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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Timeshaft in Books
Nov 26, 2019
As technology advances mankind seems a button press away from wiping itself out. The shadowy organisation of WorldSave and their top operative, the enigmatic Ashday's Child, prevent catastrophe on a regular basis because they have access to the Timeshaft, which enables them to go to any point in time and stop events before they can cause disaster.
However, after a routine training mission hits problems, Ashday's Child must save not only himself and his companions but the fabric of time itself. With cause not necessarily occurring before effect, it may be that saving the future will heal the past.
Time travel has always been a fascination for science fiction writers as it opens up so many possibilities. Where most of these use time travel as a method of getting their characters to where they need to be, in Timeshaft it is the time travel itself that provides the story. Bint allows his imagination to construct future and past versions of earth but always the time travel aspect is to the fore, with the plot carefully constructed like a clock so that in the end all the parts fit together perfectly.
This matters because the time travel in Timeshaft is one where the time travel has always taken place; it is not like Back to the Future where Marty's antics in the past then change the future; here the future is the way it is precisely because someone has travelled back in time and changed something. It's a tricky thing to pull off yet Bint seemingly does this with ease.
If you are looking for a good science fiction story with drama and great ideas, you can't go far wrong
However, after a routine training mission hits problems, Ashday's Child must save not only himself and his companions but the fabric of time itself. With cause not necessarily occurring before effect, it may be that saving the future will heal the past.
Time travel has always been a fascination for science fiction writers as it opens up so many possibilities. Where most of these use time travel as a method of getting their characters to where they need to be, in Timeshaft it is the time travel itself that provides the story. Bint allows his imagination to construct future and past versions of earth but always the time travel aspect is to the fore, with the plot carefully constructed like a clock so that in the end all the parts fit together perfectly.
This matters because the time travel in Timeshaft is one where the time travel has always taken place; it is not like Back to the Future where Marty's antics in the past then change the future; here the future is the way it is precisely because someone has travelled back in time and changed something. It's a tricky thing to pull off yet Bint seemingly does this with ease.
If you are looking for a good science fiction story with drama and great ideas, you can't go far wrong
ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven in Books
Aug 9, 2022
The Arctic has always seemed to me to be a terrifying, forbidding place, which sounds very much like I’m not going to enjoy “The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven”, doesn’t it?
Well, wrong.
Fascination and terror seem to often walk hand in hand in my reading. There’s no way that I’d willingly go to these freezing, inhospitable places, but that’s no reason not to read a novel about it.
And what a novel this is.
Sven, who unsurprisingly comes from Stockholm, has always stood out from others and wants to go to the Arctic to seek adventure. But when he does go he finds himself working in a mine. Back-breaking, dangerous work, that ultimately ends in disaster for him. The result is a face that makes him even more of an outcast. But it also seems to attract the people who will be his friends. People who will help him to learn to live in the frozen north independently: Tapio, the Finn who teaches him to trap animals, shows him what to eat and when to eat it; Charles MacIntyre, a Scottish geologist who helps him to find his way back to life after the accident.
This is all written in the first person, and it really does feel like a personal account. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a true story - in fact it is a very human story. Sven’s determination to survive and learn to be self-sufficient is touching, funny at times and always life affirming. Sven experiences great highs and achievements, as well as terrible lows.
I’m so glad that I read this.
Well, wrong.
Fascination and terror seem to often walk hand in hand in my reading. There’s no way that I’d willingly go to these freezing, inhospitable places, but that’s no reason not to read a novel about it.
And what a novel this is.
Sven, who unsurprisingly comes from Stockholm, has always stood out from others and wants to go to the Arctic to seek adventure. But when he does go he finds himself working in a mine. Back-breaking, dangerous work, that ultimately ends in disaster for him. The result is a face that makes him even more of an outcast. But it also seems to attract the people who will be his friends. People who will help him to learn to live in the frozen north independently: Tapio, the Finn who teaches him to trap animals, shows him what to eat and when to eat it; Charles MacIntyre, a Scottish geologist who helps him to find his way back to life after the accident.
This is all written in the first person, and it really does feel like a personal account. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a true story - in fact it is a very human story. Sven’s determination to survive and learn to be self-sufficient is touching, funny at times and always life affirming. Sven experiences great highs and achievements, as well as terrible lows.
I’m so glad that I read this.
