The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Poems About Things That Mattered Most
Because Poems About Things That Mattered Most 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.
Vickie Noel
I wouldn't have read this book outside the program based on its title and cover because I generally don't crave to read poetry. My opinion didn't change after sampling the book. I admire the author's core values of faith and family. However, from my Bible studies, I've come to understand that a Christian has to remain politically neutral while relying on and waiting for God's kingdom to rule humans perfectly. It reduces feelings of nationalism and tribalism. But, since this book also conveys Dowell's third core value as love for country, contains poems highlighting it as well as poems on festivities that I don't resonate with (Christmas, birthdays), I will not be reading it further. Added to this reason is that I'm simply not a poem person. I did enjoy reading about his love story with the woman who became his wife; it was fun to gaze upon her pictures depicting the years 1957 and 2019 and just travel back in time with her image as the visual subject. I liked the leap of faith they took in getting married; even though "no one saw gold" for them on that cold January night as they started out, "the two were imbued with fortitude from a life of hardscrabble on the land." It's a beautiful love, one that I hope to enjoy with my beau. I saw no grammatical errors and have no recommendation for improvement. I saw an OBC review, but it didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:59 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
smolbird
I would not have sampled this book outside of the program, as its cover made me think that it would be a book on American history. I found out that that wasn't the case from its official OBC review. Based on the sample, I can say that the book seems to be well-edited, as I didn't come across any errors. I liked that the author wrote the poems in a simple language, which makes it easier to understand. I found nothing to dislike about the book because I thought all the poems were heartfelt. Personally, I would suggest changing the book cover because I don't think it reflects the content well. I've decided that I want to keep reading the rest, as the poems were really sweet.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:56 am by smolbird.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mutai Marshal
I have never liked poetry since my high school days. Therefore, I wouldn't have read this book based on the cover page that hinted at poems. The poems were written in prose form. My favorite part was the poem the author dedicated to his wife. It evokes emotions of love and appreciation. Unlike most poems, this book deploys simple and straightforward language, which makes it easy to fathom the information. Having read the OBC review and sampled the book, I will not complete reading it because I don't love poems. It seems exceptionally edited. Since the poems cover a myriad of themes, I recommend incorporating page numbers in the table of contents for easy tracing of poems addressing certain topics.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:52 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The cover with the quill and the United States flag indicates that it is a book with writings about United States. The title "Poems about things that mattered most" indicates that it is a poems book. There are only 3 Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book or not. The Amazon summary pretty clearly states that the book comprises poems about family, faith, and the country. As I am interested in knowing about the author Bob's views on various topics written through his poems, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the poem sentences lengthy, although there is rhyming. I also found that the poems are of philosophical and religious nature. As I am not into religious aspects, I am not going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked about the book is the author's inclination to let the world know about the various situations he had been in through the poems. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:49 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
xsquare
I’m not really a fan of poetry, so I wouldn’t have sampled this book if it hadn’t been part of the First Ten. The official OBC review did not convince me. I like the rhyme scheme of the poems and the inclusion of pictures into the book. I also enjoyed that the poems were more literal than abstract. I did not see any typos, and I don’t think that there was anything that the author could have done better. However, I don’t think I will be reading the rest of the book – poetry just doesn’t appeal to me.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:41 am by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
The title catches my attention because it simply means an advice from an old man. After sampling the book, my expectations were right. I like the presentation of the author's memorable images. Knowing a successful marriage is always enthralling in my part. I'm hoping for more successful marriages in the author's nation because I'm not fond of divorce. The sample looks clean, though the poems are written in freestyle format. Plus, the OBC review had a good overview of this book but it didn't pique my interest. I will not read this book because I'm not interested in reading a book about family matters. I also don't see any rooms for improvement.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:22 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The title and blurb gave a good indication of what the book had in store for the reader. I was not too clear about that dress on the cover, though. Being some sort of poet myself, I would have sampled the book outside of the program. After reading a bit of the book, I'm guessing the dress has to do with the author's wife, who wore a green dress when they first met. The first poems portrayed the author's family life and, as the official OBC reviewer shared, brought me down memory lane. Family memories tend to make me lonesome these days, though, so I am not reading further. I liked the author's profound take on the meaning of "guidance." While poetry allows the creative use of grammar, I am not sure if the author meant to miss the hyphens in some compound words. These are "potty trained" (at 62% of the sample), "Denver bound" (at 66%), and "germ protective" (at 94%). I also thought "each compliments the other like bookends" at 50% needed "complements." Otherwise, I couldn't pinpoint another thing that needs improvement.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:19 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
