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Death by Smoothie
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It’s the funny side of homicide in acclaimed TV comedy writer and novelist Laura Levine’s newest...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Midwife's Child (WW2 Resistance Series #3) in Books
May 21, 2023
The Midwife's Child is an emotional rollercoaster that although is work of fiction, it's based on things that actually happened and real people with the love story element between Maggie and Jamie being based on the true story of a Scottish Commando who met a young woman in a displaced persons camp who had survived the death march.
This is the third in this series but I think it works successfully as a standalone because whilst there are recurring characters, each book is a separate story which focusses on one of those recurring characters.
The Midwife's Child centres around Maggie, a former SOE Special Operations Executive) but now incarcerated in Auschwitz following her capture. There she finds herself working in the camp hospital where the devil incarnate, Joseph Mengele, practised his infamous experiments and where Maggie is determined to save the life of her friend Eva and new born, Leah. The end of the war is fast approaching and the Russians are getting close, Eva is too unwell to go on the forced march so she begs Maggie to save her child and reunite her with her father. A seemingly impossible task but one which Maggie vows to complete.
Told from two timelines, from her time as a doctor working in the 'hospital' at Auschwitz towards the end of the war and the period afterwards, The Midwife's Child is a story of exceptional courage, duty, love, friendship and hope and a story that I highly recommended to those of you who enjoy this genre and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Midwife's Child.
This is the third in this series but I think it works successfully as a standalone because whilst there are recurring characters, each book is a separate story which focusses on one of those recurring characters.
The Midwife's Child centres around Maggie, a former SOE Special Operations Executive) but now incarcerated in Auschwitz following her capture. There she finds herself working in the camp hospital where the devil incarnate, Joseph Mengele, practised his infamous experiments and where Maggie is determined to save the life of her friend Eva and new born, Leah. The end of the war is fast approaching and the Russians are getting close, Eva is too unwell to go on the forced march so she begs Maggie to save her child and reunite her with her father. A seemingly impossible task but one which Maggie vows to complete.
Told from two timelines, from her time as a doctor working in the 'hospital' at Auschwitz towards the end of the war and the period afterwards, The Midwife's Child is a story of exceptional courage, duty, love, friendship and hope and a story that I highly recommended to those of you who enjoy this genre and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Midwife's Child.
David McK (3587 KP) rated Indiana jones and the dial of destiny (2023) in Movies
Jul 9, 2023 (Updated Aug 2, 2024)
Eels look like snakes? No they don't ...
Harrison Ford is over 80 now.
So fair play to him for returning to one of his most iconic roles, as Doctor Henry Jones Jr aka Indiana Jones, in what must surely by his swansong for that role.
And even more fair play for the film not making light of his age, but working it 'properly' into the plot (which has an absolute bonkers ending), with Jones - at one point - wondering aloud what he is even doing scaling a rock face at his age (and with mention made of the events of Temple of Doom in particular, at this point).
The whole prologue of the film - here, helmed by James Mangold instead of Spielberg - is set during the closing stages of World War II, and sees a CGI de-aged Ford battling Nazis in pursuit of a stolen relic, that leads him to the real McGuffin of the movie, the Dial of the title.
Jump forward to the late 60s, and Jones is retiring from academia when he is visited by the daughter of an old friend who wants his help in recovering said relic.
Initially hesitant - and following the breakup of his marriage to Marion, and, as we later discover, the fate of Mutt - Jones soon finds himself drawn back into the way of his old life.
For my money, this is better than Crystal Skull, with the the Dial as a McGuffin, 'suiting' Indiana Jones better than the sci-fi trappings of that earlier film, and with Phoebe Waller-Bridge a better foil than Shia LaBeouf.
Still not up there with the original trilogy, though.
So fair play to him for returning to one of his most iconic roles, as Doctor Henry Jones Jr aka Indiana Jones, in what must surely by his swansong for that role.
And even more fair play for the film not making light of his age, but working it 'properly' into the plot (which has an absolute bonkers ending), with Jones - at one point - wondering aloud what he is even doing scaling a rock face at his age (and with mention made of the events of Temple of Doom in particular, at this point).
The whole prologue of the film - here, helmed by James Mangold instead of Spielberg - is set during the closing stages of World War II, and sees a CGI de-aged Ford battling Nazis in pursuit of a stolen relic, that leads him to the real McGuffin of the movie, the Dial of the title.
