The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Golden Window: Poems, Collection I 2015-2017
Because The Golden Window 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.
Ekta Kumari
I wouldn't have read this book as I didn't think I would enjoy reading it. However, I pretty much really enjoyed reading the poems. In fact, some poems were my favorite, such as "The Golden Window" and "Making Your Way". These poems are beautifully phrased and I could relate with the emotions behind the poems. The use of punctuations is impeccable and the book seems very well edited. After reading the sample and the official review, I've decided to read it, as the collection of poems are easily understandable and evoke strong emotions.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 4:40 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Alice Heritage
I probably wouldn't have sampled this without the programme as I don't normally look for new poetry. However, I am likely to read the rest of this book after sampling the first ten pages because I found it inspiring. This work appears professionally edited as I did not notice any errors. I liked what the author says in the introduction about poetry: "I credit poetry for helping her [his terminally ill wife] and saving me." I also loved the layers of meaning in the first poem, "The Golden Window", because it contains messages about perspective but also hints at romance. I didn't find anything else in the sample that impressed me that deeply and in terms of something minor that could be improved, the language "hold your breath, grit your teeth" in "The Red Zone" is somewhat cliched. The OBC review helped me in deciding that the whole collection is worth reading.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 3:44 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vickie Noel
I don't like to purchase poem collections, so I wouldn't have read this one outside the program. My opinion has really changed after sampling it. I enjoyed the first one, The Golden Window, and I appreciated the rhyming pattern as well as the simple tone and storytelling traits. I smiled when the boy of the widow in search of the golden window was told by the 12-year-old girl that it was the window of his own house that had the same effect on her as her window had on him. I also loved the "Making your way" poem where the author used such a simple term as rowing one's own boat. This is a subtle reminder for one to carve their own path in life, otherwise life could forge one out which wouldn't be to your taste. I saw no grammatical errors at all; it was professionally edited. The OBC review highly praised the book and stimulated my desire to check it out. I will be searching out more gems within the collection.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 3:41 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gravy
I don't go looking for poetry, so I would not have sampled this without this program. The sample did not change my mind, so I do not plan to read it.
I found no errors and the poetry is interesting, and the imagery is strong. I enjoyed what sample there was, and would likely be inclined to read it, if poetry were more my thing.
I really liked the poem the book is titled after. Sadly, it only appears to be available via the print sample. I would note that the discrepancies between the Kindle and print samples is unfortunate. The Kindle sample (September, October, November) isn't even listed in the print sample.
I do believe there was a review for this book, but that does not affect my opinion. I do not plan to read this due to my reading preferences, but I would probably recommend it.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 3:34 am by Gravy.
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. I’m not really into poetry, so this didn’t seem like the book for me. After reading the first ten pages, I will be finishing this book. I really liked the poems that I read so far. The search for the golden window was really metaphorical. I liked the adventure that the boy went on in search for the golden window, just to find out it wasn’t where he thought it would be. I also liked the formatting of “Autumn”. The verse for each month sloped down the page. I thought this was unique. There wasn’t anything I disliked so far. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 3:19 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
Not being a fan of poetry, I would not have chosen to sample this book. After reading the first ten pages, I have to admit that the first poem, 'The Golden Window', was beautifully written. The child longing to find out what magic lies across the pond, gives a feeling of childlike innocence and provokes a feeling of wonderment. Although the author's writing style is easy to read and quite emotional, I still don't think I will be buying and reading the full book. If I could improve the book in any way, it would be to have it written in the form of a novel rather than a book of poetry. I do believe the book was professionally edited, as I did not notice any errors. The official OnlineBookClub review was very well written and the reviewer clearly knows a lot more about poetry than I do, however this did not serve to change my mind.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 2:54 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The cover is pleasant. The reviews and blurb were promising, but I don't like self- help books or poetry. I did not understand much of the poems that were in the sample, or why it was divided as seasons and months. Though I did like how the author compared falling leaves to parachutes. I did not like the tumblr- like format of the poems. The rest of the writings were professionally edited. I won't be reading further because I didn't really enjoy the sample and I don't enjoy the genre.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 1:24 am by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I would have sampled the book. Both aspects are appealing. They made me curious, especially the title, at what adventure could lay inside. As for the first few pages, the first poem with the title the same as the book's was surprising. I can't help but smile at the story about a boy and girl looking at each other's house, each claiming the opposite as the golden window. That particular spoke about gratitude. However, the author's writing style is not something I look in poems. I only speak for myself when I say that it is rather plain and doesn't evoke any emotions within me. I do, however, believe that the author is a good storyteller. The other poems, like Ass in Grass, was amusing as well. The formatting of the poems was also different making each one unique. It would seem that the author wanted to give strength to the readers as most of his poems were full of encouragement to go on. I usually don't read motivational poems thus, I will not be reading the rest of the book. I found no noticeable errors and the official OBC review was enlightening and persuasive enough to tell to sample it.
