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David McK (3623 KP) rated The Blooding (Matthew Hawkwood, #5) in Books

Jan 30, 2019

The most recent book (at the time of writing) in [a:James McGee|223959|James McGee|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1389430491p2/223959.jpg] Matthew Hawkwood series, this is primarily set during the 'forgotten war' of 1812 between Great Britain and the fledgling USA, with Hawkwood newly arrived in the country while trying to get home to London from his escapades in France in the previous novel ([b:Rebellion|11254850|Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders, #2)|Brandon Mull|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388247992s/11254850.jpg|16181497]).

I say mostly as, for approximately the first half, the novel actually flits back and forth - almost chapter about - between current events and those of Hawkwood's childhood (also in the States).

I also have to say that, as the series has progressed, it has seemingly moved further and further away from it's original Bow Street Runner in the Regency period: moving closer, perhaps, in mold (IMO) to the classic Sharpe stories of Bernard Cornwell, and - as a consequence - becoming in danger of losing it's own flavour that originally made it stand out.

Having said that, however, this - I felt - was an improvement on the previous book, which I personally struggled somewhat to connect with.

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Deborah (162 KP) rated Ashenden in Books

Dec 21, 2018

I really thought this sounded like the kind of book that would be right up my street, but unfortunately I found it didn't meet my expectation and was, in all in all, a bit of a disappointment.

It's the story of a country house, built in the Palladian style, and the people who live in it. To be honest, I found it rather dreary and depressing and the house never really seems properly loved and seen in all its glory. Each chapter is a separate short story or vignette, often trying to link characters from one to the other to try and keep a sense of continuity, but not always working. So many of the character were just plain unpleasant and if there was someone you did want to know something more about, well you are bound to be disappointed. Life isn't all roses, but this just seemed to have too much unhappiness and misfortune in it. also, some of the architecture of the house is described in great detail, but I never felt it strong enough to be a 'character' in the book as I expected.

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Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo in Books

Dec 3, 2019

Better than a biography

Until seeing Trainwreck, I didn't really rate Amy Schumer as she's made some other pretty poor films. But Trainwreck was great and I'm pleased to say her book is along the same lines.

This is an autobiography but not. Amy tells us humorous anecdotes and sometimes serious and emotional stories about different aspects of her life. Each chapter has a subject or topic of interest, but it is in no way a linear life story. Instead they're rather jumbled but it all makes sense. Amy has a rather laid back conversation style, which for the most part works as it fits in with the stories she's telling although there are times when it gets too conversational - there are just some things that dont come across as well in writing as they would do on stage. Theres a lot of good heartwarming messages in this book, but of course with a decent amount of humour too. I enjoyed reading this a lot more than I expected and it was nice to find out more about a comedian I knew little about. It womt win any writing awards, but it's definitely entertaining.

Kudos

AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Lord of Misrule (The Morganville Vampires, #5) in Books

Dec 13, 2019

In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, a master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil undead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.
Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements - both natural and unnatural- the unexpected happens; Morganville’s vampires start to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Claire to one last choice: swear allegiance to Bishop... or die.

As the fifth book in the Morganville series by Rachel Caine, the main characters and their relationships are well and truly established. True to form Lord of Misrule is well written, the storyline flows from point to point and continues to surprise and encourage you to want more. I always find these books to be an easy and enjoyable read, not too taxing or time consuming, but still give the reader what they need. I did find there were perhaps too many things going on in this chapter of the series, but perhaps all will be revealed in book 6.