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    Ear Trainer

    Ear Trainer

    Music and Education

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    Ear Trainer is an educational tool designed for musicians, music students and anyone interested in...

The Chalk Pit (Ruth Galloway, #9)
The Chalk Pit (Ruth Galloway, #9)
Elly Griffiths | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dr. Ruth Galloway is called in to investigate some bones found underground: local architect Quentin Swan is building a large center, and he worries the bones will delay his plans. Ruth fears he is correct, as she quickly realizes the bones are human (and not ancient). Meanwhile, members of DCI Nelson's team are looking into a missing "rough sleeper" (homeless person, in American parlance). Others in the community are saying she went "underground." Is this a figure of speech, or really true? After all, a geologist at Ruth's university says that there is web of chalk mining tunnels beneath King's Lynn. Nelson is also dealing with a new boss, who is putting pressure on him from all sides--from driving more safely (as if) to focusing more on strategy and less hands-on investigation. Can Nelson put aside this new distraction and solve these cases?

It's hard to believe this is the ninth book in Elly Griffiths' fantastic Ruth Galloway series. I'm sure all my reviews are starting to sound somewhat similar by now, but these books are just so wonderful, and I love them so. Ruth is a great character: she's well-written and completely herself, and the cast of characters that surround her in each book (Nelson, his wife, Judy, Cathbad, Clough, Tanya, etc.) are also their own people. Each are so fully developed that you feel as if you know them as intimately as friends. I love Ruth and her antisocial nature, her sarcasm, and her fierce devotion to her daughter, Kate (who can be so different from her mother). I love gruff Nelson. I love all of Nelson's subordinates on the force. They seriously do feel like friends, and while I loved this book, I felt bereft when it ended, because it means I have to wait again for another one (I will be so sad when this series ends).

I have no complaints with book #9. I enjoyed the plot and while it wasn't a total page-turner, it kept me guessing, and I didn't figure out everything ahead of time, which I always appreciate. There are some interesting developments in the whole Ruth/Nelson/Michelle saga and while I wish I could just flash forward to find out everything that happens, I was intrigued by all of them. This little love triangle is a great backstory to the novels, and the tension between Ruth and Nelson is so achingly portrayed in the books: Griffiths is doing a wonderful job of depicting it as Kate ages and new complications emerge with the dynamic.

In the end, as I always say: if you aren't reading this series: you should. It's wonderful, engaging, and I truly think you will fall for Ruth and her world. You don't necessarily need to read these books in order (novel #9 and its plot will stand on its own), but I think starting at the beginning will certainly enrich the experience. Meanwhile, I will be patiently waiting for #10 and secretly dreaming of a world where Ruth and I are the sort of friends where we can eat food together without judgement and occasionally get together without any social pressure.

You can read my reviews of book #8, THE WOMAN IN BLUE, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25897794-the-woman-in-blue">here</a>;; book #7, THE GHOST FIELDS, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22749744-the-ghost-fields">here</a>;; and book #6, THE OUTCAST DEAD, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18222687-the-outcast-dead">here</a>;.

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Spiral Of Needs
Spiral Of Needs
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book over all was fairly good to read. It is definitely a romance novel with a bit of action and all of the drama. It is centered around a werewolf pack and mostly around Ally and Derren. I think what I enjoyed the most about it is how it portrayed how jealous and vengeful people can be when getting into relationships or when their significant other is threatened or hurt. Everyone likes to feel that their lover cares deeply enough to do anything for them when the time calls for it. However, that isn't always the case and in this particular book, you are able to see how possessive and protective people can be, even if their past creates obstacles they have to overcome to find they truly love and accept another.

