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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6) in Books
Jan 9, 2022
I was surprised with how different this book was from all the others, but in a good way. It meant that I didn’t get bored as the others are fairly similar looking back on them.
We start 2 years into Francesca’s marriage, which is completely different to the other books as we follow them as they are looking for their future spouse. Then rather unfortunately, her beloved husband - John dies, leaving her widowed only 2 years into their marriage.
His cousin, and both Francesca and John’s best friend, Michael is also shocked to the core at his death and at his newfound Earldom. Michael has also been in love with Francesca since he met her, but out of loyalty to his cousin has never told anyone of this. In previous books, I would have guessed that Michael would have pursued Francesca straight away, but I was glad that I was wrong and it made it a much better read that he didn’t.
This book deals with a few different medical issues, which at the end Julia Quinn does explain more about and confirmed my suspicions as to why John died. It was definitely such a different pace to this book and it was nice to change up the style slightly. I enjoyed the excerpts of letters at the start of each chapter (although still not quite as good as Lady Whistledown’s comments!) and it definitely gave more of an insight into what they were thinking, especially as it included letters that weren’t sent at all.
Before this book, we didn’t know too much about Francesca, other than she’d married an Earl and spent a lot of time in Scotland, but this book made her more than just a mention and you realised that she is a bit different from her siblings and probably quite enjoys being away from everyone. I also liked how it brought together the events in both Colin’s story and Eloise’s story as they happen so close together, I think it ties the stories up quite neatly as you sometimes forget during this book that Francesca was a Bridgerton since she doesn’t spend a lot of time with them in this book.
This has definitely firmly cemented its place in my top 3 of this series and I’m hoping that the next book is just as good to read.
We start 2 years into Francesca’s marriage, which is completely different to the other books as we follow them as they are looking for their future spouse. Then rather unfortunately, her beloved husband - John dies, leaving her widowed only 2 years into their marriage.
His cousin, and both Francesca and John’s best friend, Michael is also shocked to the core at his death and at his newfound Earldom. Michael has also been in love with Francesca since he met her, but out of loyalty to his cousin has never told anyone of this. In previous books, I would have guessed that Michael would have pursued Francesca straight away, but I was glad that I was wrong and it made it a much better read that he didn’t.
This book deals with a few different medical issues, which at the end Julia Quinn does explain more about and confirmed my suspicions as to why John died. It was definitely such a different pace to this book and it was nice to change up the style slightly. I enjoyed the excerpts of letters at the start of each chapter (although still not quite as good as Lady Whistledown’s comments!) and it definitely gave more of an insight into what they were thinking, especially as it included letters that weren’t sent at all.
Before this book, we didn’t know too much about Francesca, other than she’d married an Earl and spent a lot of time in Scotland, but this book made her more than just a mention and you realised that she is a bit different from her siblings and probably quite enjoys being away from everyone. I also liked how it brought together the events in both Colin’s story and Eloise’s story as they happen so close together, I think it ties the stories up quite neatly as you sometimes forget during this book that Francesca was a Bridgerton since she doesn’t spend a lot of time with them in this book.
This has definitely firmly cemented its place in my top 3 of this series and I’m hoping that the next book is just as good to read.
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*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Lightning Thief in Books
May 3, 2018
Percy Jackson is a series that I've been meaning to get around to for ages. Pretty much everybody I know who have read the books absolutely adore them.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Where They Found Her in Books
May 10, 2018
Ridgedale is a small town in New Jersey. Not much happens there. So when the body of a baby girl is found under a bridge near the University, the town is in an uproar. Molly Sanderson, usually a freelancer with the Ridgedale Reader, is given the task of reporting on this story. This is a story that really resonates with her, having lost a child herself, not too long ago. During her investigation, she meets some interesting people and learns more about this small town. The story is told from the point of view of three women from the town. Molly, the reporter, Sandy, the teenager trying to survive with an absentee parent, and Barbara, the "perfect" mother who is also the wife of the chief of police. All three of these women have a connection to this dead child, they just don't know it.
This book was very hard to put down. A thriller with three female characters you will either love or hate. Each of them has a spirit that is determined. Several times during this book, I felt my heart racing. I had to know what was going to happen next.
From the title you might deduce that the mystery is solved in the first chapter, but there are many who need to be found in this book, in more ways than one. Kimberly McCreight grabs at your heart and sold with her writing. She draws you in and keeps you engaged through the entire journey. I can't wait to read more from her in the very near future.
Also by Kimberly McCreight [bc:Reconstructing Amelia|15776309|Reconstructing Amelia|Kimberly McCreight|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350193583s/15776309.jpg|21488217]
This book was very hard to put down. A thriller with three female characters you will either love or hate. Each of them has a spirit that is determined. Several times during this book, I felt my heart racing. I had to know what was going to happen next.
