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Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Orient in Books
Mar 15, 2018
There are some books that manage to transcend their genres to become something else altogether, and while "Orient" is ostensibly a mystery, it is also one of the finer literary works likely to be published this year. It follows Mills Chevern, a foster kid who has bounced in and out of several families on his way from Modesto, California to the titular town of Orient on New York's Long Island. While a handful of the townspeople feel sympathetic to him and try to help him adjust to the community's somewhat insular nature, most are suspicious of anyone new. Shortly after his arrival, strange creatures begin washing up onshore and residents being dying. Mills and recently returned native Beth begin to search for answers in places that the locals, who are all to happy to point the finger at the new and unfamiliar resident, refuse to look, and in the process learn about the dark secrets hiding beneath the veneer of the seemingly idyllic coastal community. There are more than enough twists and surprises to keep fans of the mystery and suspense genres happy, but there is so much more here. It goes into tremendous detail about the lives of its characters, really giving you a sense of the town, and really making you care for the people you're reading about. The prose itself flows beautifully and contains countless quotable moments. This is a gorgeously entertaining read that is very likely to wind up on more than a few year-end best lists.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Blessings in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I had been hearing some positive things about this book around the library and so I decided to give it a read, not knowing what to really expect. It wound up being a very relatable and enjoyable book. There isn't really much by way of a plot, rather each chapter winds up being basically a short story about one member of a very close, extended Irish Catholic Philadelphia family over the course of several decades. They are all connected, and so answers that aren't necessarily provided during the course of one person's "story" wind up being provided during someone else's. Each character is both different enough from the others and fully fleshed-out enough to keep things interesting, and the choice to follow different people in each chapter makes it hard to guess where things may be heading next. There are certainly some surprises in store for members of the family throughout. Growing up with a large family that was very close makes many of the moments immediately resonate with me, and some of the problems faced throughout the course of the novel strike close to home as well. Still, the aforementioned lack of plot makes it feel somewhat uneventful when all is said and done. The Blessings do wind up being a great cast of characters though, and the family's unwavering love for and faith in each other no matter how much life throws at them is a joy to behold, and that alone makes this one of the better works of fiction you might run across this Summer.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Try Not to Breathe in Books
Feb 19, 2018
Try Not to Breathe is a terrific thriller from a first time novelist, and I'm already looking forward to her next book. Touted as being "for fans of Paula Hawkins", I was expecting another unreliable narrator thriller, but this story is different. As it says in the description, it is told from both Amy and Alex's points of view, but also from Amy's childhood boyfriend's point of view. Two of the narrators are not unreliable. Alex and Jake / Jacob just don't have all of the answers yet, and we learn any new information right along with them. Amy is another story. In her dream-like state, sometimes she remembers things, and sometimes not. When she does have useful information she is unable to communicate it to anyone.
This book is a great mystery, but it is also a heartbreaking story of a girl left to live inside her own mind after a terrible attack left her in a near vegetative state, and the effect that her attack has on her family and those who love her. However much liberty the author may have taken in creating Amy's world, she did a great job of bringing life to a character who was seen as already dead by so many.
I would recommend this one to all mystery / thriller fans. Whether you are a fan of the unreliable narrator trope or not, this is an enjoyable read.
NOTE: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book is a great mystery, but it is also a heartbreaking story of a girl left to live inside her own mind after a terrible attack left her in a near vegetative state, and the effect that her attack has on her family and those who love her. However much liberty the author may have taken in creating Amy's world, she did a great job of bringing life to a character who was seen as already dead by so many.
I would recommend this one to all mystery / thriller fans. Whether you are a fan of the unreliable narrator trope or not, this is an enjoyable read.
NOTE: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Booksnthreads (19 KP) rated The Maze Runner in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Eventually, this one redeemed itself for me. The last half of the book, once all the exposition is out of the way, gets really interesting and does eventually reach the point where you can’t put the book down.
I think Dashner’s strength here is really in his character development. Even once the action begins, the characters’ actions and choices align with what you’ve learned about them, and while some of those choices lead to tragic consequences, they are completely in keeping with the characters’ personalities and experiences. It’s nice to see this kind of thought and sophistication put into a novel geared toward young adults.