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Fjord Blue in Books
Dec 12, 2017
I received an eARC via NetGalley and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.
I've never read anything written by this author so I picked this book based on the description. I'm happy that I was able to read it as I found it to be a beautifully written story.
Benjamin is sent to Norway to work on his grandparents farm after some reckless behavior gets him into trouble. He's a young man dealing with his sexuality as no one knows that he is gay. Once he gets settled in and begins working side by side with Even who is employed by Benjamin's grandfather he starts falling into a routine while secretly fantasizing about this gorgeous eye candy. Unbeknownst to Benjamin, Even has his own secrets and demons. The characters are strong and believable. The use of Spanish and Norwegian words in this story line were excellent and it was a well-rounded read.
I found myself laughing and at times crying but most of all I loved the emphasizes on family and even though they aren't always perfect or always accepting, they are truly an important part of our lives. My only gripe is that the cover should be more appealing.
I've never read anything written by this author so I picked this book based on the description. I'm happy that I was able to read it as I found it to be a beautifully written story.
Benjamin is sent to Norway to work on his grandparents farm after some reckless behavior gets him into trouble. He's a young man dealing with his sexuality as no one knows that he is gay. Once he gets settled in and begins working side by side with Even who is employed by Benjamin's grandfather he starts falling into a routine while secretly fantasizing about this gorgeous eye candy. Unbeknownst to Benjamin, Even has his own secrets and demons. The characters are strong and believable. The use of Spanish and Norwegian words in this story line were excellent and it was a well-rounded read.
I found myself laughing and at times crying but most of all I loved the emphasizes on family and even though they aren't always perfect or always accepting, they are truly an important part of our lives. My only gripe is that the cover should be more appealing.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Flights of Fancy (American Heiresses, #1) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Miss Isadora Delafield may be an heiress, but her life is far from carefree. When her mother begins pressuring her to marry an elderly and uncouth duke, she escapes from the high society world she’s always known and finds herself to be an unlikely candidate for a housekeeper position in rural Pennsylvania. Mr. Ian MacKenzie is known for his savvy business sense and has built his reputation and fortune completely on his own merits. But when his adopted parents are in need of a new housekeeper and Isadora is thrown into his path, he’s unexpectedly charmed by her unconventional manner. Neither Isadora nor Ian expected to find the other so intriguing, but when mysterious incidents on the farm and the truth of Isadora’s secret threaten those they love, they’ll have to set aside everything they thought they wanted for a chance at happy-ever-after.
My Thoughts: Another winner from Jen Turano! This one will not disappoint the reader. As always Jen comes through with wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline. The reader will be amused as they read along and become acquainted with the characters.
I truly enjoyed this book, a wonderful historical romantic for anyone to enjoy. This one comes highly recommended. I look forward to the next in the series.
My Thoughts: Another winner from Jen Turano! This one will not disappoint the reader. As always Jen comes through with wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline. The reader will be amused as they read along and become acquainted with the characters.
I truly enjoyed this book, a wonderful historical romantic for anyone to enjoy. This one comes highly recommended. I look forward to the next in the series.
Sarah (126 KP) rated YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream in Apps
Aug 14, 2018
I have a love-hate relationship with YouTube.
I love it for how useful it can be when you want to learn to do something as there's nearly always a walkthrough video from someone - handy for me when I'm trying to figure out a tricky stitch or section in a knitting or crochet pattern.
I hate how apparently addictive life hack videos, videos of other people playing games or "unboxing" videos are to kids, haha! While it can be helpful when I need to get something done urgently, I feel like I can recite some of these off by heart...
In all seriousness, it is a great app. As I don't use it so much myself, I sometimes feel like the UI could be a bit more intuitive (I seem to get stuck in a loop on my phone app sometimes), but it's clearly simple enough for kids to use, soooo....
It can be hard to restrict inappropriate content because it isn't always labelled as such, but this is an issue on any platform with user-generated content and just means that as parents/guardians/responsible adults we need to be more aware of what children are accessing and to limit it accordingly and which is, after all, our job!
I love it for how useful it can be when you want to learn to do something as there's nearly always a walkthrough video from someone - handy for me when I'm trying to figure out a tricky stitch or section in a knitting or crochet pattern.
