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I am 16% through this book and I am going to have to dnf (did not finish) it. I had very high hopes for this book. When I read the description I knew I needed to read it. Charles Manson has always fascinated me. I've always had a morbid obsession with true crime so I was ecstatic when I was approved for this book. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I found the timeline in the book to be weird and a little hard to follow. I've only read Helter Skelter so maybe I needed to have more of a background on Charles Manson to be able to fully follow the story. The other thing that I didn't like was how graphic the details were. Lis Wiehl & Caitlin Rother have a way with putting you in the story. Unfortunately with how graphic this book was, I had to put it down.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated The French Kiss in Books
Oct 1, 2018
I have enjoyed all the James Patterson’s novels I have read to date.
This was the first of his BookShots that I had bought and when I saw it on audible.co.uk and lasted just over 3 hours I thought it would be perfect for a drive I had ahead of me. However, I was disappointed. The story itself is fast paced and in well-known Patterson style but I found it to be a weaker plot with predictable conclusion. I found the narrator, Jean Brassard, difficult to follow at times as he spoke with (in my opinion) a poor French/American accent. I think I would have preferred to read it rather than listen in this case.
MoMo Book Diary gives the audiobook a 3* rating – as I did not enjoy the narrator and found the book to be lacking in James Patterson’s normal style. This review is also published on my blog momobookdiary.com and Amazon websites.
This was the first of his BookShots that I had bought and when I saw it on audible.co.uk and lasted just over 3 hours I thought it would be perfect for a drive I had ahead of me. However, I was disappointed. The story itself is fast paced and in well-known Patterson style but I found it to be a weaker plot with predictable conclusion. I found the narrator, Jean Brassard, difficult to follow at times as he spoke with (in my opinion) a poor French/American accent. I think I would have preferred to read it rather than listen in this case.
MoMo Book Diary gives the audiobook a 3* rating – as I did not enjoy the narrator and found the book to be lacking in James Patterson’s normal style. This review is also published on my blog momobookdiary.com and Amazon websites.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Cryptofauna in Books
Aug 3, 2020
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Cryptofauna by Patrick Canning is definitely a read that will certainly stay in your memory, for how unique and random it is.
<b><i>Synopsis</i></b>
Jim is a janitor at an insane asylum and one day, he decides to commit a suicide at his workplace. But before he can do the deed, a mysterious resident at work equips him with a dog and a bag of ash, and throws him into a secret game known as Cryptofauna.
Cryptofauna is played by Operators, people with special abilities, who battle one another to influence important events around the world. To become an Operator, Jim must successfully pass a couple of exams, including surviving the Pacific Ocean, surviving some weird monks, and ultimately, passing the exam that proves his mind and soul are ready as well.
On top of this, there is his enemy as well, another Operator, who is forever his rival until the game ends.
This is how Cryptofauna works, in case you are curious. The image was sent to me by the author:
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/How-To-Play.jpg?resize=768%2C994&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
From the synopsis, I expected this book to be unique. However, I never expected to enter such a creative and random world. The events are all so random, the characters too. It is all very random and chaotic in a very interesting way. I am still struggling to decide whether I love this chaos or not.
This book is amazing in terms of creativity and world building.
The author is quite good at creating something new in a place where everything already exists. Patrick Canning managed to create a whole new reality within our real world. A place where Cryptofauna exists as a game and a way of life, and I was glad I entered that world.
There were times I felt very confused on what is happening. I had to re-read chapters and scenes, which resulted in average reading experience. I liked Jim as a character, and I loved how he slowly develops throughout the book and finds his true purpose in his life. As a person that was about to commit suicide, I felt he learned a valuable lesson to not give up. However I felt that the other characters had more liveliness in them (no pun intended, given the fact he wanted to kill himself). I actually loved the evil guy more. He had a recklessness about him that I found intriguing.
Overall, I did enjoy the creativity and the idea of the game itself. However, I felt very lost and confused at certain times, which made my experience less enjoyable. I still recommend it to you, if the synopsis intrigues you and you enjoy stories about good battling evil.
