Out of Winter
Book
OUT OF WINTER is a personal account of how a father's sudden illness affects a family fraught by...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Heart of Venom (Elemental Assassin, #9) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I've given this five stars for several reasons.
One: A reunion between Gin and Owen! (I'm so happy!!!)
Two: Sophia's backstory with the Grimes siblings played a huge part of this and it was nice to know--but not necessarily nice reading--how she came to be how she is.
Three: ...Two's enough, right?
Anyway. I'm so glad that Gin is the way she is, that everyone she classes as family--whether related or not--are treated rightly and if not, she will go out and get them justice.
As for book 10, I may put it off for a few books as from what I've read it delves into Gin's history and how she became The Spider. I'll come back to it at some point though :)
Awix (3310 KP) rated How the West Was Won (1963) in Movies
Jun 24, 2021
At least partly sold on the sheer number of stars involved, but in the end there's hardly any John Wayne, not much more Jimmy Stewart, and probably a bit more George Peppard than you'd honestly care for. It's quite naive, sentimental stuff, in many ways, and the technical side-effects of it being shot in VistaVision are very obvious. There's some magnificent photography, the odd effective cameo, and very occasionally a moving moment - but too often this is stodgy and episodic rather than a stirring saga.
For Spacious Skies: Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for "America the Beautiful"
Nancy Churnin and Olga Baumert
10.0
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As a little girl growing up during the Civil War, Katharine Lee Bates grew up to become a poet,...
picture book American History Women's Suffrage Feminism
The Cotillion Brigade
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Georgia burns. Sherman’s Yankees are closing in. Will the women of LaGrange run or fight? ...
Historical Fiction
The Lost Ones
8.0
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Some houses are never at peace. England, 1917 Reeling from the death of her fiancé, Stella...
Monstrous Beauty
3.5
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Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her...
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Alfred: The Boy Who Would Be King in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Alfred is a determined, hopeful, excited kid living out a child’s fantasy. He manages to stay strong through horrible circumstances and uses his knowledge of the period along with that of his own time to try and make things better for his people. The mashing together of periods offers plenty of hilarious moments as Alfred tries to explain things like TV and pro-wrestlers. His knowledge of things like agriculture and battle defenses quickly become lifesavers for the peasants who have accepted the return of the king.
This fantastical adventure is a beautiful story that balances the dark, harsh realities of 6997428survival against both enemies and natural, the struggle of the weight thrust upon Alfred’s shoulders, while also remaining lighthearted, funny, and fun. The story unfolds like a puzzle before the reader, much like it does for Alfred, as you discover more about his family, magic, and the politics of this magical world. Author Ron Smorynski has done an incredible job of creating an extraordinary world and characters that you can become invested it. The story captures the pure adventure and action so longed for in fantasy adventures while also tackling growing up, history, and family struggles. To me, it brings to mind such classics as Narnia and The Castle in the Attic.
The book is an excellent beginning. While the story itself is well rounded in itself, the real magic is in the story that it has left to tell. Throughout the book, we get the beginnings of magical rules, political struggle, villains powers, and the complicated history of Alfred’s family and those that knew them. The book leaves you with as many secrets as it answers and simply begs for a sequel. I am excited to see more from this author and continue my journey with Alfred and his friends, hopefully soon!
East of the Oder: A German Childhood Under the Nazis and Soviets
Luise Urban and Eva Wood
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Luise Urban was born in 1933 into a world about to be turned upside down. Her family lived east of...
The Bell Witch
6.0
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The Bell Witch by John F.D. Taff is an historical horror novel/ghost story based on what is perhaps...
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