Search
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The One (The Selection, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I haven't been this obsessed with a book series since The Hunger Games <3
As the Selection comes to a close, who will be the next princess of Illéa?
**Please be aware of possible spoilers if you have not read The Selection and The Elite**
With rebel attacks at their peak, is anyone safe anymore? Unexpected alliances may be the only hope left for Illéa. Where will Prince Maxon's heart lead him in the end of the Selection?
"The best people all have some kind of scar" - The One
I admit, I did NOT expect to become so obsessed with this series! But once I started, I simply could not put it down. Mercifully, I did not read these until now. Because now I only need to wait a little more than a month for the last book to come out. I have been sick the last few days, and therefore have had ample time to read. The only plus to having a cold. But thanks to my essential oils and books...I feel much better and have been quite entertained! Being that this is the third book in the series I don't want to give away too many spoilers. But let me just say that Kiera Cass did a wonderful job of bringing America's Selection to a close. There are still a few surprises along the way (especially if you DON'T read The Favorite first) and a few of the other characters found a special place in my heart that I previously despised. America's journey from being a poor artist's daughter to a confident, strong, influential woman is inspiring, to say the least. There are many times that she is criticized for speaking the truth and being herself, but she never loses who she is. Instead she uses these experiences to fine tune her character and comes to the realization of what truly matters in life. Although, there were many times that she drove me crazy because she couldn't make up her mind. In the end she always makes the right choice (in my opinion). And even we say it a lot, there is nothing more important than to truly be yourself.
Overall I would not recommend this to young teens. There is a lot of passion and kissing in this series. Parents please use your discretion for this series.
As the Selection comes to a close, who will be the next princess of Illéa?
**Please be aware of possible spoilers if you have not read The Selection and The Elite**
With rebel attacks at their peak, is anyone safe anymore? Unexpected alliances may be the only hope left for Illéa. Where will Prince Maxon's heart lead him in the end of the Selection?
"The best people all have some kind of scar" - The One
I admit, I did NOT expect to become so obsessed with this series! But once I started, I simply could not put it down. Mercifully, I did not read these until now. Because now I only need to wait a little more than a month for the last book to come out. I have been sick the last few days, and therefore have had ample time to read. The only plus to having a cold. But thanks to my essential oils and books...I feel much better and have been quite entertained! Being that this is the third book in the series I don't want to give away too many spoilers. But let me just say that Kiera Cass did a wonderful job of bringing America's Selection to a close. There are still a few surprises along the way (especially if you DON'T read The Favorite first) and a few of the other characters found a special place in my heart that I previously despised. America's journey from being a poor artist's daughter to a confident, strong, influential woman is inspiring, to say the least. There are many times that she is criticized for speaking the truth and being herself, but she never loses who she is. Instead she uses these experiences to fine tune her character and comes to the realization of what truly matters in life. Although, there were many times that she drove me crazy because she couldn't make up her mind. In the end she always makes the right choice (in my opinion). And even we say it a lot, there is nothing more important than to truly be yourself.
Overall I would not recommend this to young teens. There is a lot of passion and kissing in this series. Parents please use your discretion for this series.
Merissa (12720 KP) rated Everything Under The Sun in Books
Oct 17, 2018
Everything Under The Sun by Jessica Redmerski
Everything Under The Sun is a post-apocalyptic story that focuses on two characters - Atticus and Thais. We start off at home with Thais, her father, and sister. Unfortunately, this idyll doesn't last for long, and then we are thrown into what the world can really be like for survivors. Thais and Sosie are taken to Lexington, where they meet Atticus for the first time as he is acting Overseer.
First of all, this is a LONG book. Everything in the book is used to describe a situation, feelings, etc., which can be excused being as the author has to describe not only a new world, but has to show how the world has changed from how it used to be. I did feel a bit lost with the timeline though, as it felt like they were at the cabin for a lot longer than was supposed to be. They say they've only left Lexington a month or so ago, and yet it felt like they'd spent at least 3 months there. Oh well, my bad.
