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Optimization by GRASP: Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures
Mauricio G. C. Resende and Celso C. Ribeiro
Book
This is the first book to cover GRASP (Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures), a...
Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts #1)
8.0
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A finalist for the Edgar and Mary Higgins Clark Awards, in her riveting debut Invisible City,...
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Thread Needle in Books
Jun 17, 2021
“Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.”
Anna is an orphan, she is a witch with no magic, she is a nobody.
Raised by her aunt in London since her parents’ death when she was just 3 months old, Anna leads a monotonous life of school, homework, chores and learning to control her magic. Not that she has much magic to control, but Anna has been raised in the shadow of the Binders, a coven who believe magic is a sin and who will bind Anna’s magic when she turns 16. Until then, Anna must not draw attention to herself or the world of magic, she must shrink and she must be invisible. Only when her magic is bound will she be safe…or so the Binders would lead her to believe.
Threadneedle begins around Anna’s 15th birthday, when Anna and her Aunt receive a surprise visit from a family friend (and witch) Selene, her daughter Effie and friend Attis. Anna has idolised Selene since her childhood but I imagine even she did not anticipate this birthday visit to change her life so significantly.
Selene, Effie and Attis are the complete opposite of the Binders, using magic freely and unreservedly: they open up a whole new world to the reluctant Anna and even convince her to create a coven with them, discovering new witches right under their noses. However, as Anna practices magic more, a peculiar symbol seems to haunt her; the symbol of the eye – the symbol of a curse.
The majority of Threadneedle takes place within Anna’s home and school. Anna’s life as a nobody at school is turned on its head with Effie’s arrival and she finds that, along with friends, comes the drama of a typical teenage girl. Bullying and body-shaming are key topics here and sort of edged the book into the YA category in my opinion.
Anna as a character is portrayed as an entirely ordinary teenager, if a little meek. Her aunt, in juxtaposition, is controlling and dominating, although she always expresses that this is necessary to protect Anna and comes from a place of love. Aunt is rarely referred to by her name and has an abusive hold over Anna, punishing her with magic if she so much as shows a flicker of emotion. The reader witnesses Anna’s emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her Aunt, with Cari Thomas even beginning each chapter with one of the Binders’ tenets, signifying the brainwashing nature of the coven.
Anna doesn’t remain meek for long though: fuelled by her intrigue of magic and the mystery behind her parent’s death, Anna soon starts pushing the boundaries that she has lived within for so long. Will she succeed and manage to discover the magical world that surrounds her? Or will her magic be knotted before she gets the chance?
Despite being set in present-day London, Thomas really does introduce an entirely new world of magic with different magical languages, different covens and the constant threat of The Hunters. I found the mixture of darkness and realism incredible.
I also loved the fact that the magic and non-magic worlds run side by side in Thomas’ world but I am very conscious that any magical book written post-Harry Potter is obviously going to have comparisons made. However, Anna does not have the safety of Hogwarts or a doting headmaster to fall back on. There are no teachers providing an education in magic, she must find her magic on her own. No this is a far cry from Harry Potter; Threadneedle is more like a bubbling mixture of Charmed, with a ladle full of Mean Girls and a teaspoon of The Craft for good measure.
The sheer amount of world building by Cari Thomas means that the first few chapters of Threadneedle can feel quite slow but the novel soon settles into place. Thomas also has almost a rhythmic quality to her narrative, with fast-paced writing in dramatic spots before slowing right down again to represent Anna’s isolation. The final chapters were so captivating, with several mysteries that had been steadily growing finally coming to a head: I couldn’t read this fast enough.
Threadneedle is the first in the Language of Magic series by Cari Thomas and it is one hell of a debut! From prophecies and poison to bullies and love triangles; magical libraries, witch hunters and more plot twists than you can imagine, this book has it all. Thomas’ writing is so clever that towards the end of the book even the reader doesn’t know who to believe any more!
Thank you to HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to discover this new world. The hype around this book is going to be crazy and it is completely deserved.
Anna is an orphan, she is a witch with no magic, she is a nobody.
Raised by her aunt in London since her parents’ death when she was just 3 months old, Anna leads a monotonous life of school, homework, chores and learning to control her magic. Not that she has much magic to control, but Anna has been raised in the shadow of the Binders, a coven who believe magic is a sin and who will bind Anna’s magic when she turns 16. Until then, Anna must not draw attention to herself or the world of magic, she must shrink and she must be invisible. Only when her magic is bound will she be safe…or so the Binders would lead her to believe.
