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Marylegs (44 KP) rated The Kite Runner in Books
Aug 14, 2019
Well, what to say about this book. I am the sort of reader who doesn’t really look at reviews until after I have finished a book. I find otherwise my opinion gets foggy with everyone else’s comments, that or people don’t know how to resist putting in spoilers which they then do not declare. Personally, I enjoyed the book, I want to say I liked it more than I did, I think because I found it thought provoking. I have to say I guessed the majority of the plot twists long before they happened, but there were a few surprises which I always appreciate.
When I give a star rating, I following the guideline comments as well as comparing how much I liked it compared to similar books. Now the trouble I’m having is I don’t normally read books like this, so I don’t really have anything to compare it with. I feel I can’t give it 4 or 5 stars, even though it may deserve them, just because I didn’t finish the book and feel… for want of a better word ‘wowed’. When I give 4 or 5 stars it is because I finish the book and can’t stop thinking about it, that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who asked and that I will definitely read again. I just can’t say I felt like that about this book.
But, what I did like was, for me the chance to read something so different to my preferred reading genres. I personally liked that it was written in such a way that that you were unsure whether you were meant to like the narrator and main character Amir. That I felt for him, but also I wanted him to grow a backbone and stand up for what is right. I thought the book could have flowed better as I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but felt it lost something in the middle. That the pace just completely dropped into nowhere. I think that it is likely that there are many inaccuracies (historically) within this book, but it is a work or fiction, not a true account of events. I enjoyed the journey, and I would probably read other books by the same author.
When I give a star rating, I following the guideline comments as well as comparing how much I liked it compared to similar books. Now the trouble I’m having is I don’t normally read books like this, so I don’t really have anything to compare it with. I feel I can’t give it 4 or 5 stars, even though it may deserve them, just because I didn’t finish the book and feel… for want of a better word ‘wowed’. When I give 4 or 5 stars it is because I finish the book and can’t stop thinking about it, that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who asked and that I will definitely read again. I just can’t say I felt like that about this book.
But, what I did like was, for me the chance to read something so different to my preferred reading genres. I personally liked that it was written in such a way that that you were unsure whether you were meant to like the narrator and main character Amir. That I felt for him, but also I wanted him to grow a backbone and stand up for what is right. I thought the book could have flowed better as I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but felt it lost something in the middle. That the pace just completely dropped into nowhere. I think that it is likely that there are many inaccuracies (historically) within this book, but it is a work or fiction, not a true account of events. I enjoyed the journey, and I would probably read other books by the same author.
Debbiereadsbook (1749 KP) rated The Second Resurrection of Jack Selkirk (The Dragon's Bidding #2.5) in Books
Aug 9, 2021
wonderful descriptions of inside cyberspace!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2.5 in the Dragon’s Bidding series, and it could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend you read books one and two before this one.
Jack has been banished into cyberspace for his crimes against Wolf in book 2. He is filtering bits and pieces of information, passing on the bits that are helping his mum build a nest egg that he wasn’t able to. While doing that, he comes across some information that threatens his existence, even in cyberspace. He just needs Wolf and Fitz to believe him.
I enjoyed this so much MORE than book 2, I really did!
Yes, it’s very technical again, but while Cypher is about the augmentations and things, THIS book is about Jack, and his place in cyberspace. And that place is so beautifully described, it really is. The data streams are different colours. There are guard dogs in those streams, and you gotta be careful of them. Jack dips in and out of places so fast, they don’t get a chance to catch him, though.
Finding the assassination plot means Jack has to think fast, and he HAS to get Wolf to believe him. While Jack can fix things, he needs Wolf’s codes. And that means Wolf has to play nice with Jack. Fitz ain’t best pleased about that, though! Because that means Wolf has to enter cyberspace, and the risks are much greater to Wolf than they are to Jack, since Wolf doesn’t know how to get by.
The bugs from books one and two rear their ugly heads, again, much to Wolf’s dread.
The line of the book is this though: Jack visits me and plays his rotten roll! Oh that made me chuckle. I’ll let you read to get the full story though!
Jack gets a second chance here, and I wonder what will become of him in future books. Great reading, much MUCH better than book 2.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2.5 in the Dragon’s Bidding series, and it could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend you read books one and two before this one.
Jack has been banished into cyberspace for his crimes against Wolf in book 2. He is filtering bits and pieces of information, passing on the bits that are helping his mum build a nest egg that he wasn’t able to. While doing that, he comes across some information that threatens his existence, even in cyberspace. He just needs Wolf and Fitz to believe him.
I enjoyed this so much MORE than book 2, I really did!
Yes, it’s very technical again, but while Cypher is about the augmentations and things, THIS book is about Jack, and his place in cyberspace. And that place is so beautifully described, it really is. The data streams are different colours. There are guard dogs in those streams, and you gotta be careful of them. Jack dips in and out of places so fast, they don’t get a chance to catch him, though.
Finding the assassination plot means Jack has to think fast, and he HAS to get Wolf to believe him. While Jack can fix things, he needs Wolf’s codes. And that means Wolf has to play nice with Jack. Fitz ain’t best pleased about that, though! Because that means Wolf has to enter cyberspace, and the risks are much greater to Wolf than they are to Jack, since Wolf doesn’t know how to get by.
