Search

Search only in certain items:

The Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green | 2012 | Children
10
8.2 (185 Ratings)
Book Rating
Made me cry! Beautiful story.
The Fault in our Stars is an international bestseller by an award winning author John Green. This is John Green’s most loved and heartbreaking story yet which will be hard to beat! If you have not heard about The Fault in our Stars, where have you been hiding? Age does not matter with this five star beautifully written, heart warming, must read story! Do not wait to read this book, bump it up your pile or BUY IT NOW! I will forever praise and highly recommend this book to you all.

I could not put this book down until I had finished it (I was in another world while reading this book). As most of you will know this story has been adapted into a film and if you are a book worm like me, the book has to be read first! I cannot compare this book to the film as I have STILL not managed to watch the film yet! This is the perfect book for you all but specifically for those who enjoy the young adult, drama, death, romance and contemporary genre’s. This has to be on of my favourite books ever by John Green which led me to reading all his other books, I did find The Fault in our Stars a very emotional read so be warned!

This is Hazel’s story, Hazel has terminal cancer and will not expect what is about to happen… When Augustus walks into her life Hazel’s story will be completely re-written. Will they fall in love? Will Augustus show Hazel how beautiful life really is? That is for you to find out not if, but WHEN you read this outstanding story, trust me it will not let you down and will stick in your heart and mind forever! Enjoy, try not to cry!
  
40x40

BeRad89 (48 KP) rated The Mountain Between Us in Books

Mar 23, 2018 (Updated Mar 23, 2018)  
The Mountain Between Us
The Mountain Between Us
Charles Martin | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Two successful strangers, Ben Payne the doctor and Ashley the Columnist, end up plane crashed in Utah. As they struggle to survive, Ben pushes all the odds to get them rescued. Is this the end or the beginning?

Let me begin by saying, I liked this book. It was an easy read; and with all the hype around it, I really wanted to read it. I pushed it to the front of my pile and have read it in between official review books. I liked how you get to know Ben, his strength and character through his recordings to his his wife. Sadly, that was about the only thing I truly enjoyed in this book.

With all the recommendations to read this book, I was excited. I thought I was in for an exciting, thriller. I was disappointed. I kept waiting for moments that made my heart pound, my breath catch, fear, anything. It was flat , in my opinion. The book focuses on Ben. You do not learn anything about Ashley other than she is one hell of a strong woman. I feel like that was a missed opportunity. She may have well been a log dragged around.

Charles Martin's writing style feels generic. I kept having to check the front of the book to make sure it was a book churned out by Nicholas Sparks. I did like the way he told Ben's past. It was touching, and the emotions got through to me.

Overall, I gave The Mountain Between Us 3 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it as an easy read to anyone who loves Nicholas Sparks type books. If you are looking for an action-packed thriller, let this one pass you by.
  
40x40

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Normal People in Books

Jan 9, 2019 (Updated Jan 9, 2019)  
Normal People
Normal People
Sally Rooney | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
6.8 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
An adorable yet frustrating love story
I always enjoy reading books that are based around the most banal and ordinary of plots, yet are still hugely entertaining and enthralling. I think it takes a great author to make a plot like this rise above just average and readable, to something you can’t put down. And Sally Rooney really succeeds with this book.

It’s just a normal romance between two teenagers in Ireland, whose stories and family lives aren’t anything exceptional and are no doubt similar to many others, yet Sally Rooney has turned this into an adorable and un-putdownable read. There’s something so sweet and yet bleak and dark about this story that I really struggled to put it down. The central characters of Connell and Marianne are well developed yet flawed, and I’m sure many people could relate to them. I really enjoyed the twists and turns and changes in their relationship as the story progressed. The book itself is for the most part well written. It has a good structure and I liked how each chapter skips ahead a few months. My only issue with the writing is that I dislike how the dialogue hasn’t been separated out from the rest of the narrative. Since when is it acceptable to not separate dialogue and conversation between characters using speech marks etc? It made reading some of the conversation a little difficult at times. I’m not sure why books that tend to win awards and accolades do so by having questionable punctuation and prose... I’m also not too sure about the ending. It was unsatisfying and felt like the characters were never going to change or advance. But despite this, I really did think this was a great book.
  