The past haunts everyone in one way or another and creates a defense mechanism to help us cope. So in Derren's case of not wanting to trust anyone and being loyal to a fault when you earn his trust didn't come as a surprised. After all, trust is a valuable quality that is easily broken. But to watch him struggle at first with trusting Ally due to something one her kind had done to him in the past, was quite splendid. It allowed the reader to see how its not a group of people sharing a trait but the individuals that can hurt how the outlook on a particular group of people can negatively affect us. Even though in this case it was all paranormal traits, it is easy to see and understand where this comes from. People are always judging others by their skin color or position or whatever because of someone else sharing that quality had done something to them personally. This is a huge problem and some people never fully get over the fact it was the individual who was a complete jerk of whatever (for the lack of better words) and not the group of people who share that quality. An example would be gamers. They are often considered lazy, lacking social qualities and short tempered. While most games have some of these qualities, it should be noted that those aren't to define every gamer and those who have these issues also have redeeming qualities as well. So to say anyone who plays games for massive amount of time to have all those qualities and are bad fits because one gamer may have yelled, hurt, ignored, or whatever the case is towards you, is a terrible be thing. In Spiral of Need, it was pleasant to see and watch how one person can change someone's mind on a particular problem a certain category of people fall into, is amazing and makes you wonder if this will happen in your life. Will you be the one to help people see that your category of people aren't all bad? I know my husband, who is a gamer, did that for me, just as Ally, a Seer, did for Derren.



I, also, enjoyed how even though the book had some XXX Rated scenes, it was also very much about building relationships with unlikely characters who was thought to be a problem and coming together to protect one another. Not many of our communities and societies can say that these days. It was amazing to see someone considered to be an outsider at the beginning develop a lasting friendship and place in a pack or community because of her own moral compass making her due things that she felt was only the right thing to do. I personally feel, this book addressed problems we face everyday in our world while keeping it from hitting to close to home to make it uncomfortable. It showed some of the most important qualities that all relationships, no matter the kind (examples being friendships, partnerships, etc.) needed to keep them healthy and how it can be harmful when others view someone as a threat of a problem to be eliminated. With every addressed in this book, I would say I was pleased at how smoothly is ran.

I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars simply because I longed for a little more conflict but loved how it addressed issues and solved the problems it did have residing in the pages. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good werewolf love story.
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated Triangle (2009) in Movies

Jan 15, 2018  
Triangle (2009)
Triangle (2009)
2009 | Mystery
8
7.6 (15 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Amazing twist (0 more)
Very original thriller
A very good thriller that uses a time loop to good effect. It's not particularly gory or scary, but the deserted ship does make a creepy location for this type of film. Quite a few seem to find it hard to follow, I thought it was a lot easier than say Memento to understand first time round. True it can be a bit open for you to draw your own conclusion by the end of what and why it's happening, but the clues are there. They maybe one or two plot holes by the end, but nothing major that spoils the effect of the film. Overall a good thriller, different to the norm, that most will enjoy figuring out.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) Nov 5, 2019

One of my favourite movies. Melissa George is amazing.

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<b><i> DID NOT FINISH </i></b>

If you have been following my book journey for a while, you will know what I’m about to say. I don’t have rules about reading a certain book, but there is one thing I always stick to:

<i>I give a chance to every book that comes my way. If I have it in my physical library – it will be picked up at some point. </i>

Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft is a book I won from a giveaway. It is not usually a genre I go for, but I do love witchcraft and spells. It intrigues me.
This book focuses on the Celtic Witchcraft and explains what it means to firstly, be a witch and what Celtic culture is all about – the beliefs, the customs etc.

After reading 30 pages, I decided that this book is not for me. This is, therefore, the second ”Did Not Finish” for 2019.

It starts very slow, gives detailed information of all things Celtic and the history of Celtic Witchcraft. It was a very boring introduction for me.

Then I got involved in a few life lessons without any added benefit really, and a full overview of a moon cycle followed by a detailed report on how the author’s behaviour changed during all these phases. This might be something you are interested in, but I felt like wasting my time reading someone’s daily moon diary. This was the moment I decided to close this book and move on.

I can understand why some might like this book, and you are valid! I am aware a lot of you will love and appreciate this book for what it is. And that’s okay. I just don’t seem to fit into this group. I love learning about witchcraft, witches and find out new things, but this book didn’t give me what I was looking for.

<b>Better luck next time!</b>

<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
  
The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller
10
7.6 (173 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rachel Watson rides the train into London each day to get to work. Her train happens to stop across from one particular house almost every day, and Rachel has created imaginary identities, Jason and Jess, for the man and woman she sees frequently in their back garden. When Rachel hears the news about a missing woman named Megan, she soon realizes that Megan is her "Jess", and she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her.

