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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Dark Net in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I really think that the synopsis for this book is not up to scratch! Although, yes, the synopsis is what initially drew me to this book, after reading it I can say that the book is <i><b>WAY</b></i> better than the synopsis would make you believe!
This book tackles the subject of good and evil, with references to demons and black magic which I didnt get at all from the synopsis! I was expecting this to have a much deeper involvement with the dark net, whats on it and how its used. While yes, there is that to the book, its not necessarily its main focus.
To begin with, this lack of talk about the dark net actually made me hesitant about the book. I was expecting something so much different to what I was reading, I felt really disappointed. But, that feeling didnt last for long. This is so unlike anything Ive ever read before and that made everything about this book really exciting. Not to mention, this is a super clever book! It uses real life scenarios that we can all relate to, or at least know about, and explains it with a black magic twist.
For example, when talking about demon possession, it explains how small demons can take over and that causes a man to plow a lorry through a busy crowd, or a school shooting a one off awful occasion in history. But when a big, strong demon comes along, it can posses not only a person, but a nation. It uses examples of the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, which I thought was really smart!
Characters in this book were excellent, but there were quite a lot of them that we needed to get to know. Juniper was by far my favourite of the bunch, Sarin coming in at a close second. I loved that there was a strong, bad-ass female character who wasnt irritating (Lela, Im looking at you!).
As for the story, I will say that it feels a bit all over the place at times. Its not difficult to wrap your head around but there are a lot of things pulled in to the story at different times and this sometimes got a bit manic. This is classed as a horror novel, and for me, there definitely were some creepy bits. The hounds especially made my skin crawl.
Overall, I ended up really loving this novel. It was short and sweet (although it almost took me a whole 7 days to read), and it was exciting, creepy and fast-paced! A great novel for anyone who likes a darker thriller. Lots of gruesome deaths and bad-ass characters.
<i>Thanks to BookBridgr and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>
This book tackles the subject of good and evil, with references to demons and black magic which I didnt get at all from the synopsis! I was expecting this to have a much deeper involvement with the dark net, whats on it and how its used. While yes, there is that to the book, its not necessarily its main focus.
To begin with, this lack of talk about the dark net actually made me hesitant about the book. I was expecting something so much different to what I was reading, I felt really disappointed. But, that feeling didnt last for long. This is so unlike anything Ive ever read before and that made everything about this book really exciting. Not to mention, this is a super clever book! It uses real life scenarios that we can all relate to, or at least know about, and explains it with a black magic twist.
For example, when talking about demon possession, it explains how small demons can take over and that causes a man to plow a lorry through a busy crowd, or a school shooting a one off awful occasion in history. But when a big, strong demon comes along, it can posses not only a person, but a nation. It uses examples of the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, which I thought was really smart!
Characters in this book were excellent, but there were quite a lot of them that we needed to get to know. Juniper was by far my favourite of the bunch, Sarin coming in at a close second. I loved that there was a strong, bad-ass female character who wasnt irritating (Lela, Im looking at you!).
As for the story, I will say that it feels a bit all over the place at times. Its not difficult to wrap your head around but there are a lot of things pulled in to the story at different times and this sometimes got a bit manic. This is classed as a horror novel, and for me, there definitely were some creepy bits. The hounds especially made my skin crawl.
Overall, I ended up really loving this novel. It was short and sweet (although it almost took me a whole 7 days to read), and it was exciting, creepy and fast-paced! A great novel for anyone who likes a darker thriller. Lots of gruesome deaths and bad-ass characters.
<i>Thanks to BookBridgr and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Sam (74 KP) rated The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
I’m not ashamed to say that I’m binge-reading A Series of Unfortunate Events now. Someone was selling the whole series for £15 online, all in hardback so I couldn’t help myself. Now I’m quickly reading one after the other because I just need to know the stuff!
If you haven’t yet read the previous books in the series, I would suggest for you to not read this review as I might accidentally slip in a few spoilers without realising. I’ll try hard not to put too much in!
The Baudelaires, once again, are on their way to another distant relative. This time it’s their aunt Josephine, who isn’t really their aunt and I can’t exactly remember how she’s related to them, but you get the idea.
Their aunt Josephine is afraid of everything from the doormat to estate agents. But the Baudelaire’s are safe. They’re living on top of a cliff in a dusty old town, as far from Count Olaf as they can get. Or so they think…
I’ve got to say, the episodes for this book on Netflix were definitely not my favourites, and I definitely hold the same feelings for the book. I just found this one a little bit dull in comparison to the rest of the series and much harder to get into than any of the books before. Saying that, I still enjoyed it and read it quickly so I could get onto the next book in the series.
Josephine’s comments about grammar made me laugh and I loved the mystery of this one, and even though I was glad to finish it and move onto The Miserable Mill, it was still a good addition to the series.
If you haven’t yet read the previous books in the series, I would suggest for you to not read this review as I might accidentally slip in a few spoilers without realising. I’ll try hard not to put too much in!