I do not read poetry so I do not think this is my genre. After reading this sample, I have not changed my mind. I enjoy how the author connects it to their personal life and how it tells a story like in the one about Nancy and Bob's anniversary, but overall I do not think I relate much to the subject matter, especially when it is religious like for "Guidance and God's Will." It was professionally edited. This is really a matter of personal preference so I'm not sure if there's anything I would change. The official review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:11 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
I didn't particularly like the cover. However, the official OBC review's rating made me want to read the book. I couldn't find any error in the first ten pages. The author described how he came upon his collection of poems and decided to share them with other readers. Then two poems followed, the first a birthday wish to his wife and the other a praise of the God. I loved how he reminisced the day he first met his love in poem format. I didn't have any suggestions for improvement. As I love reading poetry, I want to explore this book.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 4:04 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sou Hi
If it's not for this program, I wouldn't read this, since I don't like poems. The official review is alright, but the blurb is not intriguing, and there are only two ratings on Amazon. The sample contains a few poems, mentioning the author's love for his wife, God's guidance, and the Dowells family's life story.
To be frank, I don't like anything after reading the sample. The poems are quite weird, and the long sentences make them resemble narratives than verses. They don't sound very rhythmic either. Besides, I don't like poetry, so I won't buy this book. The editing is fine.
Error example: Satan and Me and OBE: An Out of Body Experience -> I think hyphens are needed between "Out of Body"
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 3:30 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. This collection of poems didn’t seem like it would be for me. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I thought the author did a great job with the poetry. The first poem that was a happy birthday message to his wife was so sweet! I loved the rhyming pattern; it was fun to read. I wasn’t as much of a fan of the next couple, but they were still well-written. The book does seem to be professionally edited, and there isn’t anything that needs improvement. I just didn’t find myself wanting to continue reading about the author’s faith, most specifically, or any of the rest of the poems. There wasn’t any major event or story that pulled me in.
First Ten review added on June 1, 2021, at 1:35 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
I like the title but think the cover art could be improved, perhaps with a photograph. I would not buy it from the cover alone. The official reviewer liked the book and gave it a high rating. I found no spelling or grammatical errors and believe it has been professionally edited. I liked that the first poems are about his love for his wife, children, and grandchildren. I also liked the photographs included before each poem. The book could be improved by adding more photographs, including some of his children. I liked what I read and would like to finish this book.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 11:14 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kaitlyn Canedy
I love the cover art of Poems About Things That Mattered Most, which is why I wanted to read the sample. Poetry is not my favorite genre, but the cover drew me in. The author is very personal with his readers and even goes into detail about why he decided to publish his poems in the first place. This level of intimacy is very appealing and has convinced me to read the rest of the book. I did not notice any grammatical errors, and I can think of no improvements. There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this title, but I did not need to read it to make a decision. Readers that want a book that feels personal to them and shows a man's love for his family will not want to skip this book.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 10:26 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Justine Ocsebio
I wouldn’t have sampled this book based on the cover, as I rarely read poetry books. I like how diverse the poems are. The variety will attract many kinds of readers. I also like the first poem. It tells about the author’s wife and their first encounter. It felt very poignant to me. I would like to finish the entire book, as I want to read more of the poems. I disliked nothing, and I didn’t see anything that needed improvement. The text is well edited. The official review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 9:38 pm by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because I hardly read poetry. After all, it's not really my favorite genre. After sampling the book, I'm not going to continue reading it, because of the genre and the inclusion of religion, because I'm an atheist. This novel seems professionally edited and has an official Online BookClub review. I like that this is a collection of poems that the author wrote to commemorate special moments through the years. I didn't see anything that needed improvement,
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 7:12 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ann Ogochukwu
I don't often enjoy poetry (mainly because of its usually uneasy language), but I was willing to make an exception for this book after reading the OBC review. I liked the idea of this book, and the review stated that its diction was simple.
