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A Multitude of Dreams
Mara Rutherford | 2023 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Favorite book of this year
Title: A Multitude of dreams
Author: Mara Rutherford

My favorite read of the year would be A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford. In the beginning of this book it takes place during the after math of a horrible plague called the Mori Roja which basically causes the patient to bleed out and die. Only ways people can survive the mori Roja are to die and be reborn, never come in contact with the plague or be immune.

Princess Imogen of Goslind has been locked in the palace with many other higher born citizens for the past four years during the plague she wants to be set free same with many others but the king will not allow that. After Nico impersonating a prince shows up they quickly learn being locked up is what helped them survive so long but it is no longer possible when the food runs out.

 When Nico realizes that Lord Crane is a reborn and learns of his plans he decided to impersonate a prince who died on his way to meet the princess for a marriage agreement. He died by a reborn. He does this to try to warn and save the people of the palace but he has no success when Lord Crane and other reborns invade the palace killing many.

This being the best book I read of 2023 I am having a hard time choosing just one part I loved the most in it. I did enjoy that Princess Giselle got the karma that was coming for her it was one hundred percent deserved. The story was really well written and extremely hard to put down. Another part I loved were all the moments between Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. Honestly only part of this book I disliked was that Jocelyn and Imogen didn't end up together. I thought they would because they were giving off more that friend vibes with the kisses and stuff.

When it comes to the characters my favorites were Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. I loved them from the beginning. One character who gave bad vibes and I knew couldn't be trust was Lord Crane. I could just tell there was something up with him. On the other hand Nico and Colin were both very trustworthy from the beginning. I didn't like Giselle, Henry or Branson either. Princess Giselle I could tell she was a backstabber. Henry I could tell he had an alternative motive and couldn't be trusted. Same with Branson. This book had a very good character development.

I recommend reading this if books based during or after a plague interests you. I also recommend if you enjoy books about vampires.
  
Shocker (1989)
Shocker (1989)
1989 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Mitch Pileggi (1 more)
Peter Berg
Shock Till You Drop
Shocker- is a underrated wes craven film. Its a really good movie. It mixes sci-fi, horror, comedy, shock and terror all into one. I mean its really shocking, so shocking i might get shocked. Okay enough with the pawns.

The Plot: After being captured for a series of gruesome murders, Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi), a television repairman, faces execution by the electric chair -- but a deal with the devil allows him to come back as electricity. Once he changes into his new form, Pinker goes after the detective that brought him down, Lt. Don Parker (Michael Murphy), as well as Parker's adopted son, Jonathan (Peter Berg). However, Jonathan's mysterious connection to Pinker through
dreams might help track the killer's moves.

According to Craven, the film was severely cut for an "R" rating. It took around thirteen submissions to the Motion Picture Association of America to receive an "R" instead of an "X". Some scenes that were cut included Pinker spitting out fingers that he bit off of a prison guard, a longer and more graphic electrocution of Pinker, and a longer scene of a possessed coach stabbing his own hand. Despite fan interest, an uncut version has never been released.

Its a shocking entertaining movie.
  
RA
Rich and Pretty
4
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
2.5 Stars

Lauren and Sarah have been best friends since they were eleven years old. Now that they are adults, they don't seem to be as close as they used to be. With Sarah's upcoming wedding, will they be able to revive the friendship they once had?

Reading the description for this book, I was so excited to read it as I thought I would be able to relate to the characters, but unfortunately, I couldn't.

The story focuses on the long relationship between Lauren and Sarah and takes place in New York mostly during the months leading up to Sarah's wedding to Dan. There are things they share and secrets they keep from each other. Lauren is living her single life and Sarah dreams of something different for their future lives together. Lauren appears to be happy for Sarah, but internally she doesn't really care. I thought something more dramatic may have happened during this book, but overall it was underwhelming. The two never seemed to work through the issues they were having just glossing by life. Several times I thought about putting this book down, but I had to see how it was going to end.

Not a book I would recommend.
  
Just Another Liar [Audiobook]
Just Another Liar [Audiobook]
Mandy Byatt | 2022 | Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook and although there were points when the story ebbed a little, it kept my interest.

Three women from very different backgrounds join a dating website and all think they have met the man of their dreams - Dr David Kingfisher. They are all convinced he is 'the one' despite never having met him in person. None of the three know of the others existence until a Facebook post by one of them asking for help to find him after he disappears. Cue an investigation by the three but in their attempts to find him, they put one of their lives in danger.

The main characters are well developed with Denise being my favourite but Petra and Anna, not so much. The other characters weren't particularly likeable at all but they all had a part to play in the overall story. The pace is mixed - it ebbs and flows with a lot of the 'action' taking place in the last third of the book. The plot is relevant and topical and the vastly different lives of the three main characters is interesting.

The narrator is good and whilst there were some distinctions between the voices of the characters, I think it would have worked better if different narrators were used for the three main characters. That being said, Melissa did a good job particularly with the voice of some of the male characters where she captured their 'smarminess' perfectly.

