading this book.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 11:17 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
N_R
I was not sure if this was a book for me, but after reading the sample I think that I want to buy and read the whole novel. I think that it is quite refreshing thinking about ourselves in the way that this author describes. We are often so keen to fool people into thinking we are something which we are not, and we become quite adept at it. The book appears to be properly formatted and edited, therefore I did not find any spelling errors and the format was appropriate on my screen. I think that my favourite part of the novel was the frankness of the language where the author really appears to bare his soul. I think that this is refreshing after reading a number of fictional books. I did not find a review of this novel.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 3:57 am by N_R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The title is indicative that the story is about things that are hidden, and possibly this is a story about someone who repents what they have done. The cover is attractive but does not tell much. It's not possible that I would have selected the book based on the cover and title. I found a blurb about the book, which says that its about God and Faith, ultimately, so I would not have chosen the book based on the blurb either. I sampled the book for a few pages, and I found the narration compelling to read further. The initial few pages are very interesting whether the author has shared their anguish about all the things that went wrong in their life, in spite of having a polished, well-settled life in the exterior in the eyes of others. As much as I liked the narration, I am not sure if I would enjoy this book in full, so I am not going to read this book in full. The book has been professionally edited. The formatting is neat. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked the most about the book is its nice narration and making the reader inquisitive to read further. I could not find anything that can be improved in the book. I found an OBC review for the book, but my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 1:27 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ladycraic
Though the cover is nice, this book is not what I would usually go for so I would not have chosen to sample Nobody Knows apart from First Ten. My interest grew after reading the blurb - I was curious to learn of the questionable decisions Jake Horton made on his road to redemption. The first ten pages went smoothly. Though I found the story engaging, I was confused on what to expect from the novel. Would there be a definite plot or would readers tag along as Jake gave us the nitty-gritty on his life? If the latter proved to be the case, I wasn't sure I was up for reading through the seemingly long plot development of Nobody Knows. The official OBC gave me a glimpse of what to expect and I can't say I'm all too interested to continue reading. The hard part about turning this book down is knowing that it touched on the Christian faith throughout and I enjoy reading books that have that theme. This book seemed professionally edited and I didn't notice any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 12:29 am by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tbunde5
I’m always a little leery of the “Christian non-fiction” genre, because I seldom agree with doctrine. Without an OBC review to give me a summary, I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book. However, after reading the sample, I’m glad I did. Although the author doesn’t state explicitly what church he grew up in, those of us familiar with synods would know. And we generally sweep a lot under the rug. It was refreshing to read such an honest retelling of the author’s life. The sample was written with an engaging style that kept the reader involved. It was refreshingly well edited. Although I applaud the author, this isn’t a book I will read, if only because my own carpet is a little lumpy on its own.
First Ten review added on May 12, 2018, at 12:17 am by Tbunde5.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample I would not have read the book because I do not think that the religious part is for me. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I felt a little confused with the story and I felt like it may have spent too long on background knowledge. The first few chapters were about the author's past, and because the narrative style made it sound like a passive retelling, I felt as though the story had not yet begun. I would suggest cutting the "here is my background" part a little short. Other than that, however, the way the author wrote the introduction was very intriguing, and I think that sort of "mysterious" tone could have been sustained for longer. It was professionally edited. I did not read the sample but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 10:41 pm by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lbhatters
Both the title of ths book and the cover are interesting, so I would likely pick this book off the shelf at the bookstore to read the back cover if it was at the front of the store. I might buy it based on what I read on the back cover and a few pages of the book, whether or not I read the first ten pages in detail, based on what Iearned about the book from the back cover. After reading the first ten pages, I might or might not buy the book. If it was on sale, it would help my decision.