Jump forward to the late 60s, and Jones is retiring from academia when he is visited by the daughter of an old friend who wants his help in recovering said relic.
Initially hesitant - and following the breakup of his marriage to Marion, and, as we later discover, the fate of Mutt - Jones soon finds himself drawn back into the way of his old life.
For my money, this is better than Crystal Skull, with the the Dial as a McGuffin, 'suiting' Indiana Jones better than the sci-fi trappings of that earlier film, and with Phoebe Waller-Bridge a better foil than Shia LaBeouf.
Still not up there with the original trilogy, though.
Merissa (13123 KP) rated Catch a Tiger by the Tail (THIRDS #6) in Books
Jun 27, 2017
Catch a Tiger by the Tail (THIRDS #6) by Charlie Cochet
Catch A Tiger By The Tail is Calvin and Hobbs' story! They've been best friends for years, making sure they have each other's back. Calvin has known that he loved Ethan for a long time now, but Ethan has issues to work through, one of which being that he really doesn't like change. One of the best bits of this book was when Ethan was telling Calvin about what happened with Dr Shultzon, and how the 'good' doctor said he was broken. I think I actually heard my heart break in two at that point! However, Calvin soon put a band-aid on it with his response. He really does know Ethan better than Ethan knows himself. However, Calvin also needs to place his trust in his partner a bit more, to realise that he can't protect Ethan from everything, and that Ethan can actually cope with more than Calvin realises.
This book is all about Calvin and Ethan, but we get regular appearances from the rest of Destructive Delta, plus Ethan's brothers. There is one bit involving a character that I have loved to loathe up until the part where I read his 'why'. Now, everyone has a reason for how they act, but this one...? This one slayed me. And now I can't loathe him anymore! Instead, I'm turning those feelings towards Dr Shultzon!!!
Incredible writing once again, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, plus a horrible cliffhanger that will leave you wanting to pounce on the next book immediately. Which, if you'll excuse me, I'm just about to do! Highly recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is all about Calvin and Ethan, but we get regular appearances from the rest of Destructive Delta, plus Ethan's brothers. There is one bit involving a character that I have loved to loathe up until the part where I read his 'why'. Now, everyone has a reason for how they act, but this one...? This one slayed me. And now I can't loathe him anymore! Instead, I'm turning those feelings towards Dr Shultzon!!!
Incredible writing once again, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, plus a horrible cliffhanger that will leave you wanting to pounce on the next book immediately. Which, if you'll excuse me, I'm just about to do! Highly recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Pelican Point (Hope Harbor #4) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Pelican Point is the fourth novel in the Hope Harbor series. In this intriguing novel, we are introduced to Army doctor Ben Garrison who has arrived back to Hope Harbor for his grandfather's funeral.
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Merissa (13123 KP) rated Drawing Bloodlines (The Princeton Allegiant #1) in Books
Apr 4, 2019
Drawing Bloodlines (The Princeton Allegiant #1) by Deborah Garland
Drawing Bloodlines is the first book in The Princeton Allegiant, and we meet with Alexander, a young vampire of only five hundred years old or so. He is the doctor who draws the blood from our main female, Elizabeth, which is okay until she catches him drinking it.
The attraction between Alexander and Elizabeth is off the charts from the start, but I actually wished it wasn't for part of the book! Now, don't get me wrong, steam isn't a bad thing at all, but for me, it actually took away from some of the parts of the story. It all became about how often these two made the naughty, rather than anything else like, for example, maybe Alex could have told Elizabeth more of his history... say the part with Christiana in it?! I actually preferred this book once Alex was told he had to mate with Christiana, and Loren appeared on the scene. I felt there was more of a connection then, but maybe that's just me.
On the whole, this was a very good read, with plenty to get your teeth into (bad pun intended). I would love to read more about this world of Allegiants, and see how it works in greater detail. And, of course, find out more about the missing vampires. Oh, and hope Elijah gets his story!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, and I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Excellent start to the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me 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!
The attraction between Alexander and Elizabeth is off the charts from the start, but I actually wished it wasn't for part of the book! Now, don't get me wrong, steam isn't a bad thing at all, but for me, it actually took away from some of the parts of the story. It all became about how often these two made the naughty, rather than anything else like, for example, maybe Alex could have told Elizabeth more of his history... say the part with Christiana in it?! I actually preferred this book once Alex was told he had to mate with Christiana, and Loren appeared on the scene. I felt there was more of a connection then, but maybe that's just me.
