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    Upheaval

    Upheaval

    Jared Diamond

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    In his international bestsellers Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Jared Diamond transformed our...

Shores of the Marrow (The Haunted #6)
Shores of the Marrow (The Haunted #6)
Patrick Logan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Rushed Ending to a Rushed Series
The author's note at the end of this book mentions "six books and one year" - which I think lends real credence to the fact that, as I was reading through Shores of the Marrow, it felt as if the whole series, but this book in particular, had been rushed.

Whether it was the author's or the publisher's decision to put out six books in such a short period of time, I don't think it was necessarily a good one. A lot more work was needed to "polish" the books, in terms of picking up errors (e.g. waddle used in place of wattle), and, personally, I think there were too many characters brought in, with a lot of focus placed on them for a time, for them to just be cast aside and forgotten about, or for there to be fleeting references made to them in later books. Similarly, main characters have big chunks of backstory missing that leaves them feeling quite unrounded, given that there have been six books (to date) in the series.

I really do think that this would have been better served as a more focussed storyline in fewer books, which would have been a meatier tale to get stuck into, with really well-defined and explored characters. As it is, I was left feeling like so much of the story was kind of "frothy" and lacked a certain depth - it never really drew me in and made me feel anything, which was quite a disappointment for me.

It's also something of a disappointment to come to the end of the book, without any real conclusion, find a link to a pre-order for the next book in the series and there be no such page when the link is clicked! Whether I'll come back to the series if and when Book 7 is released is, in all honesty, looking somewhat doubtful
  
Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown
Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown
Alison Weir | 2023 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoy Alison Weir’s storytelling. I always know that I’m going to get a book that I can really sink my teeth into. I’m a big big book fan, through and through - how on earth can you write a short book about a monarch like Henry VIII?! Six wives, heads being chopped off, wars, reconciliations, breaking from the Catholic Church, hunting, sporting and womanising! I’m sure there’s more - and it’s all in the book!

It’s interesting to hear the story of his life from his own (fictionalised) point of view. We’ve seen what his wives think of him, and here we get to read what he thinks of himself. It’s a lot, by the way.

For the fact collectors (🙋🏼‍♀️) this is a real treat, and Weir has really done her research. There’s plenty of (Henry’s version of) romance - most chivalrous!

This kept me turning the pages throughout. I will admit, I listened to this at the same time on a NetGalley audiobook that came through as I started reading on The Pigeonhole. And it really added to the experience. The narrator, Elliot Fitzpatrick, was perfect. He brought Henry to life again, as well as the other characters. He was really “listenable” to (is that even a word?).

So, thanks to The Pigeonhole and Headline both - it was a really enjoyable experience!
  
Cutie's Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard
Cutie's Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard
Felicia Di John | 2017 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cutie’s Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard by Felicia Di John is a wonderful story.
Cutie is a sweet, curious and adventurous dog who lives in a house in the desert. Her mom Ava Rose is six years old and loves Cutie very much. She would like to play with her all day, but she must go to school. Cutie is never happy when her mom leaves her for school because that means she will be home all alone. So today, Cutie decides to go outdoors by herself to play. She explores the desert around her, makes a new friend, and finds that some animals eat strange things. She is having so much fun that she almost forgets to get back home before her mom arrives.

 I read this book to my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students. They loved the book and begged for more stories of Cutie. The story was captivating and the pictures appeared to jump off the page.