From the title you might deduce that the mystery is solved in the first chapter, but there are many who need to be found in this book, in more ways than one. Kimberly McCreight grabs at your heart and sold with her writing. She draws you in and keeps you engaged through the entire journey. I can't wait to read more from her in the very near future.
Also by Kimberly McCreight [bc:Reconstructing Amelia|15776309|Reconstructing Amelia|Kimberly McCreight|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350193583s/15776309.jpg|21488217]
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Now You See Her in Books
Jun 14, 2019
An ability to suspend belief required for this thriller.
My first James Patterson read or as it was an audiobook - listen (yes I live under a rock) and I was really hoping to love it (my parents have passed on a load of books by him so I have a pile to read)
Nina Bloom is a successful New York lawyer and mother but she has only been Nina for 18 years and she would happily forget the life she had before that. Unfortunately events conspire to make Nina have to face her difficult past head on.
Unfortunately the level of craziness in events was too steep for me to get over. I really need a book to play by the rules of the universe it operates in and this just seemed to be one mad capped thing after another. I can deal with the odd coincidence or strange behaviour to try and move the plot along but I felt this needed the suspense of the readers belief to an extent I can't manage. It wasn't helped by a protagonist I felt personally no sympathy for.
It was certainly a fast paced book and if you are happy to go along for the ride I can imagine this being satisfying. I unfortunately found myself just stopping and going "really?" far to much.
Minor issue that I think affected the audio version was the number of chapters in the book meant the narrator going "Chapter x" every few minutes spoiling the flow. I think it had like 120 chapters which for a book I think is around 360 pages seems excessive, probably less jarring if you are reading rather than listening. The breaks just seemed to be in some odd spots as well.
Might give a written Patterson a try and see if I get along better with that.
Nina Bloom is a successful New York lawyer and mother but she has only been Nina for 18 years and she would happily forget the life she had before that. Unfortunately events conspire to make Nina have to face her difficult past head on.
Unfortunately the level of craziness in events was too steep for me to get over. I really need a book to play by the rules of the universe it operates in and this just seemed to be one mad capped thing after another. I can deal with the odd coincidence or strange behaviour to try and move the plot along but I felt this needed the suspense of the readers belief to an extent I can't manage. It wasn't helped by a protagonist I felt personally no sympathy for.
It was certainly a fast paced book and if you are happy to go along for the ride I can imagine this being satisfying. I unfortunately found myself just stopping and going "really?" far to much.
Minor issue that I think affected the audio version was the number of chapters in the book meant the narrator going "Chapter x" every few minutes spoiling the flow. I think it had like 120 chapters which for a book I think is around 360 pages seems excessive, probably less jarring if you are reading rather than listening. The breaks just seemed to be in some odd spots as well.
Might give a written Patterson a try and see if I get along better with that.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Sleepwalker in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I went into this book blind. I had seen the cover and heard of the author, but hadn't read any of his books and didn't know what this one was about until after I started listening. Annalee Ahlberg, a woman who has issues with sleepwalking, goes missing. She leaves behind two daughters and a husband who must come to terms with her disappearance. Told from the point of view of her eldest daughter, Lianna, the listener gets to go along for the ride as the search continues and the police try to decide if Annalee met with foul play, or possibly harmed herself in her sleep. The truth ends up being neither, and is nothing I saw coming until right before it was spelled out for me.
The Sleepwalker is equal parts mystery novel and family drama. Everyone has their secrets, and Lianna isn't sure who she can trust. I wish it would have moved along a little more quickly, but overall it was a good story. I will look for more by Chris Bohjalian.
The narration was not so great. The main narrator was soft-spoken, and her voice fit the mood of the story very well, but she paused in odd places and put emphasis on what felt like the wrong word in many sentences. This was jarring and distracting. There were also brief passages at the beginning of each chapter read by a 2nd voice, which I found very irritating. In all fairness, these passages were apparently journal entries, and the 2nd voice did help to distinguish them from the rest of the story. I do think I might have enjoyed the book a little more if there had been different narrators, however.
The Sleepwalker is equal parts mystery novel and family drama. Everyone has their secrets, and Lianna isn't sure who she can trust. I wish it would have moved along a little more quickly, but overall it was a good story. I will look for more by Chris Bohjalian.
The narration was not so great. The main narrator was soft-spoken, and her voice fit the mood of the story very well, but she paused in odd places and put emphasis on what felt like the wrong word in many sentences. This was jarring and distracting. There were also brief passages at the beginning of each chapter read by a 2nd voice, which I found very irritating. In all fairness, these passages were apparently journal entries, and the 2nd voice did help to distinguish them from the rest of the story. I do think I might have enjoyed the book a little more if there had been different narrators, however.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Perfect Remains: A Gripping Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless in Books
Aug 30, 2018 (Updated Aug 30, 2018)
Very good, gripping crime novel based in Edinburgh. Recently arrived French detective Luc Callanach finds himself at the wheel of the force's biggest crime, while still trying to find his feet in his new city.
