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Jonny Pierce recommended Beat Happening by Beat Happening in Music (curated)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated In The Shadow of Blackbirds in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I'm a sucker for ghost stories, so when I heard about this book through numerous blogs, I knew it was a book that I would have to read. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.
Mary Shelley Black is a 16 year old girl who is sent to live in California with her aunt after her father gets arrested for helping men avoid the draft in 1918. She meets up with her childhood friend, and they fall in love with each other. Unfortunately, when they realize they're in love with each other, it's too late. He is being shipped off to war the next day. When she receives word that Stephen, her childhood friend and sweetheart, has died in battle, Mary Shelley is devasted. She's never believed in ghosts before, but when Stephen's ghost comes to here asking for help, she'll do whatever it takes to help him.
I found the title of this book to be very interesting. In fact, before I read the book, I was quite confused about how that title would fit in with a ghost story. After reading the book, I understood what it was all about.
The cover is rather interesting as well. I like the way there's pretty Mary Shelley Black sitting on a chair with what looks like a spirit beside her. The cover is what caught my attention in the first place. When I saw it, I knew I had to read it.
The world building in this book is quite good and believable. It's very obvious that Miss Winters has done her homework about life back in 1918. I'm not a history buff, but from what I was reading, everything seemed to be historically accurate. I even had to look up stuff myself that I never knew about such as people using onions to ward off the flu!! Personally, I think I would've been a bit more scared when it came to Stephen's ghostly visits to Mary Shelley though, but this may just be a me thing.
The pacing did start off a bit slow, and I was feeling disappointed as I had heard great things about this book. However, once I got about 100 pages in, the pacing picked right up, and I was hooked. I only put this book down because real life interfered with my reading. I could definitely tell why people were loving In the Shadow of Blackbirds!
The plot was fantastic and very interesting. I had never read a book dealing with the whole spiritualist movement of the early 20th century. I loved how the plot incorporated everything about that period of time such as the war and the flu. The spiritualism in the book portrayed how gullible and desperate people were back then with all their loved ones dying. I loved the fiction aspect of a girl whose first love dies despite all these other things going on. I loved how he returned as a ghost and the major twist in the story.
The characters were definitely thought out and well written. I loved how Mary Shelley was so passionate when it came to what she loved. I loved her vulnerability at times but how strong she was. I just loved how great of a character Mary Shelley was. I did find Stephen to be a bit annoying as a ghost though. I just thought he was too whiney, and at times, I wanted to exorcise him! I know it sounds mean, but boy, he was just so annoying! I understand that he was suffering but still. I just felt that he put a lot of pressure on Mary Shelley to save him considering how much he loved her! Julius made a great meanie! I hated him, and there were so many times I wish I could've yelled at him! He wasn't a poorly written character; he was quite the opposite actually! I did love Mary Shelley's Aunt Eva too. She came across a lot older than her 26 years, but I think I would've as well if I'd been through what she had. I loved the way she was willing to take Mary Shelley in, and I loved how she always made a fuss over her. Eva definitely had a big heart.
I found the dialogue to be most fascinating! I enjoyed reading about each character as well as reading about history. If only learning about history were this fun in school. I think I would've paid more attention! I loved reading about how Mary Shelley felt about everything. I loved the way people spoke back then as well. As for language, there are a few swear words, but nothing too major.
Overall, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters was a super interesting read!! The world building, plot and characters were all written fantastically, and I never even knew I was getting a history lesson in the process.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are after an interesting read. I think mostly everyone would enjoy it.
In the Shadow of Blackbirds gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me.
I'm a sucker for ghost stories, so when I heard about this book through numerous blogs, I knew it was a book that I would have to read. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.
Mary Shelley Black is a 16 year old girl who is sent to live in California with her aunt after her father gets arrested for helping men avoid the draft in 1918. She meets up with her childhood friend, and they fall in love with each other. Unfortunately, when they realize they're in love with each other, it's too late. He is being shipped off to war the next day. When she receives word that Stephen, her childhood friend and sweetheart, has died in battle, Mary Shelley is devasted. She's never believed in ghosts before, but when Stephen's ghost comes to here asking for help, she'll do whatever it takes to help him.
I found the title of this book to be very interesting. In fact, before I read the book, I was quite confused about how that title would fit in with a ghost story. After reading the book, I understood what it was all about.
The cover is rather interesting as well. I like the way there's pretty Mary Shelley Black sitting on a chair with what looks like a spirit beside her. The cover is what caught my attention in the first place. When I saw it, I knew I had to read it.