The book appears to have been professionally proofread and edited. I saw no spelling or grammar errors. The author does an excellent job of preparing the reader for the rest of the story through character description and the town history . I felt like I was coming not only to know the characters but care about them, so this is what will keep the reader reading through the rest of the book. I have no suggestions for improvement. I won't buy the book at this time but it us well-written.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 10:30 pm by lbhatters.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Christina O Phillips
The title and cover are both simple. The summary was trying to be intriguing, but did not give enough information to interest me. Without this program, I would have skipped this sample. There were no errors that I noticed. There was a lot of telling rather than showing. The introduction starting with a quote is so overused and did not set a good tone for me. The story of Jake's childhood may be important, but the fact that he was just reporting on it rather than showing us the events or anything happening bored me. I also did not like the narrator; his attitude and personality made me not want to keep reading.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 8:29 pm by Christina O Phillips.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I might pick this book up because the premise is pretty intriguing. I like the concept of putting a certain face out into the world but hiding so much more deep inside. After reading the first ten pages, I was really impressed with the writing. I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors and it looks like it has been professionally edited. I like how the character Jake first sets out to describe his home life and each of his family members. It lays a good groundwork for the rest of the story. However, this genre isn't typically what I read so I don't think I would continue reading the rest because I'm not the target audience for this.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 7:45 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
JessNWheeler
This is not the type of book I would have chosen because I don’t usually choose books in the religious category. Also, the cover and title present a very masculine story. There is no Official Online Book Club review, but the blurb, editorial, and customer reviews furthered my interest. The first few pages captured my attention. I will read the remainder of the book. I’m interested in Jake’s story. There are no grammar errors in the text.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 6:33 pm by JessNWheeler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
micoleon13
While this is a nicely done cover page, it's not one which appeals to me. Unfortunately, there was no OnlineBookClub review to change my mind. The pages which I read were well written and edited, but a story about how someone fooled people through various methods all their life wasn't one which I wanted to read. I have no ideas for improvement and I will not be continuing with this book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 6:29 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a sample of, Nobody Knows by Larry Schneiderman, I have decided that I will not be purchasing this book. At first glance, I didn't think that this book would appeal to me. My first thought was that this is a non-fiction novel. As I learned, this is a fictional novel. I am still not interested in reading this book based on that. As I read the blurb, the author hooked my interest briefly and then lost it. I am not a reader of inspirational or religious novels. So I do not feel that this book would be a good fit for me. Based on the blurb, I did not like that the author has the main character choose to be someone he is later ashamed of being. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would not have picked it up. As I read a few pages of this book, the author does not engage me in the story. The main character, Jake, does not pique my interest. For me, the main character does not come off as likable. This fact does not encourage me to continue reading the story. The main character reminiscing about his past, and the people he fooled does not make this a book I'd want to read. My curiosity is there as to why he chose to do what he did. I must admit that I do not have the desire to read on and learn why. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does not have an official OnlineBookClub review. This fact does not negatively impact my opinion. In all honesty, this is not a book that I would feel compelled to read. The storyline does not interest me, and the main character does not engage me. This book I will not be adding to my to-be-read shelf.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 6:27 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have not read the sample of Nobody Knows if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. There wasn't a Book of the Day review for it so I wasn't sure what to expect. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I enjoyed the author's frankness regarding his own flaws. In terms of improvements, I would have liked to have learned more about the author's wife. I probably will not read the rest of the book as I'm not a big fan of memoirs.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 6:24 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
I would not have sampled this book without this program because the title and cover of the book do not get my attention. The OBC review did not convince to read it. I like spiritual and Christian books but the story of Jake making many mistakes and struggling with faith did not get my full interest. After I read the sample pages, I thought the book was professionally edited. Sounds like Jack lived a double life pretending to be a man of integrity. I did not like reading about how he fooled all of the people all of the time. I will not read this book because its story is not for me.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 5:20 pm by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Snowflake