After sampling this book, I think I liked just about everything about it: the cover, the pictures, the simple and lyrical diction, and the stories. I especially liked the fleeting and humorous account of The Golden Anniversary of Nancy and Bob. I would like to complete this book.
I didn't notice any errors in the bit I read, and I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 7:08 pm by Ann Ogochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
Upon reading the title's Amazon page and official OBC review, I opted not to acquire the poetry book. Judging from the book's title and premise, I don't think I'll want to read this book since I'm not interested in the author's opinion of the things that matter most. Furthermore, the author seems to be extremely religious and did not shy away from repeatedly mentioning God and other religious entities and exploring themes of faith; this didn't appeal to me. Sampling the book failed to change my mind. I wouldn't purchase the title because nothing in its Amazon sample piqued my curiosity or convinced me I'd enjoy reading the poems contained by the book. My initial impressions of the title were also not dispelled by my perusing of its Amazon sample. The first ten pages include the first three poems in the book and some verses of the fourth poem. What I liked most is when the author advised the readers to skip poems that do not appeal to them and move on to more interesting ones. I'm certain that not all poems would be fascinating to the readers. I wasn't able to note any errors in the text. The book seems professionally edited to me. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 6:40 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
Poems About Things That Mattered Most by Bob Dowell is a poetry book that also has some aspects of memoirs and biographies. It brings some aspects of the author's family, religion, inspiration poetry, and a lot more. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review that I read since I'm not interested in biographies mixed with poetry. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind, and I won't read the entire book because the author's life experiences in the form of poems didn't attract me. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and I liked the fact that the author uses common sentences instead of overly refined words with complicated structures.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 2:12 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
Simply based off of the title and cover, it looks to be a book of poems; I am not in the market for this genre. I have come across a positive OBC review of this book, but this would not have changed my mind to sample it, given the genre mismatch. After sampling, there are some errors present. At 21% in the sample, there is a missing comma to mark the separation of the introductory word: "Then(,) why not share...". I suggest more editing. However, I like that the author has included a short introduction giving some explanation of his own background and how he came about to publishing this book – this will help readers to better relate to the author, and hopefully, they will also find his poems more touching. For example, we learn that the author had found again, after some time, his collection of poems that he had authored in the attic, about major events that had transpired in his life or about things that he thought were worth preserving. However, what I like most is that the author mentions that all of his poems "strive to communicate the subject as something to experience, as something more than information" and "strive to connect conviction of mind to consent of heart". In other words, he aims, with his poems, to be able to reach the reader on some emotional level, and not just an intellectual one. However, to further improve the book, it would be good if the author elaborated on what he means by "consent of heart", as it is a little unclear as to what it specifically means. Does "consent of heart" mean agreement from an emotional perspective, or does it mean something else? However, as I am not in the market for poetry, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 6:38 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is quite simple and not very eye-catching, in my opinion. When I read through the official OBC review, I felt that I wouldn't be able to appreciate the book since I am not fond of reading poetry. If I weren't a part of this program, I wouldn't have read the sample at all since the book's cover, genres, and summary didn't interest me enough to want to check it out willingly.
When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided not to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and the author's poems were surprisingly pleasant and easy to follow. It was nice to read about Bob and Nancy's first meeting in the first poem, and when it reached their children and grandchildren, it became heartwarming. It was especially good to know that Bob and Nancy were supportive of each other while she was working and he was busy pursuing his dream at school. It was also admirable that they managed to keep things together like this while taking care of their two children at that time.