Overall, a good book that works well in audio format.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Black Hearted (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded #2)
Black Hearted (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded #2)
Julie Ann Walker | 2023 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BLACK HEARTED is the second book in the Black Knights Inc: Reloaded series. I haven't read the first book in this series but I don't feel as though it impacted me greatly, although I do believe it would have been better if I had read it.

Sam thinks of Hannah as the thirteen-year-old little sister to his ex-girlfriend, not realising that she is now twenty-nine, with thoughts and dreams of her own. It doesn't help that most of those dreams revolve around Sam, the childhood crush she never grew out of. Hannah walks away at one time (presumably after the first book finishes) but some time down the line, she needs Sam's help. Hannah has been framed and is classed as a traitor. She goes to the one person she knows will help her.

I found this story to be both fast-paced and also slow-burn, as the multitude of events and miscommunications built up. Told from the third person, you hear from Sam and Hannah, but I loved the snippets from Eliza and Fisher. And the poetry quotes were exceedingly well chosen.

A story filled with terrorism, hacking, love, and miscommunication. If these things float your boat, then I can definitely recommend it.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 23, 2023
  
GT
Gateway to Dreamworld
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gateway to Dreamworld
by Brenda Estacio
Rating: 3.5/5

My Summary: Jean and Brad have a wonderful life with wonderful kids. But through several awful things that happen to them, like the car accident that put Pete in a wheelchair for his life and the depression that Brad experienced from it, the family has slipped apart. Jason, the oldest son, goes up into his hideout in the Lighthouse to try to escape the stress of his family falling apart. While up there, a stroke of lightning hits the lighthouse and creates a magical Gateway from the real world to Dreamworld, a place that only the pure of heart can access in their dreams. Jason has to decide whether or not he wants to stay in Dreamworld for the rest of his life, where everything is perfect and nobody gets sick or dies, or whether he wants to stay in the real world with his family. When Jason finds out that his mom is pregnant and ill, he is sure she is going to die. Then Jason finds out that he can save his mom and heal his brother by taking his family to Dreamworld—but he has to do it before the Gateway closes up forever…

My thoughts: Gateway to Dreamworld is an interesting yet odd read. It’s fast paced, covering a whole beginning of a relationship, two births, a death and a few other major events in the first few chapters and moving through important story lines very quickly—almost too quickly. I wished the author had slowed down and taken more time developing the story line in the first 100 pages, rather than just telling it all so fast—the first ten chapters or so felt rushed, as if she was in a hurry to get it over with and explain it so she could move on to what she wanted to write about. The pdf that I read from was 358 pages, and it got really interesting on chapter 13, page 118. That being said, it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the first 100 pages, they were very interesting and showed the life of a realistic family.

The only thing about this book that I didn’t like was that it had what I call “happy-land” syndrome—everything is working out perfectly, or is resolved too quickly. The father slipped into depression, and it was totally expected and realistic, however he was jerked out of it too fast (Maybe only people who have experienced depression can testify, but it doesn’t go away that quickly—it takes months of talking, treatment, and sometimes medication, not one talk with a pastor and a few tears.). When the grandma died, the character’s reactions were realistic—but family members “got over it” so fast that it left me frowning. This was all in the earliest part of the book, again I felt that the author just wanted to be done with the explaining part so she could move onto the interesting part.

Plot: this was a science fiction book, and it’s been a long time since I’ve read a sci fi. I loved getting lost in the idea of Dreamworld and The Gateway and the fear of the Unknown was horrific. During one of the crucial moments at the end of the book I could feel my blood speed up as I read it. The end of this book was a bit of a shock, not at all what I expected. I’m not sure if I was disappointed or satisfied, but it was certainly intriguing.

Characters: I personally didn’t connect with the characters very well because they were two adults and two young children, however my favorite character would have to be Pete, the little brother who gets paralyzed. He’s such a brave kid, trusting of his brother, and loving to his parents.

The Writing: The writing seemed very formal—I don’t think there was a single contraction in the whole book, and the character’s lines were detailed, specific, honest, and humble— they almost felt like robots the way they were never greedy, never mean. The word that came to mind as I read it was “quaint,” because it was told from third person omniscient perspective, and there wasn’t a lot of dialogue.

Recommendation: I think ages 9-14 would enjoy this book a lot more than I did (not to say I didn’t) because of the young characters and the science fiction aspect. However, there were a few scenes of husband and wife relationship that were not detailed, but were not suitable for an eleven or twelve-year-old either. It’s hard to place a specific age on this book, but I will say that anyone who read and enjoyed Madeleine L'Engle’s Many Waters (A Wrinkle In Time series) will enjoy this book as well.

All in all, I immensely enjoyed this book and found myself needing to finish it, I couldn’t stop in the middle. It was highly addicting and exciting, and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank You to Brenda Estacio for the e-book to review!

~Haleyknitz
  
Horse Girl (2020)
Horse Girl (2020)
2020 | Drama
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Pacing Was One Problem of Many
In Horse Girl, Sarah (Alison Brie) finds herself confusing her dreams with reality as her visions start to become more and more real.