First Ten review added on May 27, 2019, at 1:13 am by briellejee.
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, the cover (with the image of sun rays coming through a window) caught my attention. Having read the sample, I liked the prologue of the book and understood why the author wrote the poems. I found the poems on the first few pages of the book (before the table of contents) easy to read. I found no major grammatical errors in the book. However, I am not a fan of poetry and hence, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 10:37 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
Even though I found the cover beautiful and the title captivating, I would not have read "The Golden Window" by Steven C. Brandt based on the genre. As I am not a huge fan of poetry books, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages and the OBC review. However, I admire the author for sharing his real-life experiences throughout his thought-provoking collection of 50 free verse poems. I particularly liked the fourth poem, "Making Your Way," in which the author encourages you to become the leader of your own life by making good decisions and finding the courage and perseverance to pursue your own dreams. I did not find any typos or grammatical errors, so the book seemed professionally edited. As I mentioned above, this is not my genre; fans of poetry books will appreciate it.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 7:46 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the cover and genre, I would have sampled the book because it appealed to me. I read the official review and sampled The Golden Window. I liked how the mood shifted in the first three poems before the table of contents: September, October, and November. I appreciated the element of surprise in the first poem after the preface: The Golden Window. The book appeared to be professionally edited as I did not spot any errors in the pages I read. I will be reading the rest of the book because I loved the author's writing style and also because I enjoyed reading his poetry.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 2:13 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Delaney35
Poetry is so subjective, so I would normally check out the sample before committing to reading a collection of poetry. I would also consult the official review which, in this case, left a compelling list of reasons to read this book. The first poem "The Golden Window" was very different from a lot of poetry I've read. It was more narrative and read more like a story than a poem. I'm not big on narrative poetry because since it feels like prose, I think it should be written in prose. There was nothing grammatically wrong with the poem though. Overall, I will not be finishing this collection because I am not a fan of narrative poetry.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 12:16 pm by Delaney35.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OliviaLouise
I really like the idea of a motivational poetry book, so I was excited to read this. After reading the sample, I discovered that I liked the way the author formatted the book, with a parable followed by a related poem. Very nice little book I would be happy to recommend. I will definitely be reading the rest of this book!