The Baudelaires, once again, are on their way to another distant relative. This time it’s their aunt Josephine, who isn’t really their aunt and I can’t exactly remember how she’s related to them, but you get the idea.
Their aunt Josephine is afraid of everything from the doormat to estate agents. But the Baudelaire’s are safe. They’re living on top of a cliff in a dusty old town, as far from Count Olaf as they can get. Or so they think…
I’ve got to say, the episodes for this book on Netflix were definitely not my favourites, and I definitely hold the same feelings for the book. I just found this one a little bit dull in comparison to the rest of the series and much harder to get into than any of the books before. Saying that, I still enjoyed it and read it quickly so I could get onto the next book in the series.
Josephine’s comments about grammar made me laugh and I loved the mystery of this one, and even though I was glad to finish it and move onto The Miserable Mill, it was still a good addition to the series.
Merissa (13120 KP) rated Raene and the Three Bears in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Raene and the Three Bears is the second book in The Alder Tales by R.S. McCoy, and is a fantastic addition to the series. Whilst being a complete story (for Raene), you also hear how Blossom and Kaide are getting on, so I would say that you HAVE to read book 1 first. The only question I have is why wouldn't you?!
As part of the agreement for Blossom to go with Kaide, Raene has to go to the Bear Clan. However, Kaide made sure that the choice of her husband would be Raene's. Out of the three brothers, one is already married, but Raene still has the choice, as explained by Da.
O.M.G!!! Seriously, every book by R.S. McCoy should come with a kindle warning as I don't think my kindle will survive! This is the second time I've been absolutely entranced in this series, devouring every word, every page; completely engrossed and invested in the story.
I won't give out any spoilers, and I won't even mention the hints about who the 'stars' of the next book and what I think their story might be. All I will say, is that this book is exceptionally well written, with a clear and concise political structure (as far as anything political can be). The world building as a whole, with the different ways of living for each 'branch', is amazing. The characters continue to keep me on the edge of my seat, as they grow and become more than expected.
I really can't recommend this book, or the series, highly enough. Simply stunning, and I can't wait to continue with this series.
* 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!
As part of the agreement for Blossom to go with Kaide, Raene has to go to the Bear Clan. However, Kaide made sure that the choice of her husband would be Raene's. Out of the three brothers, one is already married, but Raene still has the choice, as explained by Da.
O.M.G!!! Seriously, every book by R.S. McCoy should come with a kindle warning as I don't think my kindle will survive! This is the second time I've been absolutely entranced in this series, devouring every word, every page; completely engrossed and invested in the story.
I won't give out any spoilers, and I won't even mention the hints about who the 'stars' of the next book and what I think their story might be. All I will say, is that this book is exceptionally well written, with a clear and concise political structure (as far as anything political can be). The world building as a whole, with the different ways of living for each 'branch', is amazing. The characters continue to keep me on the edge of my seat, as they grow and become more than expected.
I really can't recommend this book, or the series, highly enough. Simply stunning, and I can't wait to continue with this series.
* 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!
Dean (6927 KP) rated Pandorum (2009) in Movies
Sep 12, 2017
Mad Max in Space
A very decent Sci/Fi, thriller effort.....first time I can say that in a long time! A very good atmospheric film with plenty of action. Starts well the middle is patchy, but it picks up again towards the end. Good effects and set design, the overall feel of the film and the spaceship is quite creepy, good use of lighting etc. It's not the most original, it feels like a compilation of ideas from the best known Sci/Fi films. Overall a good effort that most should enjoy.
Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) rated Doctor Who - Season 12 in TV
Dec 24, 2018
Tom baker (4 more)
Elizabeth Sladen
Ian marter
Ark in space
Genesis of the daleks
What can I say about season 12 of doctor who tom bakers first season and on blu ray for the first time can't get better than that. not his best season but there are some classics ark in space and genesis of the daleks and some duds revenge of the cybermen comes to mind highlight of the blu ray boxset is the 60 min interview with Tom baker taking about doctor who and his career in general and still my favourite doctor
Tunde Adebimpe recommended Dreams (1990) in Movies (curated)
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Lido in Books
Oct 7, 2020
They say “it takes a village to raise a child,” but further to that, I think it takes a worthy cause to build a community. Libby Page’s debut novel “The Lido” is about the fight to save a local swimming pool that brings two women together in this common struggle, despite the sixty-year age difference between them. You can read my review of this book that is being called the “feel-good debut of the year” on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/08/11/diving-in-together/
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated A Free Man of Color (Benjamin January, #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, but I'm much more willing to read it when it's mixed with mystery. I've read some of Hambly's work before and know her to be a fine writer, and I'd read good reviews of this series by people I respect, so I decided to give it a whirl.
I suppose all the descriptions of people's clothing would have mattered much more to someone who cared about such things, but I do realize that they were important in the context of the story. Personally, I was relieved when the main character went on a journey! I would have been happier had his medical skills been utilized more frequently than they were, but I suppose his experiences were fairly true to life for a "colored" man of his time.