The world building in this book is quite good and believable. It's very obvious that Miss Winters has done her homework about life back in 1918. I'm not a history buff, but from what I was reading, everything seemed to be historically accurate. I even had to look up stuff myself that I never knew about such as people using onions to ward off the flu!! Personally, I think I would've been a bit more scared when it came to Stephen's ghostly visits to Mary Shelley though, but this may just be a me thing.
The pacing did start off a bit slow, and I was feeling disappointed as I had heard great things about this book. However, once I got about 100 pages in, the pacing picked right up, and I was hooked. I only put this book down because real life interfered with my reading. I could definitely tell why people were loving In the Shadow of Blackbirds!
The plot was fantastic and very interesting. I had never read a book dealing with the whole spiritualist movement of the early 20th century. I loved how the plot incorporated everything about that period of time such as the war and the flu. The spiritualism in the book portrayed how gullible and desperate people were back then with all their loved ones dying. I loved the fiction aspect of a girl whose first love dies despite all these other things going on. I loved how he returned as a ghost and the major twist in the story.
The characters were definitely thought out and well written. I loved how Mary Shelley was so passionate when it came to what she loved. I loved her vulnerability at times but how strong she was. I just loved how great of a character Mary Shelley was. I did find Stephen to be a bit annoying as a ghost though. I just thought he was too whiney, and at times, I wanted to exorcise him! I know it sounds mean, but boy, he was just so annoying! I understand that he was suffering but still. I just felt that he put a lot of pressure on Mary Shelley to save him considering how much he loved her! Julius made a great meanie! I hated him, and there were so many times I wish I could've yelled at him! He wasn't a poorly written character; he was quite the opposite actually! I did love Mary Shelley's Aunt Eva too. She came across a lot older than her 26 years, but I think I would've as well if I'd been through what she had. I loved the way she was willing to take Mary Shelley in, and I loved how she always made a fuss over her. Eva definitely had a big heart.
I found the dialogue to be most fascinating! I enjoyed reading about each character as well as reading about history. If only learning about history were this fun in school. I think I would've paid more attention! I loved reading about how Mary Shelley felt about everything. I loved the way people spoke back then as well. As for language, there are a few swear words, but nothing too major.
Overall, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters was a super interesting read!! The world building, plot and characters were all written fantastically, and I never even knew I was getting a history lesson in the process.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are after an interesting read. I think mostly everyone would enjoy it.
In the Shadow of Blackbirds gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me.
How I Lost You
7.0
Rate It
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They told her she killed her son. She served her time. But what if they lied? I have no memory of...
ClareR (6106 KP) rated A Feast for Crows in Books
Nov 15, 2017
Can I give this more than 5 stars? No? Well it deserves it!
I was gripped from beginning to end. Putting it down was a problem, and with a book this size it does make cooking the family dinner a bit tricky one-handed! Some real 'gasp out loud' moments (one of which I tried to explain to my husband whilst he was watching the Vuelta. Unsurprisingly, it didn't go down well, but he's a tolerant chap after all these years with me!) and the usual blood and gore. I love this series, but if GRRM hasn't released The Winds of Winter by the time I finish A Dance with Dragons, I may have to have a little cry! At the rate I'm reading these though (because I keep getting distracted with other books), he has a while...
Ashleigh (9 KP) rated Ghoosebumps: Slappyworld: Slappy Birthday to You in Books
May 25, 2017
My Little Brother Got it For Me
I loved Goosebumps books as a child. When I was much younger, they even scared me a bit. Reading this one as an adult, it isn't as impressive. You see story mishaps, and it becomes painfully obvious that these are just for children. That being said, I still enjoyed this book. It was a great silly read, perfect for an end of the day break. I really liked how 'Slappy' would hop in every once and a while and give his own opinion. For a child who loves these types of books, it would definitely be a much higher rating. Unfortunately, as an adult, I would say my rating fits (maybe I was even a little generous). It wasn't written for us; we won't enjoy it as much. For nostalgic purposes I recommend it.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Call Me By Your Name in Books
Apr 21, 2018
Very moving
I don’t know what I’d expected from this book, but I hadn’t anticipated liking it as much as I did. And I haven’t seen the film yet either.
This is a beautifully written tale of a kind of love story between a young teenager and his family’s summer house guest. The confusion, frustration and heartbreak of his first gay relationship really comes across throughout the entire novel, and you really feel for him. Elio is an endearing protagonist and I was really invested in the outcome although I feel like the ending and the summary of the 20 years following that summer were a little too short and very sad. I would’ve happily read on for longer for a slightly happier ending. But that said, it’s still a well written book and a very interesting plot.