I will also say, a lot of characters die in this story, so please don't become too attached to them! Some of it is obviously built up, so you know something bad is going to happen.
This was an intriguing story, with a solid male character who is flawed, and an idealistic, mostly naive, female, who thankfully did become stronger as the story progressed. It has one helluva cliffhanger ending, and I can't wait to see where it will go next.
If you really want a story to sink your teeth into, then I can highly recommend this one!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
First of all, this is a LONG book. Everything in the book is used to describe a situation, feelings, etc., which can be excused being as the author has to describe not only a new world, but has to show how the world has changed from how it used to be. I did feel a bit lost with the timeline though, as it felt like they were at the cabin for a lot longer than was supposed to be. They say they've only left Lexington a month or so ago, and yet it felt like they'd spent at least 3 months there. Oh well, my bad.
I will also say, a lot of characters die in this story, so please don't become too attached to them! Some of it is obviously built up, so you know something bad is going to happen.
This was an intriguing story, with a solid male character who is flawed, and an idealistic, mostly naive, female, who thankfully did become stronger as the story progressed. It has one helluva cliffhanger ending, and I can't wait to see where it will go next.
If you really want a story to sink your teeth into, then I can highly recommend this one!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Secret Calculator + Private photo and video vault
Utilities and Photo & Video
7.0
Rate It
App
An iPhone calculator that works – and looks! – exactly like any other calculator until you type...
App Lock Photo Gallery w Password Passcode Passkey
Catalogs and Reference
App
An iPhone calculator that works – and looks! – exactly like any other calculator until you type...
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b>Trigger warning:</b> this book is heavily focused on sexual assault and rape.
This novel is certainly very captivating. I found it difficult to put it down once I had picked it up! I loved the crime and mysterious criminal and I loved the pace of it all. Sometimes, these crime novels can burst with excitement for one second, and then fizzle out until the last few pages, or, completely the opposite of that, be total non-stop action, but feel really over the top and unrealistic. This, on the other hand, had a great mix of action and downtime.
I loved the setting for this, it felt so retro with its mention of floppy disks, pagers, and cassette tapes! This whole book was really well described and brought to life. It felt so real, you completely lost yourselves in the characters worlds. The horror of each murder and plot reveal really grabs you by the throat and give you goosebumps. There’s no escaping the terror in this one.
As for the crime, this one is certainly unique… and gruesome! If you’re like me, and don’t like the thought of surgery or human anatomy, then this will certainly be a struggle to read as it contains many in-depth scenes where we’re walked through what’s happening on the inside of the body. That certainly made it a little hard for me to read because I have this slight fear of our insides and all descriptions of it, but I was too intrigued as to who the killer was, to put it down. While not a particularly twisty turny story, there are plenty of characters in this novel to keep you guessing on who the real killer is.
This always seems to happen to me, but I just can’t seem to get on with female detectives in these kinds of series. Rizzoli wasn’t the worst I have come across, but she still got on my nerves. I’m well aware the message this book was trying to put across was all to do with a “woman in a man’s world”, and I can feel for Rizzoli, it would be hard to be taken seriously in a homicide department in 2001 as a woman… But!!! It was not necessary for her to act as though every single man she encountered was an enemy, needing to be destroyed and put in his place. If she wanted to be taken so seriously as a woman, I’m surprised she couldn’t utter the word “tampon” and described it as being a “disgusting object”. (I have seen this point mentioned by other reviewers and some have said the “fear” of tampons could be a generational thing).
