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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Stranger in the Lake in Books
Jun 18, 2020
Charlotte and her husband, Paul, live in a small lake town. But their marriage has caused gossip and rumors, when poor Charlotte, who grew up in a trailer park, marries the rich and older Paul. Then Charlotte discovers a body floating in the lake beside their house--in the exact spot where Paul's first wife died. Even worse, Charlotte saw Paul talking to the woman the day before, but he lied to the police about it. Then he disappears into the woods, leaving her to deal with the aftermath. As Charlotte begins digging into her husband's past, she starts wondering how much she can trust him.
"Something very bad has happened, right outside our door. Again."
This was an excellent and easy-to-read book with a compelling plot. I was drawn in by the story from the start and flew through the pages. Belle creates an atmospheric read, with the snow and lake basically appearing as extra characters. We find Charlotte (once "Charlie") pitted against her old best friend, Sam, who is on the police force and believes Paul killed his first wife. And we learn that Paul had a high school friendship with Micah, the son of the police chief, and Jax, who is now homeless and known as the town kook. It is Jax who asked to see Paul the day before the woman is found--and Jax who is lurking around Charlotte's house. Is he threatening her, or trying to warn her of something? And is there truly a chance that Paul killed his first wife? I loved how much this one kept me guessing.
What I found amazing is that Belle is able to take a familiar plot--a younger woman marrying an older guy with a past--and transform it into such a spellbinding thriller. What could come across as trite and stale is instead fascinating and intriguing. Charlotte is an easy-to-like protagonist who didn't seem to make dumb decisions. This can't be said of her husband, who was, frankly, an idiot. I had an inkling early about who might be responsible, but it did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the story.
If you like your thrillers filled with secrets and lies, the power of family, and featuring a fascinating plot, this one is for you. 4+ stars.
"Something very bad has happened, right outside our door. Again."
This was an excellent and easy-to-read book with a compelling plot. I was drawn in by the story from the start and flew through the pages. Belle creates an atmospheric read, with the snow and lake basically appearing as extra characters. We find Charlotte (once "Charlie") pitted against her old best friend, Sam, who is on the police force and believes Paul killed his first wife. And we learn that Paul had a high school friendship with Micah, the son of the police chief, and Jax, who is now homeless and known as the town kook. It is Jax who asked to see Paul the day before the woman is found--and Jax who is lurking around Charlotte's house. Is he threatening her, or trying to warn her of something? And is there truly a chance that Paul killed his first wife? I loved how much this one kept me guessing.
What I found amazing is that Belle is able to take a familiar plot--a younger woman marrying an older guy with a past--and transform it into such a spellbinding thriller. What could come across as trite and stale is instead fascinating and intriguing. Charlotte is an easy-to-like protagonist who didn't seem to make dumb decisions. This can't be said of her husband, who was, frankly, an idiot. I had an inkling early about who might be responsible, but it did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the story.
If you like your thrillers filled with secrets and lies, the power of family, and featuring a fascinating plot, this one is for you. 4+ stars.
A Traveller's Year: 365 Days of Travel Writing in Diaries, Journals and Letters
Travis Elborough and Nick Rennison
Book
A Traveller's Year is an anthology of extracts from diaries, journals and letters, two or three for...
Summer at Mount Hope
Book
Phoeba Crupp lives with her squabbling parents and younger sister Lilith on a small farm in rural...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated End of Faith in Books
Jun 7, 2018
Review taken from my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>
You know when you read a book and you don't want it to end because it feels as if it's become a part of you? End of Faith:A Novel by Rena Willemin was definitely one of those books! From page one, I was hooked!
This book is a apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic thriller. We mostly hear the story from Valentina's perspective although every now and then, we get to hear what the Prophet is thinking. Valentina is one of the few people to survive a major pandemic. One day she sees a pregnant woman in trouble, so she does what most people do. She helps her. Little does she know how important the woman was and how that action will change her life for the worse. We follow Valentina as she struggles to survive in a fight for her life.
The character of Valentina was amazing! She really felt like someone I (and probably a lot of women) could relate to. She's a very strong character, but not too strong that she doesn't seem real. Val goes from being just a normal loving wife to a hard core woman determined to fight to stay alive. I definitely felt what she was feeling at all stages throughout the book. It didn't take me long to love Val.
