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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Winterwood in Books
Apr 4, 2024
63 of 220
Book
Winterwood
By Shea Ernshaw
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he���d been missing.
But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.
This was an interesting little YA read and an easy one to get along with. A young Walker(witch) finds a book in the almost enchanted forest that is her home. She’s waiting to find her power and hoping she does actually have one. It’s a little predictable if honest but still a good little read.
Book
Winterwood
By Shea Ernshaw
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he���d been missing.
But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.
This was an interesting little YA read and an easy one to get along with. A young Walker(witch) finds a book in the almost enchanted forest that is her home. She’s waiting to find her power and hoping she does actually have one. It’s a little predictable if honest but still a good little read.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Alice in Zombieland - White Rabbit Chronicles in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This was an interesting re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. In Alice in Zombieland, Alice Bell's life has always been curtailed by her father's insistence that monsters exist. The family cannot leave the house after dark, she's been taught how to fight hand-to-hand and with a couple of weapons, and they never - NEVER - drive past the graveyard. All of this changes in one night - when Alice "falls down the rabbit hole" as it were - and discovers her father wasn't insane after all.
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) in Movies
Feb 2, 2019 (Updated Feb 3, 2019)
A little confused
A little confused is definitely how I feel about this film. In parts it’s a darkly satirical take on the art world with some horror thrown in, but the rest is just plain old dull with a handful of characters you care little about. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as usual, but I feel the rest of the cast were a let down. Zawe Ashton especially seemed to put in a very deadpan and robot like performance - must have been how her character was intended but it just didn’t work. It also doesn’t help that despite Jake Gyllenhaal, there’s no real main character in this and this is where it falls done, bouncing between a lot of mostly conceited unliveable characters.
This film spends far too much time talking and poking fun at the art world, instead of focusing more on the horror aspect. The story of art killing people is an intriguing one that sounds like it’s been taken straight out of a Stephen King book, it’s just a shame the film didn’t capitalise on this until well over an hour in. Especially as a lot of the horror parts were well done and quite disturbing, although some of the special effects were a bit OTT.
I just find this entire film a little bit meh. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not particularly memorable either. And whilst I’m sure there’s a message about the fake and judgemental art world, it doesn’t really make for a great film.
This film spends far too much time talking and poking fun at the art world, instead of focusing more on the horror aspect. The story of art killing people is an intriguing one that sounds like it’s been taken straight out of a Stephen King book, it’s just a shame the film didn’t capitalise on this until well over an hour in. Especially as a lot of the horror parts were well done and quite disturbing, although some of the special effects were a bit OTT.
I just find this entire film a little bit meh. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not particularly memorable either. And whilst I’m sure there’s a message about the fake and judgemental art world, it doesn’t really make for a great film.
Alice (117 KP) rated Daisy Jones & the Six in Books
Mar 3, 2021
THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME!!!! I'll do a proper review soon but right now I don't have the words
<blockquote><b>"Fire is great man, but we're made of water. Water is how we keep living. Water is what we need to survive."</b>- Billy Dunne</blockquote>
I have so many emotions. When I picked this book up having read the description I didn't think that it was going to be my sort of thing. OH, HOW WRONG I WAS! I ended up falling in love with the writing, the characters and the story. There were so many quotes in this book that I loved that I ended up having a whole note in my notes app filled with quotes from this book alone. This book broke me, I don't know how I'm moving on from this point, there were times I had to pause so I could adequately cry. I can't actually put into words just how special this book is and I'm so happy that I decided to pick it up and give it a go. This little book has somehow managed to leapfrog its way from a book I didn't even think I'd like, to the very top of my list of favourite books of all time. I listened to the audiobook version through my local library but I've literally just bought myself a physical copy so that I can love and cherish it forever.