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 12:11 pm by OliviaLouise.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, description, and review of this book, I would not have read it. I do not read poetry and therefore would not be interested in this book. After reading the first 10 pages, I did not change my mind, and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I did enjoy, in the sample that I read, the second poem entitled Epiphany. The imagery of the glowing tree was really well done. Despite this, I will not be buying and reading the rest of this book simply because I'm not a big poetry fan. That being said, there wasn't anything that I would have wanted changed, and the book did look well written edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 10:36 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. In general, I don't enjoy reading poetry. Therefore, the title, genre, and blurb would not have piqued my interest. Also, I find the book cover a bit to bright for my eyes. Though there are positive OBC and customer ratings, these do not affect my opinion of the book. I did not see any glaring errors while I read. I really like how the poems in the sample are printed in a diagonal fashion, where the words seem to be flowing down the page. Although I'm confused if the poems, "September", "October", and "November", are the beginning poems or if they come before the actual text since the Table of Contents are introduced after these poems. Though the poems are easy enough to understand, I'm afraid they don't spark my interest. Due to this and the fact that I don't enjoy reading poems, I do not plan on reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 10:11 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
sarahmarlowe randomeducator
The cover is beautiful. I probably would have picked it up. I enjoyed reading the first part of the book. The retelling of the story was done well, and I think it laid a good foundation for the poetry that came afterward. I found one error: "skies, (skis) boards, boots are checked for size"(Loc 25) I will not be reading this book because it's not a genre I am interested in right now. I have not read an OBC review of this book.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 8:36 am by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dolor
I am not much into poems, so I won't be reading this book without The First Ten program. Both the title and the cover photo are catchy. The poems enclosed in the first ten pages are entitled "The Golden Window" and "An Epiphany". The Golden Window tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy who spotted a golden window across the valley. I found no error in these poems. I have no improvement suggestion for this professionally edited book. The poems had piqued my interest, so I will read on. There is an official OBC review, but it did not make me feel the urge to read this book. The Golden Window by Steven C. Brandt is an anthology of poems that are divided into six sections: Self-Reliance, Living Full, Nature, Joys, Sorrows, and Caregiving. The author shared his #Journey with his loved ones through #Poetry.
#Collection #FreeBook
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 7:10 am by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mercelle
Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review urged me on when it mentioned that through his experiences, the author urges readers to find the meaning of life. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that the author mentioned that his friends and relatives come to mind when the holiday advertising barrage begins. Since I noticed no errors, I will conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 5:55 am by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelyn
This one is easy. Yes, I chose to read the book based on its blurb and genre...some time ago actually. I enjoy poetry and this book is beautifully done. Having re-read the first few poems in the sample, I fully plan on reading it through again. Partially nostalgia in that I enjoyed it so much the first time and partially because I enjoy reading wonderfully written poetry. I found no errors, the book appears to have been professionally edited. It's difficult to say what I loved most but I can say that I find the first poem in the book particularly charming. I wouldn't change a thing.
First Ten review added on May 26, 2019, at 12:02 am by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book as I do not think this is my genre. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. Because the book is short, there was not much to go off of. I did like the formatting of the September, October, and November poems with each line indented and how figurative language was used, but I wish I saw some of the actual poem content and I would have liked more experimental formatting. It was professionally edited. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:40 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I would not have picked it up to read because poetry is just not a genre I typically enjoy. I read the first ten pages, which included the Preface, and the poems "Autumn" and "The Golden Window." I appreciated the preface because I always feel it's nice to know where the author is coming from with poetry. I also really enjoyed "The Golden Window" because I liked the story it told. I believe I will keep reading these poems to see what else I connect with. I didn't notice any errors in the section I read.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:38 pm by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nisha Ward
I will admit that this wasn't something I'd pick up on my own, but now that I have, I think I'll add it to my to read list. Brandt is a masterful poet and the twist in the first poem is something that will stay with me for a long time. The second poem reads almost as a mirror of the first and from there, the book just becomes more enthralling. Having found no errors so far, I can comfortably recommend this excellent collection of poetry.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:26 pm by Nisha Ward.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
srividyag1
The cover image and title clearly mentions that this is a collection of poems. The review had mentioned that the poet has used visual characteristics like font and formatting to increase the enjoyment of the reader. I read the sample in Amazon which started with the month-wise poems. In the preface, the author has mentioned that the reader needs to use this book by writing notes and experiencing it in its fullest. The book seems professionally edited. I'm not a big fan of poetry. So, I'm not going to read this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:20 pm by srividyag1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CinWin
"The Golden Window" by Steven C. Brandt begins with a poem of the same title. Every day a boy sees a house across the way with a golden window. One day, he visits the house only to learn that another home has a golden window, and it is his. I think it depends on where the sun is shining. It was a thought-provoking poem. I believe the author was alluding to the phrase, "The grass is always greener on the other side." I won't be finishing it because I don't understand the whole "poetry concept." I prefer more straightforward writing. I'm not sure if the punctuation was correct. It was not right for regular writing, but perhaps poetry follows different rules? The cover was beneficial in that it told you it was a poetry collection. There is an onlinebookclub review. I have no recommendations to make it a better book, as I am not a poetry expert by a longshot.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 10:03 pm by CinWin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have read the first ten pages of The Golden Window even if it had not been a past of The First Ten program. The Book of the Day review was positive and it left me interested in the book. It seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I enjoyed the poem, "The Golden Window, and its message. It was interesting how Sophia viewed the boy's house as the one having the golden window. I didn't like how each poem had a similar rhyme scheme where the second and last lines rhymed. It became a little repetitive. As a result, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 9:06 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
Despite my love of poetry, I'm very wary of poetry collections. However, there's a good chance I would've looked into this book anyway; the cover is very eye-catching, and it gave me major sci-fi/fantasy vibes.
