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ClareR (5589 KP) rated Miss Aldridge Regrets in Books
Nov 13, 2023
Miss Aldridge Regrets is a great murder mystery set on board the Queen Mary en route to New York in the 1930’s. And boy, does Miss Aldridge have some regrets!
When a man claiming to be the fixer for a man that her father used to work with in New York appears and offers her the Broadway role of a lifetime, Lena Aldridge can’t refuse. Especially as the husband of her best friend has died in rather unusual circumstances and she could easily be dragged into the aftermath.
Whilst on board the Queen Mary, Lena meets the Abernathy’s, a very wealthy American family. But all is not as it seems, and soon murder is committed on board, and Lena is left thinking that she is in danger too.
This is a novel dripping in glamour, and Lena isn’t always comfortable with that. She comes from a very different background. Everyone seems to be very accepting of her and her ‘Italian’ looks, but if the truth comes out to the Americans, her standing could be changed in an instant.
This was fast paced, and left me guessing up to the last page. The book ends with Lena in New York, so I’m looking forward to the next book to see just what she gets up to, and whether she will actually return to England.
When a man claiming to be the fixer for a man that her father used to work with in New York appears and offers her the Broadway role of a lifetime, Lena Aldridge can’t refuse. Especially as the husband of her best friend has died in rather unusual circumstances and she could easily be dragged into the aftermath.
Whilst on board the Queen Mary, Lena meets the Abernathy’s, a very wealthy American family. But all is not as it seems, and soon murder is committed on board, and Lena is left thinking that she is in danger too.
This is a novel dripping in glamour, and Lena isn’t always comfortable with that. She comes from a very different background. Everyone seems to be very accepting of her and her ‘Italian’ looks, but if the truth comes out to the Americans, her standing could be changed in an instant.
This was fast paced, and left me guessing up to the last page. The book ends with Lena in New York, so I’m looking forward to the next book to see just what she gets up to, and whether she will actually return to England.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated The Poet (Jack McEvoy, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Crime reporter Jack McEnvoy’s world is turned upside down when his twin brother Sean, a cop, commits suicide. But when Jack goes to write a story on it, he discovers a disturbing pattern that will take him cross country and ultimately to the FBI. But will he learn the truth about what happened to his brother?
This book is praised as one of Connelly’s best, and I can see why. This book introduces an entire cast of characters, and they are all strong. The plot is ingenious, and I was on board for all the twists. Unfortunately, it is 20 years old, and the parts of the book that attempt to profile the villain and the scenes that are written from the villains point of view felt clichéd to me. Maybe it is because it has been done so often since this book. Whatever the reason, I found this the only flaw in an otherwise outstanding book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-poet-by-michael-connelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book is praised as one of Connelly’s best, and I can see why. This book introduces an entire cast of characters, and they are all strong. The plot is ingenious, and I was on board for all the twists. Unfortunately, it is 20 years old, and the parts of the book that attempt to profile the villain and the scenes that are written from the villains point of view felt clichéd to me. Maybe it is because it has been done so often since this book. Whatever the reason, I found this the only flaw in an otherwise outstanding book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-poet-by-michael-connelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Swallows in Books
Jan 30, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2020)
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Diving-bell and the Butterfly in Books
May 15, 2019
Being only 139 pages, this book may be short, but the impact it had, was enormous. This is an extraordinary memoir of a man who had a stroke and was left unable to move or talk. He dictated this novel to someone, using eye movements to indicate letters on an alphabetic board.
Whilst this book doesn't have a linear story as such, this is a beautifully written novel about the writer's day to day experiences in the hospital he is being treated in and, in the most mundane or saddest moments, there is humour and insight. This is a very interesting and poetic novel.
My Rating ****
Whilst this book doesn't have a linear story as such, this is a beautifully written novel about the writer's day to day experiences in the hospital he is being treated in and, in the most mundane or saddest moments, there is humour and insight. This is a very interesting and poetic novel.
My Rating ****
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Mr. Monk Gets on Board (Mr. Monk #17) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Natalie decides to attend a business conference on a cruise ship, she is surprised when Monk tags along. She's almost talked him into leaving when she over hears a murder plot. Can they stop it? Can they prove who the killer is?
A couple of times, this book got a little lost in the fun of Monk on the cruise ship, just like the series. And just like in the series, I enjoyed those moments. The mystery was still strong and the characters were great as always.
Read my full review at <a href="carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-mr-monk-gets-on-board-by-hy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
A couple of times, this book got a little lost in the fun of Monk on the cruise ship, just like the series. And just like in the series, I enjoyed those moments. The mystery was still strong and the characters were great as always.
Read my full review at <a href="carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-mr-monk-gets-on-board-by-hy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Stone Cold Case (A Rock Shop Mystery, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
In an effort to learn more about local rocks and minerals, Morgan has been taking a class from the local college. While one a class field trip, she gets separated from everyone else and finds a mountain man guarding a skeleton. The discovery reopens an unsolved disappearance in this small Colorado town. But what happened all those years ago?
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but it didn’t take long before I was back on board with the characters again. They are wonderful, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in them. The book had too many sub-plots, which crowded out the mystery a little at the beginning, but as the book when on the mystery took over and came to a very strong climax that kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-stone-cold-case-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but it didn’t take long before I was back on board with the characters again. They are wonderful, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in them. The book had too many sub-plots, which crowded out the mystery a little at the beginning, but as the book when on the mystery took over and came to a very strong climax that kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-stone-cold-case-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated A Time to Swill in Books
Jul 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 28, 2021)
Chloe Gets Swept into a New Mystery
Chloe Jackson has just returned from packing up her life in Chicago and saying her goodbyes to move full time to her new home in Florida. Her first morning back, she is running on the beach near her new home when she sees a ship that has beached itself. Hearing a cry on board, she climbs on board only to get swept out to sea. Before she is rescued, she’s found a skeleton that reopens a disappearance from twelve years ago. With some of her new friends under investigation, she is determined to find out what happened all those years ago and why it is coming to light now. What will she uncover?