The title and cover are very well done. They definitely caught my attention. The Amazon blurb was also well done and added to my interest in this book. I would quite likely have sampled this book without the first ten pages program. It seems to be very professionally done. I didn’t notice any obvious typos or grammar errors in the sample with the exception of the protagonist’s home town being written as being in both Minnesota and Virginia. I really enjoyed the sample. The writing was smooth and flowed naturally. It was easy to understand the characters and scenarios. I felt caught up in the story and I will quite likely purchase this book and read the rest at some point.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 5:15 pm by Snowflake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
melissy370
I would probably not read this book in my own volition. The description didn't interest me with some guy misleading everyone in his life. The sample almost changed my mind. I didn't see any errors in the sample. I found myself swept up in Jake's storytelling and understanding who he was. I loved that one teacher changed his life by giving him positive reinforcement. My harshest criticism, and the reason why I will not finish the book, is to the fact that this book is toted as Christian, but is full of expletives. I wished the author had found another way to convey his story without using such words.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 3:01 pm by melissy370.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Chifane
I do not like the cover of Larry Shneiderman's novel because I find it too prosaic for my taste. The title is not bad, but it could have been better too. I wish the Amazon blurb provided more details on the secrets Jake Horton chooses to keep hidden. Based solely on the cover, title and Amazon blurb, I would not have read the sample. Because of the first ten program, I moved a step further and I scanned the customer reviews. I was impressed with the nearly perfect rating and people's enthusiastic opinions of this confessional novel. The dedication stirred my interest because my grandmother suffers from Parkinson and I am always checking new means of helping her. I was sincerely puzzled by the introduction. Jake Horton confesses that even if he had been a businessman and a pastor, he spent his entire life cheating and lying. There is a realistic description of the protagonist's hometown in chapter one. When it comes to his childhood impressions, he admits that they may not be entirely veridical. I did not find anything out of the ordinary in chapter two apart from some normal recollections of the school period and adolescence. The storyline seems to progress too slowly and eventful for me to have the patience to continue. I could not find any technical errors in the sample. I wish there were more OnlineBookClub reviews of the book. I have decided not to read this novel for now. Some other people may be interested in discovering Jake's secrets, but I have different priorities on my reading list.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 2:56 pm by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jackie Holycross
I'm sorry to say that neither the cover or the blurb for this story caught my attention. Both seemed bland. Normally I would pass it by. As I read the sample I saw two instances of starting a sentence with the word and. Other than that it seemed well edited. The content, however, did nothing to make me want to read more. The man is reminiscing about his childhood and his parents' history. Nothing really stood out to catch my attention. Maybe I'm just too used to reading action novels. I found myself wondering where the author was going. Maybe he could have mentioned the Parkinsons since that is supposed to be a big part of the story, but is ignored in the beginning. There is no link to an OBC review, but I have already decided not to read this one. It's just not the style I like.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:47 pm by Jackie Holycross.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Azeline Arcenal
After reading the first ten pages, I decided not to finish reading the book. The sample wasn't interesting enough for me. While reading the sample, I like how the author used the first-person perspective to give a great insight into Jake's character. I do like the book cover and title so if I were to sample the book based on just the cover and title, I probably would have chosen to sample it because they both look interesting. While reading the sample, I didn't notice any grammatical errors either. I also did not see an official OBC review for this book which would have been helpful in making a decision on whether I should read this book or not. There isn't anything I would change anything about this book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:42 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
I read the sample pages provided for this book. I enjoyed the length of the sample because it gave me a good picture of the storyline and excellent character development. I have to say, the cover and title are also enticing to attract readers. I enjoyed the beginning in that it revolves around a 75 year old retired pastor who has secrets and maybe possibly regrets as he examines his life. I definitely would want to continue on with this novel to see where the storyline leads. This is excellently written with no errors to note.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:23 pm by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
kfwilson6
I can't say as I was particularly captivated by the genre, cover, title, or synopsis of this book. It just is not a storyline I cared to venture into. The fact that there were quite a few Amazon reviews (mostly 5-stars) helped to pique my interest a little. An onlinebookclub review would have helped. I most likely would not have read this book based on an initial glimpse. The sample was very promising. I like how Schneiderman began with a very brief introduction. By the end of that I wanted to know what had Jake been sweeping under the rug for so long, and even his wife didn't know? The sample was easy-to-read, well-written, fast-paced, and interesting. Each anecdote Jake shared was short, interesting, and gave a glimpse of who Jake was in his younger years and what events and people in his life helped to shape him. I noticed two missing words but no grammatical errors giving the impression this is likely professionally edited. I am surprised the book is as long as it is, and I'm not sure I want that many pages of detail about Jake's life. I don't think I will finish this book because it only mildly interested me. I think if it were shorter I would be willing to read the rest. For now, I don't care to finish this book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:17 pm by kfwilson6.