However, although the contents were pleasant, nothing really piqued my interest to want to read any further, so I will have to pass on this book, especially because I am not a poetry lover at all. Since my reason is due to my own personal preference, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 5:47 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
When I saw the cover and the title of the book, It became obvious to me that this one should be having a set of poems about the things that mattered to the author. So, I considered reading the official review of this book to know more about these poems. I learned from the official review that this book has forty-three inspiring, entertaining, and enlightening poems. This idea piqued my interest to sample the book. After seeing the free sample, I realized that this book is not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "The dance requires willing surrender and attentiveness from one; As for the other, gentle and skillful guidance is the thing done...". Even though it is a sentence from the poem, I was confused about its meaning. The sentence could have been, "The dance requires the willingness to surrender and attentiveness from one; As for the other, gentle and skillful guidance is the thing done...". The thing l liked the most is the soothing experience that I got while reading about the author's happy family. Unfortunately, I was put off when I could not make any sense of several sentences in the poems because of the usage of abbreviations with which I am not familiar. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and consider the difficulties faced by me, which I listed in the above sentences. Looking at all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today but wait until the author could help me by addressing my suggestion so that I can have a lovely time reading this book.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 4:54 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
At first, the cover design had me wondering about this book, but after sampling it, the design made a bit more sense. For this reason, I don’t plan to purchase and finish the book, but I can say that the sample reveals a writer that expresses himself vividly through poetry. I know that fans of verse will enjoy this work and it will especially appeal to readers who like memoirs. I enjoyed reading the opinions in the 4-star Online Book Club Review. Great work! I saw no errors and this book seems professionally edited. I saw no need to change it in any way as it seems to perfectly suit the way it was designed and written.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 2:46 am by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
TheMazeRunner
This book brings the most important thing in life: love, motherhood, marriage... I woudn't sample the book since I am not a fan of poems. The sample has no mistakes, and it so cute to see the author's pictures of his wife and him. The sample talks about the author's discovery of his poems. I like the idea of the book, but I won't read it. It is not my cup of tea. This book has the official review, and it is professionally edited. I would not change a thing in it.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 2:37 am by TheMazeRunner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelyn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is unlikely that the genre, title, cover, or author of this book would have led me to pick it up. I seldom read non-fiction, even poetry, so that is not an area I peruse. Given this, if I had, for some reason, happened across the book, neither the title nor the cover would have encouraged me to have a look. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have affected my decision. The blurb gives almost a sense of awe at such a book having been written and compiled by one from the elder generation. (No offense intended.) There was a single customer review on the Amazon site, which was positive. Although I did not see a review from this program on the Amazon site, if I had, I would have been interested in what the reviewer had to say. The review on this program's site was quite complimentary. That raised my expectations going into the sample. As I stated earlier, I don't read a lot of poetry, but I understand the draw of writing (and reading) poems that reminisce about the past, speak to the present, and encompass a range of emotions. I liked that the author wove humor into his writings. My favorite bit was about the debacle with the boys and Stan getting stuck in the fridge. These are the scenes from the author's life, so naturally, there is nothing I would change in the book. I don't think I'll be reading this one because the 'feel' of the poetry just somehow did hit me quite right. Something unidentifiable seemed off. However, it sounds like the author has created his own masterpiece. The book seems well-edited, but I did find one - possible - error in the sample. This was: "Though old Lou was only one of several he had trained on the ag lands owned by East Texas state. – ‘ag’ may need to be removed. Or, considering the context, it may be an abbreviation for “agricultural” lands.
First Ten review added on May 31, 2021, at 12:39 am by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I've never been a fan of poetry, so I would not have read the sample without The First Ten. I did like the style of the poems. There is a simplicity to them, but the author's feelings also come through in his writing, like the first poem about meeting his wife. However, this is still not enough to make me want to buy the book.
The official review had no affect on my opinion. There were no editing errors. Nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 10:27 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
I don't usually enjoy reading poetry, so without the first ten program I would have passed on this book. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision.
It is possible that the book was professionally edited. With poetry it is difficult for me to tell. I have no suggestions for improvements. I was impressed at how the author was able to put 50 years of their lives in a short tale only a few pages long. "The Golden Anniversary of Nancy and Bob" was entertaining to read.
