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Vassa in the Night
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed this book, more than I expected in the beginning. it's been on my tbr list for a while and I was excited to finally read it but it didn't hook me from the start like I'd hoped. I stuck with it and as the action picked up I couldn't put it down. I would have liked a little more backstory on bea and babs and vassa's mom and I think vassa herself could have used a little more development but overall I was pleased with the story. Even tho it's based on a Russian folk story I think it stands alone for those, like myself, who aren't familiar with the original. the characters are unique and beautiful prose is scattered throughout. the ending was nicely done, tying things up but also leaving it open for a sequel should the author choose to write one.
  
Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life
Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life
Terry Brooks | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Real Life Stories (1 more)
Brooks' Experiences as a Writer
Preachy (0 more)
If you are planning an epic like LOTR or Shannara, you need to read this
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up, I loved reading. I don't write much now, but when I was, I read lots of 'How to Write' books. Most are crap. This is one that is worthy of a read.
You can not deny that Terry Brooks has nailed the epic fantasy journey, better than Tolkein, it's still going strong. I love his writing and his stories. Although I didn't take as much from this as King's On Writing, I did enjoy reading it and seeing a little into the man behiind the books. This book is not just for wannabe writers, it's for his fans as well, you learn a little more about how Shannara and Landover came about.
  
The Crow Box (Shadow and Ink #1)
The Crow Box (Shadow and Ink #1)
Nikki Rae | 2016 | Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I believe this is the first time I've read a book that has left me perplexed on how many stars I should give it. It started a bit slow for me and then I found myself feeling sad for Corbin and her hoarding mom. From there I experienced moments of horror and confusion and just when I thought I had figured out the truth, a pebble was thrown across my path which caused me to take a detour. "We're all mad here" kept scrolling across my mind as I got deeper into the thick of it.

The storyline was interestingly written and many times poetic. I want to describe Corbin as a strong young woman who deals the best way she can with her circumstances but does she really? I can with all certainty say that readers will enjoy the complexity of this story
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Serenity (2019) in Movies

Mar 7, 2019 (Updated Mar 7, 2019)  
Serenity (2019)
Serenity (2019)
2019 | Drama, Thriller
Not what I expected
I really don’t see what they were trying to do with this film. From the trailer it looks like it should be a dark and gritty thriller with a fantastic cast, and it all honesty it probably should have stuck with that. Instead it has such a bizarre and unexpected twist that really throws off the balance of the entire film. It’s unpredictable (which is unusual for a twist), but it is just so odd and out of place that I spent the rest of the film trying to figure out whether I actually liked the twist or not. In the end, I decided I didn’t.
And as great as the cast are, some of the acting felt a little too over the top and some are a little underused (Djimon Hounsou and Diane Lane). There are also parts of this film where Matthew McConaughey is driving past corn fields in a pickup truck that made me feel like I was watching Interstellar. I really wish I had been watching that instead.
  
A Stranger in the House
A Stranger in the House
Shari Lapena | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
10
7.1 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
nothing was wrong with this book (0 more)
A Stranger In The House By: Shari Lapena
Adult Thriller 305 Pages

I enjoyed this book; I couldn't put it down. I gave it 5 stars.
It is about a woman who leaves her home in a rush after a phone call. She gets into a car accident and temporarily loses her memory.
During her absents a murder has occurred and the police don't believe that she doesn't remember anything. They keep questioning her to try to get her to remember.
Her husband and best friend are there to support her and help her.
Who was murder? Did she do it? What happened that night?
These questions will be answered when you read the book. This is a thriller and though I want to go in great detail I won't. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. This is the best kind of thriller where you can't figure it out because there are twists.
I greatly recommend that you read this book.
  
Bitter Almonds
Bitter Almonds
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's nostalig and sweet (0 more)
Wasn't keen on the recipies but a nice touch (0 more)
Great wee book
I only wanted to read half of this book as the second half is recipes. After the first thirteen pages I put it down and sighed. I like to give a book at least a chapter so I persisted and I am glad I did. The book is written by Simeti about the life of Maria, a Sicilian woman who owns a bakery. The first chapter is all about the art of baking (old school) and I was worried that the whole novel would read along the same lines - after all it is memoir that I want to read. Things turn around after chapter one when Maria discusses her childhood in a nunnery, her feelings of neglect, her hunger but also of what she learned and how she was able to apply this to her later in life career. I found Maria's attitude to religion and family refreshing and enjoyed the conversational tone in which she delivers her own recollections.
This is a book worth persisting with.
  
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Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Do you follow in Books

Jan 11, 2022  
Do you follow
Do you follow
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I truly enjoyed reading "Do You Follow" because I have a set of twins in my family. I am intrigued by the concept of Alexa and Beth who have both has psychiatric problems. I am a believer in twins having telepathic connections so this was a new twist. All readers will enjoy reading about the twins and their fascinating relationship.

There is a mental illness aspect of the story which can be taboo to talk about but I think it should become less taboo and more so spoke about so I liked that they addressed this aspect in the reading.

The characters were detailed and I glad to have found a connection with them. I enjoyed learning more about them, and their back-stories, as the novel progressed. Every time it's like getting to know a new mary kate and ashley, but there are always new surprises in a twin tale. Even though I guessed some of the plots and twists, there were still plenty of surprises.

Definitely recommend 9/10
  
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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Anniversary in Books

May 15, 2023  
The Anniversary
The Anniversary
Stephanie Bishop | 2023 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is one of those books where I’m glad I commit to the 30% rule. After the first stave (I read it on The Pigeonhole, so it was split up over 10 days), I wanted to give up. I felt pretty much the same after day 2, but at day 3, I wanted to know what had happened. I wanted the Ruth, and I was all in!

It’s a very introspective book, lots of descriptions of places, people, scenes and above all, feelings. JB has a lot of feelings, although she appears to be in a state of shock for a majority of the novel. I mean, her husband falls off the ship they’re celebrating their anniversary on. Not an ideal situation!

And then the truth starts to come out about the reality of their marriage.

The word “marmite” has been bandied around quite a lot regarding this book, and I’ve come down on the “like it” side. It’s certainly a book that gave me a lot to think about - even when I wasn’t reading it!
  
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Thundercat recommended Journey to Love by Stanley Clarke in Music (curated)

 
Journey to Love by Stanley Clarke
Journey to Love by Stanley Clarke
1975 | Jazz
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is when I first started taking my bass seriously. This was this was a when I got hungry to understand what it meant to play bass. I thank God that there was a Stanley Clarke as a frame of reference to what to what is possible with the bass, along with Jaco [Pastorious] and Marcus Miller. There was a period where I stopped liking the practice, I was like 'uh I don't wanna practice', and my mom was really clever about it. She offered to pay me to transcribe Stanley Clarke's School Days. And of course, I'm like, 'I want to buy comic books and Marvel cards', so of course I transcribed School Days. Journey to Love and School Days became really personal to me. It was just like, I felt like this was my n**, and I felt like this was who I am; I identified with those two albums. I didn't even discover the self-titled album until later in life; I was very much married to School Days and Journey to Love. I think that Journey to Love is still very much a story to me that I feel resonates in my mind and body. I don't know what you would call it musically, but I paraphrased the album on my very first album, sonically."

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