I did learn quite a lot—things that I intend to verify in non-fiction sources shortly. The information about the black code, for instance, and the explanation of the distinction between "black" and "colored" people seemed too precise to be fabricated.
I knew, too, that Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose laws are based on French rather than English common law, which seemed silly to me. Why wouldn't they go with the standard everyone else used? After reading this novel, I'm starting to realize that there may have been rights given to citizens under French law that were lost under English law.
I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll go forward in the series, as I'm not sure that I can handle the unhappiness I can see foreshadowed even in some of the titles. However, I will say that this volume is well-written and well-plotted. I certainly didn't guess who the killer was or why the murder was committed before the big reveal, and that was a pleasant change!
I suppose all the descriptions of people's clothing would have mattered much more to someone who cared about such things, but I do realize that they were important in the context of the story. Personally, I was relieved when the main character went on a journey! I would have been happier had his medical skills been utilized more frequently than they were, but I suppose his experiences were fairly true to life for a "colored" man of his time.
I did learn quite a lot—things that I intend to verify in non-fiction sources shortly. The information about the black code, for instance, and the explanation of the distinction between "black" and "colored" people seemed too precise to be fabricated.
I knew, too, that Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose laws are based on French rather than English common law, which seemed silly to me. Why wouldn't they go with the standard everyone else used? After reading this novel, I'm starting to realize that there may have been rights given to citizens under French law that were lost under English law.
I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll go forward in the series, as I'm not sure that I can handle the unhappiness I can see foreshadowed even in some of the titles. However, I will say that this volume is well-written and well-plotted. I certainly didn't guess who the killer was or why the murder was committed before the big reveal, and that was a pleasant change!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated No Hope for Gomez! in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I love a book that makes me laugh. I love a book with funny quirky characters. I loved No Hope for Gomez. I don't think I can fully express how funny this book was.
Gomez was hilarious: his interior monologue was just as entertaining as his dialogue, his plans and his processes of carrying them out were funny to watch unfold, even his hopeless situations were funny, though in a slightly pathetic way. I kept thinking "This poor guy! hahaha…" He's so romantically awkward and totally inexperienced. I am pretty sure he was on the autism spectrum, which, in case you don't know, always makes a book more interesting. I was a little sorry for the poor doctor whom he was convinced he was in love with…
As far as the plot, it was intriguing. I couldn't stop reading it: one, because it was so peculiar, and two, because it was interesting. Near the end it became extremely exciting. The writing fit the character: quirky and full of personality. Because it was so perfect for the character, I can't really say it was good or bad, just right.
Content: some language, mention of sex but no scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 13+
Gomez was hilarious: his interior monologue was just as entertaining as his dialogue, his plans and his processes of carrying them out were funny to watch unfold, even his hopeless situations were funny, though in a slightly pathetic way. I kept thinking "This poor guy! hahaha…" He's so romantically awkward and totally inexperienced. I am pretty sure he was on the autism spectrum, which, in case you don't know, always makes a book more interesting. I was a little sorry for the poor doctor whom he was convinced he was in love with…
As far as the plot, it was intriguing. I couldn't stop reading it: one, because it was so peculiar, and two, because it was interesting. Near the end it became extremely exciting. The writing fit the character: quirky and full of personality. Because it was so perfect for the character, I can't really say it was good or bad, just right.
Content: some language, mention of sex but no scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 13+
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Time Of Our Lives in Books
Feb 7, 2019
I really enjoyed The Wish List by Jane Costello, so when I picked up this book I was quite keen to get stuck in.
The back of the book states 'even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong.' Well let me just say there are things going wrong and then there are things going WRONG.
It is all well and good having a few unfortunate events happening to the main character but I didn't believe that it was then essential to make her awkward, accident prone and a complete sap.
I don't know if I was meant to love or hate Imogen. I grew to really dislike her. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be stronger. There is no need for women to be portrayed in such a pathetic way.
It wasn't a wholly predictable tale though. There were a couple swings that I hadn't expected that gave a bit more substance to the novel.
I read to escape life, find inspiration and motivation. In my opinion, this book reaffirmed the idea that women are weak. Please create a strong, intelligent, independent woman as a main character! It will give girls a better role model for life!
The back of the book states 'even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong.' Well let me just say there are things going wrong and then there are things going WRONG.
It is all well and good having a few unfortunate events happening to the main character but I didn't believe that it was then essential to make her awkward, accident prone and a complete sap.
I don't know if I was meant to love or hate Imogen. I grew to really dislike her. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be stronger. There is no need for women to be portrayed in such a pathetic way.
It wasn't a wholly predictable tale though. There were a couple swings that I hadn't expected that gave a bit more substance to the novel.
I read to escape life, find inspiration and motivation. In my opinion, this book reaffirmed the idea that women are weak. Please create a strong, intelligent, independent woman as a main character! It will give girls a better role model for life!