I have to admit that I held my breath as I read about how Stan and Dwight thought it was fun to shut each other in the refrigerator, until Dwight realized he couldn't reach the handle to let Stan out. Scary true life moment.
This book would appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs, as well as poetry. Even though I may enjoy reading snippets of them on occasion, I don't typically enjoy reading a whole book of either memoirs or poetry. I will not be reading the whole book.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 9:55 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The sample begins with a brief overview of when the author decides to compile in a book several poems that he had been writing at different times. This idea came to him on his eighty-seventh birthday. The first poem is dedicated to his wife on her birthday and tells of when they met. It was love at first sight. Another of the poems makes a comparison of dancing with doing God’s Will. Later, in other poems, the author comments on his children, their upbringing, and his professorial dreams. The author's way of narrating captured my attention. Sometimes I even forgot I was reading poems since what was told possessed timelines and descriptions like any other narrative. It is moving and inspiring to read the reminiscences of people who have been happy and feel fortunate in life. The official review highlights other topics addressed like the coronavirus pandemic.
The editing looks great even though I failed to capture the criteria whereby some lines start in lowercase and others in uppercase. In some cases, the previous line ended with a period and in others, it did not. For example, at 79% of the sample, a line starts with the phrase "And informed husband Bob." Then in the following stanza, a line begins with "and we reclaim our house." The cover and title seem consistent with the book's content and approach. Although the inclusion of the US flag suggests the book's focus is oriented towards the theme of highlighting the greatness of the United States. Otherwise, I did not see anything else I believe could be improved. What I read was striking as it dealt with fascinating themes and narratives with artistic devices. However, I'm not really a fan of poems, so I think I won't read the rest of the book for now.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 7:45 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
Based on the cover and blurb, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The author’s introduction was touching. I cannot imagine uncovering all these poems in my attic! I’m glad he chose to publish them. It is a great memento for his family, and it is an interesting glimpse into his life and times for others. The pictures were a pleasant surprise. His thoughts on guidance were clever, and they created a more pleasant picture of following the One who leads. Although I enjoyed the selections in the sample pages, I do not feel compelled to buy and read the rest of the book. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement. The featured OnlineBookClub review reinforced that this was a thoughtful, well-written book, but it had no bearing on my decision.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 7:19 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I like that the poems transport you to different eras in the author’s life. You see him meeting his future wife, raising children, having grandkids, and everything in between. Like the reviewer, I also really loved the poem about “guidance.” It was very interesting to get that perspective of faith. I liked the way he defined faith as living your life and desires to the fullest while not denying God his own desires. I like the cover image as well, it perfectly matches and illustrates the content. I didn’t see any errors, the book is professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. I honestly don’t read much poetry, so it’s unlikely I would have found this book outside of the program. It’s not my favorite genre, but I would consider reading more sometime, just not today.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 6:30 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not a big fan of poetry. Only a few poets in my life have caught my attention. After reading the sample, I will not continue to read the book because poetry is simply not for me right now. My favorite part of the sample was the first poem about his wife - I thought it was very cute. I also liked that his poems aren't too abstract or filled with too many literary devices. The book does seem to be professionally edited, and I do not think it needs improvement.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 4:32 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book title is clear about the book's content. As I am not American, I would not pick up a book with the American flag on the book cover. Although the blurb and OBC review are very positive, they did not convince me to read the book. The first ten pages seem to be professionally edited as I detected no errors. Already the second poem (Guidance and God's will) had a religious message and as I do not enjoy reading religious books, I quickly lost interest. Therefore, I will not buy this book. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 3:41 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I like the fact that the cover tells me exactly what to expect from this book. I'm actually intrigued by these "things that mattered most." I'm a little bit reluctant because of the US flag since I'm not American, but I was willing to try this book out by myself. I didn't feel the need to consult the OBC review because the book's appearance and title were clear enough for me. Upon checking the sample, I realized that I shouldn't have worried about the subjects concerning America but about the ones concerning religion. As someone who doesn't read religious books, I didn't want to have anything to do with it. Thus, I don't wish to continue reading this book. I appreciated the flow of the writing, as it kept me reading more than I had planned. Although the poems are a bit long, I like the fact that they reveal many details. The editing seemed alright, without any errors. I didn't feel the need to improve anything at what I read.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 2:55 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kirsi Cultrera