I hate how apparently addictive life hack videos, videos of other people playing games or "unboxing" videos are to kids, haha! While it can be helpful when I need to get something done urgently, I feel like I can recite some of these off by heart...
In all seriousness, it is a great app. As I don't use it so much myself, I sometimes feel like the UI could be a bit more intuitive (I seem to get stuck in a loop on my phone app sometimes), but it's clearly simple enough for kids to use, soooo....
It can be hard to restrict inappropriate content because it isn't always labelled as such, but this is an issue on any platform with user-generated content and just means that as parents/guardians/responsible adults we need to be more aware of what children are accessing and to limit it accordingly and which is, after all, our job!
I've Always Kept a Unicorn: The Biography of Sandy Denny
Book
I've Always Kept a Unicorn tells the story of Sandy Denny, one of the greatest British singers of...
The Last Boy and Girl in the World
Book
From the critically acclaimed author of The List comes a stunning new novel about a girl who must...
The Wisdom of Wine
Book
Simon Drew would like to be considered a very wise man. His evidence is that wise men drink wine and...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Summer Heat in Books
Sep 3, 2019
Oh dear...that ending...I'm wincing on behalf of both of them.
So this is my fifteenth book by the author, I think, and I've enjoyed all of them. This one was on the shorter side in length and a quick easy ready, but that didn't mean it didn't make me want the characters to get together and have their HAE.
Of course, though, it's a trilogy and I'll have to go and buy book 2 and 3 to see how Marlo and Ray get over that little revelation that's just been spilled in that shower stall.
One thing I will say, Rachel knows how to write male characters POV's. Most of the books I read tend to be in female POV's but Rachel always seems to write both and sometimes it's really great to see how the male characters are feeling in romances and I always tend to fall for them, too.
So, as mentioned before, I will definitely be off to Amazon in a little while to see about purchasing the rest of the Cruel Summer trilogy so I can finish this series after that intriguing start.
UPDATE: I can't find the rest of the series on Amazon! What am I going to do?!
So this is my fifteenth book by the author, I think, and I've enjoyed all of them. This one was on the shorter side in length and a quick easy ready, but that didn't mean it didn't make me want the characters to get together and have their HAE.
Of course, though, it's a trilogy and I'll have to go and buy book 2 and 3 to see how Marlo and Ray get over that little revelation that's just been spilled in that shower stall.
One thing I will say, Rachel knows how to write male characters POV's. Most of the books I read tend to be in female POV's but Rachel always seems to write both and sometimes it's really great to see how the male characters are feeling in romances and I always tend to fall for them, too.
So, as mentioned before, I will definitely be off to Amazon in a little while to see about purchasing the rest of the Cruel Summer trilogy so I can finish this series after that intriguing start.
UPDATE: I can't find the rest of the series on Amazon! What am I going to do?!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Dying in a Winter Wonderland in Books
Sep 30, 2020
After Christmas Murder
Merry Wilkinson has gotten talked into designing the decorations for Luanne Ireland’s wedding. However, on Christmas Eve, Luanne drops the bombshell that she is moving the wedding up from summer to Valentine’s Day, and naturally it causes chaos. Just two days later, Luanne’s fiancé is found murdered, however, and Merry’s brother, Chris, becomes the prime suspect. Luanne and Chris had dated back in high school, but is that enough motive for murder? Merry doesn’t think so, and she sets out to prove him innocent. Can she do it?
No matter when the books in this series are set, they always immediately put me in the Christmas spirit, and this book is no exception. Merry and the rest of the characters are their usual charming selves, and I always enjoy spending some time with them. Okay, so there are a few characters who regularly annoy Merry, but I enjoy those scenes, too, and we got some interesting developments with them in this book. The plot introduced lots of drama before the murder takes place, and that pulled me in from the first chapter. I never wanted to put the book down until I reached the logical conclusion. This latest book is perfect for any time you need a dose of Christmas.
No matter when the books in this series are set, they always immediately put me in the Christmas spirit, and this book is no exception. Merry and the rest of the characters are their usual charming selves, and I always enjoy spending some time with them. Okay, so there are a few characters who regularly annoy Merry, but I enjoy those scenes, too, and we got some interesting developments with them in this book. The plot introduced lots of drama before the murder takes place, and that pulled me in from the first chapter. I never wanted to put the book down until I reached the logical conclusion. This latest book is perfect for any time you need a dose of Christmas.