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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Second Sight of a Zachary Cloudesley in Books
Nov 11, 2023
I don’t quite know how I can write anything about this book and still do it justice! It’s a wide sweeping novel, that takes the reader from a clockmakers in London to Constantinople.
Starting in 1754, Zachary is born on the day that his mother dies. His father, Abel, loves him fiercely, and wants to always do his best for him, which brings a Mrs Grace Morley and her baby daughter Leonora into their lives. She’s a strong, forceful woman who is to leave an impression on everyone that meets her.
After a near-fatal accident leaves Zachary blind in one eye, his father sends him to live part of the year with his Aunt Frances. This is another strong, independent woman who is determined to make Zachary the son she never had. She sees in Zachary the gift that his mother had: the ability to read people and see inside to their hopes, wishes and dreams - and also their not-so-positive thoughts.
Abel finds himself forced to go to Constantinople, and Zachary begins to have visions that send him on a chase across Europe to find his father after he loses contact with him.
The descriptions of London, Frances’ house and land, and those of Constantinople are rich and detailed - I could have been there. I was gripped from the first page, immersed in an 18th century world where lives were at stake and a boy had to be brave to save the life of his father. I loved Aunt Frances and Tom, Abel’s apprentice, who both join the Cloudesley’s in Constantinople.
The love between the characters is bright and clear, and their losses are the readers losses as well (I cried). This is historical fiction, an adventure story with a dash of fantasy and the love of family and good friends.
Highly recommended.
Starting in 1754, Zachary is born on the day that his mother dies. His father, Abel, loves him fiercely, and wants to always do his best for him, which brings a Mrs Grace Morley and her baby daughter Leonora into their lives. She’s a strong, forceful woman who is to leave an impression on everyone that meets her.
After a near-fatal accident leaves Zachary blind in one eye, his father sends him to live part of the year with his Aunt Frances. This is another strong, independent woman who is determined to make Zachary the son she never had. She sees in Zachary the gift that his mother had: the ability to read people and see inside to their hopes, wishes and dreams - and also their not-so-positive thoughts.
Abel finds himself forced to go to Constantinople, and Zachary begins to have visions that send him on a chase across Europe to find his father after he loses contact with him.
The descriptions of London, Frances’ house and land, and those of Constantinople are rich and detailed - I could have been there. I was gripped from the first page, immersed in an 18th century world where lives were at stake and a boy had to be brave to save the life of his father. I loved Aunt Frances and Tom, Abel’s apprentice, who both join the Cloudesley’s in Constantinople.
The love between the characters is bright and clear, and their losses are the readers losses as well (I cried). This is historical fiction, an adventure story with a dash of fantasy and the love of family and good friends.
Highly recommended.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman in Books
Jul 1, 2021
The thing that really attracted me to this little gem of a book was it’s title and wondering whether there was actually a character named Norman Foreman in it or not. Then when I read the blurb I knew that I just had to read it.
We follow a mother and son, Sadie and Norman Foreman, through a challenging time in their life - Norman’s best friend Jax dying from an asthma attack. Norman and Jax did everything together, and loved watching comedy sketches and comedians and had big dreams of becoming a comedy duo and performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival when they were 15.
However, that plan drastically changes when Jax dies aged 12 and leaves Norman not really knowing what to do and not particularly coping very well. Norman then comes up with the idea to get himself to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year as a tribute to Jax and also along the way decides he wants to finally find out who his dad is.
Sadie is also struggling with Jax’s death and struggling to help Norman grieve as she never truly grieved her own dad’s death. She has to come to relive her past where she spent a month after her dad’s death completely off the rails and now has four potential fathers for Norman. Along the way she confides in a work colleague, a little old man called Leonard, who decides that he wants in on this adventure and helps Sadie organise her thoughts and helps them both get to the Edinburgh Fringe and to find the four potential fathers.
Some of it may be a little far fetched at points, but that doesn’t stop it from being a really heartwarming story of a child trying to come to terms with the grief of losing his best friend and how you don’t have to be sad all the time in order to grieve.
I loved the whole book from start to finish, and I’m so glad that I got to read it courtesy of Pigeonhole and Julietta Henderson!
We follow a mother and son, Sadie and Norman Foreman, through a challenging time in their life - Norman’s best friend Jax dying from an asthma attack. Norman and Jax did everything together, and loved watching comedy sketches and comedians and had big dreams of becoming a comedy duo and performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival when they were 15.
However, that plan drastically changes when Jax dies aged 12 and leaves Norman not really knowing what to do and not particularly coping very well. Norman then comes up with the idea to get himself to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year as a tribute to Jax and also along the way decides he wants to finally find out who his dad is.
Sadie is also struggling with Jax’s death and struggling to help Norman grieve as she never truly grieved her own dad’s death. She has to come to relive her past where she spent a month after her dad’s death completely off the rails and now has four potential fathers for Norman. Along the way she confides in a work colleague, a little old man called Leonard, who decides that he wants in on this adventure and helps Sadie organise her thoughts and helps them both get to the Edinburgh Fringe and to find the four potential fathers.