The bugs from books one and two rear their ugly heads, again, much to Wolf’s dread.
The line of the book is this though: Jack visits me and plays his rotten roll! Oh that made me chuckle. I’ll let you read to get the full story though!
Jack gets a second chance here, and I wonder what will become of him in future books. Great reading, much MUCH better than book 2.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Shadows of the Wind
8.6
Rate It
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The international literary sensation, about a boy's quest through the secrets and shadows of postwar...
This is what I would call a slow burn - it never really ignites fully and sometimes fizzles to the point it almost goes out but, generally, it just stays at a solid gas mark 3 for the most part.
Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.
Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.
What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.
What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.
What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.
I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.
Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!
Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.
Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.
What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.
What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.
What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.
I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.
Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!
Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Merissa (13989 KP) rated Where You Are in Books
Aug 18, 2022
The spark is instantaneous between these two!
WHERE YOU ARE is a standalone story that also has overlapping characters from other Felice Stevens books. You don't need to have read the other books, but I would recommend you do, simply because they are excellent stories.
Isaac is a forty-year-old firefighter who has also been on TV and a model. He is out and proud. Levi is a twenty-seven-year-old volunteer firefighter who also helps his brother run a bar. Levi is firmly in the closet, worried about how his family (especially his brother) will react when or if they find out.
The story flows smoothly, leading you from Isaac visiting where Levi lives, which is the main part of the story, to Levi visiting New York. The characters are wonderful, especially Amanda and Daisy! I adored seeing Gabriel and Ronan again, and hearing about Matty and Bryce still being happy! Yey!!
I loved Levi's character. He tries so hard to please everyone else that he puts their happiness before his own. That's not healthy, long-term, but Levi has to work that out for himself. And Isaac, he's the one I struggled with. There was so much about him I loved, but then he'd do or say something I didn't like. I know he's out, and he knows Levi isn't, but I swear my own pulse rate shot through the roof when he would kiss Levi at the bar, or his aunt and uncle's place. It almost felt as though he didn't care if Levi was caught out, which surprised me. He has many positive aspects to his character, but this, I just couldn't get on board with.
All in all, this was a brilliant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, apart from the few 'Isaac' niggles. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
** 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!
Isaac is a forty-year-old firefighter who has also been on TV and a model. He is out and proud. Levi is a twenty-seven-year-old volunteer firefighter who also helps his brother run a bar. Levi is firmly in the closet, worried about how his family (especially his brother) will react when or if they find out.
The story flows smoothly, leading you from Isaac visiting where Levi lives, which is the main part of the story, to Levi visiting New York. The characters are wonderful, especially Amanda and Daisy! I adored seeing Gabriel and Ronan again, and hearing about Matty and Bryce still being happy! Yey!!
I loved Levi's character. He tries so hard to please everyone else that he puts their happiness before his own. That's not healthy, long-term, but Levi has to work that out for himself. And Isaac, he's the one I struggled with. There was so much about him I loved, but then he'd do or say something I didn't like. I know he's out, and he knows Levi isn't, but I swear my own pulse rate shot through the roof when he would kiss Levi at the bar, or his aunt and uncle's place. It almost felt as though he didn't care if Levi was caught out, which surprised me. He has many positive aspects to his character, but this, I just couldn't get on board with.
All in all, this was a brilliant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, apart from the few 'Isaac' niggles. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
** 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!
Debbiereadsbook (1749 KP) rated Devotion of a Wolf (Viking Wolves #3) in Books
Mar 27, 2026
second chance romance, loved it!
Independent reviewer for GRR I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the Viking Wolves series, and while it can be read as a stand alone, I personally recommend you read books one and two first. There were hints along the way about Lyall, and I had a story in my head, but it was totally wrong and I loved being made wrong. I loved both those books, too.
Book 1 was a slow burn, book 2 was an insta-burn, and this one is a second chance romance, and I am loving the marked differences between the three (so far) books.
Lyall and Soren were mated right before it all went to hell, and Soren took the blame. Exiled to another time, Lyall has to bide his time, because he told Soren he would find him, if it took him forever.
I loved how out of step Lyall felt being in the now time line. He made some funny comments about things and it gave the story a lighter lift, in places that it could have become really heavy.
I hated that Soren "forgot" Lyall, but found a connection to him, that he had been lacking in all other relationships. Lyall felt like home to Soren, and it takes time for them to fully appreciate why he feels that way.
Hated what was done to Soren by a vengeful witch. But loved that Lyall went over said witch's head and broke all her rules to show Soren about what happened. That he could be permenantly seperated from Soren was worth the risk, he loves him that much.
Loved that Wulf and Anders come round to Soren, and that even Gunnar seems to be thawing.
Speaking of Gunnar: he is next, the last brother to fall. He has already met his mate, Arlo, but rejected him. But there is a revelation in this book, that really REALLY makes me need to read that book!
