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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Scouse Gothic: The Pool of Life and Death in Books
Jun 14, 2022
107 of 230
Kindle
The Pool of Life …… and Death ( Scouse Gothic book 1)
By Ian McKinney
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melville wakes with a pounding headache – there had been too many hangovers recently, but this one felt different. What had he been drinking last night? Then he remembered – it was blood.
Enter the bizarre world of Scouse Gothic where a reluctant vampire mourns a lost love and his past lives, where a retired ‘hit man’ plans one more killing and dreams of food, and a mother sets out to avenge her son’s murder, and, meanwhile, a grieving husband is visited by an angry angel.
Set in present day Liverpool, vampires and mortals co-exist, unaware of each others’ secrets and that their past and present are inextricably linked.
But as their lives converge, who will be expected to atone for past sins?
This was a different unique take on vampire and their rivals! 3 vampire lives somehow become entangled with humans including a hitman and a mentally I’ll grieving mother. In a short space in time we see how all these lives collide. It was certainly different and I’m not exactly sure what I feel about it. 3.5 stars maybe instead of 3 or 4!
Kindle
The Pool of Life …… and Death ( Scouse Gothic book 1)
By Ian McKinney
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melville wakes with a pounding headache – there had been too many hangovers recently, but this one felt different. What had he been drinking last night? Then he remembered – it was blood.
Enter the bizarre world of Scouse Gothic where a reluctant vampire mourns a lost love and his past lives, where a retired ‘hit man’ plans one more killing and dreams of food, and a mother sets out to avenge her son’s murder, and, meanwhile, a grieving husband is visited by an angry angel.
Set in present day Liverpool, vampires and mortals co-exist, unaware of each others’ secrets and that their past and present are inextricably linked.
But as their lives converge, who will be expected to atone for past sins?
This was a different unique take on vampire and their rivals! 3 vampire lives somehow become entangled with humans including a hitman and a mentally I’ll grieving mother. In a short space in time we see how all these lives collide. It was certainly different and I’m not exactly sure what I feel about it. 3.5 stars maybe instead of 3 or 4!
Blueprint 3D
Games
App
AN ENTIRELY NEW GAMING EXPERIENCE **USA TODAY: Rating: 4 stars (out of 4) "In the crowded market...
Blueprint 3D HD
Games
App
AN ENTIRELY NEW GAMING EXPERIENCE **USA TODAY: Rating: 4 stars (out of 4) "In the crowded market...
Debbiereadsbook (1410 KP) rated Unlikely Hero (AUDIO) in Books
May 14, 2018
excellent narration of a great book!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the audio version of this book.
Brock never got over Eric leaving him, but he understood why Eric needed to go. When Eric calls, 9 years later, Brock drops everything and calls upon his considerable resources to find Eric's 3 year old daughter , who has been kidnapped. But having Eric and Josie under his roof, to keep them safe, has Brock thinking about all the things he missed out on.
I loved this!!
Brock loved Eric, never stopped so of course he's gonna help him find his daughter! I loved that, right from Eric turning up at his office, Brock is calling him baby. I don;'t usually, so it surprised me here that I did love it! I think it surprised Brock too, the first time he did it!
Brock makes no apologies for his wealth and power and he pulls no punches in using both to keep Eric and Josie safe, and in finding out who is doing this.
But we don't get Eric, at all. This is told entirely from Brock's POV in the third person. And I really REALLY needed to hear from Eric at key points along the way: when Josie is first discovered gone; when he walks into Brock's office and when he finds out just who is behind it all. This is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars, because Eric is not given a voice, and he needed one.
I loved the supporting cast, especially Max and Gordon. They have a tale to tell, not least because of what goes down here!
Jeff Gelder narrates. This is the first, as far as I can see, that I have listened to of his work and I was very impressed. His reading voice is deep and even, and his voices consistent and easily identifiable in multi person conversations. Loved his voice for Josie, who sounded just like a 3 year old should, with all the funny things they say. Gelder gets over all of Brock's emotions in all the right places.
I cannot fault the narration. Gelder is firmly on my to listen list!
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration.
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Brock never got over Eric leaving him, but he understood why Eric needed to go. When Eric calls, 9 years later, Brock drops everything and calls upon his considerable resources to find Eric's 3 year old daughter , who has been kidnapped. But having Eric and Josie under his roof, to keep them safe, has Brock thinking about all the things he missed out on.
I loved this!!
Brock loved Eric, never stopped so of course he's gonna help him find his daughter! I loved that, right from Eric turning up at his office, Brock is calling him baby. I don;'t usually, so it surprised me here that I did love it! I think it surprised Brock too, the first time he did it!
Brock makes no apologies for his wealth and power and he pulls no punches in using both to keep Eric and Josie safe, and in finding out who is doing this.
But we don't get Eric, at all. This is told entirely from Brock's POV in the third person. And I really REALLY needed to hear from Eric at key points along the way: when Josie is first discovered gone; when he walks into Brock's office and when he finds out just who is behind it all. This is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars, because Eric is not given a voice, and he needed one.