40x40

Hazel (1853 KP) rated Arranged in Books

Dec 14, 2018  
A
Arranged
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Arranged</i> is a contemporary, chick-lit by Catherine McKenzie about love and marriage. Anne Blythe, a thirty three year old <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> look alike, has been unlucky in love. After breaking up with her most recent boyfriend she despairs that she will remain alone for the rest of her life. But that very day she finds a business card titled “Blythe & Company Arrangements Made”. Intrigued by the surname and assuming it is a dating company she books herself an appointment.

Anne soon discovers that <i>Blythe & Company</i> is actually an arranged marriage service, however she decides to go along with it and ends up in Mexico marrying a man named Jack who she has only just met. Now comes the hard part – living together, coming up with a plausible story to tell her friends and family and dealing with their mixed reaction. But just as Anne begins to feel she may have got her happy ever after she learns something about Jack that could ruin everything.

This story is a brilliant concept that makes the reader want to keep on reading. All the main characters are likable, particularly Anne, which ensures the reader will not get bored of the storyline. For over three quarters of the novel McKenzie writes as though everything is going to turn out ok, leaving the reader feeling sure that something must go wrong somewhere along the line, yet also wishing that it will not.

Admittedly, chick-lit is not my first choice of genre to read and many of these books are nothing special. However this concept was really interesting and I enjoyed the novel. I would definitely recommend it to lots of female readers particularly the hopeless romantics.
  
Man (Seven Forbidden Arts, #9)
Man (Seven Forbidden Arts, #9)
Charmaine Pauls | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Man, oh Man, what to say about this - the bittersweet finale to the Seven Forbidden Arts series. In this instalment, we finally get some hands on knowledge of Cain, the enigmatic leader. He is getting closer to Godfrey, and now has Godfrey's wife in his sights - quite literally. However, Olivia isn't what he was expecting, and she calls to him in ways long forgotten.

The whole crew is here, with twists and turns still coming. This is no 'take it slow' finale, no way. It's full of action, tense, with nail-biting suspense right to the very end. It was lovely catching up with all the previous couples, and seeing how they were getting on with their lives. But make no mistake, this edition is all about Cain, Olivia, and Godfrey. Yeesh, that man has creeped me out for 8 books so far, and continues to do so in this one!

I don't do spoilers, but I will say two things. First one, is 'Pegs'. First reaction - ouch! Second reaction - who knew?! &#x1f607; And the second thing, I won't say who, but I will say tears. Even knowing what I know now, it still makes me tear up.

Have I intrigued you? I certainly hope so! This book is an amazing climax to a fascinating concept, that has kept my interest and enjoyment from the first page of the first book, to the final page of this book. Absolutely outstanding! The whole series is a 5-star read as far as I am concerned.

Absolutely, most definitely, and indubitably, recommended by me.

* 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 problem with graphic novels based on characters previously only written about, I think, is that most of the time how they are portrayed in the visual medium is different than how they appear in your minds eye - a problem that both graphic novels and movies share.

This graphic novel, however, manages to avoid that particular problem, with Dresden drawn pretty-much as I imagined him to be (OK, maybe a bit less battered and bruised and dishevelled, but close enough).

Written by [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] himself, this entry actually takes place before the 'meat' of the main series (that began with [b:Storm Front|47212|Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419456275s/47212.jpg|1137060]), with Harry called in by (still) Lt Karin Murphy of the Chicago PD to investigate a killing in the zoo - a killing that is currently being pinned on a gorilla in said zoo, but that could not have realistically been carried out by him.

With Harry as his usual sarcastic wise-cracking self, and with Bob the skull putting in an appearance, the only thing that was missing was some of Harrys wider supporting cast and Mouse the dog, although all that makes sense in the context of the setting (book 0.5, remember?).