On the whole, this was a very good read, with plenty to get your teeth into (bad pun intended). I would love to read more about this world of Allegiants, and see how it works in greater detail. And, of course, find out more about the missing vampires. Oh, and hope Elijah gets his story!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, and I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Excellent start to the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me 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!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Motherhood in Books
Apr 9, 2019
As women, it's our one job to reproduce, but is it? Some women can't wait to be mothers, others want to wait for the right time. Some women can't have children, and some women don't want children. This book examines one woman's journey through one of the biggest decisions women make between the ages of 20-40(the childbearing years). To have a baby or not to have a baby, that is the question.
Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I couldn't get this book. I read it from cover to cover and I just couldn't find the something that drew it all together. To me it seemed really repetitive and there was really no cohesiveness.
I wanted to read this book because from a young age, I didn't want kids. Everyone one in my family and all of my friends knew this about me. I love kids. I was the neighborhood babysitter, I was a Girl Scout Camp leader, I went to school to become a child psychologist, but I just didn't want to have any of my own. One year before my Doctor agreed to tie my tubes if I hadn't had kids I got pregnant, two years later came baby number 2 and 10.5 months after that baby number 3. So I was really looking forward to reading this book and hearing someone else's perspective on the topic.
I couldn't relate to anything in this fiction/non-fiction tale. I'm not even sure if the main character had a name. Was it the author? The boyfriend was Miles. I'm not sure what message was trying to be conveyed, but I didn't get it.
I don't know if I will read other books by this author.
Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I couldn't get this book. I read it from cover to cover and I just couldn't find the something that drew it all together. To me it seemed really repetitive and there was really no cohesiveness.
I wanted to read this book because from a young age, I didn't want kids. Everyone one in my family and all of my friends knew this about me. I love kids. I was the neighborhood babysitter, I was a Girl Scout Camp leader, I went to school to become a child psychologist, but I just didn't want to have any of my own. One year before my Doctor agreed to tie my tubes if I hadn't had kids I got pregnant, two years later came baby number 2 and 10.5 months after that baby number 3. So I was really looking forward to reading this book and hearing someone else's perspective on the topic.
I couldn't relate to anything in this fiction/non-fiction tale. I'm not even sure if the main character had a name. Was it the author? The boyfriend was Miles. I'm not sure what message was trying to be conveyed, but I didn't get it.
I don't know if I will read other books by this author.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated A Man Called Ove in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Ove is a cranky old man who has recently lost his wife. He would like nothing more than to join her in the afterlife. He has made all of the arrangements, paid all of the bills, now he just has to find the best way to off himself. But when the neighbors seem to take a new interest in Ove, his plans keep getting thwarted. Will he be able to go through with his plans or will the neighbors have other plans?
I listened to this book and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. But slowly Ove started to grow on me. He's the kind of guy who you know is stuck in his ways and there is nothing that you can say or do that will change that. But eventually you see a change, not one that is at first noticeable, but a slight softening.
Even though Ove is ready to leave this world, his neighbors, have a different idea. It starts with Parvana and her family. When they move into the neighborhood, they need help backing their trailer up on the street in order to move in. Then Parvana needs a ride to the hospital when her husband, Patrick has fallen off a ladder. Then another resident has to go to the hospital, then another neighbor needs help with their radiator and so on and so on. My favorite part of the book is toward the end **SPOILER ALERT** when Ove himself ends up going to the hospital and when Parvana goes to see him, the doctor tells her that one of Ove's problems is that his heart is too big. That makes Parvana bust out laughing.
At the end of this book, I cried like a baby and I highly recommend this book.
I listened to this book and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. But slowly Ove started to grow on me. He's the kind of guy who you know is stuck in his ways and there is nothing that you can say or do that will change that. But eventually you see a change, not one that is at first noticeable, but a slight softening.
Even though Ove is ready to leave this world, his neighbors, have a different idea. It starts with Parvana and her family. When they move into the neighborhood, they need help backing their trailer up on the street in order to move in. Then Parvana needs a ride to the hospital when her husband, Patrick has fallen off a ladder. Then another resident has to go to the hospital, then another neighbor needs help with their radiator and so on and so on. My favorite part of the book is toward the end **SPOILER ALERT** when Ove himself ends up going to the hospital and when Parvana goes to see him, the doctor tells her that one of Ove's problems is that his heart is too big. That makes Parvana bust out laughing.
