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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2593 KP) rated Pink Lemonade Cake Murder in Books
Sep 5, 2023
Three Strikes, You’re Dead
Summer has come to Lake Eden, and Hannah is excited to be hosting the snack booth at the baseball tournament in Lake Eden, debuting her new pink lemonade themed desserts. One of the celebrity participants is Bernie “No-No” Fulton, a local who pitch part of a season for the Twins. But when Hannah’s mother finds No-No’s body under the bleachers, Hannah has a new mystery to solve. After all, Delores had a reason to dislike the man, so Hannah’s mother is a suspect. Can Hannah figure out who wanted him out permanently?
Once again, fans of the series will know what to expect. The mystery is decent, but the story is padded with lots of talk about food, even for a culinary cozy. And the sub-plot involving Mike slows down the beginning of the story. I also had a hard time buying how the police deal with Hannah’s sleuthing in this book. And yet, I still do like checking in on the characters, and the recipes sound delicious as always. The cliffhanger makes it obvious we are back in the soap opera territory I had hoped we’d left behind. If you are curious about the series, start with the early books to see why so many people read it.
Once again, fans of the series will know what to expect. The mystery is decent, but the story is padded with lots of talk about food, even for a culinary cozy. And the sub-plot involving Mike slows down the beginning of the story. I also had a hard time buying how the police deal with Hannah’s sleuthing in this book. And yet, I still do like checking in on the characters, and the recipes sound delicious as always. The cliffhanger makes it obvious we are back in the soap opera territory I had hoped we’d left behind. If you are curious about the series, start with the early books to see why so many people read it.
Merissa (14056 KP) rated The Water King's Bride (The Descendants #2) in Books
Oct 12, 2022
THE WATER KING'S BRIDE is the second book in The Descendants series and follows directly on from book one, so I definitely recommend you read that first!
Heidi and Isaiah have stopped their constant bickering from book one as they both realise they have feelings for the other. That has to take a backseat though, as Heidi is desperate to find her father and missing people. We meet a multitude of new characters and reunite with some old ones, although whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.
As with book one, this is just as fast-paced and it is full of action. Whilst it fits with the story, I would like to see more about the characters, their backgrounds, the world they live in. Sometimes, it feels as though it's a spin-off from another series, one that explains about TimeKeepers, etc.
Saying that, this was a brilliant addition to the series that kept my attention and had me turning the pages. A fantastic story and I can't wait to see what happens next.
** 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!
Heidi and Isaiah have stopped their constant bickering from book one as they both realise they have feelings for the other. That has to take a backseat though, as Heidi is desperate to find her father and missing people. We meet a multitude of new characters and reunite with some old ones, although whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.
As with book one, this is just as fast-paced and it is full of action. Whilst it fits with the story, I would like to see more about the characters, their backgrounds, the world they live in. Sometimes, it feels as though it's a spin-off from another series, one that explains about TimeKeepers, etc.
Saying that, this was a brilliant addition to the series that kept my attention and had me turning the pages. A fantastic story and I can't wait to see what happens next.
** 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!
Merissa (14056 KP) rated Wulfgang (Bad Oak Boys #3) in Books
May 20, 2023
Silas needs a break from the rock n roll lifestyle of Bad Oak, so he decides to go back to his teaching roots for the summer and leave all the werewolf madness behind him. What he doesn't realise is that Wulfgang is about to make an appearance in his life, and that means a BIG change, in more ways than one.
I loved the fact that Silas is a calm character who accepts who he is and what has occurred. Too many times, the story is taken over the with angst of changing, whereas this story was able to concentrate on bringing a broken pack together and making it stronger, the politics that Bardulf is dealing with, and the dangers of aconite to the wolves.
This is a smoothly-paced and exceedingly well-written story, full of love, humour and angst, with characters that are well-rounded and delightful. If I had one warning about this book, it would be not to read the last few chapters in an airport, where people look at you strangely when you start crying! Absolutely and definitely recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 15, 2016
I loved the fact that Silas is a calm character who accepts who he is and what has occurred. Too many times, the story is taken over the with angst of changing, whereas this story was able to concentrate on bringing a broken pack together and making it stronger, the politics that Bardulf is dealing with, and the dangers of aconite to the wolves.