So far I'm a huge fan of this poetry. Out of the three poems I've read (plus the introduction), each poem has been very unique. They all have different formats, different topics, and do a terrific job of illustrating their subject. The first is a fun romp through the months of Autumn, and both The Golden Window and An Epiphany are great examples of poetry that illuminating something magical about childhood. I didn't see any errors at all, and I have nothing negative to report.
I probably wouldn't have purchased the book if it wasn't free, but I'll definitely read the rest now that I own a copy!
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 9:02 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
LV2R
The book cover and title were both nice looking. The Amazon Blurb gave a summary of the different poem topics. I was not decided about reading the book or not. The first ten pages included the poem of “The Golden Window,” which I did enjoy. I best liked how the poem ended with the golden window being from his, own widowed mom’s house. We often think the golden window is elsewhere, not in our own life. This makes me think on the meaning. The book seems to be well edited, as I did not notice any errors. I like that the OBC review mentioned that the formatting and font were a part of the poems. Though I am not usually a fan of poetry, I want to read this collection of poems because some of them have a story form, an unexpected turn, and cause you to think.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 8:58 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Juliana_Isabella
I probably wouldn't have chosen this book for me because I don't usually read poetry collections, but I liked that the reviewer thought the author was "meticulous". Although I liked that the author formatted the poems to assist his message and that I didn't find any grammatical errors, I didn't get any enjoyment out of the poetry because it included many physical details instead of emotional details. Because of this, I won't be finishing the book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 7:00 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
danielleamy
Without the First Ten program I would not have sampled this, as I don't tend to read poetry. I saw in the preface that the author mentioned that poetry really helped him and his wife when it came to dealing with his wife's terminal illness. Although this is a very touching and heartfelt piece of work, I will not be reading the whole book. There were no errors or typos I could see in the first ten pages. Some of the poems were free verse, so there were missing capital letters and full stops, but this was fit for purpose. There were a few poems that stood out to me such as 'Rapids'. The rhymes and the layout/formatting of the poem made the poem flow - just like the rapids themselves. It was lovely to read! However, I did not enjoy all the poems enough to finish reading the rest. I would like to add that this is the best book of poems I have seen in a while, the author has a great way with words and imagery. It is just not to my taste unfortunately.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 6:47 pm by danielleamy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lisalynn
The cover of "The Golden Window" relates well to the first poem in the book. Each morning, a boy sees a golden a window across the way and is fascinated by it. When he investigates, it's just a normal window. The girl who lives here looks across the way every afternoon and sees a golden window at the boy's house, which he thinks is just a normal window. The author never comes out and says the golden hue is the sun reflected on opposite sides of the valley as it traverses the sky, but in an O. Henry type moment, the reader understands this. The poem is all about perspective and how people see the world differently. The blurb makes the book sound melancholy, but don't be put off by that. There's deep meaning here for those patient enough to read slowly and take in every word. I didn't see any errors. The formatting of each poem is purposeful, adding to the artistry of the work. I'm not much for poetry, but the OnlineBookClub review made this one sound like it would be worth the time.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 5:45 pm by lisalynn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
brown09
If I were not a part of this program, I would have sampled this selection of poems out of interest in the reason for the title. I will not purchase and read these poems because poem books aren't really my cup of tea. The Online Book Club review also impacted my decision by informing me of the types of poems that were placed in this book. Based on what I have read, the book seems like it was professionally edited, with no visible typos or grammatical errors. I liked the poem "An Epiphany" the most out of the bit of the book. It was a free-form poem that details the clear mindset of a ten-year-old shortly after he regains his health.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 4:44 pm by brown09.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked up this book because I don't really like poetry. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book as I didn't enjoy the poetry. The sample deals with poems about different seasons, particularly in the fall. The next part is serious poetry on more metaphoric themes. The writing is pretty good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who like poetry might like this book. I am not really fond of poetry. I have not read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 4:14 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'The Golden Window' is a book written by Steven C. Brandt. The title, blurb, and cover did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The first ten pages leads me to believe that it is anthology of poems it is divided into six parts, each part containing around ten poems. I liked the formatting of the poems. I found some errors. For example, the author had written, “something’s weird in your mind.. The closed inverted commas is missing here. Hence, I do not consider it to be professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I liked reading the first few poems.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 4:03 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Ungureanu
The cover and the title are wonderfully chosen. I would've given this book a chance without the program. The review didn't affect my opinion. I love that the author encourages the readers to write notes in the margins and put question marks if some words feel unclear. The first poem tells a complex story. The tale of the two children who both saw a golden window in each other houses brought a smile to my face. The author has a beautiful way of charming the reader through his words. For that reason, I'm going to read the rest of this book. The sample was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 3:57 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sonya Nicolaidis
At first, I suspected this might be a religious book, based on the cover design and the title. I was happy to discover that it was an anthology of poems. While not a huge poetry fan, I was not in the mood for a religious book today! In fact, this little book of poems was just what I felt I needed. Having recently lost a loved one, some reflection and contemplation on the passage of time and the transition from youth into middle and old age seemed appropriate. The OBC review recommended this poet’s unique approach very highly, and I was intrigued. I managed to only read a few stanzas from the first poem, but was very impressed. This poet has a great command over his words, and makes them convey his innermost thoughts. I loved the unique way of describing the sun rays starting to lean, as the shadows grow longer. I did notice what might be an error in the sentence, “outdoor, shadows stretch” which might read better as “outdoors, shadows stretch” but poetry is forgiving, grammar-wise, so perhaps this is as the poet intended. I can think of no suggestions for improvement on this book as there is nothing I didn’t like. I just wish I could have had more of the sample to read. I would definitely read this book, in spite of my ambivalence to poetry in general.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 3:24 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
I really like the title and cover of this book but I probably would not have picked it up because I am not a fan of poetry. The Amazon blurb makes this book seem like it will be emotional and sad. The first few pages were well-edited. I appreciated the author's thoughts on how this book is to be used. Unfortunately, I really am not a fan of poetry and the poems in this book did not change my mind. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest. I did not feel the need to read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 2:36 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kendra M Parker
While I can understand poetry, I have a general love/hate relationship with it. It is rare that I would ever choose a book of poetry to read. I noticed right away that this book of poetry does not use any capitalization, but being poetry the rules don’t necessarily apply here. I did. like the poem “The Golden Window.” I liked the idea that the two 12-year-olds saw the golden light from each other across the valley. It seems especially poignant after reading the forward and how poetry was a help to both the author and his wife as they faced her terminal illness. “Ass in Grass” was another one that really spoke to me about childhood as the author wrote about climbing a tree. It’s fun to ponder that as I watch my own kids play outside right now. Still, while I can appreciate these poems, I just don’t really enjoy poetry all that much. I’m looking more for escapist fiction at this point in my life, so I probably won’t read the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 2:35 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