I loved the world building in this book. This is another element which made the book seem more real. The description of an post-apocalyptic world seemed to be bang on, well, I've never been in an post-apocalyptic world or even an apocalyptic world for that matter, but the setting in the book is what I'd imagine it to be.
The pacing of the book was done really well as well. It read brilliantly! It definitely held my attention throughout the whole book.
There wasn't one chapter where the pacing was off.
The cover definitely suits the book. A woman (I assume to be Valentina) running through a tunnel of some sort, looking behind her shoulder like she's really afraid. The colouring of the cover also has a post-apocalyptic feel to it as it gives a feeling of despair.
The title definitely suits this book especially as there is a prophet involved and what feels like a religious cult.
End of Faith:A Novel definitely made me realise just how something like this could happen especially after the scare with Bird Flu. It paints a very realistic portrait of what life could possibly be like if a pandemic of epic proportions were to happen. In fact, this book probably will have me thinking about "what if" long after this review. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone regardless of if their a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction or not.
I was so happy to see that this book is part of a series. This means that I'll be able to feed my addiction of Valentina again!!!
You know when you read a book and you don't want it to end because it feels as if it's become a part of you? End of Faith:A Novel by Rena Willemin was definitely one of those books! From page one, I was hooked!
This book is a apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic thriller. We mostly hear the story from Valentina's perspective although every now and then, we get to hear what the Prophet is thinking. Valentina is one of the few people to survive a major pandemic. One day she sees a pregnant woman in trouble, so she does what most people do. She helps her. Little does she know how important the woman was and how that action will change her life for the worse. We follow Valentina as she struggles to survive in a fight for her life.
The character of Valentina was amazing! She really felt like someone I (and probably a lot of women) could relate to. She's a very strong character, but not too strong that she doesn't seem real. Val goes from being just a normal loving wife to a hard core woman determined to fight to stay alive. I definitely felt what she was feeling at all stages throughout the book. It didn't take me long to love Val.
I loved the world building in this book. This is another element which made the book seem more real. The description of an post-apocalyptic world seemed to be bang on, well, I've never been in an post-apocalyptic world or even an apocalyptic world for that matter, but the setting in the book is what I'd imagine it to be.
The pacing of the book was done really well as well. It read brilliantly! It definitely held my attention throughout the whole book.
There wasn't one chapter where the pacing was off.
The cover definitely suits the book. A woman (I assume to be Valentina) running through a tunnel of some sort, looking behind her shoulder like she's really afraid. The colouring of the cover also has a post-apocalyptic feel to it as it gives a feeling of despair.
The title definitely suits this book especially as there is a prophet involved and what feels like a religious cult.
End of Faith:A Novel definitely made me realise just how something like this could happen especially after the scare with Bird Flu. It paints a very realistic portrait of what life could possibly be like if a pandemic of epic proportions were to happen. In fact, this book probably will have me thinking about "what if" long after this review. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone regardless of if their a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction or not.
I was so happy to see that this book is part of a series. This means that I'll be able to feed my addiction of Valentina again!!!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated That Inevitable Victorian Thing in Books
Jan 11, 2018
A fun alternate history romp
Representation, people! This book features a bisexual, intersex young woman. (I say woman, because she is female-presenting and uses female pronouns.) It also features a not-quite-love-triangle that turns into something more like polyamory. (Sorry, that's a bit of a spoiler, but you can see it coming from a mile away, and the cover description heavily implies the same.)
It's not realistic in the least - everything falls together nicely and it's a bit of a "princess saves the day by virtue of being a princess" kind of plot. But the twist on the history is a very pleasant one - and making the British Empire an Empire that values diversity and the melding of cultures and not looking down on anyone because they're different is a really nice change of pace. It's a WONDERFUL bit of escapist fantasy given today's world, I have to say.
