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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Betwixt (Betwixt and Between #1) in Books
Jan 24, 2021
14 of 250
Kindle
Betwixt (Bitwixt&Between book 1)
By Darynda Jones
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Divorced, desperate, and destitute, former restaurateur Defiance Dayne finds out she has been bequeathed a house by a complete stranger. She is surprised, to say the least, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She leaves her beloved Phoenix and heads to one of the most infamous towns in America: Salem, Massachusetts.
She’s only there to find out why a woman she’s never met would leave her a house. A veritable castle that has seen better days. She couldn’t possibly accept it, but the lawyer assigned to the case practically begs her to take it off her hands, mostly because she’s scared of it. The house. The inanimate structure that, as far as Dephne can tell, has never hurt a fly.
Though it does come with some baggage. A pesky neighbor who wants her gone. A scruffy cat who’s a bit of a jerk. And a handyman bathed in ink who could moonlight as a supermodel for GQ.
She decides to give it three days, and not because of the model. She feels at home in Salem. Safe. But even that comes to a screeching halt when people begin knocking on her door day and night, begging for her help to locate their lost objects.
Come to find out, they think she’s a witch. And after a few mysterious mishaps, Dephne is beginning to wonder if they’re right.
It wasn’t a bad book it was very middle of the road compared to her other books. It’s got a decent story some good characters hoping we see the ex get his comeuppance a little more! I do love her little quotes at the start of each chapter it wouldn’t be a Darynda book without them!
Kindle
Betwixt (Bitwixt&Between book 1)
By Darynda Jones
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Divorced, desperate, and destitute, former restaurateur Defiance Dayne finds out she has been bequeathed a house by a complete stranger. She is surprised, to say the least, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She leaves her beloved Phoenix and heads to one of the most infamous towns in America: Salem, Massachusetts.
She’s only there to find out why a woman she’s never met would leave her a house. A veritable castle that has seen better days. She couldn’t possibly accept it, but the lawyer assigned to the case practically begs her to take it off her hands, mostly because she’s scared of it. The house. The inanimate structure that, as far as Dephne can tell, has never hurt a fly.
Though it does come with some baggage. A pesky neighbor who wants her gone. A scruffy cat who’s a bit of a jerk. And a handyman bathed in ink who could moonlight as a supermodel for GQ.
She decides to give it three days, and not because of the model. She feels at home in Salem. Safe. But even that comes to a screeching halt when people begin knocking on her door day and night, begging for her help to locate their lost objects.
Come to find out, they think she’s a witch. And after a few mysterious mishaps, Dephne is beginning to wonder if they’re right.
It wasn’t a bad book it was very middle of the road compared to her other books. It’s got a decent story some good characters hoping we see the ex get his comeuppance a little more! I do love her little quotes at the start of each chapter it wouldn’t be a Darynda book without them!
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated It: Chapter Two (2019) in Movies
Oct 3, 2019
The acting (1 more)
The humour
Very funny for a horror movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
I enjoyed the first chapter so had to watch the second. I have read it is much closer to the book than the 80s version, however having never read the book i can't comment on that element.
The movie is set years after the first one and the loser gang have now gone their seperate ways, All but one had moved out of derry, some of them have a successful career and Beverly is unfortunately in an abusive marriage, but all this changes when they get the dreaded phone call to come back to derry - pennywise has returned and needs to be destroyed for good! The first few minutes of the movie where we are reintroduced to the characters is pretty slow going but once they meet up at the restaurant, things move pretty quickly and you forget how long the movie actually is. What i found with this movie though is how funny it is, not just at the humour between the group but the different monsters we meet, for example a zombie knew how to drive a car 😂😂. I was a little disappointed with the ending as i expected something spectacular to kill him, but it was literally just belittling pennywise until he shrunk down into a baby like form and then removing his heart and squeezing it until he dies, it just seemed too easy! I'm also surprised that they still had him tramsform into a spider like form, despite people not liking the original ending, again though this might be in the book. Regardless of these faults though i still enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it.
