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Freckles by Cecilia Ahern is about Allegra Bird, aka Freckles, and her quest to find the mother she has never known.
Freckles moves from her small island home to Dublin, in the hope that she will be able to track her down. She lives a solitary life in Dublin, seems to have few friends and lives by her rigid rules and routines - although I do think she has more friends than she knows. Those few friends are people who seem to genuinely care about her. Freckles is full of self-doubt though, and when a frequently ticketed Ferrari owner (she’s a traffic warden!) tells her that she’s the sum of the five people that she spends the most time with, she decides that the best thing to do, is to choose those five people herself.
This was quite the emotional rollercoaster. Allegra is such a vulnerable young woman, and I was rooting for her happy ending from the start. This book made me laugh out loud and cry - and genuinely want to be one of her five!
So, I’m re-evaluating my opinion of Cecilia Ahern books. I may not have got on well with the books I’d previously read, but Freckles really did hit the spot. I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this.
Freckles moves from her small island home to Dublin, in the hope that she will be able to track her down. She lives a solitary life in Dublin, seems to have few friends and lives by her rigid rules and routines - although I do think she has more friends than she knows. Those few friends are people who seem to genuinely care about her. Freckles is full of self-doubt though, and when a frequently ticketed Ferrari owner (she’s a traffic warden!) tells her that she’s the sum of the five people that she spends the most time with, she decides that the best thing to do, is to choose those five people herself.
This was quite the emotional rollercoaster. Allegra is such a vulnerable young woman, and I was rooting for her happy ending from the start. This book made me laugh out loud and cry - and genuinely want to be one of her five!
So, I’m re-evaluating my opinion of Cecilia Ahern books. I may not have got on well with the books I’d previously read, but Freckles really did hit the spot. I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this.
Merissa (13739 KP) rated Dragon Warrior (Dragon Clan #2) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
This is the second book in the Dragon Clan series and I recommend you read the first book, simply because it is so enjoyable and you might miss out on a brilliant story if you don't.
This tells the tale of Harith, Huroth's son. He has been betrothed since a young age to a human princess, Ayelet. However, things aren't going too well although both of them feel that they must 'do their duty'. On a flight home, Harith makes a decision that is costly and ends up in Nyssa's care. She is also a dragon but doesn't tell him that due to her own private history.
This is a wonderful telling and the more I hear about the dragon clans, the more I admire Huroth! He is a wise and capable leader of the dragons and with Orwenna by his side, they make an awesome pair. Harith and Nyssa are a force to be reckoned with and I am looking forward to reading more snippets about them in the books to come (hopefully!).
This book has pretty much everything in it - love, romance, action, danger and even sadness so be prepared. Definitely recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 1, 2015
This tells the tale of Harith, Huroth's son. He has been betrothed since a young age to a human princess, Ayelet. However, things aren't going too well although both of them feel that they must 'do their duty'. On a flight home, Harith makes a decision that is costly and ends up in Nyssa's care. She is also a dragon but doesn't tell him that due to her own private history.
This is a wonderful telling and the more I hear about the dragon clans, the more I admire Huroth! He is a wise and capable leader of the dragons and with Orwenna by his side, they make an awesome pair. Harith and Nyssa are a force to be reckoned with and I am looking forward to reading more snippets about them in the books to come (hopefully!).
This book has pretty much everything in it - love, romance, action, danger and even sadness so be prepared. Definitely recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 1, 2015
Merissa (13739 KP) rated A Little Christmas: Blake in Books
Dec 19, 2022 (Updated Dec 19, 2022)
A LITTLE CHRISTMAS: BLAKE starts off the A Little Christmas series for me. In it, Blake is left in a dire situation through no fault of his own. Luckily for him, a Christmas miracle called Eliot makes everything just right.
The thing I loved so much about this book is that neither of them were really in the lifestyle. Neither of them knew for sure, not until they were together and then it clicked. My heart broke for Blake as he recounted some of his experiences of being laughed at, whilst my heart melted (and broke) for Eliot and everything he wanted and needed to do, plus his poor dad. I'm really hoping these guys show up in future books, just so I can find out about his dad.