As the reader is made aware of the "murderer"'s identity from very early on, this feels more like an early Mark Billingham book than an Ian Rankin or Ed James. Not a true whodunit, more of a case of watching the story unfold, which is thrilling and you get to see the criminal and the detective's view of the events, but may put others off.
While the story is very well crafted, the pacing is top notch and the action exciting, a few aspects irritated me at times. Luc Callanach seems to have coped very well with his change in circumstances, and at times it is almost like he (or the author) has forgotten he is French completely! And also the attitude and conclusions of what was supposed to be a very experienced psychological profiler just didn't feel plausible. And finally, as so often happens with "detective x crime series" books - if the main character didn't see it, it didn't happen. This means that Callanach has to abandon his massive case and oddly decide to go off with another detective in order to discuss something, purely as a plot device - i.e. he has to be involved in it for it to be an important part of the story. In places this worked, and got to the point, but at other times his actions just seemed so unusual as to be ludicrous, just to meet a plot point. Why the lesser characters can't have a PoV chapter is beyond me. It works perfectly well in fantasy fiction, why not in crime?!
However these were minor quibbles, an otherwise great book.
As the reader is made aware of the "murderer"'s identity from very early on, this feels more like an early Mark Billingham book than an Ian Rankin or Ed James. Not a true whodunit, more of a case of watching the story unfold, which is thrilling and you get to see the criminal and the detective's view of the events, but may put others off.
While the story is very well crafted, the pacing is top notch and the action exciting, a few aspects irritated me at times. Luc Callanach seems to have coped very well with his change in circumstances, and at times it is almost like he (or the author) has forgotten he is French completely! And also the attitude and conclusions of what was supposed to be a very experienced psychological profiler just didn't feel plausible. And finally, as so often happens with "detective x crime series" books - if the main character didn't see it, it didn't happen. This means that Callanach has to abandon his massive case and oddly decide to go off with another detective in order to discuss something, purely as a plot device - i.e. he has to be involved in it for it to be an important part of the story. In places this worked, and got to the point, but at other times his actions just seemed so unusual as to be ludicrous, just to meet a plot point. Why the lesser characters can't have a PoV chapter is beyond me. It works perfectly well in fantasy fiction, why not in crime?!
However these were minor quibbles, an otherwise great book.
Merissa (13298 KP) rated Superluminary in Books
Nov 19, 2018
Superluminary (Powered Destinies #1) by Olivia Rising
Superluminary is the first book in the Powered Destinies series, and it is a LONG book.
We start off with Christina as she goes through her transition to become Mascot, with the devastating aftereffects. Then we meet up with Sarina, who transitions to become Dancer. Finally, we meet Andrey, who is Radiant. From the blurb, I somehow expected Christina, Sarina, and Radiant to be in contact with each other. I was very much mistaken. Although we hear from all three, none of them meet until Christina and Andrey meet towards the end of the book. Sarina and Christina don't meet at all.
There are headers before each chapter that you simply MUST take notice of. They tell you who is speaking, where, and when. It isn't always necessarily in date order, and it isn't always one of the three main characters speaking. I'm not quite sure why we get into the heads of so many of the other characters, as it detracted from the main storyline. As it is at the moment, there was no need to hear from Samael, or Kid, or any other.
This is a very character driven story, with plenty of action and intrigue. This is the first book in the series, so it does end of a cliffhanger. I am intrigued to know where it will go, as there are so many twists and turns, and you are not quite sure who are the 'good guys' and who are the bad.
For a very different book on superheroes, villains, and mere mortals, then I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* I received a copy of this book 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!
We start off with Christina as she goes through her transition to become Mascot, with the devastating aftereffects. Then we meet up with Sarina, who transitions to become Dancer. Finally, we meet Andrey, who is Radiant. From the blurb, I somehow expected Christina, Sarina, and Radiant to be in contact with each other. I was very much mistaken. Although we hear from all three, none of them meet until Christina and Andrey meet towards the end of the book. Sarina and Christina don't meet at all.
There are headers before each chapter that you simply MUST take notice of. They tell you who is speaking, where, and when. It isn't always necessarily in date order, and it isn't always one of the three main characters speaking. I'm not quite sure why we get into the heads of so many of the other characters, as it detracted from the main storyline. As it is at the moment, there was no need to hear from Samael, or Kid, or any other.
This is a very character driven story, with plenty of action and intrigue. This is the first book in the series, so it does end of a cliffhanger. I am intrigued to know where it will go, as there are so many twists and turns, and you are not quite sure who are the 'good guys' and who are the bad.
For a very different book on superheroes, villains, and mere mortals, then I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* I received a copy of this book 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!