At the end of this book, I cried like a baby and I highly recommend this book.
Kaz (232 KP) rated 'Master and Commander' in Books
May 15, 2019
An Interesting Maritime Adventure
This book was recommended to me by a friend who has read all of the books in the series and this, is the first. I thought because I had watched the film version of this novel, that I knew what the story was going to be about, but the book is very different from the adaptation.
At first, I found this extremely difficult to get into. After about 100 pages I actually put this book down, because I found the maritime vocabulary, impossible to follow. However, I decided to pick it back up again and actually, when the character Stephen Maturin, the ship's doctor, comes into the story, I found that, because he was a novice with ships, he was asking questions about the different mechanisms etc of the ship and that helped me to feel that I had some idea of what it was all about.
I also found some of the battle scene a little bit static and difficult to visualize.
Even though this was a challenging book, I really like the relationship between Stephen and Jack Aubrey, the ship's captain. The writing was very humorous at times and I also liked how some of this book featured places in the Mediterranean that I'm really familiar with.
Being the first in the series, I'm sure as the novels progress, I might find this easier to get into. I won't be rushing out to read any more at the moment, I think you need to be in the right mood to read them. However, I may read more of this series in the future.
My Rating ***
At first, I found this extremely difficult to get into. After about 100 pages I actually put this book down, because I found the maritime vocabulary, impossible to follow. However, I decided to pick it back up again and actually, when the character Stephen Maturin, the ship's doctor, comes into the story, I found that, because he was a novice with ships, he was asking questions about the different mechanisms etc of the ship and that helped me to feel that I had some idea of what it was all about.
I also found some of the battle scene a little bit static and difficult to visualize.
Even though this was a challenging book, I really like the relationship between Stephen and Jack Aubrey, the ship's captain. The writing was very humorous at times and I also liked how some of this book featured places in the Mediterranean that I'm really familiar with.
Being the first in the series, I'm sure as the novels progress, I might find this easier to get into. I won't be rushing out to read any more at the moment, I think you need to be in the right mood to read them. However, I may read more of this series in the future.
My Rating ***
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 in TV
May 24, 2019 (Updated May 24, 2019)
Klingons aren't very interesting in this (1 more)
Wired propulsion system makes little sense
Slick action packed adventure
I grew up on Star Trek The Next Generation and was pretty obsessed with it, all those now defunct VHS tapes...sigh. I enjoyed the Original series (in particular Doctor McCoy) but things started to go awry with Deep Space Nine and I struggled to get into it until the later series and the Dominion came into it. Voyager never did a lot for me the Borg made it tolerable at times and I just plain gave up on Enterprise so it’s safe to say I went into watching Discovery without much hope but came out of season 1 pleasantly surprised.
Set before the adventures of the Original series Discovery is a star-ship with a revolutionary propulsion system and set to be a key part in the battle against the Klingons which this series focuses on (the look they went for with the Klingons in this didn’t work for me - too much like a Cornish pasty head.)
Unlike previous incarnations, Discovery doesn't focus around the Captain, instead we focus more on the character of Michael Burnham who’s pretty a smart kick ass type of girl. It’s the characters and the acting in this that really engaged, I don’t think I’ve liked as many of the main cast as this before.
When we start dealing with the Mirror universe (remember goatee Spock in the original series?) this series really got going for me I love the Terran empire and when we meet the Emperor it’s just great.
This series was full of continuing story lines (unlike the more traditional Trek standalone episode formula) and had a lot more action based feel to it. It’s different but enjoyable, looking forward to watching series 2.
Set before the adventures of the Original series Discovery is a star-ship with a revolutionary propulsion system and set to be a key part in the battle against the Klingons which this series focuses on (the look they went for with the Klingons in this didn’t work for me - too much like a Cornish pasty head.)
Unlike previous incarnations, Discovery doesn't focus around the Captain, instead we focus more on the character of Michael Burnham who’s pretty a smart kick ass type of girl. It’s the characters and the acting in this that really engaged, I don’t think I’ve liked as many of the main cast as this before.
When we start dealing with the Mirror universe (remember goatee Spock in the original series?) this series really got going for me I love the Terran empire and when we meet the Emperor it’s just great.
This series was full of continuing story lines (unlike the more traditional Trek standalone episode formula) and had a lot more action based feel to it. It’s different but enjoyable, looking forward to watching series 2.