An Ideal Husband
8.0
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Although Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) created a wide range of poetry, essays, and fairy tales (and one...
Falling for the Beast
7.0
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He can never turn back into a prince… A troubling revelation puts Blake’s newfound career in...
In the Eye of the Storm (Full Circle #1)
6.0
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Happily married with the affection and respect of those he holds dear, Fabian Bloom finally finds...
Contemporary MM Romantic Suspense
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Spy School Goes North in Books
Feb 5, 2024
I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar. It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories. Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters. There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels. From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much. It just wasn’t earned. On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages. Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.
Yankee Doodle Dead
7.0
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Master mystery spinner Carolyn Hart gives us the tenth high-spirited entry in her Agatha, Anthony...
David McK (3801 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 17, 2019 (Updated Jul 14, 2024)
I was also quite surprised by how dark/scary parts of this were for a child-friendly film, with it really only lightening up once the 14 year old Billy Batson gets his powers and transforms into Zachary Levis's adult superhero (but still with his child's mind).
With a subplot concerning family - one strand of which could probably have been handled better - and Levi knocking it out of the park (I'll admit, the TV series Chuck in which he starred is one of my favourites) as Shazam, this is one of the better entries in DC growing catalogue of movies.
Walla Walla Sweet - Packed Full of Poetic Ponders from the Pandemic and Beyond
Book
In Edmond’s forth book of poetry, the book title is an homage to Walla Walla, Washington and the...
poetry washington state bookbuzz
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Nightmare on Elf Street in Books
Jan 4, 2024
The series always features wacky humor, and this story is no exception. Even though the story is only 100 pages, we manage to get a couple of sub-plots and some twists as well. The characters are developed enough to pull us in while making us laugh as well.
This is a novella length story, so it will be faster than a full novel. As long as you know this, you’ll be fine.
Also note that this was originally released in the romance anthology Secret Santa. You’ll want to make sure you haven’t read it before purchasing it again. Although, if you haven’t read it, you’ll be thrilled to add this fun, festive mystery to your to be read pile.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19) in Books
Jul 13, 2024
These cases were both intrigued, and I appreciated how the stakes kept being raised, explaining why Bosch would focus on one case at any given moment. While both stories resolved logically, I did feel like one got short changed, leaving me not completely satisfied with how that was wrapped up. Even retired, Bosch is still Bosch, mostly for better, although a couple of subplots are predictable at this point. We do get an update on his daughter, and Mickey Haller also shows up. The new characters are well drawn and help pull us in. Overall, this is a book that Bosch’s many fans will enjoy.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated A Killing Way in Books
May 8, 2025 (Updated May 8, 2025)
Since I live in the town that William S. Hart called home, I got a kick out of seeing a couple places I know well show in this historical mystery. The plot and pacing were great, and I had a hard time putting down this PI novel. Speaking of being a PI novel, there is a little more content than I might normally read, but it was a small amount. The characters are good overall. A few could be stronger, but fans will be happy to spend more time with everyone. If you haven’t started this fun series yet, fix that today.
