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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated My Sister's Bones in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/my-sisters-bones-by-nuala-ellwood
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!
<b>Trigger warnings are noted in the first paragraph.</b>
<b><i>Were all of us, every day, just a hairbreadth away from evil. If Ive learnt anything from fifteen years of reporting, its that. But I couldnt expect these people to understand.</b></i>
This is a really heavy read as it deals with some really dark and depressing subjects, <b>such as the war and refugees in Syria, domestic & child abuse, rape, death, mental illness, alcoholism and miscarriages.</b> Dont read this if youre having a low period in your life because this is not going to make you feel any better, throughout its a rather distressing and upsetting story.
Each character in this novel was well developed, no matter how small a part they played in the plot. Ellwood has done a fantastic job with her research into PTSD as Kates fears and anxieties seem so real to the reader. Though Ive never experienced anything even close to PTSD, I can really imagine how terrifying and disturbing it would be, from reading this book. Its definitely the best and most harrowing description of the condition Ive ever read in a fiction novel.
This was a really well presented novel and Im amazed that its a debut! It was excellently written and thought out. My only issue being that sometimes, the timings in this book felt a little off. When Kate and Paul were together, one minute they'd be serving dinner and the next, after a small 5 lined conversation, it would be midnight and time for Paul to leave and Kate to get into bed. It seemed like large chunks of the day would just disappear.
Maybe I shouldnt have read some other peoples reviews on this beforehand, but because I was expecting all these super duper amazing twists, I kind of didnt feel that they were super duper amazing. I also found some of them to be a little far fetched and silly, rather than surprising.
I can definitely see why this has gained so many 5 star ratings, but its all down to personal preference at the end of the day, and this one was just a little too dark for my liking. That's not to say I didn't like this...I enjoyed this a lot, hence the 4 stars. I found myself not wanting to put it down, even when my eyes were telling me it was definitely time for sleep. It was certainly a thrilling and page turning read, but I dont know if I could recommend this to anyone because of all the dark subject matters. It seems like the sort of book some people are going to love for its dark realism and others are going to hate that and find it too distressing to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!
<b>Trigger warnings are noted in the first paragraph.</b>
<b><i>Were all of us, every day, just a hairbreadth away from evil. If Ive learnt anything from fifteen years of reporting, its that. But I couldnt expect these people to understand.</b></i>
This is a really heavy read as it deals with some really dark and depressing subjects, <b>such as the war and refugees in Syria, domestic & child abuse, rape, death, mental illness, alcoholism and miscarriages.</b> Dont read this if youre having a low period in your life because this is not going to make you feel any better, throughout its a rather distressing and upsetting story.
Each character in this novel was well developed, no matter how small a part they played in the plot. Ellwood has done a fantastic job with her research into PTSD as Kates fears and anxieties seem so real to the reader. Though Ive never experienced anything even close to PTSD, I can really imagine how terrifying and disturbing it would be, from reading this book. Its definitely the best and most harrowing description of the condition Ive ever read in a fiction novel.
This was a really well presented novel and Im amazed that its a debut! It was excellently written and thought out. My only issue being that sometimes, the timings in this book felt a little off. When Kate and Paul were together, one minute they'd be serving dinner and the next, after a small 5 lined conversation, it would be midnight and time for Paul to leave and Kate to get into bed. It seemed like large chunks of the day would just disappear.
Maybe I shouldnt have read some other peoples reviews on this beforehand, but because I was expecting all these super duper amazing twists, I kind of didnt feel that they were super duper amazing. I also found some of them to be a little far fetched and silly, rather than surprising.
I can definitely see why this has gained so many 5 star ratings, but its all down to personal preference at the end of the day, and this one was just a little too dark for my liking. That's not to say I didn't like this...I enjoyed this a lot, hence the 4 stars. I found myself not wanting to put it down, even when my eyes were telling me it was definitely time for sleep. It was certainly a thrilling and page turning read, but I dont know if I could recommend this to anyone because of all the dark subject matters. It seems like the sort of book some people are going to love for its dark realism and others are going to hate that and find it too distressing to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mayfly (Charlie Priest #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
There was something about The Mayfly that attracted me, even though it doesnt really fit in with my tastes. I dont like books where the main character is ex-police turned lawyer/journalist/PI etc, but the fact that this was to do with a secret society and it drew in links back from history made me too intrigued to not request it.
Charlie Priest is our main character, hes a successful lawyer, after being a successful Detective Inspector and hes troubled (like they always are). Priests brother is a serial killer and he has dissociative disorder, but despite this, hes stellar at his job and hes a bit of a laugh. Priest certainly is an interesting and likable character, so no doubt I will check out the next in this series, just to revisit his character.