I am loving this series and I do not want it to end!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 3 in the Viking Wolves series, and while it can be read as a stand alone, I personally recommend you read books one and two first. There were hints along the way about Lyall, and I had a story in my head, but it was totally wrong and I loved being made wrong. I loved both those books, too.
Book 1 was a slow burn, book 2 was an insta-burn, and this one is a second chance romance, and I am loving the marked differences between the three (so far) books.
Lyall and Soren were mated right before it all went to hell, and Soren took the blame. Exiled to another time, Lyall has to bide his time, because he told Soren he would find him, if it took him forever.
I loved how out of step Lyall felt being in the now time line. He made some funny comments about things and it gave the story a lighter lift, in places that it could have become really heavy.
I hated that Soren "forgot" Lyall, but found a connection to him, that he had been lacking in all other relationships. Lyall felt like home to Soren, and it takes time for them to fully appreciate why he feels that way.
Hated what was done to Soren by a vengeful witch. But loved that Lyall went over said witch's head and broke all her rules to show Soren about what happened. That he could be permenantly seperated from Soren was worth the risk, he loves him that much.
Loved that Wulf and Anders come round to Soren, and that even Gunnar seems to be thawing.
Speaking of Gunnar: he is next, the last brother to fall. He has already met his mate, Arlo, but rejected him. But there is a revelation in this book, that really REALLY makes me need to read that book!
I am loving this series and I do not want it to end!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Kyera (8 KP) rated Morning Star in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As with the two previous books in the series, Morning Star is brutally violent and honest in its portrayal of the darkness of humanity. It's a strange series that I don't quite know how I feel. While overall the plot and storytelling are good and I enjoy reading the series, for the most part, I am also frequently horrified by events and actions. As a result, I would recommend again that younger teen readers do not pick this up. Wait until you are older to read the series.
Sevro is such a strange character, but I love him. Some of the things he said, although unintentionally funny, had me laughing aloud (and probably sounding like a crazy person because I was by myself). Sadly, the course of the war and things that he has experienced seem to change him - as the war alters all of the characters. In the third book, he is just as funny and strangely likable as he was in the previous two books despite the horrors that he has endured.
I love the honest wonder of Ragnar, despite his fierce size and fighting skills he was not born to the same world as Darrow. He is genuinely pleased or fascinated by things most would take for granted in that world. Despite the fact that Ragnar is a terrifying killing machine - you can't help but like him.
Although there is a lot of death and destruction in these books, it is not until halfway through the third book that the pain of a character affected me. I got a little teary-eyed because it was one of the characters that I had grown to care about. I don't feel a very strong connection to them in general, which I feel is probably the main weakness of this series for me.
The second book fell prey to the typical slow nature of a middle book in a trilogy. In general, I feel that these books take some time to get into but become very engaging eventually. The third book was a little slower to start than even the others, although there were some enjoyable moments early on it wasn't until a little over halfway through the book that I really thought 'wow this is where things start happening.'
Once I was in the second half of the book, I felt like this was my favorite of the books in the series. I think Pierce Brown does his best work when he's talking about a battle. So the fighting you see in this part of the book really shines.
While it is very authentic to a war scenario, I don't personally like that so many characters die. I know people would complain if no one died because then the stakes wouldn't be as high for the characters but it makes me so sad when a character I like doesn't make it.
Despite the slow start of the third book, by the end, I had completely forgotten about it and felt that this was my favorite book in the series. The action, the schemes, everything just pulled me in and I was riveted, guessing, gasping and cheering until the very last page.
Sevro is such a strange character, but I love him. Some of the things he said, although unintentionally funny, had me laughing aloud (and probably sounding like a crazy person because I was by myself). Sadly, the course of the war and things that he has experienced seem to change him - as the war alters all of the characters. In the third book, he is just as funny and strangely likable as he was in the previous two books despite the horrors that he has endured.
I love the honest wonder of Ragnar, despite his fierce size and fighting skills he was not born to the same world as Darrow. He is genuinely pleased or fascinated by things most would take for granted in that world. Despite the fact that Ragnar is a terrifying killing machine - you can't help but like him.
Although there is a lot of death and destruction in these books, it is not until halfway through the third book that the pain of a character affected me. I got a little teary-eyed because it was one of the characters that I had grown to care about. I don't feel a very strong connection to them in general, which I feel is probably the main weakness of this series for me.
The second book fell prey to the typical slow nature of a middle book in a trilogy. In general, I feel that these books take some time to get into but become very engaging eventually. The third book was a little slower to start than even the others, although there were some enjoyable moments early on it wasn't until a little over halfway through the book that I really thought 'wow this is where things start happening.'
Once I was in the second half of the book, I felt like this was my favorite of the books in the series. I think Pierce Brown does his best work when he's talking about a battle. So the fighting you see in this part of the book really shines.
While it is very authentic to a war scenario, I don't personally like that so many characters die. I know people would complain if no one died because then the stakes wouldn't be as high for the characters but it makes me so sad when a character I like doesn't make it.
Despite the slow start of the third book, by the end, I had completely forgotten about it and felt that this was my favorite book in the series. The action, the schemes, everything just pulled me in and I was riveted, guessing, gasping and cheering until the very last page.
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