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At Grave's End (Night Huntress, #3)
At Grave's End (Night Huntress, #3)
8
8.6 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
I find it funny that with all of the vampire books I have read over the years, I still have not tired of the theme. In this third book in the Night Huntress series, Jeaniene Frost continues to make life interesting for Cat and Bones and friends by adding a little magic to the mix, specifically from the legendary Cleopatra's daughter-turned-vampire, Patra, who also happens to be Bones's grandsire-turned-partner, Mancheres's wife. Life as a vampire only becomes more convoluted for Cat as Bones gains a few new abilities, and Cat learns why vamps are not allowed to practice magic. When they learn that Patra has sent "the grave" after Bones, I had visions of horror movies dancing in my head - and I was not that far off in my guesses. Since I am not a fan of this particular fad in fantasy fiction, I was glad that Frost depicted these paranormal creatures so horrifically.
One of the elements that I also like about this series is the humor - which Frost delivers in the form of Cat's mother, who embraces the circumstances of Cat and friends' protection with surprising relish. Without spoiling this juicy tidbit, I will say I laughed out loud when I read about the change in Cat's mother.
On the flip side, when anguish hits Cat hard, I felt her pain more than I expected to, even though I harbored doubts about what had really occurred. The emotion that Frost conveys in this section of the plot feels as real as if I felt the same loss as Cat.
There are many other interesting tidbits in the book, such as what almost occurs with Tate - and the result, Juan's decision, as well as the truce that develops between Annette and Cat. This is why I love series - side characters get more plot time, subplots can continue to mature, and I don't have to leave the imagined world behind just because I closed the book! I can't wait for the next book, Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4).
  
Cry Baby (Pt. 1) by Maja Francis
Cry Baby (Pt. 1) by Maja Francis
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Maja Francis is an Electro-Pop singer outta Stockholm, Sweden. Not too long ago, she released an excellent EP, entitled, “Cry Baby (Pt. 1)” EP.

I’M NOT A DISCO


Francis sings about being lonely and dancing on the dancefloor with tears in her eyes. She needs human contact from someone she’s currently in love with.

But there’s one problem. That person has his eyes on someone other than Francis.

Also, Francis makes it clear that she’s too real to get caught up in the bright disco lights. What she needs is a kiss under the moonlight around a warm fireplace.

FEEL

Francis recites a poem about her feelings. She urges listeners to wear their feelings like a tiara. Also, she sings about expressing yourself while in public.

STRESSED

Francis realizes her failed relationship started well but has now turned sour. She mentions crying her eyes out when the relationship was over.

Also, deep within, she wants to know why? Why did he leave her stressed out? It’s bad enough feeling lonely, but seeing him on the street is unbearable. Usually, she’s expressive. But when she sees him, she can’t utter a word.

SAVED BY THE SUMMER

Francis shines brightly on our favorite song on the EP. Her warm voice sounds wonderful and expresses the warmth of a summer vacation filled with lots of fun. No longer does Francis think about her ex? She has moved on to bigger and better thing.

BREAK

Francis recites a poem about her mental state of mind after her breakup.

CRY BABY

Francis ends the project with a lovely ballad. During a previous interview, she told us that this was her favorite song on the EP.

Francis sings that it’s therapeutic to cry. Also, crying is a prerequisite for letting go of a hurtful past.

CONCLUSION

Maja Francis’ “Cry Baby (Pt. 1)” EP is an excellent project filled with heartfelt tunes, relatable lyrics, and an evergreen theme. Also, it guides listeners on a recovery path towards achieving happiness after a hurtful breakup.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/maja-francis-cry-baby-pt-1/
  
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.9 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is an all-singing, all-dancing time-travel-mystery-thriller - the plot is simultaneously absurd and delightful.

The action kicks off immediately when the Protagonist wakes up with no recollection of who he is, and witnesses a murder. But events take a stranger turn the following day when he wakes up as someone else, replaying the events of the previous day.

Effectively, the Protagonist takes the roles of several different versions of himself in randomly assigned host bodies, replaying the events of the same day over and over. His predicament is a form of rehabilitative imprisonment, and he soon learns he can only escape this predicament by solving the murder.