This book’s title made me curious. The description didn’t hook me. I don’t usually enjoy poetry collections. Before sampling, I wasn’t thinking about reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. While lovely, I wasn’t quite sure what the poems I sampled were about. The title poem presented some lovely imagery—the golden window itself, the boy as a man flying upon wings. It brought to mind something magical. The second poem with the tree was also magically lilting in a way. Again, I didn’t quite get the meaning, but the image of the boy climbing and yearning to see the sky was beautiful. I have no improvements to suggest at this time. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review, but I doubt one would have changed my mind. I’m just not that into poetry.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 2:25 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
The cover picture is appealing. The title, The Golden Window, is good and made me interested in the book. The Golden Window is a beautiful collection of poems showing Steven C. Brandt's life. The poems have deep meaning and are emotional. To me that is my test if I like a poem. It must make me feel something. The poem, "The Golden Window", is beautiful and thought-provoking. To me it meant that we always think others have better or golden things and we are envious of them. But, in turn, they think we have it better. We should realize that our own life is golden. I also liked "Living Full". It only has five lines, but it has a profound meaning. The official review rated this book highly, and I agree. I found no grammatical or spelling errors and believe that this book has been professionally edited.
I like what I read so far and hope to finish this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 2:12 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mbrooks2518
I'm not a fan of poetry, so I wouldn't have tried this book if not for The First Ten, and I am not interested enough to finish reading it. Although, I did like the more direct word choices. It lets the reader focus on the meaning behind the poem. I also liked the more whimsical nature of the first poem "Golden Window." From the official review and what I read, this does seem like a good choice for those who do like poetry. I did find one mistake on page 2. The word following a colon was capitalized.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 1:48 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
There was only one poem to review, but I must say, I liked it. The author brilliantly captures what happens each month with the weather, the people, programs, and daylight with each passing moment. I especially liked how he described the night beating commuters home. The formatting is also interesting, it looked like a progression of wind or time. All in all, it was everything a poem should be. The cover is beautiful and so is the title. The review was very positive and gave a lot of insight into what to expect. Although I don’t usually read poetry, I will make an exception for this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 1:37 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
I wouldn't have come across this collection of poetry without the first ten program. I like the brightness of the cover and the metaphorical title. There are no editorial reviews and only 2 customer reviews. The book is well organized in 6 major parts, each of them containing approximately 10 poems. I have enjoyed reading some of them, especially since the author experiments with different layouts and uses a simple, conversational tone. In terms of editing, I only noticed that the author did not use a coherent referencing system in the preface (p. 4 - see the quotations from Emerson). Otherwise, there are no other editing errors. I loved the metaphor of the ideal never to be achieved in the poem entitled The Golden Window. Since the OBC reviewer also recommends this collection for its variety, I'll add it to my reading list.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 1:08 pm by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gen_g
I have not come across reviews of this book; it is professionally edited as well. I like how the author, in his poems, does not say outright what he means, but instead uses metaphors and analogies to hint at it. For instance, in "The Golden Window", the titular poem, it speaks about how people tend to romanticise/idealise their own image of certain things/issues that they might like. Very simply put, "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence". I too like that the author gives us a bit of information about himself in the preface, how his wife's terminal illness spurred him to turn to poetry as a haven of sorts. I currently have no suggestions for improvement, and I will be reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 12:18 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
cpru68
The first few pages of this have a few lines about autumn. The main poem, the Golden Window, depicts a boy who is highly intrigued by a window he sees that appears to be golden across the way from his home. One day after school he gets up the nerve to go exploring and finds that the inhabits of the house, an older man and a twelve year old girl, aren’t aware that the sun makes their window golden but she is excited about a window that she sees that is magical and it is his own home.