This is a smoothly-paced and exceedingly well-written story, full of love, humour and angst, with characters that are well-rounded and delightful. If I had one warning about this book, it would be not to read the last few chapters in an airport, where people look at you strangely when you start crying! Absolutely and definitely recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 15, 2016
Merissa (14056 KP) rated Eeny Meeny by Laura N. Andrews in Books
Jun 15, 2022 (Updated Jun 19, 2023)
EENY MEENY is a standalone novella in the Nursery Crimes series. I have to say, this is the first time I've read about a psychopath as the main GOOD character!
Honestly? This novella was brilliant. Originally, I planned on giving 4-stars but then I realised that there is nothing wrong with the story as it is. It's just me being greedy, wanting a full-blown novel. Of course, with it being a novella, the pacing is fast and the emotional connection between the main characters is pretty much instant, but still!
This is a complete story, including details of Elizabeth's childhood, her relationship with her mum, and her feelings for Isaac. She may not have the full scope of emotions but she loves him with all that she is. And that is enough! You also find out about those she targets and why. It really is all here.
Ms Andrews' writing never disappoints! Very different to what she's written previously, she nevertheless nailed it. Very different and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 8, 2022
Honestly? This novella was brilliant. Originally, I planned on giving 4-stars but then I realised that there is nothing wrong with the story as it is. It's just me being greedy, wanting a full-blown novel. Of course, with it being a novella, the pacing is fast and the emotional connection between the main characters is pretty much instant, but still!
This is a complete story, including details of Elizabeth's childhood, her relationship with her mum, and her feelings for Isaac. She may not have the full scope of emotions but she loves him with all that she is. And that is enough! You also find out about those she targets and why. It really is all here.
Ms Andrews' writing never disappoints! Very different to what she's written previously, she nevertheless nailed it. Very different and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 8, 2022
Debbiereadsbook (1780 KP) rated The Gentleman's Gentleman (His Lordship's Realm #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2024
thoroughly enjoyable tale!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This book kinda follows on from anoth series by this author called His Lordship’s Mysteries but it’s not necessary to read those before this one. While Dominick and Alfie are mentioned, and this book takes place in Balcarres House where they live, they take no part in it. I’ve read books one and two in that set, but not all the series.
I really enjoyed this book! Set in Victorian times, it comes with all the problems that being a man of a certain persuasion brings.
And it’s those problems that hold for much of this book. Given as the only way to save Jarrett from the noose is to put his own neck in it, Gil keeps quiet about seeing Jarrett the night that man in the chapel died at the hands of another. And it wrecks his head, it really does. His attraction to Jarrett has been bubbling under his skin for months but seeing him in the one place he never thought he would, brings that attraction front and centre.
Jarrett, on the other hand, found himself getting all tongue tied and flustered around Gil, even if he wanted to get his hands on the son of a baron, Jarrett knows that he never will, since he is just a lowly valet.
Things move quickly in places, and slower in others and I liked that I was able to take a breath before the next bit ran away with itself. Once things started to come together, though, there was no catching that breath and I did not know whodunnit til everything became clear in the book! So very well played for keeping me on my toes!
Both Jarrett and Gil get a say, so we get it all in glorious detail. How Jarrett feels about the man who gets him out of jail. How Gil feels about his family and about the man whose kiss he will never forget, and we get it all, when each man teaches the other about their way. I loved how different they both are!
A thoroughly enjoyable read! I really must go back and read the other stories about Alfie and Dominick.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This book kinda follows on from anoth series by this author called His Lordship’s Mysteries but it’s not necessary to read those before this one. While Dominick and Alfie are mentioned, and this book takes place in Balcarres House where they live, they take no part in it. I’ve read books one and two in that set, but not all the series.
I really enjoyed this book! Set in Victorian times, it comes with all the problems that being a man of a certain persuasion brings.
And it’s those problems that hold for much of this book. Given as the only way to save Jarrett from the noose is to put his own neck in it, Gil keeps quiet about seeing Jarrett the night that man in the chapel died at the hands of another. And it wrecks his head, it really does. His attraction to Jarrett has been bubbling under his skin for months but seeing him in the one place he never thought he would, brings that attraction front and centre.