The pacing is perfect, the focus on these two characters, and the story flowed, keeping my attention from beginning to end. Low angst but high feeling. This was a sweet and loving story that gives you the warm Fuzzy's. I loved every word and have no hesitation in HIGHLY recommending this book.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
The thing I loved so much about this book is that neither of them were really in the lifestyle. Neither of them knew for sure, not until they were together and then it clicked. My heart broke for Blake as he recounted some of his experiences of being laughed at, whilst my heart melted (and broke) for Eliot and everything he wanted and needed to do, plus his poor dad. I'm really hoping these guys show up in future books, just so I can find out about his dad.
The pacing is perfect, the focus on these two characters, and the story flowed, keeping my attention from beginning to end. Low angst but high feeling. This was a sweet and loving story that gives you the warm Fuzzy's. I loved every word and have no hesitation in HIGHLY recommending this book.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Simple Art Of Flying in Books
Mar 4, 2019
Characters (2 more)
Messages
Writing Style
First, can we just take a minute to talk about this cover? It’s absolutely adorable! I love the birds, and the books, and the colors. That alone would pull me into the book. Second, can I just tell you that I wish we had books like this when I was a kid! Don’t get me wrong, Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, The Baby Sitters Club, and a few others were awesome. But, books like TSAOF would have been happily devoured then, too!
I absolutely adored Alastair. I’m not a fan of birds, but it they were all like Alastair I would have a dozen! I loved his curmudgeon quirkiness, and his ability to pull you into the story, along with his sister Aggie. His poetry was awesome and captivating! And, Fritz. Let me tell you what. I saw a lot of my own kiddos in Fritz. He was just lovable. And, Bertie! The perfect “grandma” for the story. I loved her laugh-out-loud moments in the story.
This debut novel by the amazingly talented Cory Leonardo is one that should be on every young reader’s shelves. It’s filled with life lessons, lots of laughter, characters who will become friends, and lots of fun. If you have a younger reader, age 8 and up, I would definitely recommend you get this for them. It’s worthy of 4 stars, for sure! Great job on your debut, Leonardo!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aladdin and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
I absolutely adored Alastair. I’m not a fan of birds, but it they were all like Alastair I would have a dozen! I loved his curmudgeon quirkiness, and his ability to pull you into the story, along with his sister Aggie. His poetry was awesome and captivating! And, Fritz. Let me tell you what. I saw a lot of my own kiddos in Fritz. He was just lovable. And, Bertie! The perfect “grandma” for the story. I loved her laugh-out-loud moments in the story.
This debut novel by the amazingly talented Cory Leonardo is one that should be on every young reader’s shelves. It’s filled with life lessons, lots of laughter, characters who will become friends, and lots of fun. If you have a younger reader, age 8 and up, I would definitely recommend you get this for them. It’s worthy of 4 stars, for sure! Great job on your debut, Leonardo!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aladdin and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Sam (74 KP) rated The Penultimate Peril (ASOUE #12) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The Baudelaires are now aboard the Queequeg, a VFD submarine, looking for the sugar dish that Count Olaf is so desperate to find. On the Queequeg they meet Captain Widdershins and his step-daughter Fiona, as well as a return of everybody’s favourite – Phil from the lumber mill!
I loved this one! There’s Lewis Carroll references which is one way to get me really interested in a book, and it also got me thinking as one of his poems was used as a code and I was trying to work out what the message was! For some of the references used in these books, you definitely have to be an adult to fully get them, but when you do they are so clever!
The characters were brilliant in this one. Captain Widdershins was definitely strange but it gave me a laugh how he said ‘aye’ between every sentence. I also loved how Fiona started doing this too.
Even more was revealed about VFD in this one! There wasn’t as much as in the previous book, but I would still love to find out who J.S. is and why they are contacting the Queequeg.
There was yet another big plot twist towards the end of this one and I really want to see where it goes, as I can see it popping up again in the final books.
The books have really reached their best now! I’m reading them so fast because I just NEED to know everything!! I’m really obsessed now and won’t settle until I’ve finished the whole series.
I loved this one! There’s Lewis Carroll references which is one way to get me really interested in a book, and it also got me thinking as one of his poems was used as a code and I was trying to work out what the message was! For some of the references used in these books, you definitely have to be an adult to fully get them, but when you do they are so clever!
The characters were brilliant in this one. Captain Widdershins was definitely strange but it gave me a laugh how he said ‘aye’ between every sentence. I also loved how Fiona started doing this too.
Even more was revealed about VFD in this one! There wasn’t as much as in the previous book, but I would still love to find out who J.S. is and why they are contacting the Queequeg.