Acting: 10
I didn’t love this movie, but I did love Brie’s performance as Sarah. It’s an earnest performance and she did extremely well within the confines of the script she was given. With a solid supporting cast in tow, I enjoyed the acting all the way around.

Beginning: 5

Characters: 2
I wasn’t in love with Sarah’s character or at least how she was portrayed. Without giving away any of the story, I’ll just say I think her arc could have been delved into a bit more. In Horse Girl, it felt like the main issue was being skirted more than anything. I also felt like the other characters were just around for the sake of being fillers.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is shot well from a visual standpoint. I love how the dreams blend seamlessly into reality and you have a hard time discerning what’s what at times. It’s those kind of things that keep you guessing and almost manage to salvage the movie.

Conflict: 5

Entertainment Value: 3
If I’m being honest, I was mostly bored throughout the movie. Sure there were a couple of moments that piqued my interest, but I think the movie showed it’s hand too fast by presenting the issue, then not really doing much to resolve the issue. I understand the theme of what the movie is supposed to represent, but where is the light in all of it? It felt like a movie descending more and more into darkness with no hope of getting out.

Memorability: 3

Pace: 4
Slow-moving to the point of being painful at times. I remember repeatedly checking the time hoping that things would eventually pick up. I found myself chasing storylines in my head that didn’t even matter. It felt slower overall because I continued to question the direction.

Plot: 3
The attempt to tackle this type of story could have been handled a lot better. If I compare it to another movie that comes to mind, you will automatically know what Horse Girl is about, but I will say said movie handles the topic like night and day compared to this movie. It lacked any kind of cohesiveness to keep me interested.

Resolution: 3
Ends worse than it started. It drained me of hope which is the complete opposite of a movie’s aim. It’s a shame as there were so many different directions they could have chosen.

Overall: 48
About fifteen minutes in, this movie starts to go downhill for me and never really rebounds. Instead, what happens next is a descent into madness that is neither fun nor hopeful.
  
Making Waves (Lake Manawa Summers, #1)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set in 1895 on the shores of Lake Manawa, Marguerite Westing has a summer she will never forget.

Her beau, Roger Gordon, is not just the boring, uninteresting man she thought he was. And her loving and caring father has a secret as well that could destroy his family. In a time when women were practically forbidden to sail...Marguerite falls in love with sailing...and the sailing instructor Trip Andrews. Her fiery spirit gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. And she has a tendency for making waves wherever she goes.

A difficult choice lays before her, will she give up all of her hopes and dreams to save her family? Or will she follow her heart and put her trust in the Lord to work things out.

This book is a very easy quick read. Has some surprises and twists. I enjoy the use of scripture, as well as the lessons of trusting the Lord. I enjoy the time period and the fact that Marguerite tends to go against the flow of what is normal and expected for women in this era.

I found Making Waves at my library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
AC
A Cross to Bear
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Cross to Bear is the college life story of a young man who knows what he wants, but is unprepared for what he gets. Logan is happy to be at college; he has a full scholarship on the swim team, he has other classes to keep his brain active, he meets the girl of his dreams, and finds friends that he never knew he was missing. Of course, not everything is peachy, and both Logan and Bree have things to deal with, both in their pasts and present.

This book starts at the end, and then you go to the beginning, slowly working your way back to the end. Trust me, it works. So many emotions when I was reading this! So sad, so hard, and also so horrible in some ways. Ethan is the first class bad guy, he really was completely loathsome. I wish I could say that he gets his comeuppance in this book, but he doesn't. I will have to pray to Jet's Gods of Karma in the hope that he did!

Extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this was a book that I enjoyed, even though parts of it were hard to read, so well done to Julieanne Lynch! Definitely recommended.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Quantum Leap: Carny Knowledge
Quantum Leap: Carny Knowledge
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Theorising that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Doctor Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished... He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown desire to change history for the better ..."

Recently, I've started watching the Paramount+ revival of one of my favourite 'tweenage' years shows.

I'm not yet - as of the time of writing - sold on it.

Having watched an episode or two, I thought I would revisit the original, albeit in literary rather than audiovisual form - I know that, in the past, I had read Quantum Leap 00: Too Close for Comfort and Knights of the Morningstar, but I had never read this one. When I cam across it, therefore, I thought I would give it a go.

I have to say, also, that - unfortunately - I just wasn't really all that impressed by it. I don't know whether that's because this was #1 in the book series, or because of the subject matter - being from the UK, carnivals (and the people who run them, known as Carnies (or so I've heard) ) aren't really all that much of a thing here! Nor do I particularly like roller-coasters ...

In this, Sam finds himself in the body of one such 1950 Carnie, a childhood polio survivor, who seems to have visions of the future in which people die after a roller-coaster derails on its maiden run, with all the hopes and dreams of the Carnival workers pinned on that roller coaster. This, I found, was bit slow in starting, although it did pick up towards the end! There's also segments in the (1990s!) future, showing what is missing from the revival in the Waiting Room, and explains a bit better than that revival does why Al is Sam's hologram as opposed to Addison being Ben's.

Worth a read for nostalgia factor, maybe.