Some of it may be a little far fetched at points, but that doesn’t stop it from being a really heartwarming story of a child trying to come to terms with the grief of losing his best friend and how you don’t have to be sad all the time in order to grieve.
I loved the whole book from start to finish, and I’m so glad that I got to read it courtesy of Pigeonhole and Julietta Henderson!
Hadley (567 KP) rated A Luminous Republic in Books
Aug 13, 2020
Well-written (1 more)
Unpredictable
Andres Barba's A Luminous Republic has feral children, senseless murders, and a plot that keeps the story moving enough that the reader won't want to put the book down. This story creatively combines politics, murder, fear and family - - - but the best part is, the book is unpredictable.
We first meet our main character, whose name is never given throughout the entire story, when he and his family are moving to San Cristobal because of a job opportunity. He works for the Department of Social Affairs, and has just received a promotion because he has come up with a very successful plan: " I had developed a social integration program for indigenous communities. The idea was simple and the program proved to be an effective model; it consisted of granting the indigenous exclusive rights to farm certain specific product." Our main character believes that this plan will bring the farmers more money. And he is more than happy to go back to the city where he fell in-love with his now wife, Maia - - - a violin teacher who had a daughter before meeting him, who he calls 'girl' throughout the story because she is also named Maia.
While on his way to work one day, our main character comes across one of the unknown children of the jungle, which shakes him up a bit. The unknown jungle children were known to beg at street lights for money and food, but one of the grimy, frizzy-haired boys stared the man down, only to end up giving him a very wide smile. "The boy's smile unsettled me because it confirmed that there had been a connection between us, that something had begun in me ended in him." Pretty soon after, he begins to notice these unknown jungle children running around a lot more, and that sometimes their intentions are not always innocent - - - he and the 'girl' witness an elderly woman get robbed of her groceries by a group of these children in the middle of the street in a subtle but violent way.
The unknown jungle children soon begin to rob several people,and when a police officer is killed while being attacked by them, the Mayor and the police want the children off the streets as soon as possible. Working with our main character, the former and the latter try to figure out the strange language these children use, whom may be the leader among them, and where they disappear to at night. Since the story is being told from our main character's past, the book is written like a True Crime story, with names of professionals and such being cited throughout. Our main character brings up a woman, who was a young girl at the time of the jungle children's invasion on San Cristobal: Teresa Otano, who happened to 'publish' her diary from that time, which gives readers insights into the jungle children: "Often, some of the thirty-two [jungle children], on their nightly journey back to the jungle, congregated next to Teresa's house, on one corner of Antartida Avenue. At first, Teresa, enthralled, simply makes notes, logging the days on which they appeared, whether there were three, four or five of them, what they were wearing, and so forth. She establishes patterns and identifies a few of the kids..." our main character explains to the reader.
But soon, the children cross a line that they can never come back from; being told by our main character from the view of surveillance video tapes, he describes to us that the jungle children entered a supermarket after an incident with a guard that works there, they block the entrance doors and begin to destroy items throughout the store, but the chaos quickly escalates, and two adults are murdered by the children - - - fear now holds the town in its grip, causing search parties to sweep through the dense jungle after the children fled.
But murder wasn't something new to San Cristobal, our main character explains to us that the suburbs of this area usually had a murder a week all year long, and that on the outskirts of the jungle, there were known spots for drug trafficking and assaults. What made the 'Dakota Supermarket' murders scare the town was that the residents' own children began to behave differently afterwards - - - they start to play a 'game' where they put their ears to the ground, believing that they can hear the jungle children talking to them. Our main character even walks in on the 'girl' playing this exact game. "For a second it was as if I were witnessing a ritual invented by a twelve-year-old girl, and I thought of how afraid my daughter must have felt when I found her in the bathroom that day. People often remark on the self-assured quality of the invocation, its instruction-manual tone, but I'd say that its intensity actually stems from what it dispenses: adult logic, a world that no longer serves. How could our children possibly have explained to us what they were doing? We weren't prepared for their world or their logic. Somewhere out there, underground, that dissonant sound was being sent, in code: down below, chaos. "
This phenomenon attracts the attention of money/fame seekers, which includes the Zapata children. Four siblings, ranging from the ages of five to nine, claimed that the jungle children were speaking to them through their dreams. They would make drawings from what they were told by the jungle children, but state that even they didn't know what the drawings meant. The media quickly jumped on them and put them in front of a camera, causing the family's home to be surrounded by civilians at all hours of the day and night. One night, the crowd outside becomes anxious, and breaks into the house, stealing not only the drawings from the Zapata children, but also the life savings of the family. At this point, the Zapatas had had enough, and retreat from the story altogether for reasons I won't disclose here. I can't give away much more of the book without ruining the story.
Barba's attempt at making a different kind of Lord of the Flies was done well, but the lack of emotion is felt throughout the entire story which makes the characters flat, especially our main character, who I didn't find likable in any such way. He calls a grieving woman a 'whore,' and he seems rude towards his family, especially his step-daughter.