Thank you to the author, Patrick Canning, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Book-Review-Banner-57.png?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1"/>;
Cryptofauna by Patrick Canning is definitely a read that will certainly stay in your memory, for how unique and random it is.
<b><i>Synopsis</i></b>
Jim is a janitor at an insane asylum and one day, he decides to commit a suicide at his workplace. But before he can do the deed, a mysterious resident at work equips him with a dog and a bag of ash, and throws him into a secret game known as Cryptofauna.
Cryptofauna is played by Operators, people with special abilities, who battle one another to influence important events around the world. To become an Operator, Jim must successfully pass a couple of exams, including surviving the Pacific Ocean, surviving some weird monks, and ultimately, passing the exam that proves his mind and soul are ready as well.
On top of this, there is his enemy as well, another Operator, who is forever his rival until the game ends.
This is how Cryptofauna works, in case you are curious. The image was sent to me by the author:
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/How-To-Play.jpg?resize=768%2C994&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
From the synopsis, I expected this book to be unique. However, I never expected to enter such a creative and random world. The events are all so random, the characters too. It is all very random and chaotic in a very interesting way. I am still struggling to decide whether I love this chaos or not.
This book is amazing in terms of creativity and world building.
The author is quite good at creating something new in a place where everything already exists. Patrick Canning managed to create a whole new reality within our real world. A place where Cryptofauna exists as a game and a way of life, and I was glad I entered that world.
There were times I felt very confused on what is happening. I had to re-read chapters and scenes, which resulted in average reading experience. I liked Jim as a character, and I loved how he slowly develops throughout the book and finds his true purpose in his life. As a person that was about to commit suicide, I felt he learned a valuable lesson to not give up. However I felt that the other characters had more liveliness in them (no pun intended, given the fact he wanted to kill himself). I actually loved the evil guy more. He had a recklessness about him that I found intriguing.
Overall, I did enjoy the creativity and the idea of the game itself. However, I felt very lost and confused at certain times, which made my experience less enjoyable. I still recommend it to you, if the synopsis intrigues you and you enjoy stories about good battling evil.
Thank you to the author, Patrick Canning, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Samantha Irby recommended Made For Love in Books (curated)
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Barry Levinson recommended Breathless (2012) in Movies (curated)
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier in Books
Jan 12, 2018
This book was a really quick read. As a lifelong hockey fan I was fascinated by the story. As a New York Ranger's fan I was appalled I hadn't heard of this before.
[King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier] by [Paula Johanson] is a short well written account of the struggle to make it into the NHL if you weren't of European decent. Larry Kwong was a very skilled player but only got to play one shift in the NHL. This did not dampen his love for hockey as he traveled the world spreading this awesome sport wherever he went. I wish I had this in a paper copy so I could give it to my students to read.
[King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier] by [Paula Johanson] is a short well written account of the struggle to make it into the NHL if you weren't of European decent. Larry Kwong was a very skilled player but only got to play one shift in the NHL. This did not dampen his love for hockey as he traveled the world spreading this awesome sport wherever he went. I wish I had this in a paper copy so I could give it to my students to read.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated The Lost Sisters in Books
Mar 11, 2019
This is a short story that shows Taryn's POV of the events that took place during The Cruel Prince. This should be read after The Cruel Prince, but before The Wicked King.
I didn't like Taryn during the first book and honestly I hate her character even more after reading this. I was also disappointed that no new information was included. Instead the story just gives the reader a few more details about things that had already been established. It still a good story, but at $3 its a little pricey for what you get. Something like this should really only be $1. I like Holly Black so I don't want to call this a cash grab, but I was definitely left a little disappointed.
I didn't like Taryn during the first book and honestly I hate her character even more after reading this. I was also disappointed that no new information was included. Instead the story just gives the reader a few more details about things that had already been established. It still a good story, but at $3 its a little pricey for what you get. Something like this should really only be $1. I like Holly Black so I don't want to call this a cash grab, but I was definitely left a little disappointed.