The movie is set years after the first one and the loser gang have now gone their seperate ways, All but one had moved out of derry, some of them have a successful career and Beverly is unfortunately in an abusive marriage, but all this changes when they get the dreaded phone call to come back to derry - pennywise has returned and needs to be destroyed for good! The first few minutes of the movie where we are reintroduced to the characters is pretty slow going but once they meet up at the restaurant, things move pretty quickly and you forget how long the movie actually is. What i found with this movie though is how funny it is, not just at the humour between the group but the different monsters we meet, for example a zombie knew how to drive a car 😂😂. I was a little disappointed with the ending as i expected something spectacular to kill him, but it was literally just belittling pennywise until he shrunk down into a baby like form and then removing his heart and squeezing it until he dies, it just seemed too easy! I'm also surprised that they still had him tramsform into a spider like form, despite people not liking the original ending, again though this might be in the book. Regardless of these faults though i still enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it.
Janeeny (200 KP) rated Vesper Flights in Books
Sep 7, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald’s latest book chronicling her relationship with nature. This is slightly different from her previous books in the respect it’s not a linear narrative but a collection of essays that also explores “The human relationship with nature”.
We are given more of an insight into Macdonald’s upbringing as she regales us with anecdotes of emotional journeys to her childhood home and dark episodes on a falcon breeding farm in Wales. Her passion for nature and the natural world comes across strongly, without sermonising. In one chapter she mentions Fox hunting and how she’s morally opposed to it, without admonishing those that do partake in it. A common thread throughout the essays is how we can be so involved with the conservation of nature yet still be so detached from it. Admittedly it’s something that I’ve never even thought about before, so I’ll be paying more attention to the way I interact with the world around me from now on.
.
One thing that seems to draw me in with Mcdonald’s writing is that there always seems to be an underlying sadness in the way she writes. Even when she’s partaking in a stunning bird-watching event, she never quite gives herself over to the joy and excitement of that moment. At one point after reading how she once covered herself in mud and twigs and stalked a herd of cows I just wanted to put my arms around her and ask if she’s ok. (Oddly enough in the same chapter there is a very dark incident with a dying Ostrich, but it was the incident with the cows that worried me most)
I’d be interested to read something Macdonald wrote before her father passed away. It is obvious that the death of her father did have a profound effect on her, and it would be curious to see if that is also what has influenced this mournful quality in her writing.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a critique in any way I like the way she can convey the melancholy of a murmuration. As a perpetually positive person, I do need to be prodded with the emotion stick every now and again.
There is a line in one of the essays “I shouldn’t do it also because pulling at your heart on purpose is a compulsion as particular and disconcerting as pressing on a healing bruise” so maybe she gets some cathartic pleasure from heartache. I’m envious; I lost both my parents within a few years of each other and I find it very hard to engage in any strong emotions regarding this. I miss them, but I think my innate ability to detach myself from unpleasant situations has worked a little too well here and I can’t articulate exactly how that makes me feel.
Woah, so that was a major digression, let’s put that brick back and summarise the review, shall we?
After reading Vesper Flights, even if you don’t like the whole book, I defy you not to have a favourite chapter. It’s close but I think I liked ‘Goats’ the best, as not only is it a funny story, but you can practically hear the little smile as Macdonald reminisces about her dad
Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald’s latest book chronicling her relationship with nature. This is slightly different from her previous books in the respect it’s not a linear narrative but a collection of essays that also explores “The human relationship with nature”.
We are given more of an insight into Macdonald’s upbringing as she regales us with anecdotes of emotional journeys to her childhood home and dark episodes on a falcon breeding farm in Wales. Her passion for nature and the natural world comes across strongly, without sermonising. In one chapter she mentions Fox hunting and how she’s morally opposed to it, without admonishing those that do partake in it. A common thread throughout the essays is how we can be so involved with the conservation of nature yet still be so detached from it. Admittedly it’s something that I’ve never even thought about before, so I’ll be paying more attention to the way I interact with the world around me from now on.
.
One thing that seems to draw me in with Mcdonald’s writing is that there always seems to be an underlying sadness in the way she writes. Even when she’s partaking in a stunning bird-watching event, she never quite gives herself over to the joy and excitement of that moment. At one point after reading how she once covered herself in mud and twigs and stalked a herd of cows I just wanted to put my arms around her and ask if she’s ok. (Oddly enough in the same chapter there is a very dark incident with a dying Ostrich, but it was the incident with the cows that worried me most)
I’d be interested to read something Macdonald wrote before her father passed away. It is obvious that the death of her father did have a profound effect on her, and it would be curious to see if that is also what has influenced this mournful quality in her writing.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a critique in any way I like the way she can convey the melancholy of a murmuration. As a perpetually positive person, I do need to be prodded with the emotion stick every now and again.