The story is told from three separate perspectives - Rachel, her ex-husband's new wife Anna, and the missing woman, Megan. Each woman knows only a part of the story, and we are left to piece it together as we go. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page right up to the very end. It's full of terrible people, pitiful people, and broken people. Both Rachel and Megan had me wanting to alternately shake them, and then give them hugs to comfort them. I felt emotionally exhausted after finishing the book, but I didn't walk away empty-handed. There are several life lessons to be taken away at the end.

1. Men are not to be trusted.
2. People are not always what they seem.
3. If he does it with you, he will do it to you.
4. Women are not to be trusted.
5. Alcohol can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Both at the same time.
6. Therapy can help.
7. Your memories are not to be trusted.
8. Life is pain.
9. People lie. (A lot.)
10. If you do everything right, nothing can go wrong. (Wait, I think that was supposed to say everything can go wrong...)
  
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Jamie (131 KP) rated The Grave Tender in Books

Jul 30, 2017  
The Grave Tender
The Grave Tender
Eliza Maxwell | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
An honest story about domestic abuse (0 more)
Mild plot holes (0 more)
A haunting southern gothic
The Grave Tender is a haunting and beautifully woven southern gothic about a broken family and the love that binds them together. The story starts slow as the story introduces Hadley, her friends, family, and their small town which on the surface seems idyllic. It’s the sort of town where everyone knows each other over generations, but the smiling town hides many secrets.

What I loved most about this book was how it dealt with matters of appearance. It’s easy to point fingers and blame those that look the most guilty, who are the most eccentric. It’s the folly of letting appearances dictate our perception of the people around us. Evil is committed every day by seemingly normal people, and true monsters masquerade under the guise of banality.

The book deals with some of the most horrible situations a person can go through with extreme delicacy. Not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes there are crimes that go unpunished, sometimes victims never receive justice, some wounds heal but many more never do. I cried so much while reading this book because of how close to home it hit for me, I was honestly touched.

I can’t say much more about the book because it’s really the sort of story that needs to be experienced without spoilers. I will however note that the content in this book is difficult to stomach. For a survivor of abuse it can be either cathartic or utterly horrifying, which is why I’ve added a trigger warning in the list of warnings below. I cautiously recommend this book for those ready for a poignant and unflinchingly honest exploration of domestic abuse.
  
Synopsis:

Bitterness, stalking, and a neighbor to die for

What's a girl to do?
 
Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life had been a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her family, faces the man she left behind, and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels. Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of resentment, reunite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind?





My Thoughts: This novel grasps the reader's attention from the first sentence. Full of action and suspense the reader won't want to put it down.



Willow's family had been keeping secrets from her for years, she had a mother who didn't want her and a stalker on the loose.



The story of forgiveness, of a family that finally comes together. It's a story of how a family can overcome jealousy and bitterness toward one another.



This was an interesting story-line and full of action. I enjoyed reading this book and I have to say my favorite character had to be granny. With her faith in God, her prayers and her notes that she left behind really made the story and brought the family together.




 I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
  
Spirit Shattered (The Guardians #4)
Spirit Shattered (The Guardians #4)
Tessa McFionn | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Spirit Shattered (The Guardians #4) by Tessa McFionn
Spirit Shattered is the fourth book in The Guardians series. I have read book 1, Spirit Fall, but not books 2 and 3. I would say you don't HAVE to read them all, as the stories pretty much standalone. However, if you want more background snippets that are given in each book about their world, then yep, read them all.

Danika is a combination of light and dark. Life has been hard for her, and she has the scars to prove it. She could go 'all dark' so easily, but she fights for her nephew, determined to protect him. There is light within her, but it is getting more shadowed every time something else goes wrong. She helps Anton when an old adversary get the better of him, and turns herself into a prime target for both sides.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, seeing Danika's struggles and yes, even what she has to deal with. It makes it all the more understandable, and really makes you yearn for her to get a break! Anton's character is very innocent, something that gets commented on by Eamon. Together, if Danika can beat her demons, they would make the perfect pair.

This was once again excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow. The pacing is fast, and yet perfect for the story. If you like tall alpha males, and smaller yet feisty females, then I can definitely recommend this book.

* 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!