In addition to my complaint about the frustratingly slow start and exposition, I was also bothered by what seems to be the standard strategy for serial writers…the ending that leaves you with more questions than answers. I’ve only read a handful of YA novels that deal with this well, where the current storyline is given just enough resolution to satisfy me as a reader while leaving enough of a door open to entice me to continue reading the series.
Dashner really treads that fine line and doesn’t quite make it for me, leaving me frustrated enough that rather than being eager to begin the next novel, I just want to toss this one in the corner. Okay, maybe not that strong of a reaction, but the jury is still out on whether or not I’ll pick up the next book in the series.
I think Dashner’s strength here is really in his character development. Even once the action begins, the characters’ actions and choices align with what you’ve learned about them, and while some of those choices lead to tragic consequences, they are completely in keeping with the characters’ personalities and experiences. It’s nice to see this kind of thought and sophistication put into a novel geared toward young adults.
In addition to my complaint about the frustratingly slow start and exposition, I was also bothered by what seems to be the standard strategy for serial writers…the ending that leaves you with more questions than answers. I’ve only read a handful of YA novels that deal with this well, where the current storyline is given just enough resolution to satisfy me as a reader while leaving enough of a door open to entice me to continue reading the series.
Dashner really treads that fine line and doesn’t quite make it for me, leaving me frustrated enough that rather than being eager to begin the next novel, I just want to toss this one in the corner. Okay, maybe not that strong of a reaction, but the jury is still out on whether or not I’ll pick up the next book in the series.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Unfortunate Event in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book, quite frankly, is one of the most honest looks into both the medical and legal professions I've read in a long time. Dr. Andrews is almost literally led around on a leash after a horrible tragedy, his reputation dragged through the mud while he's used as a scapegoat by not only his colleagues, but his malpractice insurer, the lawyer they appointed to him, and the divorce lawyers ultimately brought into the fray. One of my favorite quotes summarizing this issue is as follows:
As she watched the doctor exit her office, Jordan Davis found herself in a terrific mood. She'd lead this doctor through the legal system by the nose. She and the opposing attorney would take turns discovering controversies. The answers to those controversies would require long hours of expensive legal research. The attorneys, along with their teams of accountants and paralegals, were going to do very well.
It's horrifying to think about it, but our society is only focused on one thing, and that is money -- who has it, who doesn't, and the easiest ways to get it. This novel showcases that almost from the jump, and I think it is an excellent representation. In our country especially, the medical profession is a multi-billion-dollar business which continues to thrive on the backs of the less fortunate. Makes me happy I decided against med school.
5 stars, and I plan to recommend it to anyone in the medical and legal professions.
This book, quite frankly, is one of the most honest looks into both the medical and legal professions I've read in a long time. Dr. Andrews is almost literally led around on a leash after a horrible tragedy, his reputation dragged through the mud while he's used as a scapegoat by not only his colleagues, but his malpractice insurer, the lawyer they appointed to him, and the divorce lawyers ultimately brought into the fray. One of my favorite quotes summarizing this issue is as follows:
As she watched the doctor exit her office, Jordan Davis found herself in a terrific mood. She'd lead this doctor through the legal system by the nose. She and the opposing attorney would take turns discovering controversies. The answers to those controversies would require long hours of expensive legal research. The attorneys, along with their teams of accountants and paralegals, were going to do very well.
It's horrifying to think about it, but our society is only focused on one thing, and that is money -- who has it, who doesn't, and the easiest ways to get it. This novel showcases that almost from the jump, and I think it is an excellent representation. In our country especially, the medical profession is a multi-billion-dollar business which continues to thrive on the backs of the less fortunate. Makes me happy I decided against med school.
5 stars, and I plan to recommend it to anyone in the medical and legal professions.
Eloise Stanley (122 KP) rated Google Home in Tech
Nov 1, 2018
Understands most things even my god awful mumbling (3 more)
Tends to be pretty good at searching through websites for specific information
Works brilliantly as a speaker and connects through Spotify
Amazing for essay writing when you need quick and short answers and facts
Has a fair amount of things it’s unable to help with (3 more)
You often need to try different phrasing to get the answer you’re looking for
Absolutely dire at letting you know if your alarms are set or not
Privacy.... and google.... really bad mix........