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and description of this book, I wouldn't have given it a chance. I didn't see anything very exciting about the book at all. After reading the first ten pages, I almost, but ultimately didn't, change me mind. I was very easily sucked into the writing style of the author and the ease at which he (through his protagonist, Jake) was able to recount the many stories of his past. That being said, I can't see the book being overly full of action / excitement, and for that reason I won't be buying and reading the rest of this book. Despite this decision, it does look well written and edited. I didn't see anything specific that I would have wanted changed from the sample that I read. I think that this time, I can honestly say, the chances of changing my decision may have been swayed if I had seen a glowing OBC review. I don't think I had a very good vision of what was to come for this book and therefore wouldn't take the chance at buying it.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:10 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kendra M Parker
The title and picture on the cover are not really things that would quickly catch my attention. Typically, I’m looking for something a little bit different to read. Still, reading the blurb and the sense of mystery that it evokes did catch my attention. I might have been interested enough to actually check out the sample, just because of the blurb. Reading the first ten pages, I find that I am still interested after reading them. The author's voice is certainly interesting, and the sense of mystery continues to remain at the forefront. I want to know what he is hiding and why he thinks that it will be such a disappointment to his family to learn about whatever it is. Based on the blurb I saw on the Facebook page, I assume it is the Parkinson's, but it doesn’t seem to align with the sense of mystery that is portrayed in the blurb and the preface. I would have loved to see an official review of this one since I think it might help me decide whether I really want to read this one or not. For now, though, I am not sure that I really want to add this to my list, especially since it is not a Kindle Ultimate book. While I do have an interest in Parkinson's, I’m not sure that I care to read about this at this time. On the plus side, everything seemed very well written and cleanly edited, so I think that is a good thing to see.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 1:10 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Poppy Drear
While the sample seemed to be mostly professionally edited, I noticed some questionable grammatical choices just on the first page, such as not placing a comma after "sometimes" and the phrase "all the people" rather than "all of the people." These could be a result of the author's writing style, but they were still somewhat distracting while reading. In addition, I don't generally read religious or realistic fiction books, so I probably would not have sampled this book if not for this program. It didn't have an official review that I could find, but I probably would have leaned away from reading this book regardless. I feel like the book has some interesting topics to address, but not within the genres I usually enjoy reading. Because of this, as well as the author's occasionally disjointed writing style, I will not be reading the entirety of this book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:55 pm by Poppy Drear.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MarisaRose
When I initially read the blurb for 'Nobody Knows,' I wasn't interested in purchasing the book. I don't care to read books that have a strong religious tone, and this one is clearly geared towards Christians. The lack of an OBC review didn't sway my opinion in this case since I wasn't interested in the content and themes of the book anyway. After reading the first ten pages, my initial reaction towards this book didn't change. Although I didn't notice any errors in the sample, I had a hard time understanding what was going on in the first few pages. Maybe this is something that will become clear as the narrative progresses, but to me, the beginning seemed like a rambling monologue about something I was missing. Since I had a hard time getting into the story, I don't plan to read any more of this book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:44 pm by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsTri
Neither the cover nor the title for this book attracted me, but the Amazon synopsis left me intrigued. Then I found the review for this book and really liked what it had to say about Jake's struggle with his relationship with God because I can relate to that. However, when I was looking at the Facebook post, I saw that Parkinson's Disease is a huge factor in Jake's experiences; while I sympathize, I'm just not interested in books whose characters struggle with serious illness. Insofar as the sample, it was pleasant enough, and I was thrilled that it seems to be professionally edited. My favorite parts were the Bible verse at the beginning and the Introduction; I felt the latter was more casual and more interesting than the first few chapters. I don't think I'll finish reading this, yet I have no suggestions because it's written very well for what it is.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:32 pm by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IsabelMay
The cover isn't attractive, but the description didn't make me interested since I had a feeling the book would deal with something religious. I'm not usually someone who would enjoy it, so I sampled it only because of this program. I'll start with the good things. The book seems edited and the formatting is all right. As for the story itself and the writing style, there should be far less description. The description parts seemed endless and were truly boring (to be completely frank). The rule ''show, don't tell'' should've been applied. I feel like I didn't enjoy the story because of that huge thing, which is a shame since it had potential, with the religious part aside. The reviews are wonderful, but I'm just not interested in buying the book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:32 pm by IsabelMay.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Libs_Books