A Luminous Republic is redeemed by is unpredictability, which is something that doesn't come along in fiction that often anymore. I enjoyed that the story was written like a True Crime novel, with fictitious documentaries, news reports and books. So, I would recommend this book to people who like True Crime and Mysteries.
We first meet our main character, whose name is never given throughout the entire story, when he and his family are moving to San Cristobal because of a job opportunity. He works for the Department of Social Affairs, and has just received a promotion because he has come up with a very successful plan: " I had developed a social integration program for indigenous communities. The idea was simple and the program proved to be an effective model; it consisted of granting the indigenous exclusive rights to farm certain specific product." Our main character believes that this plan will bring the farmers more money. And he is more than happy to go back to the city where he fell in-love with his now wife, Maia - - - a violin teacher who had a daughter before meeting him, who he calls 'girl' throughout the story because she is also named Maia.
While on his way to work one day, our main character comes across one of the unknown children of the jungle, which shakes him up a bit. The unknown jungle children were known to beg at street lights for money and food, but one of the grimy, frizzy-haired boys stared the man down, only to end up giving him a very wide smile. "The boy's smile unsettled me because it confirmed that there had been a connection between us, that something had begun in me ended in him." Pretty soon after, he begins to notice these unknown jungle children running around a lot more, and that sometimes their intentions are not always innocent - - - he and the 'girl' witness an elderly woman get robbed of her groceries by a group of these children in the middle of the street in a subtle but violent way.
The unknown jungle children soon begin to rob several people,and when a police officer is killed while being attacked by them, the Mayor and the police want the children off the streets as soon as possible. Working with our main character, the former and the latter try to figure out the strange language these children use, whom may be the leader among them, and where they disappear to at night. Since the story is being told from our main character's past, the book is written like a True Crime story, with names of professionals and such being cited throughout. Our main character brings up a woman, who was a young girl at the time of the jungle children's invasion on San Cristobal: Teresa Otano, who happened to 'publish' her diary from that time, which gives readers insights into the jungle children: "Often, some of the thirty-two [jungle children], on their nightly journey back to the jungle, congregated next to Teresa's house, on one corner of Antartida Avenue. At first, Teresa, enthralled, simply makes notes, logging the days on which they appeared, whether there were three, four or five of them, what they were wearing, and so forth. She establishes patterns and identifies a few of the kids..." our main character explains to the reader.
But soon, the children cross a line that they can never come back from; being told by our main character from the view of surveillance video tapes, he describes to us that the jungle children entered a supermarket after an incident with a guard that works there, they block the entrance doors and begin to destroy items throughout the store, but the chaos quickly escalates, and two adults are murdered by the children - - - fear now holds the town in its grip, causing search parties to sweep through the dense jungle after the children fled.
But murder wasn't something new to San Cristobal, our main character explains to us that the suburbs of this area usually had a murder a week all year long, and that on the outskirts of the jungle, there were known spots for drug trafficking and assaults. What made the 'Dakota Supermarket' murders scare the town was that the residents' own children began to behave differently afterwards - - - they start to play a 'game' where they put their ears to the ground, believing that they can hear the jungle children talking to them. Our main character even walks in on the 'girl' playing this exact game. "For a second it was as if I were witnessing a ritual invented by a twelve-year-old girl, and I thought of how afraid my daughter must have felt when I found her in the bathroom that day. People often remark on the self-assured quality of the invocation, its instruction-manual tone, but I'd say that its intensity actually stems from what it dispenses: adult logic, a world that no longer serves. How could our children possibly have explained to us what they were doing? We weren't prepared for their world or their logic. Somewhere out there, underground, that dissonant sound was being sent, in code: down below, chaos. "
This phenomenon attracts the attention of money/fame seekers, which includes the Zapata children. Four siblings, ranging from the ages of five to nine, claimed that the jungle children were speaking to them through their dreams. They would make drawings from what they were told by the jungle children, but state that even they didn't know what the drawings meant. The media quickly jumped on them and put them in front of a camera, causing the family's home to be surrounded by civilians at all hours of the day and night. One night, the crowd outside becomes anxious, and breaks into the house, stealing not only the drawings from the Zapata children, but also the life savings of the family. At this point, the Zapatas had had enough, and retreat from the story altogether for reasons I won't disclose here. I can't give away much more of the book without ruining the story.
Barba's attempt at making a different kind of Lord of the Flies was done well, but the lack of emotion is felt throughout the entire story which makes the characters flat, especially our main character, who I didn't find likable in any such way. He calls a grieving woman a 'whore,' and he seems rude towards his family, especially his step-daughter.
A Luminous Republic is redeemed by is unpredictability, which is something that doesn't come along in fiction that often anymore. I enjoyed that the story was written like a True Crime novel, with fictitious documentaries, news reports and books. So, I would recommend this book to people who like True Crime and Mysteries.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Moonlight Dreamers in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I won a copy of this book over at Maximumpopbooks in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.
Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.
" Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.
This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.
The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+
I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.
Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.
" Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.
This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.
The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+
I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I really wish I read this when I was in high school. This book really would have been right up my alley. The story was so complex that I would have devoured it within days. This would have been one of those books that I stayed up late reading under my covers. However, reading this book showed me how much I have changed & how my tastes in books have changed as well. Personally I am not a huge fan of mysteries. I find them dull, and typically I avoid them. The weird thing is that I love mystery thrillers. I have always found them fascinating especially if it is a psychological thriller.
Red Dragon is that psychological thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat once you get passed the half way mark. The beginning of the book dragged for me. I would have loved more of an action packed thriller vs. a mystery turned thriller. Though the first half was essential for establishing characters I truly felt that it dragged. I'm typically used to a book that jolts you into the action instead of taking a lazy river ride to a waterfall. I want the rapids. So, due to the first half, it took me forever to finish. One thing that I really liked about the first half was how much it messed with my mind. Honestly I had trouble reading it before I went to bed simply because of the dreams it created at night. I had to make sure every door and window was locked before I went to bed simply to help sooth my mind so that I could get some sleep.
Though the story dragged for the first half, the second half made up for it. I found myself entranced by the thriller aspect of the writing & loved how complex the story truly was. It has been years since I last watched Red Dragon (the movie) so at times the story felt fresh and new. It was weird, sexual in strange spots, and honestly something that I have never read before. Thomas Harris was able to create a serial killer that will make you cringe, sympathize with, and wish they were dead all at different moments. It was fascinating to read.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. It isn't my favorite book but it was an interesting read that makes me yearn to watch the movies again. I probably will not continue on in the series but I'm happy that I did take the time to read it.
Red Dragon is that psychological thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat once you get passed the half way mark. The beginning of the book dragged for me. I would have loved more of an action packed thriller vs. a mystery turned thriller. Though the first half was essential for establishing characters I truly felt that it dragged. I'm typically used to a book that jolts you into the action instead of taking a lazy river ride to a waterfall. I want the rapids. So, due to the first half, it took me forever to finish. One thing that I really liked about the first half was how much it messed with my mind. Honestly I had trouble reading it before I went to bed simply because of the dreams it created at night. I had to make sure every door and window was locked before I went to bed simply to help sooth my mind so that I could get some sleep.
Though the story dragged for the first half, the second half made up for it. I found myself entranced by the thriller aspect of the writing & loved how complex the story truly was. It has been years since I last watched Red Dragon (the movie) so at times the story felt fresh and new. It was weird, sexual in strange spots, and honestly something that I have never read before. Thomas Harris was able to create a serial killer that will make you cringe, sympathize with, and wish they were dead all at different moments. It was fascinating to read.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. It isn't my favorite book but it was an interesting read that makes me yearn to watch the movies again. I probably will not continue on in the series but I'm happy that I did take the time to read it.
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Bazaar of Bad Dreams in Books
Aug 15, 2017
Author commentary (2 more)
Plenty of dark humor
The handful of good stories were really great
Much of the collection simply fell flat (1 more)
Mix of genres was sometimes disjointing
An underwhelming collection from the King
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a large collection of novellas and short stories that include a wide variety of genres. Each time I turned the page to the next story it would be kind of a wild card and I never knew what to expect which was both good and bad. While it was nice that the variety keeps things fresh, it also made the collection feel disorganized. The stories in the anthology don’t fit any particular theme, instead they just seemed like odds and ends thrown into a master volume. This will probably not be a big deal to many, but for me it just broke the flow.
On a more positive note, one of my favorite aspects of King’s writing is the incredibly dark humor that is present in much of his work. I think the addition of comedy helps to break some of the tension from the otherwise horrific stories and I found myself chuckling several times while reading. The anecdotes before each story were fun to read and gave some interesting insight into King’s writing processes and the things that inspire him. These personal little notes were one of the major highlights of the collection since it serves as a way of connecting the reader to the writer. King to me just has a likable voice and I enjoy reading or listening to his talks.
My favorite story out of the entire collection was no contest, there was one story that stood out to me more than the others: Under the Weather. The short is just so well paced and filled me with so much dread from start to finish that I was in awe. It really showcased King’s mastery of the technical aspects of writing and how to build tension and suspense. Other notable stories were Mile 81, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Dune, Under the Weather, The Little Green God of Agony, and Summer Thunder.
Despite all of my praise, it was difficult for me to decide how I wanted to rate this collection. The stories are decent, there are even a few really good ones in the collection, but overall it was nowhere near King’s best. When I closed the book I felt relieved to finally be done, which is not the best feeling to have after finishing a book. Many of the stories seemed to be either love or hate to me and so it was really a mixed bag. Even after I’d finish a story I enjoyed and put the book down for the night, I’d find that I had no motivation to pick the book back up again the next day. Because of this I ended up taking a full month to read this collection which is slower than my average. I had actually been thinking of rating this book lower but the strong final stories drove me to push my rating up a little higher.
