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With Malice
With Malice
Eileen Cook | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
With Malice by Eileen Cook is a Young Adult (YA) thriller that is enjoyable to read. The story is about an 18-year old named Jill, who wakes up in the hospital but the twist is that she has no memory of the previous six weeks of her life. She is told that she spent part of that time in Italy with her best friend but was involved in a fatal car accident. Two Jill the car accident does seem to be so accidental based on what she is being told.

The main character is unreliable yet it add a level of suspense and creativity, which kept me interested in the story. Jill's narration was spot on yet it allowed me to form my own ideas and theories regarding the mystery.
There are different points of view and clues from investigators to reporters to followers. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much. I found it interesting and a good breathe of fresh wait to the YA genre.

I received this book from the published via NetGalley for an honest review.
  
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.9 (65 Ratings)
Book Rating
I switched off from audiobook to book & back with this book and I enjoyed it for the most part. The narrator was good but slow just like the book.

I have consistently been told that I need to read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and I am happy to say that I finally finished it. Fellowship of the Ring is more of an adult novel compared to "The Hobbit" which I was happy about. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of "The Hobbit" and I found it slow & drawn out. I would still say that "The Fellowship of the Ring" was slow & drawn out but I found it more entertaining.

I love fantasy but I also want a book that is fast paced and I felt that this book moved just as fast as molasses. The writing was beautiful which is what kept me engaged. Honestly, I feel that about 200 pages could have been removed and we still would have had the epic fantasy that "The Lord of the Rings" is.

All in all, it was good but not a must read for me.
  
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
2006 | Comedy, Musical
7
7.2 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Catchy music/songs (3 more)
Good range of characters
Fun special effects
That museum scene
Story drags a little bit (2 more)
Somewhat predictable
Range of locations aren't very exciting
Great musical, okay everything else
Back in the summer of 2007 I was at a friends house. I was 10 years old and did not have much previous experience of music but decided to watch this. Looking back, I was probably a little too young for the language and adult themes but I can safely say that this movie single handedly got me into music. Even to this day I could recite every song word for word.

Aside from the amazing range of songs, it is quite a simple musical comedy. There are a good few funny moments but also a lot of jokes that just fall flat.. Let's be honest though, if you're a fan of Tenacious D, you aren't here for the comedy but for the music which I have to say again is simply brilliant! As long as you aren't too easily offended by some of the more vulgar scenes, this is a must watch!
  
Diamonds
Diamonds
2014 | Card Game
Super simple.... if you've played hearts or spades, you can play diamonds. (1 more)
designs on the cars are kinda art deco and well done.
This is a the card game everyone can play, with just a small twist for strategy.
This is a very simple trick taking game, deal out the cards, someone leads and everyone follows suit if they can... the winner gets a special action based on the suit, and you also get the action of you throw off suit (you don't have any of them) The goal of the game is to get the diamonds into your vault, as those are the only ones you get points for.... once everyone has delt once, you count up the gems in your vault, biggest score wins. The depth of the game comes in deciding which cards to keep and which ones to pass and when to play them. This game is great for groups looking to catch up andtalk aout work and kids and family isues ,and yet still have something to do while talking or partaking in an adult beverage. Sightly deeper than spades or hearts, but not by much, and that's a good things for some groups.
  
40x40

Becs (244 KP) rated The Third Act in Books

Sep 3, 2018  
The Third Act
The Third Act
John Wilson | 2018 | History & Politics, Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The history aspect. (2 more)
The storyline.
The characters and their stories.
Great young adult history read!
I received The Third Act by John Wilson as a read and review copy from Libray Thing Early Reviewers program for my full honest review.

I honestly loved reading this. It was fun, thrilling, and even fast-paced, the majority of the time. Would I change anything? Not at all. It was beautifully written for the history aspect of it and held my attention. Which is very surprising because I can never have my attention grabbed by history related books.

The cover of this little novel is really cool. I like how they have a faded ‘ghost of the past’ on the cover. I actually didn’t realize that it was there until I was about halfway through with the book. The plotline was one that I wasn’t sure I was going to like at first. But as I kept reading, the history of the Nanjing Massacre and the switching from the past to the present, drew my attention in like a mouse to cake crumbs. The characters weren’t as developed, but it worked for this storyline.
  
Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
NEWT!! (2 more)
Jacob
Leta Lestrange
Hogwarts charcter + objects that shouldnt be there (0 more)
Great story bar Hogwarts timeline
Contains spoilers, click to show
AS whole I really enjoyed fanstic beast crime against Grindlewald. Newt is a throughly delightful charcter and so loveable. Jacob is easy to releate to as well my problems with this film all happen in it around Hogwarts.

First of all Mcgonall isn't born till 1935 she tells Uxbridge in goblet if fire book she started teaching in Hogwarts in 1956 so what she doing alive and an adult in 1927.

The whomping Willow was suppose to be planted in Hogwarts for lupin in 1971 so how did Newt find Pickett in it during a flashback putting the tree there around 1918

Dumbledore always taught transfigruation not DADA obviously this rewrite is covered by the whole you can no longer teach DADA but as we saw in the HP series only the headmaster has that power not Aurors

Finally I know it dramatic effect make it look cooler to appeared onto to middle of the bridge but as we saw in deathly Hallows apperation line isn't middle of bridge it hogemeeade
  
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
Cassandra Clare | 2008 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.4 (37 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book 2 in the Mortal Instruments series carries on where Book 1 left off but you are given a little breather before the action starts.

The story continues with Valentine trying to do his evil dude stuff and pretty much succeeding; Jace is trying to come to terms with who his father is, who he really is and his feelings for Clary; and Clary is also trying to do the same as Jace but also coping with the fact that her mother is in a coma with little or no chance of recovery especially seeing as she's in a mundane hospital!

All of the characters continue to have depth and grow in this book and there are enough twists and turns to still keep you gripped. This series is turning out to be absolutely fantastic and I don't see why it should be limited to the Young Adult genre!!!

I am glad that I have seen the film City of Bones but only because every time I read one of the character's names I get a image flash in my mind! YUM! Really enjoying this series and off to Book 3.
  
The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame | 1908 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
7
7.3 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
The language is beautiful (0 more)
Perhaps a little slow (0 more)
I was pleasantly surprised by this book
I was surprised by this book. I did a bit of a skim read to begin with because I intend to use some of the books content as part of an essay that I'm writing for children's literature. My skim read put me off reading it for a few days. When I did start reading it I was enthralled by Grahame's use of language and imagery. I have to say that his use of language to describe the countryside and the changing seasons is perhaps some of the most beautiful language I have ever read. He captures the scenery so perfectly that you can almost touch it.
The characters were good, toad in particular. It is clear to see that Grahame was talking about hysteria in the character of toad. Written in the early 20th century, the novel is typical of its slower pace when compared to modern literature for children. The humour and sentiment may be enough to grip even the 21st century child. As an adult though, this is a delightful little book that should never be skimmed.
  
Messages From Henry
Messages From Henry
Rebecca Scarberry | 2012 | Contemporary, Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Evelyn Bury is kidnapped, her abductor is unaware that Henry, her friendly homing pigeon, is able to track her. As law enforcement track the criminal down with Henry's help the poor victim is moved from place to place.

This is told from the point of view of Tammy, Evelyn's neighbour who first realises that Henry is carrying messages from Evelyn and Henry does come out as the hero, defying the odds to save his mistress.

A short story for younger readers (but not too young due to the subject matter which at times could be distressing for them) this will especially appeal to animal lovers. The story is written to be both sympathetic and dramatic and having Tammy narrate as a friend to the hostage works well.

The story flows at a good pace and the reader will be waiting for Henry to arrive almost as much as Tammy and each time hope that Evelyn is finally rescued.

A good read for those just under the target audience for most 'young adult' stories and short enough that it doesn't seem a chore to read.
  
Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1)
Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1)
Philip Reeve | 2004 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.9 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, that was … unusual .. to say the least.

This was one of those stories that I'd been meaning to read for ages, but had never really got round to, and proved to (effectively) be a mash-up of Young Adult dystopian future with steampunk.

Steampunk, as a genre, is not one that I've really read all that much in - ab out the only other one that currently springs to mind is Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires series (all one book, so far!), but I tend to associate it more with an alternate past or present than the far future, which is when this one is set.

The main draw for me - and, I'm sure, many others - was the central concept of cities on wheels, cities that need to keep mobile and scavenge/attack each other in order to keep going - or, as it is described here by characters within, of 'Municipal Darwinism'.

While I found the writing and general plot a bit - how shall I say? - lacklustre? flat? I did enjoy the central premise of the story, and may come back to the world to see what else happens in future instalments.