Personally I have found this device extremely useful just for the element of the speakers and as someone who is not going to notice a difference between speaker qualities I don’t at all mind that it isn’t rated the highest for that in comparison to some other smart speaker devices on the market.
Other than for music I use it for quick facts be it for essays or for weather and cooking and or these it works fantastically. You can quickly get fast responses on fairly niche topics that I would not have expected it to be able to have dragged up from the bowls of the internet.
The other great thing about it is that it can be updated and it will have the ability to be improved as time goes on and given that there is a fairly small collection of products like this one currently out on the market I think you are pretty safe from making an awful choice in choosing this one... I like it anyway!
Other than for music I use it for quick facts be it for essays or for weather and cooking and or these it works fantastically. You can quickly get fast responses on fairly niche topics that I would not have expected it to be able to have dragged up from the bowls of the internet.
The other great thing about it is that it can be updated and it will have the ability to be improved as time goes on and given that there is a fairly small collection of products like this one currently out on the market I think you are pretty safe from making an awful choice in choosing this one... I like it anyway!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Her Wolf (Westervelt Wolves #1) in Books
Aug 12, 2019
Loved it!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ashlee Morrison has a secret obsession—with a dark and mysterious male. The only problem is that he’s a wolf and she’s becoming convinced that she’s insane. But Ashlee’s wolf is no ordinary canine; he is Tristan Kane, third son in the royal family of the Westervelt Wolf pack.
Trapped in his wolf form by his evil father’s men, Tristan has desperately sought a way out of predicament and is shocked to find that the sad but beautiful redhead who has come to the wolf cage can not only hear him, but awakens in him the knowledge that she is his mate, the other half of his soul.
Ashlee, unaware that she is half wolf-shifter, agrees to accompany Tristan back to his pack in Maine to seek answers to her past and understand her future. But as Tristan and Ashlee grow closer, familial betrayals will threaten to destroy the fragile love they have started to build.
With the odds stacked against them, Ashlee and Tristan will either embrace their love to save the Westervelt Wolves or be lost forever to despair.
<strong>Brilliant</strong>
I was looking forward to this as other books of Rebecca's I've enjoyed. This one has to be my favourite so far! I loved the whole concept of it. It was told brilliantly especially for her her first published book. I really enjoyed the conversation between Ash and her wolf. I'm very much looking forward to reading the test of the series !
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trapped in his wolf form by his evil father’s men, Tristan has desperately sought a way out of predicament and is shocked to find that the sad but beautiful redhead who has come to the wolf cage can not only hear him, but awakens in him the knowledge that she is his mate, the other half of his soul.
Ashlee, unaware that she is half wolf-shifter, agrees to accompany Tristan back to his pack in Maine to seek answers to her past and understand her future. But as Tristan and Ashlee grow closer, familial betrayals will threaten to destroy the fragile love they have started to build.
With the odds stacked against them, Ashlee and Tristan will either embrace their love to save the Westervelt Wolves or be lost forever to despair.
<strong>Brilliant</strong>
I was looking forward to this as other books of Rebecca's I've enjoyed. This one has to be my favourite so far! I loved the whole concept of it. It was told brilliantly especially for her her first published book. I really enjoyed the conversation between Ash and her wolf. I'm very much looking forward to reading the test of the series !
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Envy (Fallen Angels, #3) in Books
Jul 7, 2019
Recommended
Contains spoilers, click to show
A man and a woman tread the lines of danger, desire, and deliverance in the new novel of the Fallen Angels from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father- while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers... to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.
This has to be my second best series done by J R Ward my first being Bourbon Kings. So again we see Davina and Jim go head to head! This one saw the loss of Eddie which I wasn't quite prepared for! So it's now just don't two the two angels while Davina continues to cheat!
I struggled in parts with this instalment to be completely honest I got a little bored with the side story of Veck and Riley but all in all an ok addition to the series.
As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father- while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers... to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.
This has to be my second best series done by J R Ward my first being Bourbon Kings. So again we see Davina and Jim go head to head! This one saw the loss of Eddie which I wasn't quite prepared for! So it's now just don't two the two angels while Davina continues to cheat!