On a more positive note, one of my favorite aspects of King’s writing is the incredibly dark humor that is present in much of his work. I think the addition of comedy helps to break some of the tension from the otherwise horrific stories and I found myself chuckling several times while reading. The anecdotes before each story were fun to read and gave some interesting insight into King’s writing processes and the things that inspire him. These personal little notes were one of the major highlights of the collection since it serves as a way of connecting the reader to the writer. King to me just has a likable voice and I enjoy reading or listening to his talks.
My favorite story out of the entire collection was no contest, there was one story that stood out to me more than the others: Under the Weather. The short is just so well paced and filled me with so much dread from start to finish that I was in awe. It really showcased King’s mastery of the technical aspects of writing and how to build tension and suspense. Other notable stories were Mile 81, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Dune, Under the Weather, The Little Green God of Agony, and Summer Thunder.
Despite all of my praise, it was difficult for me to decide how I wanted to rate this collection. The stories are decent, there are even a few really good ones in the collection, but overall it was nowhere near King’s best. When I closed the book I felt relieved to finally be done, which is not the best feeling to have after finishing a book. Many of the stories seemed to be either love or hate to me and so it was really a mixed bag. Even after I’d finish a story I enjoyed and put the book down for the night, I’d find that I had no motivation to pick the book back up again the next day. Because of this I ended up taking a full month to read this collection which is slower than my average. I had actually been thinking of rating this book lower but the strong final stories drove me to push my rating up a little higher.
Darren (1599 KP) rated An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Thoughts on An Officer and a Gentleman
Characters – Zack Mayo has grown up under his father that never believed he could achieve anything, he decides to sign up for the navy to follow his dreams of being a pilot, he believes he can just coast through the training alone, only for his way to see him needing to learn to let people in, meet a girl decide whether love is the most important thing in his life or whether he can balance everything together. Paula is a factory worker that goes for parties around the naval candidates, she meets Zack seeing him as different from the rest and gets left constantly wondering if he is willing to change his lone wolf nature. Sid is fellow naval candidate that becomes Zack’s best friend, he pushes him to open up and is the brains that could help Zack through the side that he is struggling through. Sgt Emil Foley is drill sergeant that is training the candidates, he is strict and doesn’t like how Zack thinks he can breeze through the training.
Performances – Richard Gere in this leading role shows us all that he was going on to have a wonderful run as a leading actor, he could play the loveable rogue that wants to find his place in the world. Debra Winger is great here showing how her character is going through a difficult lifetime, where love can make things even more difficult. David Keith brings us a performance which does show us how depression can be hidden from the world. Louis Gossett Jr does bring us one of the best drill sergeants in film here that did get him an Oscar.
Story – The story here follows a rebellious young man that finds his place in the navy, where he learns to work with others and to fall in love, to motivate and find himself a career along the way, he will need to overcome life challenges which will shape his future. We do get to see many different challenges that young people could face when they reach a certain age, this will show us just how difficult people will need to overcome to be the people they were always meant to be. We do get to see the darker side of the services because they will show us just how people can hide the emotional troubles which could bring a life changing moment in their life.
Romance – The love story in this film shows how a rebel meets a girl searching for hope and fall madly in love either though neither of them were really looking for it.
Settings – The film uses a couple of main settings, with the training camp being one of the most iconic for the film, the most iconic comes from warehouse where Paula works, which will be the shot everybody remembers from this film.
Scene of the Movie – Zack breaks to learn to help others.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Lynette wouldn’t still be Paula’s friend by the end of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the classic romantic films out there, one that everybody knows and can enjoy.
Overall: Romance to enjoy.
Characters – Zack Mayo has grown up under his father that never believed he could achieve anything, he decides to sign up for the navy to follow his dreams of being a pilot, he believes he can just coast through the training alone, only for his way to see him needing to learn to let people in, meet a girl decide whether love is the most important thing in his life or whether he can balance everything together. Paula is a factory worker that goes for parties around the naval candidates, she meets Zack seeing him as different from the rest and gets left constantly wondering if he is willing to change his lone wolf nature. Sid is fellow naval candidate that becomes Zack’s best friend, he pushes him to open up and is the brains that could help Zack through the side that he is struggling through. Sgt Emil Foley is drill sergeant that is training the candidates, he is strict and doesn’t like how Zack thinks he can breeze through the training.
Performances – Richard Gere in this leading role shows us all that he was going on to have a wonderful run as a leading actor, he could play the loveable rogue that wants to find his place in the world. Debra Winger is great here showing how her character is going through a difficult lifetime, where love can make things even more difficult. David Keith brings us a performance which does show us how depression can be hidden from the world. Louis Gossett Jr does bring us one of the best drill sergeants in film here that did get him an Oscar.
Story – The story here follows a rebellious young man that finds his place in the navy, where he learns to work with others and to fall in love, to motivate and find himself a career along the way, he will need to overcome life challenges which will shape his future. We do get to see many different challenges that young people could face when they reach a certain age, this will show us just how difficult people will need to overcome to be the people they were always meant to be. We do get to see the darker side of the services because they will show us just how people can hide the emotional troubles which could bring a life changing moment in their life.
