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Katt2018 (139 KP) rated Caraval in Books

Aug 14, 2018  
Caraval
Caraval
Stephanie Garber | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.1 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
Everything this is literally the best book (0 more)
The only bad part is the book ended (0 more)
A co worker gave me this book because she recived two and at first glance it was not my kind of book by man I was wrong it was everything I wanted in a book that I didn't know I wanted ok I know that is cheesy but it was really good. The story flowed really well and the art work on the cover was beautiful (I know never judge a book by its cover) but it fit so well.
  
Cryptid
Cryptid
Michael Kott | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
View my review on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com/2018/06/08/cryptid-michael-kott-book-review/

Cryptid by Michael Kott is the second book of these series. It is a sequel to the Piasa, and you can find my review on that here. I have to admit and say that I didn’t enjoy Cryptid as much as I would like to, and you’ll find out why soon.

<b><i>About the book:</i></b>

Cryptid continues to tell the story of Sara, a girl that survives a car accident, when all her family dies. While in the first book she meets Mike, who gets her a job as his assistant in his adventures, in this book we will see Sara still maintaining that position, but a little bit from the background. When a few cats that look like leopards will appear at the museum, people start to get scared, and the police wants to shoot the animals. Then Mike and the team come to the rescue, to try and identify what the cats are, and save them from dying.

<img src="http://www.michaelkott.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cryptid.wip_.jpg"/>;

<b><i>Review:</i></b>

In Cryptid, we will be introduced to a couple new characters, some of which I happened to be very fond of (Hi Xenia!). The good thing for me was, that I could get a bit of a break from all the Sara moments. The thing I didn’t like was the fact that their background was too short and untold, and they kept making decisions based on the past that we didn’t know (I will mention Shannon’s decision here).

My favourite moments of the book, were, of course, those where Sara wasn’t there. Followed by my previous review of the Piasa, I sometimes like the character of Sara. But I also couldn’t agree with her. I couldn’t understand her character, behaviour and decisions. Maybe it is because of my own childhood. I mean, luckily, I haven’t lost any of my family, but I have lived without both parents in those crucial years, raised by grandparents, while having a little sister to look after, and having an aunt similar to Pamela to guide me through my worst. But I was never this arrogant, self-centered and desperate for ME-ME-ME attention like Sara. Whoa, that lady really can push my limits sometimes.

The same goes with everyone around Sara that constantly tries to please her, and make sure she’s not upset.

And what is the reason that all of the characters are losing their shoes somewhere?

Unlike Piasa, in this book the focus is only on one big event, at two main places – the park and the museum. Apart from a few places in the introduction, the whole story keeps us around these places, which I particularly didn’t mind, but some people may or may not find it boring.

I was a bit sad because I really like Mike, and he wasn’t as present with his story as his was in the other book. I expected to see and learn a bit more of him.

Not to be all negative though, there were a few moments that I really enjoyed! I loved to read about the sisterhood of Pamela and Xenia, and the beginning of the book was fantastic. Xenia is also such an incredible character, and I really admired her. I also loved the explanations on the different kinds of cats and their latin names and meanings.

All in all, I am a bit sad to say that this will be a 3 out of 5 stars. Especially because the author, Michael Kott, is a dear friend of mine, and I greatly enjoyed the Piasa. I may have expected a bit too much of this book, that left me disappointed. But I do believe that some of you might greatly enjoy it! If you like Young-Adult fiction, and stories about mystery animals and cryptids, you will definitely enjoy this book!

Thank you Mike, for sending me a copy of the Cryptid, in exchange for an honest review.

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Sourcery: Discworld: The Unseen University Collection
Sourcery: Discworld: The Unseen University Collection
Terry Pratchett | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.1 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
Funny Writing (0 more)
Slow paced (0 more)
So I usually really like reading Discworld books and I usually love Rincewind stories, but this book was a bit of a bust, I struggled to read it because it was, for me, really slow paced. I really like Conina, she was an excellent character and of course I liked the Luggage, cause who doesn't?

The other two characters I wasn't very keen on, they kind of bored me. Coin was a really good character and the ending was amazing with Rincewind being brave for once!
  
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell
1981 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I was really into musical theatre. I was the dorky kid who listened to Evita on my walkman as I walked down the street smoking, thinking I was so cool. A couple of my favourite records from that era really speak to that. This is a super theatrical record. The songs are stories and portraits of characters. The music doesn't suggest it, but you can totally see that shit onstage. I just loved it. I loved the immediacy of Marc Almond's vocals. Again, just a totally believable singer, not phoning it in."

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Carly Rae Jepsen recommended track Settle Down by Kimbra in Vows by Kimbra in Music (curated)

 
Vows by Kimbra
Vows by Kimbra
2011 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Settle Down by Kimbra

(0 Ratings)

Track

"She’s got an album out called 'Vows,' and 'Settle Down's' music video is just really creative and really different. I just thought it was a rad song. I actually will say with pride that I was on the ['Somebody That I Used To Know'] train before it took off, too. I found out about it from some friends, on a Facebook post, before it was even getting radio play… [Gotye] sounded a little bit like Sting to me, and I was excited to see that it did so well."

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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
1984 | Action, Adventure

"Indiana Jones, that trilogy I just rewatched on a plane from a holiday I just took. I watched all three, and Temple of Doom just continues to win me over. I know; usually, people like The Last Crusade, and there’s a lot of love for Raiders, because it’s the original. But Temple of Doom is just, to me, so funny and entertaining and fun. And the kid from Goonies — Hot Shot? Short Round. He’s so funny, and I grew up with Goonies, but I prefer him in Indiana Jones."

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A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
2006 | Drama
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"The first one would be A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. I saw that years ago when it first came out, and I just thought it was really interesting. I loved the way it was shot. All the actors in it were just awesome. I was a really big fan of Dito [Montiel], the director, and I actually get to do a film with him this year called Empire State, so I’m really excited. I think I’m going to shoot mid-this year, so I’m very excited about that."

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Clea DuVall recommended Short Cuts (1993) in Movies (curated)

 
Short Cuts (1993)
Short Cuts (1993)
1993 | Comedy, Drama

"I am a huge Lili Taylor fan. I once weaseled my way onto a movie set just so I could be in one scene with her. She was the reason I initially wanted to see this movie. I have always really loved films that ride the line between comedy and drama (and I really wish there was a better word for them than “dramedy”), and Altman is the king of this hybrid genre. This was also the start of my very deep love and appreciation for Julianne Moore."

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The Negotiator (1998)
The Negotiator (1998)
1998 | Action, Mystery, Thriller

"I love this movie and a lot of people that I talk to haven’t seen it. I love this movie so much, and I always find out that nobody that I ask has seen it, so I’ve actually shown that movie to a lot of people. It’s kind of a fun one where it just keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time and questioning what’s gonna happen next. I love movies like that. [Kevin] Spacey‘s definitely one of my favorite actors, so I’m sold with that to begin with."

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When Dimple Met Rishi
When Dimple Met Rishi
Sandhya Menon | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
1
7.4 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
I hated everything and I mean EVERYTHING about this book. The characters are annoying and not likeable all they do is complain about people making fun of them then turn around and make fun of and judge everyone else. I didn't care about the romance at all. Dimples was a shitty friend Rishi was a terrible brother and the only reason I managed to finish this and not DNF it like I 100% wanted to with in the first 20% was because I needed it for a readathon prompt.