In terms of the plot, you can tell this was really well researched. The plot, as a whole, is pretty unique, and the ties to WWII and the Nazis was definitely the reason I picked this one up, so I felt a little let down that there werent that many flashbacks to that era and there wasnt an awful lot of explanation as to how and why the secret society was born. Dont me wrong, it doesnt just leave you up in the air, it does explain, but it could have been developed and done better.
There is no doubt that this book is fast paced and keeps you on your toes. The first half of the novel, I flew through. The second half of the book then pulls in some romance and things begin to get a little cheesy. From the feelings felt by the characters, to conversations, there were a couple of eye-roll moments, but it wasnt all that bad.
While I thought the plot, the crimes, the victims and all the rest, was good, it did get a little confusing at times. There were so many paths being drawn into this one investigation that I got a little lost at some points, and for this reason, guessing the bad guy can be tricky but really, its very easy.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. If the romance parts were removed, this could have been a 5 star read for me, because that would have taken away all the cheese. This is a good 4 star read for me, and like I said, I will definitely look into the next book in this series.
<i>Thanks to Readers First & Bonnier Zaffre for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy.
Charlie Priest is our main character, hes a successful lawyer, after being a successful Detective Inspector and hes troubled (like they always are). Priests brother is a serial killer and he has dissociative disorder, but despite this, hes stellar at his job and hes a bit of a laugh. Priest certainly is an interesting and likable character, so no doubt I will check out the next in this series, just to revisit his character.
In terms of the plot, you can tell this was really well researched. The plot, as a whole, is pretty unique, and the ties to WWII and the Nazis was definitely the reason I picked this one up, so I felt a little let down that there werent that many flashbacks to that era and there wasnt an awful lot of explanation as to how and why the secret society was born. Dont me wrong, it doesnt just leave you up in the air, it does explain, but it could have been developed and done better.
There is no doubt that this book is fast paced and keeps you on your toes. The first half of the novel, I flew through. The second half of the book then pulls in some romance and things begin to get a little cheesy. From the feelings felt by the characters, to conversations, there were a couple of eye-roll moments, but it wasnt all that bad.
While I thought the plot, the crimes, the victims and all the rest, was good, it did get a little confusing at times. There were so many paths being drawn into this one investigation that I got a little lost at some points, and for this reason, guessing the bad guy can be tricky but really, its very easy.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. If the romance parts were removed, this could have been a 5 star read for me, because that would have taken away all the cheese. This is a good 4 star read for me, and like I said, I will definitely look into the next book in this series.
<i>Thanks to Readers First & Bonnier Zaffre for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Dare (Detective Natalie Ward #3) in Books
May 22, 2019
When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesnt come straight home from school, as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm.
Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalies worst fears are confirmed when the teenagers broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannahs friends, Harriet, is reported missing.
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.
But Natalie isnt quick enough for this killer, and she is devastated to find Harriets body on a fly tip a day later.
Caught up in the case, she takes her eye off her own daughter and when Leigh goes missing after school she knows she must be in terrible danger. The clock is ticking for Natalie. Can she catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim?
This is the third book in Carol Wyers British 'Detective Natalie Ward' series.
The Dare opens with the disappearance of thirteen year-old Savannah Hopkins. She recently moved to this new town with her mother Jane. Savannah simply doesnt return home after school one day. The next day her body is found, and the thriller is off and running. Other seemingly random teen-aged girls disappear after Savannah. Detective Ward and her team is frustratingly one step behind the killer as the body count increases. But its certainly not for lack of trying on their part.
The plot, as always, was plausible, as we dont always know what our children are doing when not at home. We dont know what they are doing on their mobile devices, or who their friends are. It is a scary time for parents. Carol Wyer incorporated those fears into this book, and she did a great job!
I liked the additional perspective of the killer occasionally being thrown in. Definitely made it interesting to know his thoughts.
I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for book 4..
Thank-You to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Carol Wyer; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book.
Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalies worst fears are confirmed when the teenagers broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannahs friends, Harriet, is reported missing.
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.
But Natalie isnt quick enough for this killer, and she is devastated to find Harriets body on a fly tip a day later.
Caught up in the case, she takes her eye off her own daughter and when Leigh goes missing after school she knows she must be in terrible danger. The clock is ticking for Natalie. Can she catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim?
This is the third book in Carol Wyers British 'Detective Natalie Ward' series.