Romance – The love story in this film shows how a rebel meets a girl searching for hope and fall madly in love either though neither of them were really looking for it.
Settings – The film uses a couple of main settings, with the training camp being one of the most iconic for the film, the most iconic comes from warehouse where Paula works, which will be the shot everybody remembers from this film.
Scene of the Movie – Zack breaks to learn to help others.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Lynette wouldn’t still be Paula’s friend by the end of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the classic romantic films out there, one that everybody knows and can enjoy.
Overall: Romance to enjoy.
Hadley (567 KP) rated Cigarette Teeth in Books
Dec 4, 2020
Great writing (1 more)
Amazing descriptions
In this day-and-age, everyone is willing to do anything to get what they want. People leave their morals and values behind at the drop of a hat. Partly, because of this, mental illness is at an all-time high and happiness is at an all-time low.
What if I told you there was a phone number you could call that would give you whatever you wanted...for a simple favor in return? Enter : Cigarette Teeth. The horror novel concerns two different places that exist in our world: the Pleasure Palace, where the Magician resides in an overcast of red light where he helps make peoples' 'dreams' come true, and our reality - - - the world as we've grown to know it.
Our main character, Mike Hadley, can't remember his past or how he ended up working for the Magician, but he's more than happy to do what he's told in Cigarette Teeth. Some things seem familiar to him, like his working partner, Tommy; but if you asked him what he did last night for the Magician, he wouldn't be able to tell you or remember it himself. Harper, a man Hadley meets early on in the story, who is the stereo-typical hardened detective, tells Hadley that he knows that the Pleasure Palace has been the cause of hundreds of disappearances - - - including Harper's own brother and sister- - - and demands that Hadley help him get into the Palace to find them.
Hadley is kidnapped by Harper while people working for the Pleasure Palace begin to come after them, trying to kill them. Unlike Hadley, Harper has done a lot of detective work on the Pleasure Palace and knows much more than he does. For Hadley, a lot of things begin to make sense and no sense at the same time, like people who work for the Pleasure Palace can't die, instead they regenerate in a very gruesome way- - - something he had never seen happen before. Now, being away from the Palace, whenever Hadley falls asleep, memories start to come back to him in the form of dreams; most of them take place in metaphorical places that slowly unwrap his tragic past to the reader.
I often found myself fascinated by the characters Hewish came up with that live in the Pleasure Palace. One being the Zipper Sisters: "Kela and and Lua Von Zipper. Conjoined twins; connected at the hip and zipped into the one gigantic pinched- leather corset. Two heads, two arms, and four legs, all sealed in an ornate, Victorian-style leather dress hemmed with black lace.
Their makeup was corpse-white, their lipstick blood red. Their eyes were shadowed with a weeping pastel green, like something from a carnival sideshow. Their 18th-century dress continued with ruffles and lacy stockings, all the colour of snow. The two pairs of shoes they wore- - - shiny little school shoes, the ones with the clasps over the top- - - completed the look. It gave these sinister twins a suggested air of innocence- - - the filthiest of lies. "
When the pair meet with the Architect of the Pleasure Palace (Horitoshi Li), the story really begins to take off. The information given to them by Li about the Magician is the real start to their journey to stop the Palace and find Harper's missing siblings, as long as they include Li in the plan.
As expected, a friend of Harper's, named Sophie, gets caught up in their journey- - - saving their lives more than once, thanks to her nursing background. Sophie felt like a filler character at first, but in the end, I think she was needed to make the story well-rounded, like her insight of psychology: "...But...it's just interesting. Did you know the second most common dream people have is about their teeth? After the 'being chased' phenomenon that usually coincides with a hallway and a door. Most notable psychologists don't really offer insight on dreams- - - the most popular consensus is that they're nothing more than cerebral static, just garbled images and words that occasionally form to make something that seems to have weight..."
Though I want to say so much more about the novel, it would give away a lot of the surprises that are hidden inside. Hewish's writing is gold; the way he describes scenes is beautifully done, but he did waste some of this talent on places where the characters weren't even there for more than a scene (and nothing really came of it). Also, Harper states one time early in the book that he has killed Hadley before... this is never explained or spoken of again. I think that was a very important part to this story, especially with how things turn out between Harper and Hadley.
There were only a few inconsistencies that are completely able to be looked over and don't ruin the novel. This is master storytelling, and I am looking very forward to more work by Hewish! I would recommend this book to fans of the show "Twin Peaks," and the video game (because I love horror video games) "Evil Within." Highly recommend!
What if I told you there was a phone number you could call that would give you whatever you wanted...for a simple favor in return? Enter : Cigarette Teeth. The horror novel concerns two different places that exist in our world: the Pleasure Palace, where the Magician resides in an overcast of red light where he helps make peoples' 'dreams' come true, and our reality - - - the world as we've grown to know it.
