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Really a collection of five short(ish) stories rather than a novel in its own right, this is chronologically the last in the Hornblower series, published the 10th of 11.

The Napoleonic wars are now over, with Hornblower dispatched to - you guessed it! - the West Indies in charge of a much reduced squadron, where he finds himself embroiled (yet again) in various and sundry adventures, all 'topped off' by his survival of a Hurricane after his appointment is over.

I'd read elsewhere that this could be described as a coda to the main Hornblower saga, and that seems a fair enough comparison to me: basically, an extra piece added on to the end of a tale!
  
His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes
His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, 2 things:

1) I actually listened to the Stephen Fry presented Audible version of this (in between bouts of actually reading it)
2) I was expecting there to be an over-arching plot, similar to something like 'The Hounds of the Baskervilles'

With regards to #2, there isn't.

This, instead, hews closer to something like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in that it is presented as a series of more-or-less standalone cases, with the final one in the collection 'His Last Bow' and with that one set in the early 1910s, just before the outbreak of World War One, and in which Holmes comes out of retirement to solve one last case.
  
    Nella The Princess Knight

    Nella The Princess Knight

    Education and Games

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    Help Nella and her friends on their courageous adventures; shoot arrows to help the lost birds find...

Unchosen
Unchosen
Katharyn Blair | 2021 | Dystopia, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist of this book is Charlotte, she is a middle child out of three sisters and the least gifted one of them all. Her older sister Harlow is a popular guitar player and very strong personality in general, her younger sister Vanessa is a talented gymnast. All her life Charlotte is left living in Harlow’s shadow, loving the boy who is in love with her sister and taking care of Vanessa. She sounds pretty miserable until she is taken from the camp as the Chosen One, who will save everyone from Crimson. Only then I could see, that Charlotte is not as useless as she portrayed it. I have to admit, in the beginning, I thought that Harlow should be the main character, she was more suitable, but by the time I finished the book, I was glad that Charlotte was the protagonist. 🙂 This book has such a great selection of characters to choose from! I loved them all, they were very well presented and delivered.

The narrative of this book is very fast-paced, and there is always something happening in this book. Most of the book is spent on the ship sailing through the ocean, and I really enjoyed the sailor’s life portrayed in this book. There is plenty of action, turns and twists, and this book really had me hooked and entertained. I loved the romance in this book as well, it is exciting, full of sexual tension and very adorable. The topics discussed in this book are forbidden love, family relations, bravery, adventures, self-pity, friendships, overcoming your fears and phobias and many more.

I really enjoyed the world that the author created for the reader. I felt like I was alongside the characters during their journeys. It has very strong Bird Box vibes, but also there is so much more going on than that. The chapters are pretty short, and the pages just flew by. I loved the ending of this book, it left me very satisfied with the outcome.

So, to conclude, I loved this book, and could not put it down. I really liked the characters and the roles they played as well as the fast-paced and full of adventures plot. It has all the things I need for an enjoyable dystopian/fantasy YA book, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who likes pirates, ships and adventures.
  
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Jody Hedlund | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Are you looking for a good clean romance for your teens or young adults? Well, Beholden is good for them. It deals with princes and knights. It also has a sweet story about beauty. What a way to have action and adventures. The heroes have to work together.

I enjoyed learning about the gem mines and the slaves. We get a bit of an evil queen and slavery. It seems it is a modern-day fairy tale of Cinderella. Jody does well with the plot and storyline. What a way to pull into the story. It keeps you wanting to turn the pages once the action starts to pick up.

The adventures begin to heighten up once Gabriella is released from the mines. Who will win? The princes are to do testing to see if they are worth the kingship. The princes are given a phrase that is different for each prince.

I wonder what each means and for that prince. Slave for all what can that mean. You will be trying to figure it out along with Vilmar. What is Gabriella's plan? Can Vilmar find the true meaning to Slave to all and find help from the slaves and Gabriella?

My rating for this book is 4.5 stars (Moons) on my rating system. Which make my rating system will have it marked 4 stars (Moons). This book good for teens and young adults. It got romance and fantasy. If your teen or young adult enjoy fairy tales, this book has it and more.
  
40x40

Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated Literally Me in Books

Jan 13, 2018  
LM
Literally Me
Julie Houts | 2017 | Humor & Comedy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an unbiased opinion.

We live in a world where everyone can become "famous" in a matter of mere moments. Houts has a devote following on Instagram where she is considered "Instagram's favorite illustrator". To me, this collection of dark and satirical illustrated essays ran like a stream of entertaining consciousness best enjoyed while just a touch stoned. Would I buy this book as a gift for someone else? Probably not. Would I recommend following Houts on Instagram for entertainment value? Absolutely, and already have (she's jooleeloren on Instagram).

My favorite from the book: "How To Be A Perfect Feminist", though the adventures of the four women of the Apocalypse were pretty great, too.
  
The Hidden Treasure of Dutch Buffalo Creek
The Hidden Treasure of Dutch Buffalo Creek
Jackson Badgenoone | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Hidden Treasure of Buffalo Creek is a wonderful book to read. If you are a historical fiction or historical fan this book may be for you. You learn about history or some events as you go through the adventures with James. It a sweet it tells you about family history and about some of the history of the eras you may not have lived it or want to learn about.

It goes through some of the lives of a few people and how they got here. You learn to grow and follow faith along the way. James is the main one. You go along for an adventure. You may learn about some things that have been going on in the Germany or the USA.