The plot teaser just covers a few of the questions the book quickly gives us, and I had a very hard time putting the book down. In fact, I used a lazy Saturday to finish it faster than I originally planned. Meanwhile, there’s a strong sub-plot, not that we need any more reason to be addicted. Everything is resolved satisfactorily by the time we reach the end. Since Chloe doesn’t know her new friends super well yet, this book gives her, and us, a chance to learn more about them, and I love the character development. I might not normally pick up a book set in a bar, but I definitely enjoyed this one, especially the location – right on the beach. That setting may make this the ultimate beach read. Whether you pick up this book while on the beach or not, allow plenty of time to get lost in a great mystery when you pick up this book.
The plot teaser just covers a few of the questions the book quickly gives us, and I had a very hard time putting the book down. In fact, I used a lazy Saturday to finish it faster than I originally planned. Meanwhile, there’s a strong sub-plot, not that we need any more reason to be addicted. Everything is resolved satisfactorily by the time we reach the end. Since Chloe doesn’t know her new friends super well yet, this book gives her, and us, a chance to learn more about them, and I love the character development. I might not normally pick up a book set in a bar, but I definitely enjoyed this one, especially the location – right on the beach. That setting may make this the ultimate beach read. Whether you pick up this book while on the beach or not, allow plenty of time to get lost in a great mystery when you pick up this book.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Where Is My Coat? Farm Animals in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Where Is My Coat? Farm Animals by Anita Bijsterbosch is a cute board book for very young children who like to play fun and simple guessing games with pictures of cozy-colored animals at play. It is a a pleasant and easy read.
Animal shapes are shown and you are asked what they are. It is very interactive. Kids will need to use their visual skills to figure out what type of animal is depicted. The illustrations are super cute and the colors draw you in. This is a good book to use for teaching animals to small children.
I received this ARC from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Animal shapes are shown and you are asked what they are. It is very interactive. Kids will need to use their visual skills to figure out what type of animal is depicted. The illustrations are super cute and the colors draw you in. This is a good book to use for teaching animals to small children.
I received this ARC from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1) in Books
Sep 26, 2022
173 of 230
Kindle
Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1)
By Analeigh Ford
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth. Psychic. Ritual. The three magical affinities. No mage has ever been chosen by all three…until now.
My name is Octavia Hadley, and I am the mage who broke the affinity ritual. I have been at the New York Academy of Mages for less than one day and the school board already wants to strip me of my powers.
It would be a whole lot simpler if it didn’t also mean giving up on them—the four mages that I got paired up with: Kendall, my best friend’s twin brother, Draven, the leather-clad ritual mage, Cedric, the principal’s son, and Flynn, the only other mage who also has more than one affinity.
The school board tells me I am mistake, but I know that isn’t right. This magic is mine, and I will find a way to keep it. My paired mages will fight beside me even if it means losing everything—so long as it means they don’t have to lose me too.
It was an ok book it needed some improvements in world building but the premise was good. I got slightly bored with the teenage love tryst especially in such a short space of time and not a very long book. But it was ok for YA.
Kindle
Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1)
By Analeigh Ford
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth. Psychic. Ritual. The three magical affinities. No mage has ever been chosen by all three…until now.
My name is Octavia Hadley, and I am the mage who broke the affinity ritual. I have been at the New York Academy of Mages for less than one day and the school board already wants to strip me of my powers.
It would be a whole lot simpler if it didn’t also mean giving up on them—the four mages that I got paired up with: Kendall, my best friend’s twin brother, Draven, the leather-clad ritual mage, Cedric, the principal’s son, and Flynn, the only other mage who also has more than one affinity.
The school board tells me I am mistake, but I know that isn’t right. This magic is mine, and I will find a way to keep it. My paired mages will fight beside me even if it means losing everything—so long as it means they don’t have to lose me too.
It was an ok book it needed some improvements in world building but the premise was good. I got slightly bored with the teenage love tryst especially in such a short space of time and not a very long book. But it was ok for YA.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Charred in Books
Feb 25, 2023
Will Alene Get Charred During the Pandemic’s Early Days?
This book opens in May 2020 and finds Alene Baron trying to keep her café in Chicago opened with a reduced staff and takeout or delivery only. Things are complicated when her long lost uncle returns to town and wants to connect with his brother, Alene’s father. Oh, and there are bodies turning up in burned out buildings owned by Alene’s best friend’s husband.
Since this is the third book in the series, I like the characters. That helped me get on board with the story that is truly the main story in the book, not the mystery that you’d expect in a culinary cozy. While I enjoyed the real main story, that backwards emphasis bothered me, especially how the story of the burned out buildings was resolved. I’m not sure I was ready to read a book set during the pandemic, but the book does a good job of capturing how everyone was feeling about life then. However, it introduces the riots before the event that triggered them happened in real life. The end result was only average.
Since this is the third book in the series, I like the characters. That helped me get on board with the story that is truly the main story in the book, not the mystery that you’d expect in a culinary cozy. While I enjoyed the real main story, that backwards emphasis bothered me, especially how the story of the burned out buildings was resolved. I’m not sure I was ready to read a book set during the pandemic, but the book does a good job of capturing how everyone was feeling about life then. However, it introduces the riots before the event that triggered them happened in real life. The end result was only average.