Our main character, Mike Hadley, can't remember his past or how he ended up working for the Magician, but he's more than happy to do what he's told in Cigarette Teeth. Some things seem familiar to him, like his working partner, Tommy; but if you asked him what he did last night for the Magician, he wouldn't be able to tell you or remember it himself. Harper, a man Hadley meets early on in the story, who is the stereo-typical hardened detective, tells Hadley that he knows that the Pleasure Palace has been the cause of hundreds of disappearances - - - including Harper's own brother and sister- - - and demands that Hadley help him get into the Palace to find them.
Hadley is kidnapped by Harper while people working for the Pleasure Palace begin to come after them, trying to kill them. Unlike Hadley, Harper has done a lot of detective work on the Pleasure Palace and knows much more than he does. For Hadley, a lot of things begin to make sense and no sense at the same time, like people who work for the Pleasure Palace can't die, instead they regenerate in a very gruesome way- - - something he had never seen happen before. Now, being away from the Palace, whenever Hadley falls asleep, memories start to come back to him in the form of dreams; most of them take place in metaphorical places that slowly unwrap his tragic past to the reader.
I often found myself fascinated by the characters Hewish came up with that live in the Pleasure Palace. One being the Zipper Sisters: "Kela and and Lua Von Zipper. Conjoined twins; connected at the hip and zipped into the one gigantic pinched- leather corset. Two heads, two arms, and four legs, all sealed in an ornate, Victorian-style leather dress hemmed with black lace.
Their makeup was corpse-white, their lipstick blood red. Their eyes were shadowed with a weeping pastel green, like something from a carnival sideshow. Their 18th-century dress continued with ruffles and lacy stockings, all the colour of snow. The two pairs of shoes they wore- - - shiny little school shoes, the ones with the clasps over the top- - - completed the look. It gave these sinister twins a suggested air of innocence- - - the filthiest of lies. "
When the pair meet with the Architect of the Pleasure Palace (Horitoshi Li), the story really begins to take off. The information given to them by Li about the Magician is the real start to their journey to stop the Palace and find Harper's missing siblings, as long as they include Li in the plan.
As expected, a friend of Harper's, named Sophie, gets caught up in their journey- - - saving their lives more than once, thanks to her nursing background. Sophie felt like a filler character at first, but in the end, I think she was needed to make the story well-rounded, like her insight of psychology: "...But...it's just interesting. Did you know the second most common dream people have is about their teeth? After the 'being chased' phenomenon that usually coincides with a hallway and a door. Most notable psychologists don't really offer insight on dreams- - - the most popular consensus is that they're nothing more than cerebral static, just garbled images and words that occasionally form to make something that seems to have weight..."
Though I want to say so much more about the novel, it would give away a lot of the surprises that are hidden inside. Hewish's writing is gold; the way he describes scenes is beautifully done, but he did waste some of this talent on places where the characters weren't even there for more than a scene (and nothing really came of it). Also, Harper states one time early in the book that he has killed Hadley before... this is never explained or spoken of again. I think that was a very important part to this story, especially with how things turn out between Harper and Hadley.
There were only a few inconsistencies that are completely able to be looked over and don't ruin the novel. This is master storytelling, and I am looking very forward to more work by Hewish! I would recommend this book to fans of the show "Twin Peaks," and the video game (because I love horror video games) "Evil Within." Highly recommend!
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Ringmaster's Wife in Books
Jan 2, 2019
When that which that Lady Rosamund loves most is threatened to be taken away from her, she stepped on a train and changed the course of her life forever.
"You could never fit in, Rose. You were made to stand out."
The Ringmaster's Wife
(Location 1403)
With the family estate in financial difficulties, Lady Rosamund's father saw fit to sell that which was closest to her heart, Ingénue, her beautiful Arabian mare. Colin Keary set out to acquire the Arabian for the Ringling circus. Little did he know that he would find an incredible talent in the owner. Colin persuades Lady Rosamund to join them in America, to see Ingénue safely settled. With dreams as vast as the ocean, she agrees. Will Lady Rosamund give up a comfortable future for the thrills and magic of the circus, or will duty call her home in the end? Will she be able to put her trust in God to make her dreams come true? As the logical, organized "boss man", will Colin be able to protect Rose from the danger of the circus life? Open the pages of The Ringmaster's Wife and be transported back in time. Where prohibition is in full effect, the World's Fair of 1893 is beyond compare, and people everywhere flock to the Big Top to witness the wonders of the Ringling circus. All the while in the background you see Mable Ringling, the ringmaster's wife, with her gentle hand and kind words. A woman of strength and compassion. May her story live on...