I'd actually really like to see the darker side of this same world explored. One of the main plot points in the book is that there is a computer database of genetics. Everyone in the British Empire, when they turn 18, is encouraged to have their DNA sequenced and entered into the computer to find good genetic matches. They then have the opportunity to chat with those matches and eventually meet them. It's accepted custom, and you're definitely viewed as odd if you choose NOT to do it, though Helena's parents were a love match and never had their DNA matched through the computer. Helena's love interest is a boy she grew up with, she really only ran her DNA through the computer for kicks. So it's not mandatory - except for royals. But that this computer and database exists leaves room for a darker side. What about genetic modification? Forced marriages for certain genetic outcomes? That has to be happening somewhere. That Inevitable Victorian Thing really only looked at the fun, light-hearted, good uses of this technology. I'd love to see the other side.
Oh - while the book definitely has a Victorian flavor, it's definitely set in modern day, or perhaps a little past. It's not Victorian era.
Fun little book. A good escape from a racist, homophobic world to a more diverse, accepting one. But a little TOO fluffy bunny for my personal tastes.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
It's not realistic in the least - everything falls together nicely and it's a bit of a "princess saves the day by virtue of being a princess" kind of plot. But the twist on the history is a very pleasant one - and making the British Empire an Empire that values diversity and the melding of cultures and not looking down on anyone because they're different is a really nice change of pace. It's a WONDERFUL bit of escapist fantasy given today's world, I have to say.
I'd actually really like to see the darker side of this same world explored. One of the main plot points in the book is that there is a computer database of genetics. Everyone in the British Empire, when they turn 18, is encouraged to have their DNA sequenced and entered into the computer to find good genetic matches. They then have the opportunity to chat with those matches and eventually meet them. It's accepted custom, and you're definitely viewed as odd if you choose NOT to do it, though Helena's parents were a love match and never had their DNA matched through the computer. Helena's love interest is a boy she grew up with, she really only ran her DNA through the computer for kicks. So it's not mandatory - except for royals. But that this computer and database exists leaves room for a darker side. What about genetic modification? Forced marriages for certain genetic outcomes? That has to be happening somewhere. That Inevitable Victorian Thing really only looked at the fun, light-hearted, good uses of this technology. I'd love to see the other side.
Oh - while the book definitely has a Victorian flavor, it's definitely set in modern day, or perhaps a little past. It's not Victorian era.
Fun little book. A good escape from a racist, homophobic world to a more diverse, accepting one. But a little TOO fluffy bunny for my personal tastes.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
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Case Closed
8.0
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David McK (3623 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 27, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2021)
Like, I'm sure, many others, if you'd mentioned the words 'Wonder Woman' to me prior to 2016 Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice I probably would have thought of the 1970s(?) Linda Carter starring TV series.
That was a role that Gal Gadot took in in the 2016 movie, portraying a different take on the character: one who has largely remained in the background throughout history, only revealing herself (and her powers) towards the end of that movie.
This film takes place at an earlier period in her life (albeit 'bookended' by a modern day setting, with Diana receiving a vintage photo of her in costume): during the First World War, to be precise, when Diana first leaves the Amazonian island paradise of Thermiscyra and enters the world, discovering her powers and heritage in the process.
While there may be an element of truth in the criticism that the plot of this movie is - largely - a role-reversed Captain America (World War setting? Sacrificial ending?) and that it probably could have done without the CGI battle at the end (which, IMO, lessened the impact the movie would have had without it) this is still a very enjoyable movie indeed!
As an aside: the stand-out scene where Diana crosses No-Mans land on her own? That was nearly cut from the movie.
That was a role that Gal Gadot took in in the 2016 movie, portraying a different take on the character: one who has largely remained in the background throughout history, only revealing herself (and her powers) towards the end of that movie.
This film takes place at an earlier period in her life (albeit 'bookended' by a modern day setting, with Diana receiving a vintage photo of her in costume): during the First World War, to be precise, when Diana first leaves the Amazonian island paradise of Thermiscyra and enters the world, discovering her powers and heritage in the process.
While there may be an element of truth in the criticism that the plot of this movie is - largely - a role-reversed Captain America (World War setting? Sacrificial ending?) and that it probably could have done without the CGI battle at the end (which, IMO, lessened the impact the movie would have had without it) this is still a very enjoyable movie indeed!
As an aside: the stand-out scene where Diana crosses No-Mans land on her own? That was nearly cut from the movie.