I loved the supporting cast, especially Max and Gordon. They have a tale to tell, not least because of what goes down here!
Jeff Gelder narrates. This is the first, as far as I can see, that I have listened to of his work and I was very impressed. His reading voice is deep and even, and his voices consistent and easily identifiable in multi person conversations. Loved his voice for Josie, who sounded just like a 3 year old should, with all the funny things they say. Gelder gets over all of Brock's emotions in all the right places.
I cannot fault the narration. Gelder is firmly on my to listen list!
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration.
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Happy Fruit Blast
Games and Entertainment
App
Welcome to the paradise of fruit candy world! Happy fruit blast is a free game. The Candy world was...
Kristina (502 KP) rated Consequences (Consequences, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
My main thought when I finished Consequences: WTF?!?
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
Bird Box by Josh Malerman was a very interesting read and concept. It was also surprisingly fast-paced! I couldn’t put it down even though it took me days to finish. I originally rated this as a 4-star read but going back through all my notes I realized that this is actually only a 3-star read.
The switching back and forth between past and present worked yet it didn’t at the same time. I felt like it was missing something but you do grow used to the switching of past and present. I also noticed what seemed to be like a few plot holes. With that, there were parts that I absolutely loved and parts that I absolutely hated enough to fall asleep too.
One thing that didn’t happen throughout the novel was a full description of the creatures. It would have been nice to know what they fully looked like, but I guess that adds to the whole “if you look, you die” aspect. There was surprisingly quite a bit of character and background development which was really nice to see. Overall, Bird Box was a great read. But the lack of descriptiveness was a bit off-putting.
Reasons why I rated it 3 stars:
1. Everything was vaguely described and it lacked depth.
2. There were plot holes.
3. The creatures were never really fully described as anything but an entity that takes your fears and uses it against you.
4. The switching from past and present only kind of worked.
5. The story was really good.
6. It was fast-paced.
7. The ending was shit.
“Your baby is smarter than you think.”
The switching back and forth between past and present worked yet it didn’t at the same time. I felt like it was missing something but you do grow used to the switching of past and present. I also noticed what seemed to be like a few plot holes. With that, there were parts that I absolutely loved and parts that I absolutely hated enough to fall asleep too.
One thing that didn’t happen throughout the novel was a full description of the creatures. It would have been nice to know what they fully looked like, but I guess that adds to the whole “if you look, you die” aspect. There was surprisingly quite a bit of character and background development which was really nice to see. Overall, Bird Box was a great read. But the lack of descriptiveness was a bit off-putting.
Reasons why I rated it 3 stars:
1. Everything was vaguely described and it lacked depth.
2. There were plot holes.
3. The creatures were never really fully described as anything but an entity that takes your fears and uses it against you.
4. The switching from past and present only kind of worked.
5. The story was really good.
6. It was fast-paced.
7. The ending was shit.
“Your baby is smarter than you think.”
Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated Lovecraft's Monsters in Books
Dec 19, 2017
I received an ARC copy of this anthology in exchange for my honest opinion, and regrettably, I wasn't overly impressed with it. I made notes as I read, and those notes are what I will be posting here now:
Well, I'm about to start the third story, but I thought I'd keep a running commentary on each story so that when it came time to review it, I wouldn't forget how I felt about each individual one.
"Only the End of the World Again" by Neil Gaiman was good. Probably 4 stars. It wasn't the typical greatness that I USUALLY associate with Gaiman, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read. I read it aloud to my eight year old son (editing out the few naughty words, of course) and even he really loved it. There were a few places where he didn't understand what was going on, but overall, he thought it was a great story.
"Bulldozer" by Laird Barron was terrible. I couldn't make it through the story. The writing style was AWFUL. I know that it was supposed to be written -- in parts -- in a stream of consciousness style, but it was awful. I stopped about halfway through and just said screw it. I wouldn't even give this story a star at all.
Finished "Red Goat Black Goat" by Nadia Bulkin. While it had some nice creepy vibes, it was, overall, a 2 star story. I realize, as a short story, it is limited by length and time constraints, but the story just starts in the middle of a world about which the reader has no idea whatsoever. It's not what I would call a good story, although, as I said, there were a couple of moments when I had to look up from my completely dark bedroom and make sure I didn't hear bumps in the night, so it gets one extra star for that.
"The Same Deep Waters As You" was actually fantastic. It's been the best story in the anthology so far. I know, I know... me saying something is better than a Gaiman story is almost unheard of, but this story by Hodge was truly good from beginning to end. It was completely unique, and even though it was a short story, it was completely self-contained. It didn't leave me wondering what happened before the story started to get us to this place, and it ended perfectly, not in a 'to be continued' style. Also, just wow. The ending was a killer. I did NOT see it coming AT ALL. Five stars.