I do not like poems, and given this information, it is clear that I would not have sampled this book without this program. I appreciated the author’s attempt to freeze the valuable moments from his life into poems. These moments were touching, sometimes funny, and always insightful. However, I would have preferred short stories. I am also bound to think that this book would have deserved a more inviting cover picture. As far as I can say, this book seemed well-edited. The Official OnlineBookClub reviewer had clearly enjoyed reading this book very much. It could not change the fact that I still do not understand poetry and can’t seem to find the urge to read it. Therefore, I gladly leave this book to those who enjoy reading poems.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 2:54 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Poems About Things That Mattered Most' is an anthology of poems. It is written by Bob Dowell. All the poems in the book mark a memorable moment in Dowell's life. He decided to collect them in a book on his eighty-seventh birthday. I like how he included a photo of his wife from 1957 and a photo from her eighty-fourth birthday. The concept entranced me. It made me feel nostalgic. I liked the vibe of the book. So, I will give this book a try. The OBC review was great as well. The editing seems to be professional. Based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews, I would give this book a try as the concept truly caught my attention. There is nothing in need of an improvement.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 2:48 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
I would not have read the book based on the genre. I am not interested in reading poetry books; because of that, neither the OBC review nor the sample changed my mind. I must admit, though, that reading the four poems contained in the sample put a smile on my face. The author shares his life journey by writing forty-three thought-provoking poems that revolve around the themes of family, faith, love, loss, and patriotism. The writing style was pleasant to read, and I especially liked the first poem, "A Happy Birthday Memory," in which the author shared how he first met his wife. I also appreciated the author's choice to include personal photos throughout the book. I did not find any typos or grammatical errors, so the book seemed to be professionally edited. All in all, I found nothing that needed to be improved.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 2:02 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Timothy Rucinski
From the Official Review, I knew I wouldn't be reading this book. I don't enjoy personal reminiscences with an underlying religious feel to them, even though the author may not be proselytizing. I also didn't care for the cover at all since to me it appears that a nun's habit is centered right in the middle of the flag. Having been raised in a Roman Catholic family, that image was not one that I found appealing. I enjoy poetry very much, but not the sing-song nursery rhyme type as featured in this book. Consequently, I disliked the author's style of poetry which I found almost impossible to read. Unfortunately, I can't say there is anything about this book that I liked. It appears to have been professionally edited as I saw no errors.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 1:48 pm by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
This is a book I would not have checked out based on the cover and title because I am not a poetry fan. However, after reading the official review, I was somewhat interested in reading some of the poems in this book. I loved the poem about the author and his wife's fiftieth anniversary, but my favorite in the portion I read was the poem about Will, the great-grandson. I loved the part where the author waited patiently to hold Will and said it took two years. I did not encounter any errors or anything that needs improving in the sample I read. However, I am still not a poetry fan, and the poems I read did not change my mind about that. Therefore, I don't plan to finish reading the book.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 1:29 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The cover and title of this book are average. I would not have picked it up without the First Ten program because I am not a fan of poems. The first few pages seem well edited. I liked how the author explored the complicated role of being a grandparent, having to be patient and sometimes wait in the background. The official OBC review was positive, but it did not change my mind. Poems are not my cup of tea, therefore, I will not be reading the rest of this book. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 1:01 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