I also wasn’t a fan of the underlying tone this book had, that “all men are capable of evil”. <i>Everyone</i> is capable of evil, why were only men being targeted in this book? Now, I don’t want to sound anti-feminist or something with me saying all this stuff, but I felt the book was a bit radical with some of it’s points about men being raping, murdering bastards. Again, I would like to put my hands up and say I’m <i>really</i> not trying to trivialise or undermine rape “victims” (I prefer the term survivors myself) because I’m close to several, I know how much it fucks them up, but I did feel like this book was a bit heavy hitting towards the male gender as a whole, rather than to the select few scumbags who do that sort of thing <i>(just to rehash this point, I’m not some kind of rape apologist, I just didn’t feel the book needed to be so anti-man).</i>
Another problem I had with this book was sometimes it seemed to have an undermining stance on rape, calling it a woman’s “shameful secret” as though it was their own fault they had been abused in this way. There was also a moment where Rizzoli called herself a “victim of The Surgeon” because she had fucked up part of the investigation, which I thought was completely inappropriate. Comparing a job related incident that was your own fault to being kidnapped and raped is just disgusting. <i>That</i> really got on my nerves. Another thing that grated on me was the overuse of the word “victim” when it came to the rape survivors, but I can imagine that’s more to do with the time this book came out than anything else.
Also!!! (<b>Not a spoiler</b>) There is a disgusting comment on suicide nearer the end of the novel, where Rizzoli calls a man who killed himself a “loser who ate his gun” and “pathetic enough to blow his own brains out”.
Even after having those couple of issues with this novel, I still enjoyed it enough to finish it but I won’t forget the offensiveness of it. I’m going to give myself a break from this series for a month or so, just to really review whether use want to continue with writing I find so problematic. If any of you have gone on to read more of this series, please let me know if it gets any better by not taking digs at traumatised women and mental illness.
This novel is certainly very captivating. I found it difficult to put it down once I had picked it up! I loved the crime and mysterious criminal and I loved the pace of it all. Sometimes, these crime novels can burst with excitement for one second, and then fizzle out until the last few pages, or, completely the opposite of that, be total non-stop action, but feel really over the top and unrealistic. This, on the other hand, had a great mix of action and downtime.
I loved the setting for this, it felt so retro with its mention of floppy disks, pagers, and cassette tapes! This whole book was really well described and brought to life. It felt so real, you completely lost yourselves in the characters worlds. The horror of each murder and plot reveal really grabs you by the throat and give you goosebumps. There’s no escaping the terror in this one.
As for the crime, this one is certainly unique… and gruesome! If you’re like me, and don’t like the thought of surgery or human anatomy, then this will certainly be a struggle to read as it contains many in-depth scenes where we’re walked through what’s happening on the inside of the body. That certainly made it a little hard for me to read because I have this slight fear of our insides and all descriptions of it, but I was too intrigued as to who the killer was, to put it down. While not a particularly twisty turny story, there are plenty of characters in this novel to keep you guessing on who the real killer is.
This always seems to happen to me, but I just can’t seem to get on with female detectives in these kinds of series. Rizzoli wasn’t the worst I have come across, but she still got on my nerves. I’m well aware the message this book was trying to put across was all to do with a “woman in a man’s world”, and I can feel for Rizzoli, it would be hard to be taken seriously in a homicide department in 2001 as a woman… But!!! It was not necessary for her to act as though every single man she encountered was an enemy, needing to be destroyed and put in his place. If she wanted to be taken so seriously as a woman, I’m surprised she couldn’t utter the word “tampon” and described it as being a “disgusting object”. (I have seen this point mentioned by other reviewers and some have said the “fear” of tampons could be a generational thing).
I also wasn’t a fan of the underlying tone this book had, that “all men are capable of evil”. <i>Everyone</i> is capable of evil, why were only men being targeted in this book? Now, I don’t want to sound anti-feminist or something with me saying all this stuff, but I felt the book was a bit radical with some of it’s points about men being raping, murdering bastards. Again, I would like to put my hands up and say I’m <i>really</i> not trying to trivialise or undermine rape “victims” (I prefer the term survivors myself) because I’m close to several, I know how much it fucks them up, but I did feel like this book was a bit heavy hitting towards the male gender as a whole, rather than to the select few scumbags who do that sort of thing <i>(just to rehash this point, I’m not some kind of rape apologist, I just didn’t feel the book needed to be so anti-man).</i>
Another problem I had with this book was sometimes it seemed to have an undermining stance on rape, calling it a woman’s “shameful secret” as though it was their own fault they had been abused in this way. There was also a moment where Rizzoli called herself a “victim of The Surgeon” because she had fucked up part of the investigation, which I thought was completely inappropriate. Comparing a job related incident that was your own fault to being kidnapped and raped is just disgusting. <i>That</i> really got on my nerves. Another thing that grated on me was the overuse of the word “victim” when it came to the rape survivors, but I can imagine that’s more to do with the time this book came out than anything else.