There is a line in one of the essays “I shouldn’t do it also because pulling at your heart on purpose is a compulsion as particular and disconcerting as pressing on a healing bruise” so maybe she gets some cathartic pleasure from heartache. I’m envious; I lost both my parents within a few years of each other and I find it very hard to engage in any strong emotions regarding this. I miss them, but I think my innate ability to detach myself from unpleasant situations has worked a little too well here and I can’t articulate exactly how that makes me feel.
Woah, so that was a major digression, let’s put that brick back and summarise the review, shall we?
After reading Vesper Flights, even if you don’t like the whole book, I defy you not to have a favourite chapter. It’s close but I think I liked ‘Goats’ the best, as not only is it a funny story, but you can practically hear the little smile as Macdonald reminisces about her dad
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Glow in Books
May 16, 2018
I have a love hate relationship with Glow, an upcoming young adult novel from Megan E. Bryant. Earlier this year, I read The Radium Girls by Kate Moore - an absolutely horrifying account of injustices committed against young women under the guise of patriotism. Before Moore, I cannot recall ever hearing about the dial painters. This book provides a fictional account based heavily on true stories about the girls that met their untimely demise.
The main character of Glow is a young woman of eighteen by the name of Jubilee - but don't you dare call her that! She prefers Julie. After making the ultimate sacrifice for her mother, she spends the summer unraveling the mysteries behind paintings she finds at thrift stores while her best friend prepares for college.
Between each chapter, readers find an epistolary account from the mind of Lydia Grayson. Like her sisters, Lydia is one of the many girls that worked for the American Radium Company (I think I got that right). The Grayson sisters, for those that haven't read The Radium Girls in order to make the comparison, appears to be based loosely on the Maggia sisters, while the company is, obviously, a fictionalized version of the United States Radium Corporation. (Amelia "Mollie" Maggia was the first of the Radium Girls to die.)
Unlike most books that attempt this method, I do not find the switch between perspectives and styles to be detrimental or clunky - if anything, it is inconvenient. Rather than wrap up preceding chapters, Bryant uses these switches to leave Julie's story on a cliffhanger more than once throughout the book. This style can easily be avoided, considering the letters written from Lydia to her boyfriend are interesting enough on their own to propel the reader forward.
While Julie's story offers an plot that appeals to younger readers, I feel Glow would have worked just fine without it. For that purpose, I'm caught between a three and a four on this book. Ultimately, I lean toward the latter and must applaud Bryant on the amount of research she obviously put into writing this book. Julie's story is unbelievable and full of things that I simply have no interest in, but the haunting tale that the Grayson sisters weave is horrifying.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
The main character of Glow is a young woman of eighteen by the name of Jubilee - but don't you dare call her that! She prefers Julie. After making the ultimate sacrifice for her mother, she spends the summer unraveling the mysteries behind paintings she finds at thrift stores while her best friend prepares for college.
Between each chapter, readers find an epistolary account from the mind of Lydia Grayson. Like her sisters, Lydia is one of the many girls that worked for the American Radium Company (I think I got that right). The Grayson sisters, for those that haven't read The Radium Girls in order to make the comparison, appears to be based loosely on the Maggia sisters, while the company is, obviously, a fictionalized version of the United States Radium Corporation. (Amelia "Mollie" Maggia was the first of the Radium Girls to die.)
Unlike most books that attempt this method, I do not find the switch between perspectives and styles to be detrimental or clunky - if anything, it is inconvenient. Rather than wrap up preceding chapters, Bryant uses these switches to leave Julie's story on a cliffhanger more than once throughout the book. This style can easily be avoided, considering the letters written from Lydia to her boyfriend are interesting enough on their own to propel the reader forward.
While Julie's story offers an plot that appeals to younger readers, I feel Glow would have worked just fine without it. For that purpose, I'm caught between a three and a four on this book. Ultimately, I lean toward the latter and must applaud Bryant on the amount of research she obviously put into writing this book. Julie's story is unbelievable and full of things that I simply have no interest in, but the haunting tale that the Grayson sisters weave is horrifying.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I read and loved two of Schlessinger's earlier works, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands and Woman Power: Transform Your Man, Your Marriage, Your Life, so when I spotted this in my local library, I didn't think twice about reading it. The context of this book is relatively simple, but it really resonates with me and how I think. Probably half of the book is taken up with quotes from Dr. Laura's readers and listeners on various topics related to marriage, which I appreciate because it means that this isn't just a preachy "only my way works" self-help book, but a book chock full of experiences of many, many other married couples. One chapter in and I knew this book was gold - and then practically demanded my husband read it right after me. (We'll see how that goes.) I even shed a few tears at the end over a 57th birthday love letter a man wrote to his wife.