I struggled in parts with this instalment to be completely honest I got a little bored with the side story of Veck and Riley but all in all an ok addition to the series.
RyzorGick (43 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 11, 2019
Atmosphere (3 more)
Acting
Effective Horror Moments
Special Effects
I was a bit dubious about this sequel to The Shining. I didn't think Kubrick style was really something that could be reproduced. Luckily the film mainly does it's own thing but when it does call back to the original film I felt it did succeed.
I've seen some people complain abouy Rebecca Ferguson being wrong for the role of villain but I have to disagree. She does behave animated and feels less serious in some scenes but this does fit her character. She is powerful being that has lived longer than natural and feels she has little to fear, so it makes sense she would be overly confident and nonchalant.
Overall this film succeeds as a sequel. It gives us answers about what happened to the characters of the first film while having it's own plot and themes that connects to the original without relying on it too much. However some references may go over your head if you've not seen The Shining for a while.
It was a bit jarring to have people playing Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall but they did give it their all.
Doctor Sleep is a horror film that has more than just the usual jump scares. It's atmosphere and sense of foreboding are what truly sold me on it from the very beginning of the film. (I will never look at a shower curtain the same way again.)
I've seen some people complain abouy Rebecca Ferguson being wrong for the role of villain but I have to disagree. She does behave animated and feels less serious in some scenes but this does fit her character. She is powerful being that has lived longer than natural and feels she has little to fear, so it makes sense she would be overly confident and nonchalant.
Overall this film succeeds as a sequel. It gives us answers about what happened to the characters of the first film while having it's own plot and themes that connects to the original without relying on it too much. However some references may go over your head if you've not seen The Shining for a while.
It was a bit jarring to have people playing Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall but they did give it their all.
Doctor Sleep is a horror film that has more than just the usual jump scares. It's atmosphere and sense of foreboding are what truly sold me on it from the very beginning of the film. (I will never look at a shower curtain the same way again.)
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Siren's Call (Dark Tides #1) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
Between desire and love there are some things that can’t stay buried, even in the deep of the ocean.
As a woman with a secret, lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on the island of Little Mer, off the coast of Maine. During a violent storm, Tessa spots a man thrashing in the ice cold waters and dives in to save him, using her ability as a mermaid to easily pull him to shore.
When Kenneth Randall awakens on the beach he is alone, left with the haunting memory of his beautiful, flame-haired savior. But a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he’s determined not to let Tessa slip away. Just as the desire between them begins to burn, Tessa’s archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a tantalizing clue to her murky heritage.
The trio travel to the Mediterranean in search of answers, and when Tessa inadvertently opens an underwater portal they find a lost mermaid city. But in the deep, not everything is as it seems, and Tessa must decide if she wants to take her place as the royal heir, or follow the call of her heart…
Well developed an enjoyable read. Kenneth had you rooting for him from the start but also had you wanting to slap some sense into him. Jake had you hating him in all aspects of the book. It had the adventure aspect too and I really enjoyed reading it. Hopefully her sisters will do more than sit round and bitch in future books.
Tess is a strong female lead.
As a woman with a secret, lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on the island of Little Mer, off the coast of Maine. During a violent storm, Tessa spots a man thrashing in the ice cold waters and dives in to save him, using her ability as a mermaid to easily pull him to shore.
When Kenneth Randall awakens on the beach he is alone, left with the haunting memory of his beautiful, flame-haired savior. But a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he’s determined not to let Tessa slip away. Just as the desire between them begins to burn, Tessa’s archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a tantalizing clue to her murky heritage.
The trio travel to the Mediterranean in search of answers, and when Tessa inadvertently opens an underwater portal they find a lost mermaid city. But in the deep, not everything is as it seems, and Tessa must decide if she wants to take her place as the royal heir, or follow the call of her heart…
Well developed an enjoyable read. Kenneth had you rooting for him from the start but also had you wanting to slap some sense into him. Jake had you hating him in all aspects of the book. It had the adventure aspect too and I really enjoyed reading it. Hopefully her sisters will do more than sit round and bitch in future books.
Tess is a strong female lead.