Noteworthy Kindle Samples

Like many, I truly appreciate the sampling feature on Amazon. It enables me to decide whether or not I want to buy a book or completely abandon all thought of it.

Recently, I downloaded some book samples onto my Kindle and took them along on my latest trip. Here are the noteworthy ones; the ones I am now adding to my to-buy list:

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif. YA Contemporary

From Amazon:

No pizza. No boyfriend. (No life.)

Okay, so during Ramadan, we're not allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset. For one whole month. My family does this every year, even though I've been to a mosque exactly twice in my life. And it's true, I could stand to lose a few pounds. (Sadly, my mom's hotness skipped a generation.) But is starvation really an acceptable method? I think not.

Even worse, my oppressive parents forbid me to date. This is just cruel and wrong. Especially since Peter, a cute and crushable artist, might be my soul mate. Figures my bestest friend Lisa likes him, too. To top it off, there's a new Muslim girl in school who struts around in super-short skirts, commanding every boy's attention-including Peter's. How can I get him to notice me? And will I ever figure out how to be Muslim and American?

What immediately hooked me with this book was the voice. It is authentic, teen-agey, and funny. I actually laughed out loud in a few sections (and I’m only talking about the sample here). Plus, I am already taken in by the characters that are clearly well-developed and quirky. I downloaded the sample, read it, and found myself unable to buy it right away because I was without internet service. I am looking forward to continuing the novel now.

White Lies by Jeremy Bates. Adult Thriller

From Amazon:

While driving to a charming village tucked away deep in the Cascade Mountains of eastern Washington, where she is to begin a new job teaching high school English, Katrina Burton picks up a young hitchhiker who turns out to be drunk and predatory. Fearful for her safety, she lies about her destination in order to get him out of the car. But when she later discovers that he is a teacher at the same school, she finds herself feeding that initial lie with more lies. Then Katrina meets a mysterious man. Handsome, charismatic and strong, he is exactly what she needs to extricate her from the expanding network of lies, now spinning out of control. She falls fast and hard for him. But her perfect solution soon becomes a nightmare that lands her in the middle of a grisly murder. And Katrina's problems don't stop there. She must decide whether to betray her new love or to cover up the murder and hope for the best.

This sample was a perfect hook. Bates created a suspenseful and nail-biting opening about a woman who picks up a hitchhiker on a dark and rainy road. The setting, the descriptions, and the interactions between the driver and the hitchhiker blended together to form ultimate suspense and creepiness. I have to know what happens! Have to!

The Mama’s Boy Myth by Kate Stone Lomardi

From Amazon:

New York Times contributor Kate Stone Lombardi unveils the surprisingly close relationship between mothers and sons. Mother after mother confessed to Lombardi that her husband, brothers, and even female friends and family criticize the fact that she is "too close" to her sons. Many of these women are often startled by the strong connection they feel with their sons; but rarely do they talk about it because society tells them to push their little boys away and not "baby" them with too much cuddling and comforting. It is as if there were an existing playbook-based on gender preconceptions dating back to Freud, Oedipus, and beyond-that prescribes the way mothers and their sons should interact.

I have to admit, I stole this book idea from Marie at EveryDay is a Miracle . She featured the book on her blog. The idea resonated with me since I have two boys with whom I am very close. The sample did not disappoint. Lombardi challenges the mama’s boy stereotype, questioning why it is still considered unacceptable for mothers to teach their sons emotional intelligence when society embraces the “daddy’s little girl” notion. This is definitely on my to-buy list, too!

Do you have any noteworthy Kindle samples you absolutely want to buy?