Kristy Cambron has been a favorite of mine for some months now. But I have a confession, this is the first book of hers that I have read! I follow her blog, and I have never been so blessed! Kristy speaks truth with love and wisdom. Many times I am in tears before I even finish reading the post. So it is no surprise that the these elements can be found on the pages of The Ringmaster's Wife. I had very high expectations for this book, and Kristy did NOT disappoint! Her imagination and creativity completely blew me away! The depth of feeling and truth spoke volumes to my heart. Every page is filled with wonder and mystery. The emotions were so very real and intense. My heart pounded in rhythm with Rose's, my tears fell with Mable's and my anger rose with Colin's. All the time, with the message of trusting in our Heavenly Father to care for us and guide us through our journey. Halfway through, I was ready to run off with the circus myself! The story's timeline jumps back and forth quite a bit, but is easy to follow. The dates and locations are clearly marked. Kristy even used my hometown for one of the chapters! I was so tickled! She makes reference to Walt Disney and J.M. Barrie as well! Overall, I was thoroughly impressed and can not wait for The Illusionist's Apprentice, scheduled to release in March 2017. Thankfully, I have her other two books to read in the meantime, The Butterfly and the Violin and A Sparrow in Terezin. (I am already planning on reading this one again.) I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a dream and longs for a little adventure!
★★★★★ - "You have bewitched me, body and soul."
I received a free copy of The Ringmaster's Wife from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
"You could never fit in, Rose. You were made to stand out."
The Ringmaster's Wife
(Location 1403)
With the family estate in financial difficulties, Lady Rosamund's father saw fit to sell that which was closest to her heart, Ingénue, her beautiful Arabian mare. Colin Keary set out to acquire the Arabian for the Ringling circus. Little did he know that he would find an incredible talent in the owner. Colin persuades Lady Rosamund to join them in America, to see Ingénue safely settled. With dreams as vast as the ocean, she agrees. Will Lady Rosamund give up a comfortable future for the thrills and magic of the circus, or will duty call her home in the end? Will she be able to put her trust in God to make her dreams come true? As the logical, organized "boss man", will Colin be able to protect Rose from the danger of the circus life? Open the pages of The Ringmaster's Wife and be transported back in time. Where prohibition is in full effect, the World's Fair of 1893 is beyond compare, and people everywhere flock to the Big Top to witness the wonders of the Ringling circus. All the while in the background you see Mable Ringling, the ringmaster's wife, with her gentle hand and kind words. A woman of strength and compassion. May her story live on...
Kristy Cambron has been a favorite of mine for some months now. But I have a confession, this is the first book of hers that I have read! I follow her blog, and I have never been so blessed! Kristy speaks truth with love and wisdom. Many times I am in tears before I even finish reading the post. So it is no surprise that the these elements can be found on the pages of The Ringmaster's Wife. I had very high expectations for this book, and Kristy did NOT disappoint! Her imagination and creativity completely blew me away! The depth of feeling and truth spoke volumes to my heart. Every page is filled with wonder and mystery. The emotions were so very real and intense. My heart pounded in rhythm with Rose's, my tears fell with Mable's and my anger rose with Colin's. All the time, with the message of trusting in our Heavenly Father to care for us and guide us through our journey. Halfway through, I was ready to run off with the circus myself! The story's timeline jumps back and forth quite a bit, but is easy to follow. The dates and locations are clearly marked. Kristy even used my hometown for one of the chapters! I was so tickled! She makes reference to Walt Disney and J.M. Barrie as well! Overall, I was thoroughly impressed and can not wait for The Illusionist's Apprentice, scheduled to release in March 2017. Thankfully, I have her other two books to read in the meantime, The Butterfly and the Violin and A Sparrow in Terezin. (I am already planning on reading this one again.) I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a dream and longs for a little adventure!
★★★★★ - "You have bewitched me, body and soul."
I received a free copy of The Ringmaster's Wife from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Shaman's Seduction in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Shaman's Seduction by Kathryne Kennedy
Shaman's Seduction is a delightful collection of three short stories, all set in the world, but set at different times. We start off with Inaluck, who has worked hard to earn the respect of her father's warriors, and her place as Chieftain's Daughter. When The Great Cold comes, Inaluck is sent to the outlying villages for reinforcements. Going to one of them, with a reputation of being cowards, she finds more than she bargains for, and takes her first step to becoming a Shaman. Then we meet Za'lla, who dreams of a sister she never knew, which leads her on her big adventure, finding love on the way. Lastly, we have Kalaka, an apprentice Shaman who needs to learn more than the basics, and will help to figure out who she is in the process.
These are quick reads, but all of them without any editing or grammatical errors. There was enough world-building that it is all clear, without taking over the essence of the stories. If I had one criticism, it would be that I felt a bit lost with the two following stories. I had no idea if they were after Inaluck, or before. That is only a small thing though, and probably wouldn't bother the majority of people!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, divided into three bite-size chunks, which make this perfect for a coffee break book. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
These are quick reads, but all of them without any editing or grammatical errors. There was enough world-building that it is all clear, without taking over the essence of the stories. If I had one criticism, it would be that I felt a bit lost with the two following stories. I had no idea if they were after Inaluck, or before. That is only a small thing though, and probably wouldn't bother the majority of people!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, divided into three bite-size chunks, which make this perfect for a coffee break book. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!