<blockquote><b>"Fire is great man, but we're made of water. Water is how we keep living. Water is what we need to survive."</b>- Billy Dunne</blockquote>
I have so many emotions. When I picked this book up having read the description I didn't think that it was going to be my sort of thing. OH, HOW WRONG I WAS! I ended up falling in love with the writing, the characters and the story. There were so many quotes in this book that I loved that I ended up having a whole note in my notes app filled with quotes from this book alone. This book broke me, I don't know how I'm moving on from this point, there were times I had to pause so I could adequately cry. I can't actually put into words just how special this book is and I'm so happy that I decided to pick it up and give it a go. This little book has somehow managed to leapfrog its way from a book I didn't even think I'd like, to the very top of my list of favourite books of all time. I listened to the audiobook version through my local library but I've literally just bought myself a physical copy so that I can love and cherish it forever.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2) in Books
Apr 6, 2019
Addictive magical read
My Kate love continues to grow and if I didn’t have study and arc obligations, I’d be running straight into book three. MAGIC BURNS showed a bit of a softer side to Kate with the introduction of Julie and I found that whole part of the storyline interesting. Curran piques my attention constantly and I’d like to see his presence in the book so much more than it is, but I’m grateful for any little peeks.
I feel like I have started to get some answers to my questions in this instalment, like how magic and tech works, how the pack and the people are organised and function. I’m still a bit foggy over the order. My big questions are...who is Kate’s father and what is so special about her blood (please don’t tell me).
I feel like I have started to get some answers to my questions in this instalment, like how magic and tech works, how the pack and the people are organised and function. I’m still a bit foggy over the order. My big questions are...who is Kate’s father and what is so special about her blood (please don’t tell me).
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Witch in Winter in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this story would be Elsie, a girl, who can do a few magical spells. She is only beginning to learn how to do magic, with the help of a great witch Magenta. I really liked Elsie, she is smart but kind little witch, that is not afraid of adventures. I really liked all the characters chosen for the book, they are all different and interesting to read about. They all have their moods, that make them special and memorable.
The narrative of this novel was easy, adventurous and entertaining. This book is not very long, and it is filled with beautiful illustrations. The narrative is quite surprising, and it has interesting turns and unexpected surprises. I absolutely loved the magical larder, that makes any dish/food you wish for. (I need this in my life!!!
The narrative of this novel was easy, adventurous and entertaining. This book is not very long, and it is filled with beautiful illustrations. The narrative is quite surprising, and it has interesting turns and unexpected surprises. I absolutely loved the magical larder, that makes any dish/food you wish for. (I need this in my life!!!
Merissa (11731 KP) rated The Little Café in Copenhagen (City Bakes) in Books
Feb 2, 2018
The Little Café in Copenhagen (City Bakes, #1) by Jules Wake, writing as Julie Caplin
The Little Café in Copenhagen is a gentle and warm read, almost hygglich itself. I don't read a lot of contemporary novels, so it takes something special to keep my interest. And that is exactly what this gem of a book did from the very beginning.
Kate is a woman who has convinced herself that she is doing the right thing, in all areas of her life. She thinks she is in line for a promotion, and honestly can't think of anything better. Of course, when she doesn't get it, but is offered a conciliatory bone instead - a bone that no one else wanted - she grabs it with both hands, determined to make the best of a bad situation. With an eclectic cast of characters, this book gels together in a way that keeps you turning the pages. They all have their secrets to share (all apart from one) and Eva manages to get them to spill the beans in an almost magical way.
There was nothing about this book that I didn't like! The writing style was smooth and witty in all the right places. The scenes flowed from one to the next, and I loved how it was split into three different sections. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I loved every word, and can't wait to continue with this series. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Kate is a woman who has convinced herself that she is doing the right thing, in all areas of her life. She thinks she is in line for a promotion, and honestly can't think of anything better. Of course, when she doesn't get it, but is offered a conciliatory bone instead - a bone that no one else wanted - she grabs it with both hands, determined to make the best of a bad situation. With an eclectic cast of characters, this book gels together in a way that keeps you turning the pages. They all have their secrets to share (all apart from one) and Eva manages to get them to spill the beans in an almost magical way.