There are plots and sub plots galore, with juicy gossip at every turn, and I revelled in it! With so much going on, I had no pause to try and figure out who the murderer was. It became quite hard to keep up even before I had reached the halfway mark. As I went along the book, I found that the author was making reference to a lot of things that had slipped my mind.

The Protagonist struggles with ascertaining and maintaining his true identity and struggles to ascertain and assure himself of who’s a friend and who’s a foe. He tries to leave clues for himself and his helpers but his host bodies alternatively provide assistance and impediments.

The Protagonist solves the central murder with 20% of the book left to go - he's still on a mission to do the save the others in his situation. And with 10% of the book left he sets out to solve another murder on the same premises.

The author uses an old fashioned but bearable writing style. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the book was how the soul of the Protagonist reacts in the bodies of different hosts, all with different tendencies and propensities.

It is a pleasure to read, and I may have enjoyed it more had I been able to keep track of the minutiae.

You can check out more of my book reviews on Wordpress or Facebook:
https://bookblogbycari.wordpress.com/
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TC
The Captain's Daughter
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I grew up with a deep (DEEP) appreciation for theatre. I have been in several productions personally. And musicals are my lifeblood (my hubby and I are going to see Phantom of the Opera in a couple weeks). So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that not only is this book set in one of the most fascinating time periods, (Queen Victoria was pretty amazing! Check out the new Masterpiece Series from BBC
"Victoria" Yes, I know they over dramatized some aspects in this...But it is still AMAZING...and Jenna Coleman...'nough said.) but that we also get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the life of the theatre in 1873. An era where an occupation on the stage was heavily frowned upon. Not to mention that the operettas written by Gilbert & Sullivan are the productions we find in The Captain's Daughter. I had the opportunity to see Pirates of Penzance, oh my lands! I adore it! By the way, for all my love of the theatre, I had NO idea why it is called "the lime light". If you don't know either, you can find out more on Wikipedia.

Falsely accused, Rosalyn finds herself in London. Without a penny to her name she makes her way to the very theatre that Nate is working at(you will understand the significance of this when you read the book). Both Nate and Rosalyn must make peace with the past in order to move on. As Nate tries to earn forgiveness for his mistakes, he learns that forgiveness can not be earned. Our Heavenly Father gives it freely. All we have to do is ask.

Swept into the sea of romance, song, lights, costumes, and scandal...I found myself dancing through the pages (or at least swaying) as the anticipation builds for the ending that I was HOPING would play out a certain way. Forgiveness, true love, and living the life that God has called you to live are the main themes that struck my heart.

I received a complimentary copy of The Captain's Daughter from Bethany House Publishers through the Litfuse Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
It: Chapter Two (2019)
It: Chapter Two (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
“For 27 years, I dreamt of you. I craved you… I’ve missed you!” The return of Pennywise the Dancing Clown was one of the most eagerly anticipated horror icons of the year – and we weren’t left disappointed.

Bill Skarsgård‘s demented shape-shifting entity is a performance for the horror ages, as he yet again terrifies the Losers Club. Now all grown up but still suffering from their traumatic problems and insecurities, the group must reunite once again to honour a promise they made to each other all those years ago.

Stephen King’s mammoth book would always be a hard piece of work to adapt, but director Andy Muschietti has more to play with this time around – and he doesn’t hold back. Kicking off proceedings with a rather nasty homophobic attack, Muschietti sets out his stall for what is a nerve-shredding 160 minutes.

Fast forward 27-years and the Losers Club appear to be living successful lives, having left the town of Derry and their pasts behind. However, it is all about to catch up them when Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only one not to leave, calls each one, in turn, to reveal that ‘It‘ has returned.

 It is fantastically well cast with both young and old actors delivering excellent performances.

In shock and not willing to continue the fight, the group are brought back together by their close-knit bond for each other and the willingness to end the horror that has plagued them for almost three decades – however, Pennywise is not going down without a fight.

Flashbacks between young and old work very well and connect the timeline and narrative with seamless precision. It is fantastically well cast with both young and old actors delivering excellent performances. Rarely does it ever feel disjointed? Skarsgård clearly has fun and his terror is matched by the inclusion of several other monsters, equally as terrifying as the white-faced clown.

The ending might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but die-hard fans of the book should lavish praise on Muschietti’s interpretation. The furious pace at which it is delivered will be more than enough to keep viewers strapped to their seats.