Also!!! (<b>Not a spoiler</b>) There is a disgusting comment on suicide nearer the end of the novel, where Rizzoli calls a man who killed himself a “loser who ate his gun” and “pathetic enough to blow his own brains out”.
Even after having those couple of issues with this novel, I still enjoyed it enough to finish it but I won’t forget the offensiveness of it. I’m going to give myself a break from this series for a month or so, just to really review whether use want to continue with writing I find so problematic. If any of you have gone on to read more of this series, please let me know if it gets any better by not taking digs at traumatised women and mental illness.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Roanoke Girls in Books
May 15, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Wow, this review has taken longer than I expected to get around to – mostly because of my hospital stay and subsequent recovery from acute pancreatitis. Needless to say, but I’m mostly back to normal and I hope to be resuming my reviews more regularly. Also, this will be my final review for Blogging for Books, as the site will be closing down next month. Now, onto the important stuff!
Will someone please tell me what the hell I read? The only thing original about The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel is its plot, which boldly goes where no book I’ve ever read has gone before.
The Roanoke Girls lacks original characters, which is the first of my many complaints regarding this book. Everyone is beautiful and perfect, and the one person that isn’t is described as a meth-head (which I find to be an insult to the average Janes and Joes out there). There’s not a single character, aside from the aforementioned meth-head, that isn’t a Mary Sue appearance wise. And the main character? There’s not a single thing likable about her. She’s a bitch to everyone around her, and yet somehow she still has guys fawning all over her. This is not realistic, folks.
Plot? Do you really want to get me started on that? First, let’s take a moment to discuss the fact that this book hops all over the place. One moment it is present, the next it is past, and after that, it’s some random character of little importance – just so we can learn how they died and why. Because, y’know, there’s something wrong with the fact they are all sleeping with their grandfather/brother/father/uncle/etc. Yes, I just gave a major spoiler away, but hey! I warned y’all. The only thing about this book that isn’t overly done is the fact that its main subject is INCEST. Yates Roanoke has a thing for every single woman in his family. And somehow, for some god awful reason, all these girls (save one) think it is absolutely okay/are heartbroken when things don’t quite work out.
Furthermore, all that jumping around? It’s done intentionally to drive the story forward because a straightforward account is sooo extremely drab and boring in this book that it has to jump. It has to give cliffhangers of some sort, and then make you wait another chapter or two, because otherwise it would simply drag on.
I would not recommend The Roanoke Girls to anyone. I did receive a review copy of this book free of charge and this has been my unbiased opinion. Thanks to Blogging for Books for the novel.
Will someone please tell me what the hell I read? The only thing original about The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel is its plot, which boldly goes where no book I’ve ever read has gone before.
The Roanoke Girls lacks original characters, which is the first of my many complaints regarding this book. Everyone is beautiful and perfect, and the one person that isn’t is described as a meth-head (which I find to be an insult to the average Janes and Joes out there). There’s not a single character, aside from the aforementioned meth-head, that isn’t a Mary Sue appearance wise. And the main character? There’s not a single thing likable about her. She’s a bitch to everyone around her, and yet somehow she still has guys fawning all over her. This is not realistic, folks.
Plot? Do you really want to get me started on that? First, let’s take a moment to discuss the fact that this book hops all over the place. One moment it is present, the next it is past, and after that, it’s some random character of little importance – just so we can learn how they died and why. Because, y’know, there’s something wrong with the fact they are all sleeping with their grandfather/brother/father/uncle/etc. Yes, I just gave a major spoiler away, but hey! I warned y’all. The only thing about this book that isn’t overly done is the fact that its main subject is INCEST. Yates Roanoke has a thing for every single woman in his family. And somehow, for some god awful reason, all these girls (save one) think it is absolutely okay/are heartbroken when things don’t quite work out.