Jarrett, on the other hand, found himself getting all tongue tied and flustered around Gil, even if he wanted to get his hands on the son of a baron, Jarrett knows that he never will, since he is just a lowly valet.
Things move quickly in places, and slower in others and I liked that I was able to take a breath before the next bit ran away with itself. Once things started to come together, though, there was no catching that breath and I did not know whodunnit til everything became clear in the book! So very well played for keeping me on my toes!
Both Jarrett and Gil get a say, so we get it all in glorious detail. How Jarrett feels about the man who gets him out of jail. How Gil feels about his family and about the man whose kiss he will never forget, and we get it all, when each man teaches the other about their way. I loved how different they both are!
A thoroughly enjoyable read! I really must go back and read the other stories about Alfie and Dominick.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ali A (82 KP) rated I Must Betray You in Books
Feb 7, 2022
Trigger Warnings: blackmailing, manipulation, revolution, shooting, police brutality, government oppression
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Micro in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Review Just becasue
The book Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Prestom was great. I may be a little biased because Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors but at the same time I hold his work to a specific standard that he must meet or else I'm disappointed. Like most of his work Micro touches on some topics that as a society we should be aware of. It warns us of some disasters that new technology, being worked on or possibly already created, can cause. It id also an eye opener to the dangers of that our inventions pose.
In Micro a group of young graduate students at a college or approached by the head of a company called Nanigen. The graduate students are invited out to the Nanigen lab in Hawaii to see for themselves the work being done there and to see if they want to work for the company. Out of curiosity all the approached graduate students agree to go but their trip to Hawaii becomes more than what they bargain for.
Nanigen is studying the micro world mainly looking for chemicals that micro animals are making that could be useful to humans in some way. Also like many scientific companies in the private sector Nanigen is doing top secret work for the government. Greed gets in the way for some of the scientist already working for the company and the trip becomes extremely dangerous and even deadly for the graduate students. Having to deal with micro-bots and new technology never heard of before the students must fight to survive a world very different from our own.
What I like most about the book was one of the same features that keeps me reading Michael Crichton's work. The author does his research very thoroughly. The book may be a work of science fiction but there is a bibliography in the back for the curious reader to be able to learn more about the fascinating topics brought up in the book. For being a work of fiction the animals, plants, chemicals, technology,and scientific concepts are not. What I liked least about the book was how similar to another one of his books it was and how predictable some parts felt to me. Again though, I am very familiar with Michael Crichton's work and that would probably explain why it felt so predictable. I cannot hold that against the book.
Overall I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 and would highly recommend it. It has a very strong story and is believable which is an important factor for science fiction. The target readers for this book would start around high school age if not older. I feel like high school students will get the basic concept of what book was talking about but they might be lost on some of the finer detail. It all just depends on if the book is being read for the story or if the reader is interested in science specifically microbiology and nanotechnology.
I feel like I need to note on here that Richard Preston finishing the book did not harm it in any way.
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
In Micro a group of young graduate students at a college or approached by the head of a company called Nanigen. The graduate students are invited out to the Nanigen lab in Hawaii to see for themselves the work being done there and to see if they want to work for the company. Out of curiosity all the approached graduate students agree to go but their trip to Hawaii becomes more than what they bargain for.
Nanigen is studying the micro world mainly looking for chemicals that micro animals are making that could be useful to humans in some way. Also like many scientific companies in the private sector Nanigen is doing top secret work for the government. Greed gets in the way for some of the scientist already working for the company and the trip becomes extremely dangerous and even deadly for the graduate students. Having to deal with micro-bots and new technology never heard of before the students must fight to survive a world very different from our own.
What I like most about the book was one of the same features that keeps me reading Michael Crichton's work. The author does his research very thoroughly. The book may be a work of science fiction but there is a bibliography in the back for the curious reader to be able to learn more about the fascinating topics brought up in the book. For being a work of fiction the animals, plants, chemicals, technology,and scientific concepts are not. What I liked least about the book was how similar to another one of his books it was and how predictable some parts felt to me. Again though, I am very familiar with Michael Crichton's work and that would probably explain why it felt so predictable. I cannot hold that against the book.