I found the poetry regarding fall and the window to be charming. I wasn’t struggling to understand the meaning as sometimes occurs with poems. I did not find any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar so it would seem this was professionally edited.
I won’t be finishing this one as I am not a big poetry reader, and it’s not a genre I seek out. I do appreciate the opportunity to have read the sample pages of this one, and I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book club. I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:34 am by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Artizi
As I usually enjoy poetry, the book's cover and title would have caught my attention at any bookshelf, so it's likely I would have given it a chance without being prompted to read its first few pages.
I am intrigued by the author's writing style, so I'd enjoy checking out the rest of his book, even if I wasn't fascinated by the first few poems I read. They were pleasant enough to merit, giving it a try.
The book, though, does not look like it was professionally edited. I noticed inappropriate use of punctuation marks and a few grammatical errors. (example: "yr-your house with a golden window" on page 5. I understand the character is stuttering, but feel it should have been typed: y-your house)
I feel it would benefit from a thorough correction to check for spelling mistakes and give it a more polished look.
There is an Official OnlineBookClub review, and it praises the book's contents, so I'd like to give the rest of it a try.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:32 am by Artizi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kristy Khem
I did not like the cover design, but the title and blurb appealed to me. I was also impressed by the positive reviews on Amazon. Based on the title, blurb, and reviews, I would have chosen this book to read. The sample provided me with a sneak peek into Steven Brandt’s poetry. I liked that he formatted the poem ‘Autumn’ into a diagonal word design. I also liked how easy the poems were to read and understand. For instance, the line ‘car windshields sprout morning beards’ directly referred to the frosty October nights which leave frost on car windshields. ‘Summer curtsies to fall’ was also a playful line from one of his poems. Immediately, I understood that from the poet’s perspective, summer was considered to be female. I saw no errors in the poem so I believe the book was edited fully. I enjoyed reading the sample so I would buy and read this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 11:17 am by Kristy Khem.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Stephanie Elizabeth
Had I not sampled the first ten pages of this book, I probably wouldn't have read it based on the front cover and the poetry genre. After reading the sample, I would definitely read The Golden Window because of the way the first poem was written. I related to "The Golden Window" and "Rapids" and kept wanting to read more.
I didn't notice any errors and the book looked to be professionally edited. My favorite part was in "The Golden Window" when the boy finally finds the source of the golden light, and the girl he meets explains he must be mistaken because the light is actually emanating from his house. I thought this was such a clever way of proving that the grass always seems greener on the other side. I didn't think there was much that needed to be improved, but a short blurb before or after each poem to explain the meaning could benefit the book. This book had an official onlinebookclub review.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 10:39 am by Stephanie Elizabeth.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Theresa Moffitt
I like the cover of this book the photo and title grabbed my attention. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The book is a collection of poetry. The poems are divided into six sections with topics such as joys, sorrows and caregiving. The author encourages the reader to skip around based on topic rather than to just read the poems in order. I especially liked the poem about the golden window and the little boy that could see a golden window from his house and dreamed of finding it. When he finally found the house, the window wasn’t golden. The girl that lived there showed him a house with a magical window that she watches everyday The poetry seems relatable and interesting. I believe the book was professionally edited because I didn’t see any errors. Although the book is interesting and well-written based on the first ten pages, I am not a big fan of this type of poetry. I will not finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 9:57 am by Theresa Moffitt.
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 poetry. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. This collection of poems revolves around the author's personal experiences and feelings. It contains about fifty free verse poems, encompassing themes such as nature, love, and death. There were no periods in the first poem (by purpose?). Other than that, I didn't notice any glaring errors. I enjoyed the first poem and liked its theme. It revolved around a young boy who learned that the grass is NOT always greener on the other side. I won't read the book, as I am not a poetry lover. The official review didn't sway my decision either way.
First Ten review added on May 25, 2019, at 9:54 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 47%
The Golden Window earned a score of 47%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 47% 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 The Golden Window