There was yet another big plot twist towards the end of this one and I really want to see where it goes, as I can see it popping up again in the final books.
The books have really reached their best now! I’m reading them so fast because I just NEED to know everything!! I’m really obsessed now and won’t settle until I’ve finished the whole series.
Rea Gorman (5 KP) rated 22 Scars in Books
Sep 16, 2018
Fantastic book
This book is amazing!
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only. As soon as I read the book description, I knew it was a book I really wanted to read. The book goes above and beyond the expectations I had after reading the description. The way this book is written is fantastic, I found myself constantly thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it. I couldn’t wait to turn each page, it is a real page turner and kept my interest right to the very last page. The themes in this book are quite heavy and dark but I feel the author explored these themes in a very true to life way and in a respectful way. This book is very close to my heart. The author tells the story from various points of view and each point of view is vital to the main story. I have read many books and I don’t think I have ever read a book quite like this. Due to the dark themes, this book may not be for everyone, but I feel that I would recommend this to those whose life has been touched by mental health in one way or another. I would have liked the story to have continued further from where it ended but I feel the ending fits the story perfectly. Some books you remember for a little while after you’ve read them and other books stick with you forever. This book will be with me forever.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only. As soon as I read the book description, I knew it was a book I really wanted to read. The book goes above and beyond the expectations I had after reading the description. The way this book is written is fantastic, I found myself constantly thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it. I couldn’t wait to turn each page, it is a real page turner and kept my interest right to the very last page. The themes in this book are quite heavy and dark but I feel the author explored these themes in a very true to life way and in a respectful way. This book is very close to my heart. The author tells the story from various points of view and each point of view is vital to the main story. I have read many books and I don’t think I have ever read a book quite like this. Due to the dark themes, this book may not be for everyone, but I feel that I would recommend this to those whose life has been touched by mental health in one way or another. I would have liked the story to have continued further from where it ended but I feel the ending fits the story perfectly. Some books you remember for a little while after you’ve read them and other books stick with you forever. This book will be with me forever.
SUPERB. EVER EVOLVING. EXCITING. THRILLING. EXCELLENT READ.
Brilliant, just like Amy.
Can you ever really know someone- completely?
WOW! I loved this book. I believe it is probably because the subject matter is so different from many of the titles I have read this year. I especially liked the way the author used the time frames as the chapters; “One week after…”
Halfway through the book I was very unsure how the story would end or turn out at all. I thought I knew what was going on until I reached the last few pages. I always think there are better ways to end certain stories but even though the ending didn’t turn out as I thought it would it was still an excellent story nonetheless. I wouldn’t change anything.
I hate raving about an author in a review to help others decide whether the read is worth their time or not. I have to say IT IS ABSOLUTELY worth the time. I typically don’t even read e-books unless its one of those books I simply cannot wait for, then I typically drag through the stories since I hate reading them on the computer and the tablet or Ipad is frustrating when all you want to do is turn a paper page. However, I would buy this author’s e-books and proudly on my desktop.
Gillian Flynn is a very good story teller. I am ecstatic that I discovered this author. I will definitely be following this read up with her other two novels: Sharp Objects and Dark Places.
Brilliant, just like Amy.
Can you ever really know someone- completely?
WOW! I loved this book. I believe it is probably because the subject matter is so different from many of the titles I have read this year. I especially liked the way the author used the time frames as the chapters; “One week after…”
Halfway through the book I was very unsure how the story would end or turn out at all. I thought I knew what was going on until I reached the last few pages. I always think there are better ways to end certain stories but even though the ending didn’t turn out as I thought it would it was still an excellent story nonetheless. I wouldn’t change anything.
I hate raving about an author in a review to help others decide whether the read is worth their time or not. I have to say IT IS ABSOLUTELY worth the time. I typically don’t even read e-books unless its one of those books I simply cannot wait for, then I typically drag through the stories since I hate reading them on the computer and the tablet or Ipad is frustrating when all you want to do is turn a paper page. However, I would buy this author’s e-books and proudly on my desktop.
Gillian Flynn is a very good story teller. I am ecstatic that I discovered this author. I will definitely be following this read up with her other two novels: Sharp Objects and Dark Places.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in Books
Feb 14, 2020
I got this because I saw the film was out on DVD and I like to read the books before I see the film.
So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.
I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.
I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.
I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.
I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one
So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.
I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.
I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.
I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.
I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one
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