The Dare opens with the disappearance of thirteen year-old Savannah Hopkins. She recently moved to this new town with her mother Jane. Savannah simply doesnt return home after school one day. The next day her body is found, and the thriller is off and running. Other seemingly random teen-aged girls disappear after Savannah. Detective Ward and her team is frustratingly one step behind the killer as the body count increases. But its certainly not for lack of trying on their part.
The plot, as always, was plausible, as we dont always know what our children are doing when not at home. We dont know what they are doing on their mobile devices, or who their friends are. It is a scary time for parents. Carol Wyer incorporated those fears into this book, and she did a great job!
I liked the additional perspective of the killer occasionally being thrown in. Definitely made it interesting to know his thoughts.
I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for book 4..
Thank-You to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Carol Wyer; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Dare to Surrender in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I had no idea what I was expecting when I was picked up this book. I was fascinated by it from the very beginning. The description states that the plotline consists of Joy, an art curator who becomes sexually infatuated with erotic photographer Ash Hunter. From the beginning, the two have such sexual frustration between each other, that you can chew it. Its so convenient that Joy needs Ashs work for her gallery, which constantly throws the two together. The novel also follows Joys best friend Erica, who is a culinary student, and her evolving relationship with a fellow student named Blaine.
I loved everything to do with this novel. It was the first erotic novel that I ever felt connected to. There were so many parallels between it in my own life that I found myself more emtionally involved with it than I should have been. First, Joy is an art curator while I am an art student trying to earn a degree to be an art curator. Erica, Joys best friend, is an culinary student, and my best friend is months from graduating from culinary school. One of the main themes of the novel is Joys lack of confidence in her appearance. Joy is one of those woman who cant stand her extra pounds. She sees herself as unattractive just because she is not as skinny as her grandmother tells her she should be. In fact, I wanted to strangle Joys obnoxious grandmother who downed Joy in every way possible.
Even if I hadnt connected with this book, I still would have loved it. The erotic scenes were hot and tastefully done. I could have done without the dirty dialogue, however. Dirty talk and foul language always sound awkward when read. It may be attractive in the bedroom, but not in my literature. Other than that, they were phenomenal. Especially the ones between Erica and Blaine. Besides that, I felt the characters had real depth to them and were actually interesting.
The only disappointment I had with this book was the lack of Erica and Blaine. I wish there had been more scenes with them or that they had their own story. It would have definitely been worth it.
I loved everything to do with this novel. It was the first erotic novel that I ever felt connected to. There were so many parallels between it in my own life that I found myself more emtionally involved with it than I should have been. First, Joy is an art curator while I am an art student trying to earn a degree to be an art curator. Erica, Joys best friend, is an culinary student, and my best friend is months from graduating from culinary school. One of the main themes of the novel is Joys lack of confidence in her appearance. Joy is one of those woman who cant stand her extra pounds. She sees herself as unattractive just because she is not as skinny as her grandmother tells her she should be. In fact, I wanted to strangle Joys obnoxious grandmother who downed Joy in every way possible.
Even if I hadnt connected with this book, I still would have loved it. The erotic scenes were hot and tastefully done. I could have done without the dirty dialogue, however. Dirty talk and foul language always sound awkward when read. It may be attractive in the bedroom, but not in my literature. Other than that, they were phenomenal. Especially the ones between Erica and Blaine. Besides that, I felt the characters had real depth to them and were actually interesting.
The only disappointment I had with this book was the lack of Erica and Blaine. I wish there had been more scenes with them or that they had their own story. It would have definitely been worth it.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated But I Don't Want a Haircut in Books
Jan 9, 2020
But I Dont Want A Haircut by Bobbie Taylor & Jenny Kreoska is a great book to get before a childs first haircut. According to the section about the authors, this book was written by two hairdressers. These two specialize in childrens haircuts making them (and this book by extenuation) a viable resource for parents of a scared child.
Joeys hair has gotten so long that he cant see and his parents decide it is time for a haircut. Unfortunately, Joey is afraid of the hairdresser and doesn't want to go. He voices his concerns about things like the hairdresser having sharp teeth and claws. Joeys parents reassure him that he has nothing to worry about and that the hairdresser will be careful. Once they get to the salon Joey decides it doesn't look that bad and that the hairdresser looks nice. She even sits on the floor with him to brush his hair and offers to use an electric razor when the scissors scare him. By the time everything is done Joey is happy, relaxed, and looking forward to his next haircut.
I love how this book acknowledges Joeys fears about the hairdresser without acting like the fears are silly. Joey is reassured that there is nothing to worry about and is able to relax thanks to the approach used. What I did not like was that while the idea behind this book is great unless you have a childrens salon nearby the book might give children false expectations. Parents/caregivers will need to be sure to still discuss what to expect from the salon they will actually be going to.