While I was a bit hesistant at first about how well the character and his world would transfer to this medium, based on this I may well pick up more of the 'graphical exclusive' (to coin a phrase) stories, such as [b:Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin|18430203|Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Ghoul Goblin|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388266297s/18430203.jpg|26071782] - that is, entries where I haven't already read the prose!
  
Chasing Ghosts
Chasing Ghosts
Glenn Rolfe | 2016 | Horror
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
When it comes to novellas by Glenn Rolfe, I expect a sense of urgency. That’s probably because the first thing I read by him was Becoming, which if you’ve read my review, you’ll know I enjoyed it immensely. In that regard, Chasing Ghosts does not disappoint. Brimming with non-stop action, this short book is akin to settling into your chair for a good slasher flick.

Chasing Ghosts doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, which means Rolfe has one hell of a challenge if he’s trying to make it stand out. If you’ve ever seen The Hills Have Eyes, that’s what this book reminds me of–though the setting and cast are a bit different, what with your inbred hillbillies and woods versus mutant savages and desert. Fortunately, Rolfe’s prose alone is enough to guide the story forward, and I actually devoured this in one sitting.

The novella does fall victim to the same cons most short books do, though. Because of its length, there isn’t really any time to grow attached to any of the characters. We know enough about them to recognize them as human, but that’s about it. I would personally love to see this as a more in-depth, full-length novel where attachment to the ill-fated players is more likely.

Once again, Glenn Rolfe has sated my desire for gore and bloodshed, further solidifying his place among my list of must-read authors. In fact, I eagerly await the opportunity to read more of his books.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed above are my own, without bias.
  
The Lady of the Ravens
The Lady of the Ravens
Joanna Hickson | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Lady of the Ravens is based on the real historical character of Joan Vaux. I find historical fiction fascinating, especially those books which have a foot firmly placed in what was the real world.

Joan and her mother are taken in to the care of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, during the end years of the Wars of the Roses. She becomes a good friend to Princess Elizabeth in the time before she marries Henry, and goes on to be a Lady in Waiting and eventually the Lady Governess to the Princesses Margaret and Mary.

I really enjoyed all of the historical detail and what life was really like in Tudor England: the preoccupation with death and the many ways that a woman especially, could die, and the precariousness of children’s lives.

I had never really thought about the Ravens in the Tower of London (you’re never interested about the places that are on your doorstep as you’re growing up, I fear 🤷🏼‍♀️), assumed they’d always been there and that they’d always been seen as important to the realm. But in this novel, we learn that they were actually seen as vermin by the nobility and soldiers stationed there, until Joan and her servant looked after them, convincing others - royalty especially - of their significance to the safety of England and the Royal Family.

I haven’t read Joanna Hickson books before, but I really enjoyed the characters, the insights into the royal family, the uncertainty around the possible sons of York (Perkin Warbeck for one), the descriptions of everyday life - and just the evocative styled her writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this great book to read and review.
  
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Amber Malloy | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Winning Her is the first book in the Perfect Stats series and we focus on Bane and Dahl, both African-Americans and successful in their own ways. Bane is frustrated because he is blocked by the owner and the coach at the club he works for and constantly feels like he needs to be prepared for the chop. Dahl is an award-winning chef with plenty of TV shows and books behind her. At this point, she is helping her cousin with her restaurant in a vain attempt to keep it afloat.

Now, hold onto your hats, because there is LOT that goes on in this book. I'm still not actually sure when Bane crosses the line of wanting to get back at his ex-wife and just wanting her. I'm also not sure about a lot of went on in this book simply because there is so much. You have all the intrigue of the sports world, the cooking/baking world, drop-beat cousins, cheating cousins, a stalker nanny, (another) ex-wife and her anchor job, and a custody case - to name just a few 'themes' in this story. Due to this, it took me a while to get into it because I just couldn't figure out what was going on!

Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story but I had to work at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would love to know more about Warner. As for Bane and Dahl, I liked them but found the whole thing a bit too confusing for my tastes.

* 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!