Furthermore, all that jumping around? It’s done intentionally to drive the story forward because a straightforward account is sooo extremely drab and boring in this book that it has to jump. It has to give cliffhangers of some sort, and then make you wait another chapter or two, because otherwise it would simply drag on.
I would not recommend The Roanoke Girls to anyone. I did receive a review copy of this book free of charge and this has been my unbiased opinion. Thanks to Blogging for Books for the novel.
TF
The Financial Controller and CFO's Toolkit: Lean Practices to Transform Your Finance Team
Book
Simplify and streamline your way to a winning legacy Winning CFOs is a hybrid handbook and toolkit...
MyColorful – Coloring Book for Adults
Entertainment and Lifestyle
App
With My Coloring (adult coloring book), it is very easy to create masterpieces, because coloring...
Janeeny (200 KP) rated Things Fall Apart in Books
Jun 10, 2019
I was very confused by February’s ‘Penguin Reading Challenge’, as I don’t think I got one. Their February newsletter did recommend ‘Pride and Prejudice’ as a valentine read so potentially that may have been my classic recommendation for the month, however I’ve already read that one so I decided this month to go for January’s second recommendation of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things fall apart’.
I don’t really know how to summarise this book without giving a lot away so I’m going to rely on Amazon –
Okonowo is the greatest warrior alive. His fame has spread like a bushfire in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men of his clan.
But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone – even if the only way he can master his feelings is with his fists. When outsiders threaten the traditions of his clan, Okonowo takes violent action. Will the great man’s dangerous pride eventually destroy him?
Again a Classic that did actually engross me. At the risk of sounding like a complete heel I was expecting to be lectured to by this book. Usually with Historical literature books of such high acclaim we encounter a lot of hidden and profound messages about our place in the world and how we treat others and the story can feel a bit dry. Also, with the other Historical fiction based in other countries I’ve read, I’ve appreciated the story, but they have essentially been based around problems exclusive to that era and culture, so it’s not really something I can relate to.
So oddly enough this little book set within a Nigerian tribe in the 1890s was actually quite relatable. Ok so maybe not many people can relate to a situation where you and a group of other men lead your foster son to a dark forest and kill him, but we can relate to making hard choices in life and letting down the ones we love.
You know as soon as you meet Okonowo that things are not going to go well for him, he is a prideful man quick to anger. He mistreats his wives and has high expectations of his children, and his intentions whilst well-meaning for his family are also misguided. Okonowo lives in a very superstitious village, and you can see that, after Okonowo does something that a close friend warns him against, that things will start to go bad from there. Things do not end well for Okonowo, as he doesn’t seem to learn or heed the warnings around him, but in the end you do start to sympathise with him a bit.
I think the best way to summarise the events in ‘Things fall apart’ is that whilst Okonowo’s problems are steered by his tribe’s beliefs and superstitions they are in essence problems that are relatable around the world.
I don’t really know how to summarise this book without giving a lot away so I’m going to rely on Amazon –
Okonowo is the greatest warrior alive. His fame has spread like a bushfire in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men of his clan.
But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone – even if the only way he can master his feelings is with his fists. When outsiders threaten the traditions of his clan, Okonowo takes violent action. Will the great man’s dangerous pride eventually destroy him?
Again a Classic that did actually engross me. At the risk of sounding like a complete heel I was expecting to be lectured to by this book. Usually with Historical literature books of such high acclaim we encounter a lot of hidden and profound messages about our place in the world and how we treat others and the story can feel a bit dry. Also, with the other Historical fiction based in other countries I’ve read, I’ve appreciated the story, but they have essentially been based around problems exclusive to that era and culture, so it’s not really something I can relate to.
So oddly enough this little book set within a Nigerian tribe in the 1890s was actually quite relatable. Ok so maybe not many people can relate to a situation where you and a group of other men lead your foster son to a dark forest and kill him, but we can relate to making hard choices in life and letting down the ones we love.