While some people will likely take offense at some of Dr. Laura's very strong opinions about the man and woman's role in marriage - man goes to work, woman stays home and takes care of home and children - I happen to agree with her as I am a stay-at-home mom myself. But even she admits to necessary exceptions to that rule in some circumstances - such as an injury preventing the man from working, and the woman choosing to take a job to pay for "luxuries." She had much to say about the negative effects that extremist feminism has had on marriage and child-rearing - and how to reverse those effects in the reader's own marriage, backed up with example after example from other married couples. While many counselors and therapists will simply listen to you verbally bash and complain about your spouse for session after session, she constantly brings the focus back to the complainer and encourages that person to do the changing he or she wants to see in the spouse. Her belief is that in most marriages, if one spouse gives what the other person wants, then that person will reciprocate. Dr. Laura's goals were very simply love and happiness in marriage, which everyone wants when they get married but often forget how to "do." Following her own KISS principle - "Keep it simple / small, stupid!" - she breaks down how to reach those goals very quickly and efficiently.
While some people will likely take offense at some of Dr. Laura's very strong opinions about the man and woman's role in marriage - man goes to work, woman stays home and takes care of home and children - I happen to agree with her as I am a stay-at-home mom myself. But even she admits to necessary exceptions to that rule in some circumstances - such as an injury preventing the man from working, and the woman choosing to take a job to pay for "luxuries." She had much to say about the negative effects that extremist feminism has had on marriage and child-rearing - and how to reverse those effects in the reader's own marriage, backed up with example after example from other married couples. While many counselors and therapists will simply listen to you verbally bash and complain about your spouse for session after session, she constantly brings the focus back to the complainer and encourages that person to do the changing he or she wants to see in the spouse. Her belief is that in most marriages, if one spouse gives what the other person wants, then that person will reciprocate. Dr. Laura's goals were very simply love and happiness in marriage, which everyone wants when they get married but often forget how to "do." Following her own KISS principle - "Keep it simple / small, stupid!" - she breaks down how to reach those goals very quickly and efficiently.
ClareR (6054 KP) rated So Much Life Left Over in Books
Sep 8, 2018
The aftermath of World War 1 in true de Bernieres style.
Louis de Bernieres has been one of my favourite authors ever since I stumbled across The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts in 1990. As soon as I see that he has a book coming out, I avidly wait until I can buy it, trying to get as much information about the subject matter as I can (yes, I'm a fan-girl). This novel has not disappointed me.
So Much Life Left Over takes us back in to the lives of Rosie and Daniel Pitt after the First World War has come to an end. We go as far as Ceylon, back to London and to Germany in the 1930's. We catch up with all of the characters that we first encountered in The Dust That Falls From Dreams (and if you haven't read that yet, you're seriously missing out), and learn about what happens to Rosie's sisters, parents and those that they have met along the way.
I love the dialogue in this book: it's punchy, quick-witted and emotional. The first of Oily Wragge's chapters (each chapter, when about a different person, is written from their perspective, sometimes in first person, sometimes in third person - but I like this. It seems so personal) haunting, terribly sad and filled with the violence and horror of war and being a prisoner of war.
Daniel and Wragge go to work in Germany, and set up a business with the two fighter pilots that Daniel captured in the war. Here we get a look at the Germany of the early 1930's: the poverty, deprivation, and Hitlers rise to power. Daniel correctly predicts another war.
However, the truly heart wrenching events happen in the last thirty pages or so. I strongly suggest you get your handkerchief ready. The emotion in these last pages is what really makes this a truly stand out book for me (if the rest of the book hadn't already been enough to do that!). The sensitivity in the way that the subject matter is handled, and the emotions that this invokes in the reader is so well done.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel, I so enjoyed it, and I will be looking forward to the last part of this story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
So Much Life Left Over takes us back in to the lives of Rosie and Daniel Pitt after the First World War has come to an end. We go as far as Ceylon, back to London and to Germany in the 1930's. We catch up with all of the characters that we first encountered in The Dust That Falls From Dreams (and if you haven't read that yet, you're seriously missing out), and learn about what happens to Rosie's sisters, parents and those that they have met along the way.