Threadneedle begins around Anna’s 15th birthday, when Anna and her Aunt receive a surprise visit from a family friend (and witch) Selene, her daughter Effie and friend Attis. Anna has idolised Selene since her childhood but I imagine even she did not anticipate this birthday visit to change her life so significantly.
Selene, Effie and Attis are the complete opposite of the Binders, using magic freely and unreservedly: they open up a whole new world to the reluctant Anna and even convince her to create a coven with them, discovering new witches right under their noses. However, as Anna practices magic more, a peculiar symbol seems to haunt her; the symbol of the eye – the symbol of a curse.
The majority of Threadneedle takes place within Anna’s home and school. Anna’s life as a nobody at school is turned on its head with Effie’s arrival and she finds that, along with friends, comes the drama of a typical teenage girl. Bullying and body-shaming are key topics here and sort of edged the book into the YA category in my opinion.
Anna as a character is portrayed as an entirely ordinary teenager, if a little meek. Her aunt, in juxtaposition, is controlling and dominating, although she always expresses that this is necessary to protect Anna and comes from a place of love. Aunt is rarely referred to by her name and has an abusive hold over Anna, punishing her with magic if she so much as shows a flicker of emotion. The reader witnesses Anna’s emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her Aunt, with Cari Thomas even beginning each chapter with one of the Binders’ tenets, signifying the brainwashing nature of the coven.
Anna doesn’t remain meek for long though: fuelled by her intrigue of magic and the mystery behind her parent’s death, Anna soon starts pushing the boundaries that she has lived within for so long. Will she succeed and manage to discover the magical world that surrounds her? Or will her magic be knotted before she gets the chance?
Despite being set in present-day London, Thomas really does introduce an entirely new world of magic with different magical languages, different covens and the constant threat of The Hunters. I found the mixture of darkness and realism incredible.
I also loved the fact that the magic and non-magic worlds run side by side in Thomas’ world but I am very conscious that any magical book written post-Harry Potter is obviously going to have comparisons made. However, Anna does not have the safety of Hogwarts or a doting headmaster to fall back on. There are no teachers providing an education in magic, she must find her magic on her own. No this is a far cry from Harry Potter; Threadneedle is more like a bubbling mixture of Charmed, with a ladle full of Mean Girls and a teaspoon of The Craft for good measure.
The sheer amount of world building by Cari Thomas means that the first few chapters of Threadneedle can feel quite slow but the novel soon settles into place. Thomas also has almost a rhythmic quality to her narrative, with fast-paced writing in dramatic spots before slowing right down again to represent Anna’s isolation. The final chapters were so captivating, with several mysteries that had been steadily growing finally coming to a head: I couldn’t read this fast enough.
Threadneedle is the first in the Language of Magic series by Cari Thomas and it is one hell of a debut! From prophecies and poison to bullies and love triangles; magical libraries, witch hunters and more plot twists than you can imagine, this book has it all. Thomas’ writing is so clever that towards the end of the book even the reader doesn’t know who to believe any more!
Thank you to HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to discover this new world. The hype around this book is going to be crazy and it is completely deserved.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
What's In A Name?
One of the big three British folk-horror movies (along with Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man) and the only one to go for an explicitly supernatural storyline: in 18th century England, a ploughman unearths a deformed skull, which mysteriously disappears soon after. Insanity, mutation and violence begin to spread amongst the young people of the area, forcing the local judge to take extreme measures in the cause of virtue.
On one level this does sound like the broadest kind of exploitative schlock, and it's true that the monster suit at the end is utterly crapulous, but this does not take into account the disturbingly dreamy atmosphere conjured up by director Haggard and Marc Wilkinson's score. There's a touch of the genuine gothic in the way something ancient and disturbing erupts into a quietly bucolic world.
Plus, there is a hard edge of gleeful nastiness to this film which is wholly lacking from the movies being made by Tigon's better-known rivals at Hammer and Amicus during the same period. There's a sense in which most Hammer movies feel like costume dramas with a little blood included as a contractual obligation, but Blood on Satan's Claw goes all-out to mess the viewer up - it's not especially frightening as such, but it's a very unsettling, creepy movie that's a worthy successor to an ancient English tradition of supernatural horror stories.