You know as soon as you meet Okonowo that things are not going to go well for him, he is a prideful man quick to anger. He mistreats his wives and has high expectations of his children, and his intentions whilst well-meaning for his family are also misguided. Okonowo lives in a very superstitious village, and you can see that, after Okonowo does something that a close friend warns him against, that things will start to go bad from there. Things do not end well for Okonowo, as he doesn’t seem to learn or heed the warnings around him, but in the end you do start to sympathise with him a bit.
I think the best way to summarise the events in ‘Things fall apart’ is that whilst Okonowo’s problems are steered by his tribe’s beliefs and superstitions they are in essence problems that are relatable around the world.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Birthmarked (Birthmarked, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Gaia is a midwife, apprentice to her mother. But her job is not just to deliver the babies: it’s to take the first three of the month to the city within the wall away from their families, to “Advance” them and let them join the government there. Gaia has never questioned the government—until she has to advance a baby herself, until her innocent parents are taken away, until she sees the injustice that happens behind the wall… Gaia’s only wish is to get her parents back, safely outside the wall, and then flee to the Dead Forest—which may or may not exist—but when she finally gets in, a series of events makes her question what is really right, who she loves, and what she lives for.
When I first started Birthmarked, I had a hard time getting through the first chapter. The thought of these people taking the newborn babies away from their parents to live in the richer society but away from the ones who loved them made me sick to my stomach, and I almost put it down completely. It also struck me as familiar, and I realized later that it was the whole concept of taking the children away. It reminded me of The Hunger Games, and I didn’t want a lousy play-off. But I couldn’t stop reading, because it was just so good. Good thing I didn’t stop.
The plot had me guessing every step of the way. It was completely unpredictable and I’m still reeling from it.
The writing was beautiful and descriptive, so visual that I could see everything exactly. It almost had a rhythmic feel to it.
The characters were wonderful. Gaia is a strong willed girl, willing to do anything for the people she loves. The other characters are quickly defined and unique. Gaia’s father is a sweet wonderful man, and her mother was strong and beautiful like Gaia herself.
One of the things I love about this book is the realness behind everything—the dialogue, the feelings, even the romance. Especially the romance. I hate it when the main characters get crushes for each other within the first paragraph of the book. In Birthmarked, I didn’t see it coming until maybe halfway through the book (and that was only because the character just kept reappearing). I love that!
The ending, though, left me hanging a little. It wasn’t as horrible as The Hunger Games endings have been (hurry up, Suzanne!) but it did leave me saying “but… but… but….awww dang….” I shall be sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the sequel. And there better be a sequel.
Content: Clean of sex, language, and violence.
Recommendation: Ages 12+ Adults will love it, too!
When I first started Birthmarked, I had a hard time getting through the first chapter. The thought of these people taking the newborn babies away from their parents to live in the richer society but away from the ones who loved them made me sick to my stomach, and I almost put it down completely. It also struck me as familiar, and I realized later that it was the whole concept of taking the children away. It reminded me of The Hunger Games, and I didn’t want a lousy play-off. But I couldn’t stop reading, because it was just so good. Good thing I didn’t stop.
The plot had me guessing every step of the way. It was completely unpredictable and I’m still reeling from it.
The writing was beautiful and descriptive, so visual that I could see everything exactly. It almost had a rhythmic feel to it.
The characters were wonderful. Gaia is a strong willed girl, willing to do anything for the people she loves. The other characters are quickly defined and unique. Gaia’s father is a sweet wonderful man, and her mother was strong and beautiful like Gaia herself.
One of the things I love about this book is the realness behind everything—the dialogue, the feelings, even the romance. Especially the romance. I hate it when the main characters get crushes for each other within the first paragraph of the book. In Birthmarked, I didn’t see it coming until maybe halfway through the book (and that was only because the character just kept reappearing). I love that!
The ending, though, left me hanging a little. It wasn’t as horrible as The Hunger Games endings have been (hurry up, Suzanne!) but it did leave me saying “but… but… but….awww dang….” I shall be sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the sequel. And there better be a sequel.
Content: Clean of sex, language, and violence.
Recommendation: Ages 12+ Adults will love it, too!