This is a beautifully written tale of a kind of love story between a young teenager and his family’s summer house guest. The confusion, frustration and heartbreak of his first gay relationship really comes across throughout the entire novel, and you really feel for him. Elio is an endearing protagonist and I was really invested in the outcome although I feel like the ending and the summary of the 20 years following that summer were a little too short and very sad. I would’ve happily read on for longer for a slightly happier ending. But that said, it’s still a well written book and a very interesting plot.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Duty (Rhynan #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
I received a e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Can I just start by saying I absolutely loved this book one of my favourite reads in a while and reminds me of the books I avidly devoured when first dipping my toe into the romance genre.Duty is a lovely medieval read where we become attached to the to main characters from the start Brielle and Tomas , they were both such strong characters with amazing positive attributes, I loved travelling the journey of there love story and was sad to finish a thoroughly engaging tail that kept me captivated from start to finish.on a final note I absolutely hated the king he was vile and I felt like giving the little brat a kick up the derrière while reading.but even with that little gripe this is a fab read.
Can I just start by saying I absolutely loved this book one of my favourite reads in a while and reminds me of the books I avidly devoured when first dipping my toe into the romance genre.Duty is a lovely medieval read where we become attached to the to main characters from the start Brielle and Tomas , they were both such strong characters with amazing positive attributes, I loved travelling the journey of there love story and was sad to finish a thoroughly engaging tail that kept me captivated from start to finish.on a final note I absolutely hated the king he was vile and I felt like giving the little brat a kick up the derrière while reading.but even with that little gripe this is a fab read.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Heart-Shaped Box in Books
Jun 7, 2018
I couldn't decide whether or not to give this book 3 or 4 stars, so I'm going to give it 3.5 stars.
I thought this was a good read for the most part as I'm a big fan of horror books. I loved that there were a few scary bits in Heart-Shaped Box. I liked the character of Craddock and could actually imagine him to be a real ghost.
Jude, Marybeth and Anna were all believable characters as well.
What I didn't like was the BIG age gap between Jude and the girls he dates. That's just a personal thing though.
I felt that this book was lacking a bit of something although I can't put my finger on it. It's a great idea for a story but there's something else it could've had.
I'd still recommend this book for all fans of the horror genre.
I thought this was a good read for the most part as I'm a big fan of horror books. I loved that there were a few scary bits in Heart-Shaped Box. I liked the character of Craddock and could actually imagine him to be a real ghost.
Jude, Marybeth and Anna were all believable characters as well.
What I didn't like was the BIG age gap between Jude and the girls he dates. That's just a personal thing though.
I felt that this book was lacking a bit of something although I can't put my finger on it. It's a great idea for a story but there's something else it could've had.
I'd still recommend this book for all fans of the horror genre.
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Jul 5, 2018
This book was great - I love a good mental health illness book! I think that aspect of the book was interesting to read and the description toward the mid-end there was amazing in the description. I think the aspect of the, lets track down this missing person was a bit of a wildcard in the book - cool concept but very random. And was not a very "all there" part of the book.
I liked where the title of the book came in too, I was like, why the heck is this book called that? ohk now I get it hah. Overall a great read, but taking a 1 star away for the overall cohesiveness of the concept working together, and it was a bit slow in a few places especially the beginning, but then I powered through the last 186 pages pretty quickly!
I liked where the title of the book came in too, I was like, why the heck is this book called that? ohk now I get it hah. Overall a great read, but taking a 1 star away for the overall cohesiveness of the concept working together, and it was a bit slow in a few places especially the beginning, but then I powered through the last 186 pages pretty quickly!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 13, 2019
A little dull
I really wanted to like this and I had hoped it was going to be similar to Spotlight, but sadly it was a bit of a let down.
It has a stellar cast and you can never fault Tom Hanks especially. I've never really been a big fan of Meryl Streep which may contribute to part of the reason why I didn't like this very much. But aside from her, this has got a fantastic cast. It's just a shame that the story itself just came across as very dull. I really wanted to be interested in it but I struggled because the entire film dragged so much. I have no doubt it's an interesting story, it just doesn't come across very entertaining in the film. I was so surprised that this is a Steven Spielberg film as it doesn't come across like it.
It has a stellar cast and you can never fault Tom Hanks especially. I've never really been a big fan of Meryl Streep which may contribute to part of the reason why I didn't like this very much. But aside from her, this has got a fantastic cast. It's just a shame that the story itself just came across as very dull. I really wanted to be interested in it but I struggled because the entire film dragged so much. I have no doubt it's an interesting story, it just doesn't come across very entertaining in the film. I was so surprised that this is a Steven Spielberg film as it doesn't come across like it.