This book is designed to reassure children going in for a haircut who are scared. Parents can read this to their children but it is simple enough that a child should be able to read this short book on their own. I rate this book 3 out of 4. This is because this is a very cute book and although I would love to give it a perfect score I can not. The rhymes did not flow very well in a few places (although I doubt a child would care) and the warning I gave in my least favorite part. I still want to emphasize that this book is a great resource.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/i-dont-want-haircut
Joeys hair has gotten so long that he cant see and his parents decide it is time for a haircut. Unfortunately, Joey is afraid of the hairdresser and doesn't want to go. He voices his concerns about things like the hairdresser having sharp teeth and claws. Joeys parents reassure him that he has nothing to worry about and that the hairdresser will be careful. Once they get to the salon Joey decides it doesn't look that bad and that the hairdresser looks nice. She even sits on the floor with him to brush his hair and offers to use an electric razor when the scissors scare him. By the time everything is done Joey is happy, relaxed, and looking forward to his next haircut.
I love how this book acknowledges Joeys fears about the hairdresser without acting like the fears are silly. Joey is reassured that there is nothing to worry about and is able to relax thanks to the approach used. What I did not like was that while the idea behind this book is great unless you have a childrens salon nearby the book might give children false expectations. Parents/caregivers will need to be sure to still discuss what to expect from the salon they will actually be going to.
This book is designed to reassure children going in for a haircut who are scared. Parents can read this to their children but it is simple enough that a child should be able to read this short book on their own. I rate this book 3 out of 4. This is because this is a very cute book and although I would love to give it a perfect score I can not. The rhymes did not flow very well in a few places (although I doubt a child would care) and the warning I gave in my least favorite part. I still want to emphasize that this book is a great resource.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/i-dont-want-haircut
KN
Kay Nielsen's a Thousand and One Nights
Noel Daniel, Kay Nielsen and Cynthia Burlingham
Book
Night visions A fine art portfolio of Kay Nielsen s sumptuous A Thousand and One Nights In the late...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Indecent/Wicked in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I was not expecting this omnibus to be as great as it was. When I requested it, I thought it was just going to be another run of the mill erotic novel. And while there really wasnt anything special about it, I still love it more than I should.
First, I loved the complication of the characters. They each have their story, their dirty little secrets, and what makes them tick. There was nothing glamorous or fairytale like to this story. It showed the ugly side of the relationships along with the good, which was usually the sex. The erotic scenes were pretty spicy, but nothing fantastic. I was reading it more for the story than the erotic factor.
The first story has to do with Lucky and Colin. Lucky has her own inner demons and a past that has messed with her perception of men. Colin is a psychologist who seem to cant turn it off when interacting with Lucky who doesnt want him digging in her brain. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed and how they dealt with each others faults.
The second story concerns Luckys co-worker and friends Renae and Colins best friend Will. Will thinks Renae is a lesbian which is was initially stopped him from chasing her tail. Currently, he is courting someone else, but when Renae makes the first move, Will is certainly not passing up the chance. Will and Renaes relationship is less complicated than Colin and Luckys, but that still doesnt mean they dont have their issues to work through.
This novel was so realistic to me in terms of relationships, the troubles that come with them, and how the couple works through them. It was something refreshingly new, especially since, while they didnt get the happy endings we normal expect from such novels, everything still worked out in the end.
First, I loved the complication of the characters. They each have their story, their dirty little secrets, and what makes them tick. There was nothing glamorous or fairytale like to this story. It showed the ugly side of the relationships along with the good, which was usually the sex. The erotic scenes were pretty spicy, but nothing fantastic. I was reading it more for the story than the erotic factor.
The first story has to do with Lucky and Colin. Lucky has her own inner demons and a past that has messed with her perception of men. Colin is a psychologist who seem to cant turn it off when interacting with Lucky who doesnt want him digging in her brain. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed and how they dealt with each others faults.
The second story concerns Luckys co-worker and friends Renae and Colins best friend Will. Will thinks Renae is a lesbian which is was initially stopped him from chasing her tail. Currently, he is courting someone else, but when Renae makes the first move, Will is certainly not passing up the chance. Will and Renaes relationship is less complicated than Colin and Luckys, but that still doesnt mean they dont have their issues to work through.
This novel was so realistic to me in terms of relationships, the troubles that come with them, and how the couple works through them. It was something refreshingly new, especially since, while they didnt get the happy endings we normal expect from such novels, everything still worked out in the end.