Apart from a formatting sign still visible on the title page of the e-copy, this book seems to have been well-written and professionally edited. The blurb on Amazon didn't particularly interest me, so I would not have looked into the book if it hadn't been for the Book of the Day offer. However, I found the 'Introduction' engaging and looked forward to what was coming next. Unfortunately, I felt things went downhill from that point on. I'm quite keen on the literary depiction of 'small town America', but there just wasn't enough here to really hold my interest. The story of the father's drunkeness on Christmas Eve is touching, and the comments at the end of Chapter One about his parents' relationship followed on well from that. However, I just felt it was too little, too late.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:20 pm by Libs_Books.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KRay93
The cover has a very attractive professional design, and taking into account the blurb, it looks appropriate for the theme of the book. The official review tells me that I am about to read about a man's life and, above all, his relationship with his faith, which is opposed to some of his wishes and actions. The first ten pages introduce us to the deceptive nature of the author and its origins, both his city of origin and his family. The prose is extremely fluid and immersive, and the reader may find himself getting carried away quickly by the author's first-person perspective. The editing work looks almost impeccable from the start. These types of stories are not usually my thing, but taking into account both what the review depicted and the writing work of the first pages, it might be worth giving it a try.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 12:05 pm by KRay93.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dolor
Even in the absence of First Ten program and official OBC review, I would love to read this book because I was hooked up by the writer's writing style in the first ten pages. I don't have any improvement suggestion of this book and I consider this book as professionally-edited though I had noticed a single error - "Cities" should not be capitalized. Nobody Knows What: We Sweep Under the Carpet by Larry Schneiderman provides details about the Horton Family especially Jake Horton, former business owner, retired pastor, widower, father of two, grandfather of four - feeling his productive years were an elaborate sham. The first ten pages started with the Bible verses (excerpt from Psalm 121 KJV). After that, the narrations are not boring. I feel like a kid engrossed listening on a storyteller delivering the story - live! The "Bullshit Meter" made me laugh out loud. Jakes dad, Roy Horton, would act out inserting a plug in a wall outlet to check out their neighbor's tale, summarize them or at least a questionable statement, and finally, move his right index figure shakily in a circle left to right indicating a high "bullshit rating". ????
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 10:15 am by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ritah
Based on the cover and genre, I would not have sampled the book because I don't usually go for books in this genre. I did not see an official review of Nobody Knows. I didn't find any errors in the pages I read. I liked the author's writing style and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the novel; I wondered what the narrator's big secret was, which is why I will be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 10:12 am by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
DancingLady
I usually don’t look at biographies and wasn’t too interested in this book. There was no review for this one. After reading the first 10 pages I am pretty interested in finding out what kind of secrets were swept under the rug and what lead a man to live such a hypocritical life for so long when he knew better. The book was professionally edited. Although the intro made me very curious, I probably won’t buy this book because I don’t have time to read it unless I decide to review it.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 9:55 am by DancingLady.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Elizabeth Pass
The cover makes me think we're sitting down to hear someone's life story. Based on the synopsis, that's exactly true. Sometimes, books like this are interesting, but often enough they're not. So, I wasn't sure I'd like this book. After reading a few pages I realized the author has a way of writing that makes it easy to keep reading. He could have been talking about my family, the characters were so familiar to me. I didn't find any errors and that heightened the appeal. If I wasn't already reading so many other books, I might consider adding this one to my list. This book is interesting, it's just not in a genre I'm interested in right now.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 8:41 am by Elizabeth Pass.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as I don't read Christian novels. While the title is great, the cover is rather bland. The blurb gives a good sense of the content, but it doesn't appeal to me and sampling the book didn't change my mind. The book follows the life story of Jake and his quest for redemption. I understand from the OBC review that the book mainly focuses on Jake’s relationship with God, and it just doesn't appeal to me. The sample was well written. I only noticed one small error, missing letters in the word "OFT" (in the opening sentence). The author did manage to make me wonder how his protagonist fooled people. Still, it didn't hook me enough to keep reading. While I liked the use of a first-person perspective, I don't care for the subject matter. I won't read the book, as I steer clear from religious-themed books. The official review further steered me away from the book by mentioning its confusing timelines and religious themes.
First Ten review added on May 11, 2018, at 7:51 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 22%
Nobody Knows earned a score of 22%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 22% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Nobody Knows