There was nothing about this book that I didn't like! The writing style was smooth and witty in all the right places. The scenes flowed from one to the next, and I loved how it was split into three different sections. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I loved every word, and can't wait to continue with this series. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Morgan Sheppard (926 KP) rated The Ultimate Sacrifice (The Gifted Teens #1) in Books
Jan 26, 2021
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE tells a fast-paced story about what it is like to be born special, even amongst the different. Kassia had problems keeping her emotions under control. This is a bad thing because she is able to cause pain, and even death, just by thinking about it. She has her own little support group in her BFF Mira, Noe, Auralee, Zane, and her love, Daxton.
The title of the book sort of gives away the main part of the story, but like most good books, the fun is getting to that part. This IS fast-paced so you need to read it carefully and not skim, otherwise a month has passed and you missed the reference that told you so.
I found this to be a gripping story that engaged my emotions. It was incredibly well-written and I loved every word. This book is concluded nicely with a small teaser that will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
The title of the book sort of gives away the main part of the story, but like most good books, the fun is getting to that part. This IS fast-paced so you need to read it carefully and not skim, otherwise a month has passed and you missed the reference that told you so.
I found this to be a gripping story that engaged my emotions. It was incredibly well-written and I loved every word. This book is concluded nicely with a small teaser that will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Malevolent Gateway (S.P.I.R.I.T., #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
People going missing/dying on a stretch of road next to a marsh. Main characters with connections to the supernatural realm. A special military team trained to fight the paranormal. All in happy little Vermont.
Malevolent Gateway is the second in the S.P.I.R.I.T. series. I read the first one for a book club, and I absolutely loved it, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. And I was definitely not disappointed! The main characters are great, the story behind the town and strange happenings (and the happenings themselves) are just plain creepy but awesome, and I love that Zander Smith from the first book found his way into this one. =)
Paranormal/supernatural stories are my favorite, and this one is just bursting at the seams with interesting stuff. Whether it's a woman who can "see dead people," a man who has astral projections, or a military LT who can latch on to them and do what they do, it was all so captivating I couldn't put it down. Really hope she keeps the series going!!
5 stars
People going missing/dying on a stretch of road next to a marsh. Main characters with connections to the supernatural realm. A special military team trained to fight the paranormal. All in happy little Vermont.
Malevolent Gateway is the second in the S.P.I.R.I.T. series. I read the first one for a book club, and I absolutely loved it, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. And I was definitely not disappointed! The main characters are great, the story behind the town and strange happenings (and the happenings themselves) are just plain creepy but awesome, and I love that Zander Smith from the first book found his way into this one. =)
Paranormal/supernatural stories are my favorite, and this one is just bursting at the seams with interesting stuff. Whether it's a woman who can "see dead people," a man who has astral projections, or a military LT who can latch on to them and do what they do, it was all so captivating I couldn't put it down. Really hope she keeps the series going!!
5 stars
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated The Mysterious Music Box (The Decoders #4) in Books
Mar 30, 2020
The mysterious Music box is a well-hidden game of lost and find. Though it not all easy to find the music box. There seems to be a reason for two other people trying to find this music box that belongs to a friend from school.
Though why would someone want to break in and take a music box that has nothing in it. There seem to be quite a bit of people wanting Rosa music box. Could there be something inside the box that can solve a mystery of some treasures that came from world war II Germany?
There seem to be two other people that are trying to find this music box. What could be so special about it? If you enjoy riddles and puzzles, then this book and series are for you. If you are looking for a good series or book for your children of middle-grade schoolers this is it. These books are good for them and they will learn a little bit as they read.
Though why would someone want to break in and take a music box that has nothing in it. There seem to be quite a bit of people wanting Rosa music box. Could there be something inside the box that can solve a mystery of some treasures that came from world war II Germany?
There seem to be two other people that are trying to find this music box. What could be so special about it? If you enjoy riddles and puzzles, then this book and series are for you. If you are looking for a good series or book for your children of middle-grade schoolers this is it. These books are good for them and they will learn a little bit as they read.