Overall I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 and would highly recommend it. It has a very strong story and is believable which is an important factor for science fiction. The target readers for this book would start around high school age if not older. I feel like high school students will get the basic concept of what book was talking about but they might be lost on some of the finer detail. It all just depends on if the book is being read for the story or if the reader is interested in science specifically microbiology and nanotechnology.
I feel like I need to note on here that Richard Preston finishing the book did not harm it in any way.
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Merissa (14056 KP) rated The Last Dragon Rider (The Wild Realms of Véneanár #1) in Books
Sep 21, 2017
The Last Dragon Rider (The Wild Realms of Véneanár #1) by Errin Krystal
The Last Dragon Rider starts off with a child being read a bedtime story. It quickly changes to become THE story, and you learn first-hand about the love between Flintathriël and Sairalindë. There is additional action, both of the battle and romantic kinds, between Flint's sister and the Captain of the special guard. Although this is only a short novel, you get a lot of background knowledge, but it isn't just 'info-dumped' on you. You find out more snippets as the story progresses, the characters develop, and situations turn tense.
This is very well written, with excellent descriptions throughout. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The ending, whilst not expected, certainly left me wanting to know more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is very well written, with excellent descriptions throughout. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The ending, whilst not expected, certainly left me wanting to know more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Audible – audio books, original series & podcasts in Apps
Nov 2, 2017 (Updated Nov 2, 2017)
Yay to content, nay to app
I'm torn between giving this a good rating for its content and a bad rating for the app itself, which is the worst on my phone.
Audible itself, is an absolutely brilliant service for those who listen to a lot of audiobooks. For one, the collection is mammoth, much more than Kobo and Scribd. And while one credit doesn't seem like much per month for a book, the daily deals are pretty great and reasonably priced. As a result, I'm able to read two books simultaneously, as well as multitask while listening.
The app on the other hand, is the bane of my existence. While you want to look at your stats as it collects the number of hours you listen to per day, if you pause it for a second, it resets to zero. This is for Android in particular. The bugs are a serious problem, which is why I've complained to Amazon several times about this to no avail. So content yes, app itself no.
Audible itself, is an absolutely brilliant service for those who listen to a lot of audiobooks. For one, the collection is mammoth, much more than Kobo and Scribd. And while one credit doesn't seem like much per month for a book, the daily deals are pretty great and reasonably priced. As a result, I'm able to read two books simultaneously, as well as multitask while listening.
The app on the other hand, is the bane of my existence. While you want to look at your stats as it collects the number of hours you listen to per day, if you pause it for a second, it resets to zero. This is for Android in particular. The bugs are a serious problem, which is why I've complained to Amazon several times about this to no avail. So content yes, app itself no.
Nikki Pugh (2 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Nov 19, 2017
Not a patch on the book
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay so if you have read the books you'll know a few things were seriously off about this film. Plot for a start.
The book's plot circles around the Lockabie bombing which most of today's young audience will not remember so a plot update was definitely needed and setting the first scene on a beach with terrorists shooting tourists was a good plot call. I settled down in my seat thinking this might just work....and then the rest of the film happened.
Everyone did a good job trying to inject some feeling and drama into the limp script - Michael keaton was excellent - but there is no disguising the fact that this was intended as a for-runner for a Mitch Rap franchise. The plot was ludicrous, the characters under developed and overacted.
Maybe the next one will have me routing for Mitch instead of wishing I had gone to see the My Little Pony Movie...that would have been a lot less painful.
The book's plot circles around the Lockabie bombing which most of today's young audience will not remember so a plot update was definitely needed and setting the first scene on a beach with terrorists shooting tourists was a good plot call. I settled down in my seat thinking this might just work....and then the rest of the film happened.
Everyone did a good job trying to inject some feeling and drama into the limp script - Michael keaton was excellent - but there is no disguising the fact that this was intended as a for-runner for a Mitch Rap franchise. The plot was ludicrous, the characters under developed and overacted.
Maybe the next one will have me routing for Mitch instead of wishing I had gone to see the My Little Pony Movie...that would have been a lot less painful.