On one level this does sound like the broadest kind of exploitative schlock, and it's true that the monster suit at the end is utterly crapulous, but this does not take into account the disturbingly dreamy atmosphere conjured up by director Haggard and Marc Wilkinson's score. There's a touch of the genuine gothic in the way something ancient and disturbing erupts into a quietly bucolic world.
Plus, there is a hard edge of gleeful nastiness to this film which is wholly lacking from the movies being made by Tigon's better-known rivals at Hammer and Amicus during the same period. There's a sense in which most Hammer movies feel like costume dramas with a little blood included as a contractual obligation, but Blood on Satan's Claw goes all-out to mess the viewer up - it's not especially frightening as such, but it's a very unsettling, creepy movie that's a worthy successor to an ancient English tradition of supernatural horror stories.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated A Batter of Life and Death in Books
Jan 15, 2021
Murderous Contest
It’s autumn, which means that tourist season is winding down in Ashland, Oregon. Fortunately, The Pastry Channel has come to town to film the newest season of Take the Cake. They’ve asked Jules Capshaw to use Torte’s kitchen as a location some of the contestants use to prepare their pastries. Then they ask Jules to be a last-minute contestant. She’s thrilled until she finds Chef Marco, one of the other contestants, dead before the first day of filming. Since she is part of the show, she can’t help but learn things about her fellow contestants. Can she figure out which one is a killer?
It’s been too long since I read the first book in the series, but I was quickly back in Jules’s world with this fun second in the series. The pacing was a bit off at times, but overall there is an enjoyable mystery with plenty of secrets for Jules to uncover. The suspects are good and do their part to keep us guessing. Jules has some personal stuff she is trying to work through, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in her here. This book really made me want to visit Ashland at some point in the future. We get seven recipes at the end for a wide variety of things. It’s easy to see why this series is so popular. I need to pick up the next soon.
It’s been too long since I read the first book in the series, but I was quickly back in Jules’s world with this fun second in the series. The pacing was a bit off at times, but overall there is an enjoyable mystery with plenty of secrets for Jules to uncover. The suspects are good and do their part to keep us guessing. Jules has some personal stuff she is trying to work through, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in her here. This book really made me want to visit Ashland at some point in the future. We get seven recipes at the end for a wide variety of things. It’s easy to see why this series is so popular. I need to pick up the next soon.
Dr Dystopian (526 KP) rated The Horus Heresy - Book 1: Horus Rising in Books
Jan 8, 2018
Brilliant intro to the characters (3 more)
Well written
Difficult to put down!
Great story arch that leads into the next books
Outstanding entry book to the series
Contains spoilers, click to show
The book is divided into 3 distinct sections with parts 1 & 3 focusing on the XVI Legion, The Luna Wolves (who are later renamed The Sons of Horus), and part 2 focusing on the III Legion, The Emperors Children.
The 1st section of the book nicely introduces the main characters of the Sons of Horus consisting of Horus Lupercal, who has recently taken over as the Warmaster of Imperium of Man's Great Crusade, and his Mournival of 1st Captain Abaddon, 2nd Captain Torgaddon, 4th Captain Sejanus and 5th Captain Little Horus. With the death of Sejanus in the opening pages of the book we are introduced to the main protagonist of this book (and the following 2) in 10th Captain Loken along with some more supporting characters such as remembrancers, the Warmaster equerry Maloghurst and various other space marines.
The book follows Loken and the Sons of Horus as they, and the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet, bring world Sixty Three Ninteen to compliance and Lokens doubts about his role within the mournival and the morality of their campaign. Towards the end of section one Loken is faced with a fellow space marine who has been corrupted by chaos and attempts to kill him. This is Lokens first experience with chaos and, as such, he is unfamiliar with what has corrupted is Astartes comrade and subsequently forced to cover it up by the rest of the mournival and Horus himself.
Part 2 brings in the III Legion, The Emperors Children, and introduces Lord Commander Eidolon, 10th Captian Tarvitz and 13th Captain Lucius who have received a distress signal from the Blood Angels legion currently engaged against Megarachnids on the world Murder.
Whilst the 63rd expedition moves to join the Emperors Children at Murder, Loken discovers the existence of forbidden warrior lodges and that a number of the crew, and indeed the rest of the mournival, are part of. This leads Loken to further question his place within the legion. This part of the book also provides the first evidence of people worshipping the emperor as a deity in opposition to Imperial Truth. The section ends with the Sons of Horus aiding the Emperors Children with their campaign on Murder before being relieved by Blood Angels reenforcements and provides a brief introduction to their Primarch, Sanguinius.