I love the dialogue in this book: it's punchy, quick-witted and emotional. The first of Oily Wragge's chapters (each chapter, when about a different person, is written from their perspective, sometimes in first person, sometimes in third person - but I like this. It seems so personal) haunting, terribly sad and filled with the violence and horror of war and being a prisoner of war.
Daniel and Wragge go to work in Germany, and set up a business with the two fighter pilots that Daniel captured in the war. Here we get a look at the Germany of the early 1930's: the poverty, deprivation, and Hitlers rise to power. Daniel correctly predicts another war.
However, the truly heart wrenching events happen in the last thirty pages or so. I strongly suggest you get your handkerchief ready. The emotion in these last pages is what really makes this a truly stand out book for me (if the rest of the book hadn't already been enough to do that!). The sensitivity in the way that the subject matter is handled, and the emotions that this invokes in the reader is so well done.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel, I so enjoyed it, and I will be looking forward to the last part of this story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The 5th Wave: Book 1 in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I really wanted to like <i>The 5th Wave</i>. The synopsis sounded fantastic, it's becoming a movie – the book just sounded like one of those that I would probably read quickly, enjoy it, demand the second book (in other words, snag it straight off Lupe's shelf), read through that quickly, and pretty much have another favorite book this year (there's really only two so far that are special).
I didn't even last thirty pages. <i>Thirty</i> pages, which says <i>a lot</i>, because while I may give up on books more often now, I don't usually give up THAT early.
The premise wasn't what made me give up reading <i>The 5th Wave</i> – characters trying to fight for survival? Sounds like <i>Hatchet</i>, only with the "aliens" attacking with "waves."
I only stopped because of Cassie. Cassie, short for Cassiopeia, the main character of the book. I couldn't stand her for the life of me.
She's materialistic – in a world when the world is literally falling apart around you, who <i>cares</i> about hygiene being top priority? It's great she cares (because you can't just walk to a job interview smelling like horse poop), but by the whatever wave that's past the first, I'm pretty sure you're too busy making surviving the <i>day</i> your priority.
She's rude – if there's one thing I don't like, it's texting while in a conversation simply because you're bored. Then, she says, "Oh, and in case you're an alien reading this? BITE ME."
Totally. I'm totally willing to bite Cassie... in a review, that is.
Basically, there was a vibe about her I didn't like early on. But with all of the flashbacks at literally every chapter, I not only got to know the world <i>before</i> the 1st Wave, I got to know Cassie as a person. And Cassie probably tops the list of the most annoying characters I've ever come across in a book.
Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who couldn't stand Cassie. If I am, I'm willing to cry in a little corner alone with my lonesome self...
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-the-5th-wave-by-rick-yancey/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I didn't even last thirty pages. <i>Thirty</i> pages, which says <i>a lot</i>, because while I may give up on books more often now, I don't usually give up THAT early.
The premise wasn't what made me give up reading <i>The 5th Wave</i> – characters trying to fight for survival? Sounds like <i>Hatchet</i>, only with the "aliens" attacking with "waves."
I only stopped because of Cassie. Cassie, short for Cassiopeia, the main character of the book. I couldn't stand her for the life of me.
She's materialistic – in a world when the world is literally falling apart around you, who <i>cares</i> about hygiene being top priority? It's great she cares (because you can't just walk to a job interview smelling like horse poop), but by the whatever wave that's past the first, I'm pretty sure you're too busy making surviving the <i>day</i> your priority.
She's rude – if there's one thing I don't like, it's texting while in a conversation simply because you're bored. Then, she says, "Oh, and in case you're an alien reading this? BITE ME."
Totally. I'm totally willing to bite Cassie... in a review, that is.
Basically, there was a vibe about her I didn't like early on. But with all of the flashbacks at literally every chapter, I not only got to know the world <i>before</i> the 1st Wave, I got to know Cassie as a person. And Cassie probably tops the list of the most annoying characters I've ever come across in a book.
Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who couldn't stand Cassie. If I am, I'm willing to cry in a little corner alone with my lonesome self...