"A Quarter to Three" gets 2.5 stars simply because of Newman's writing style. She is very articulate, and I loved the tone of this story. The content of the story, however, wasn't that great. However, I feel compelled to give it an extra half a star -- bumping it up to 3 stars -- for this one, perfect line:
"It was easy to see what she had seen in him; it left a thin damp trail between his scuffed footprints." Ha. Loved it
"The Dappled Things" was a total bust. 1 star, and that is being generous. So boring I nearly fell asleep twice trying to get through the first two pages. Not worth the time it took to read it.
"Inelastic Collisions" was decent. I have nothing really bad to say about it, but I have nothing super great to say about it either. Three stars.
"Remnants" deserves about 3.5 stars. It's pretty decent. I like the story and the way the plot developed. However, I dislike how abruptly it ended. If the ending had been a little more well-rounded, it could have easily been a 4.5 star story.
"Love is Forbidden We Croak and Howl" -- eh. Two stars. Didn't really hold my interest that much. I kept drifting off...
"The Sect of the Idiot" was a solid three stars. Overall the story wasn't super, but I really, really, REALLY did love the detail paid to the dream sequence. It was beautiful and creepy and dark. Lovely bit of storytelling, that was.
"Jar of Salts" is easily 4.5 stars. Short little Lovecraftian poem, but such a pleasure to read.
Well, I'm finally finished with Lovecraft's Monsters, but honestly, after the last update I made, none of the other stories were really worth reading. I was, overall, a bit disappointed with the book. :-/
Well, I'm about to start the third story, but I thought I'd keep a running commentary on each story so that when it came time to review it, I wouldn't forget how I felt about each individual one.
"Only the End of the World Again" by Neil Gaiman was good. Probably 4 stars. It wasn't the typical greatness that I USUALLY associate with Gaiman, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read. I read it aloud to my eight year old son (editing out the few naughty words, of course) and even he really loved it. There were a few places where he didn't understand what was going on, but overall, he thought it was a great story.
"Bulldozer" by Laird Barron was terrible. I couldn't make it through the story. The writing style was AWFUL. I know that it was supposed to be written -- in parts -- in a stream of consciousness style, but it was awful. I stopped about halfway through and just said screw it. I wouldn't even give this story a star at all.
Finished "Red Goat Black Goat" by Nadia Bulkin. While it had some nice creepy vibes, it was, overall, a 2 star story. I realize, as a short story, it is limited by length and time constraints, but the story just starts in the middle of a world about which the reader has no idea whatsoever. It's not what I would call a good story, although, as I said, there were a couple of moments when I had to look up from my completely dark bedroom and make sure I didn't hear bumps in the night, so it gets one extra star for that.
"The Same Deep Waters As You" was actually fantastic. It's been the best story in the anthology so far. I know, I know... me saying something is better than a Gaiman story is almost unheard of, but this story by Hodge was truly good from beginning to end. It was completely unique, and even though it was a short story, it was completely self-contained. It didn't leave me wondering what happened before the story started to get us to this place, and it ended perfectly, not in a 'to be continued' style. Also, just wow. The ending was a killer. I did NOT see it coming AT ALL. Five stars.
"A Quarter to Three" gets 2.5 stars simply because of Newman's writing style. She is very articulate, and I loved the tone of this story. The content of the story, however, wasn't that great. However, I feel compelled to give it an extra half a star -- bumping it up to 3 stars -- for this one, perfect line:
"It was easy to see what she had seen in him; it left a thin damp trail between his scuffed footprints." Ha. Loved it
"The Dappled Things" was a total bust. 1 star, and that is being generous. So boring I nearly fell asleep twice trying to get through the first two pages. Not worth the time it took to read it.
"Inelastic Collisions" was decent. I have nothing really bad to say about it, but I have nothing super great to say about it either. Three stars.
"Remnants" deserves about 3.5 stars. It's pretty decent. I like the story and the way the plot developed. However, I dislike how abruptly it ended. If the ending had been a little more well-rounded, it could have easily been a 4.5 star story.
"Love is Forbidden We Croak and Howl" -- eh. Two stars. Didn't really hold my interest that much. I kept drifting off...
"The Sect of the Idiot" was a solid three stars. Overall the story wasn't super, but I really, really, REALLY did love the detail paid to the dream sequence. It was beautiful and creepy and dark. Lovely bit of storytelling, that was.
"Jar of Salts" is easily 4.5 stars. Short little Lovecraftian poem, but such a pleasure to read.
Well, I'm finally finished with Lovecraft's Monsters, but honestly, after the last update I made, none of the other stories were really worth reading. I was, overall, a bit disappointed with the book. :-/
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
John Finnemore, Margaret Cabourn-Smith and Carrie Quinlan
Book
In these six episodes, which make up the complete second series, you'll hear some moth-based lunacy,...
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)
8.3
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Book
TNarnia . . . where a dragon awakens . . . where stars walk the earth . . . where anything can...