I like the title, but wonder why it is called "Things that Mattered" rather than "Things that Matter." I don't like the cover. The green doesn't go with the rest of the color scheme and the images look a bit amateur. The synopsis on Amazon didn't make me all that interested in the book. While I love poetry and I love my country, I don't typically enjoy patriotic poems. Additionally, the synopsis didn't mention if these poems are free verse, sonnets, or anything in-between. The official review gave the work a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I am very curious about one of the poems the reviewer mentioned. The author's kids were playing a "dangerous game with the fridge," and I'm sure that is a very unique poem. I am looking forward to sampling the book because of that portion of the review. "Some of the poems are lengthy; some are short; some are in between" (21% of sample). In-between should be hyphenated. I believe the work was professionally edited. "A Happy Birthday Memory" was a very sweet poem and I enjoyed seeing the pictures of Dowell and his wife. While I appreciated the message of "Guidance and God's Will," I thought the poem was a bit rough. It would make more sense for the reflections on the letters g, u, and i to be at the beginning and then for the revelation about dancing to follow. I didn't like that the dance metaphor had to be "put on hold" (line 15). "The Golden Anniversary of Nancy and Bob" was a terrific poem that shared so many personal memories of the couple. The only thing I didn't like about it was the repetition of the word "hardscrabble." Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed sampling this book and am looking forward to finishing it.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 12:54 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AntonelaMaria
Poetry books are a hit or miss with me. I don't intentionally seek them out. This book, just by the cover, doesn't work for me. I think it unappealing. It would be something I would change. After reading the blurb, Offical Onlinebookclub review, and the sample, I realized it is not a book for me. Great for the author for writing and publishing his work. I am celebrating that fact. However, I have no interest in reading this book. His love and pride for his family shine through these poems. A reader can tell there is a lot of love in here. The way he describes his family members is relatable and loving. I like the simplicity of the expression. I didn't notice any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 12:46 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I would not have chosen to read the book based on the title. The cover raised questions in my mind. I did not understand the green dress and the other items on the flag. The blurb mentioned that the book was about family, faith, and country, so I assumed the green dress was a symbol for family. The review was very positive and mentioned that it was well-edited. I did not see any errors in the pages that I read. I liked the first poem about the author meeting his future wife for the first time. It helped that there was a picture included, and the dress she was wearing was green, which helped to clear up the mystery of the cover. I did not enjoy the other poems that I read. I will not finish reading the book because I like my memoirs to be in prose form. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 12:45 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
I would not have checked this book out based on the attractive book cover and title because I am not fond of the genre. The blurb, one customer review, and the OnlineBookClub review are all positive for the book. I like how the author began the book with a picture of his wife in 1957 alongside a picture of her in 2019. I also like the writing style of the poems in the first ten pages. Although the book appears to have been edited by a professional editor, I did notice the misplacement of a footnote at 94% of the sample. Other than that, I did not see anything I would change. I will not be buying the book and reading it because I do not enjoy reading poetry.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 11:45 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rayah Raouf
I would not have chosen to sample the book due to the genre and cover. The cover looks a bit weird, but I can tell that it will be about topics I have no interest in. The genre is also something I am not interested in. I will not read the whole book. I thought the poems were interesting, but I am not the intended audience for this book. I noticed no grammatical errors in the sample. Therefore, the book seems to be professionally edited. I like the picture included at the beginning of the book. It feels a bit more personal and we can see who it was meant for. I cannot think of any improvements to be made. There was an official review. However, I still do not want to read the book.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 11:42 am by Rayah Raouf.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I have mixed feelings about the cover of the book. On the one hand, I love the down-to-earth title, unlike most undecipherable poetry books. But the patriotism doesn't sit right with me. The blurb is intriguing (at least I love the idea of poems collected in an attic) and the ratings are great, but I wouldn't know if this is an ultra-nationalistic, fire-and-brimstone kind of book, and that's why I wouldn't have bought it based on my first impressions.
I loved both the introduction (it takes courage and honesty for an author to suggest to the reader to just read what they wish) and the poems I read. The first one truly moved me. I hope my husband, as the author, remembers me as I looked when we met. The picture of the author's wife on the "tight-fitting green dress" makes it all so relatable and real! I was also glad to be proved wrong. The author doesn't seem to believe in the kind of sentencing religion I dislike ("But that guidance need not take the form of a punishing rod.")
I didn't find editing mistakes. I would suggest fixing the cover to something less blatantly obvious. The official review confirmed this was a book I would enjoy.
First Ten review added on May 30, 2021, at 11:37 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 20%
Poems About Things That Mattered Most earned a score of 20%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 20% 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 Poems About Things That Mattered Most