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-the-5th-wave-by-rick-yancey/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Mediocre sequel
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Shorefall picks up around three years after the events of Foundryside, when a small crew stand up against the mighty, powerful families of the city, stop their evil plotting and strike out on their own. They have set up their own, independent scriving house, making magical machinery, and helping others to do the same. A bit like BrewDog, but without the financially dubious shareholder arrangements.
In this world, magic comes in the form of scriving - bending reality to make objects behave in a certain way (persuading a door it cannot open without a specific person being present, convincing an arrow it is falling, so must accelerate accordingly, albeit in a straight line, etc). Most of the book's plot and action centre around this, and it becomes quite draining, and a stretch at times. I forgave the first book quite a lot in this regard, because it was world-building, but this much world-building in a second book seems wrong. And the mechanics of it are so much like coding that that is all you can think of. At times it is like watching an episode of 24, but instead of following Jack Bauer's thrilling escapades, you are watching Chloe coding a macro to speed up her timesheets while being vaguely aware that something exciting is happening.
The book starts very strongly, we are in the company of Sancia and Orso as they appear to be down on their luck and having to sell their work to make ends meet. Cue: exciting espionage scenes as Sancia sneaks off to steal.
Sadly, this opening chapter in which we had no idea what was happening was the best one. So many times throughout the book the crew were on some mission or other for some reason, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what or why, and nor did I particularly care. The plot just seemed to be in a backseat with the world-building driving with no sat-nav. And so was character development, as all the main characters just completely plateaud and didn't change in the slightest.
In short, I found the book very dull and drawn out and the second half was a real chore.
Shorefall picks up around three years after the events of Foundryside, when a small crew stand up against the mighty, powerful families of the city, stop their evil plotting and strike out on their own. They have set up their own, independent scriving house, making magical machinery, and helping others to do the same. A bit like BrewDog, but without the financially dubious shareholder arrangements.
In this world, magic comes in the form of scriving - bending reality to make objects behave in a certain way (persuading a door it cannot open without a specific person being present, convincing an arrow it is falling, so must accelerate accordingly, albeit in a straight line, etc). Most of the book's plot and action centre around this, and it becomes quite draining, and a stretch at times. I forgave the first book quite a lot in this regard, because it was world-building, but this much world-building in a second book seems wrong. And the mechanics of it are so much like coding that that is all you can think of. At times it is like watching an episode of 24, but instead of following Jack Bauer's thrilling escapades, you are watching Chloe coding a macro to speed up her timesheets while being vaguely aware that something exciting is happening.
The book starts very strongly, we are in the company of Sancia and Orso as they appear to be down on their luck and having to sell their work to make ends meet. Cue: exciting espionage scenes as Sancia sneaks off to steal.
Sadly, this opening chapter in which we had no idea what was happening was the best one. So many times throughout the book the crew were on some mission or other for some reason, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what or why, and nor did I particularly care. The plot just seemed to be in a backseat with the world-building driving with no sat-nav. And so was character development, as all the main characters just completely plateaud and didn't change in the slightest.
In short, I found the book very dull and drawn out and the second half was a real chore.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Woman with Wings in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Alison works in the international advertising company as an IT specialist, and she loves bird watching. During one of her trips, she falls off the mountain but survives. I liked Alison as a person, she is a loner, and she is doing what she loves. She is like every other female in London, only she gets wings from somewhere. Alison has a great friend Jed, who likes and supports her, and a rich executive of the company named Doxat that fancies her, so this book could’ve been a great romantic novel, and those wings ruined it for me. The story was told from multiple perspectives, but the transition between those perspectives was quite blurry, I would’ve liked if different thoughts started as a different chapter.
Alison talks a lot about birds and their migration, it is great to know about this, especially because Alison’s true passion is birds, but I was skim-reading them because I don’t like copy-paste material. I am sure, bird enthusiasts will enjoy the information, and I can see the research put into that, but those parts were not for me. Another thing that did not make sense to me were parts about Kurt Godel and his mathematical calculations regarding time traveling. There were pages and pages about the same thing, which was well researched and very philosophical, but at the same time repetitive and felt like pasted there out of Wikipedia. :/ I liked the way Alison was interacting with other characters, and there was an interesting love triangle going on in there, but that’s about it.