Finally the 3rd part of the book see the Sons of Horus encounter the Interex, a Human civilisation that have incorporated certain aliens and alien customs into their society which is in direct opposition to the Imperium of Man who view xenos as inferior and to be exterminated. The Interex warn Loken of the existance of Kaos however it is clear that this is unknown to Loken which the Interex find uncomfortable. During negotiations between the Interex and Horus things come to a head when the Sons of Horus are accused of stealing an anathame, a semi sentient weapon created by one of the Interex's alien subject races, and war breaks out which leads to the eventual destruction of the Interex. The book ends with the Word Bearers Legion Chaplin, Erebus, having taken the anathame for study and the 63rd fleet moving on to the moon of Davin at his request.
All in all this book is very well written and highly engaging. It was one of those books that i didn't want to stop reading until it ended and have since read twice more.
Anyone wanting to get into the lore of Warhammer 40k, the background of how the 40k universe became as it now is or simply an engaging sci fi book cannot go wrong with this one.
The only negative i can find is that it ended however this is book 1 of a trilogy !
The 1st section of the book nicely introduces the main characters of the Sons of Horus consisting of Horus Lupercal, who has recently taken over as the Warmaster of Imperium of Man's Great Crusade, and his Mournival of 1st Captain Abaddon, 2nd Captain Torgaddon, 4th Captain Sejanus and 5th Captain Little Horus. With the death of Sejanus in the opening pages of the book we are introduced to the main protagonist of this book (and the following 2) in 10th Captain Loken along with some more supporting characters such as remembrancers, the Warmaster equerry Maloghurst and various other space marines.
The book follows Loken and the Sons of Horus as they, and the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet, bring world Sixty Three Ninteen to compliance and Lokens doubts about his role within the mournival and the morality of their campaign. Towards the end of section one Loken is faced with a fellow space marine who has been corrupted by chaos and attempts to kill him. This is Lokens first experience with chaos and, as such, he is unfamiliar with what has corrupted is Astartes comrade and subsequently forced to cover it up by the rest of the mournival and Horus himself.
Part 2 brings in the III Legion, The Emperors Children, and introduces Lord Commander Eidolon, 10th Captian Tarvitz and 13th Captain Lucius who have received a distress signal from the Blood Angels legion currently engaged against Megarachnids on the world Murder.
Whilst the 63rd expedition moves to join the Emperors Children at Murder, Loken discovers the existence of forbidden warrior lodges and that a number of the crew, and indeed the rest of the mournival, are part of. This leads Loken to further question his place within the legion. This part of the book also provides the first evidence of people worshipping the emperor as a deity in opposition to Imperial Truth. The section ends with the Sons of Horus aiding the Emperors Children with their campaign on Murder before being relieved by Blood Angels reenforcements and provides a brief introduction to their Primarch, Sanguinius.
Finally the 3rd part of the book see the Sons of Horus encounter the Interex, a Human civilisation that have incorporated certain aliens and alien customs into their society which is in direct opposition to the Imperium of Man who view xenos as inferior and to be exterminated. The Interex warn Loken of the existance of Kaos however it is clear that this is unknown to Loken which the Interex find uncomfortable. During negotiations between the Interex and Horus things come to a head when the Sons of Horus are accused of stealing an anathame, a semi sentient weapon created by one of the Interex's alien subject races, and war breaks out which leads to the eventual destruction of the Interex. The book ends with the Word Bearers Legion Chaplin, Erebus, having taken the anathame for study and the 63rd fleet moving on to the moon of Davin at his request.
All in all this book is very well written and highly engaging. It was one of those books that i didn't want to stop reading until it ended and have since read twice more.
Anyone wanting to get into the lore of Warhammer 40k, the background of how the 40k universe became as it now is or simply an engaging sci fi book cannot go wrong with this one.
The only negative i can find is that it ended however this is book 1 of a trilogy !
Hawker Hurricane and Sea Hurricane
Martin Derry and Neil Robinson
Book
When Sidney Camm's masterpiece, the Hawker Hurricane, entered RAF service in late 1937 it quickly...
Clara's Legacy
Book
One September day in New York, Clara Reinecke gives her grandson, Jonathan, a composer and lecturer...
Jack and Jill Magazine
Entertainment and Magazines & Newspapers
App
ack and Jill magazine opens a world of fun and creativity for kids ages 7 to 12. Now this...