I was not a very big fan of the writing style of this novel, it seemed well researched, and poetic, but at the same time, it felt raw and unfinished. The setting of this book was changing between London and remote places of the UK like Skye, and I enjoyed its picturesque views. The chapters were quite long, and the narrative quite jumpy. The culmination of this novel didn’t make any sense to me and left me with million of questions instead of answers. :/
So, to conclude, this book was not for me. It has interesting characters, and I enjoyed their relationships with each other, and this book has great potential, but the plot didn’t really impress me. I think this book might interest a bird-loving community as well as people who enjoy philosophy.
Alison talks a lot about birds and their migration, it is great to know about this, especially because Alison’s true passion is birds, but I was skim-reading them because I don’t like copy-paste material. I am sure, bird enthusiasts will enjoy the information, and I can see the research put into that, but those parts were not for me. Another thing that did not make sense to me were parts about Kurt Godel and his mathematical calculations regarding time traveling. There were pages and pages about the same thing, which was well researched and very philosophical, but at the same time repetitive and felt like pasted there out of Wikipedia. :/ I liked the way Alison was interacting with other characters, and there was an interesting love triangle going on in there, but that’s about it.
I was not a very big fan of the writing style of this novel, it seemed well researched, and poetic, but at the same time, it felt raw and unfinished. The setting of this book was changing between London and remote places of the UK like Skye, and I enjoyed its picturesque views. The chapters were quite long, and the narrative quite jumpy. The culmination of this novel didn’t make any sense to me and left me with million of questions instead of answers. :/
So, to conclude, this book was not for me. It has interesting characters, and I enjoyed their relationships with each other, and this book has great potential, but the plot didn’t really impress me. I think this book might interest a bird-loving community as well as people who enjoy philosophy.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated My Sister, the Serial Killer in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This novel is not very long, but every short chapter carries a lot of important information. The protagonist in this novel is Korede, a nurse in a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Korede likes everything neat, tidy and according to the rules. Her younger sister Ayoola, on the other hand, is an absolute brat, who has no cares in her life. She is addicted to male attention, good life, and I could not stand her. Ayoola is a horrible person, and I don’t see a justification for any of her actions. :/ I really liked Korede in this book, I think she is kind and strong at the same time, but even her decisions left me confused sometimes.
The narrative is told from a single (Korede’s) perspective, even though it was enough to grasp the storyline, I would’ve loved to read Ayoola’s thoughts as well. The plot is very compressed in this novel, I liked the way Korede talks not only about the present events, but brings the reader back to the past, to show what events shaped her to be the way she is today. This book analyses such topics as beauty and it’s influence, strong sisterly bond, abusive father, etc. This novel takes you on a journey, there is not many twists or turns, but it is a very enjoyable read.
Kudos to the author for her original writing style, I see it as minimalistic, It has the information I needed to fully understand the story, and spared me the details of unimportant things. I really liked the setting of this novel, I have never been to Lagos, so the atmosphere and the language used was very exotic for me. I loved the short chapters, and it was a really quick read for me. I liked the ending of this book, I think it is quite challenging and allows the reader to think of what would they have done in Korede’s situation.
To conclude, it is a very original book about an incredibly strong sisterly bond, which can withstand even murders. It is filled with very believable and interesting characters and a very creatively written plot. I truly enjoyed it, and I do strongly recommend to give this book a try if you looking for something different and fresh. I hope you will like it as much as I did. 🙂
The narrative is told from a single (Korede’s) perspective, even though it was enough to grasp the storyline, I would’ve loved to read Ayoola’s thoughts as well. The plot is very compressed in this novel, I liked the way Korede talks not only about the present events, but brings the reader back to the past, to show what events shaped her to be the way she is today. This book analyses such topics as beauty and it’s influence, strong sisterly bond, abusive father, etc. This novel takes you on a journey, there is not many twists or turns, but it is a very enjoyable read.
Kudos to the author for her original writing style, I see it as minimalistic, It has the information I needed to fully understand the story, and spared me the details of unimportant things. I really liked the setting of this novel, I have never been to Lagos, so the atmosphere and the language used was very exotic for me. I loved the short chapters, and it was a really quick read for me. I liked the ending of this book, I think it is quite challenging and allows the reader to think of what would they have done in Korede’s situation.
To conclude, it is a very original book about an incredibly strong sisterly bond, which can withstand even murders. It is filled with very believable and interesting characters and a very creatively written plot. I truly enjoyed it, and I do strongly recommend to give this book a try if you looking for something different and fresh. I hope you will like it as much as I did. 🙂