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INCEPTIO (Roma Nova Thriller #1)
8.0
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“It's about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours." In an alternative New York, Karen...
Thriller
David McK (3663 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Nov 21, 2021
Marvel does Mystical Martial Arts
Marvel (the film branch) is mainly known for its superhero movies.
We've had Origin stories (upon origin story upon origins story ...)
We've had 'fish out of water' comedies (see: Thor)
We've had outright sci-fi/sci-fantasy (see: Guardians of the Galaxy)
We've had political thrillers (see: Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
We've had team-up (see: The Avengers)
We've had crime capers (See: Ant-man)
Up until now, we've had no Martial Arts movies (sorry, Netflix's 'Iron Fist': you don't count as a movie).
We've also had no movies with a mainly Asian cast. Until now.
This also brings back the 10 Rings organisation (first name-dropped all the way back in 2008's 'Iron Man'), with the plot outline of the movie actually quite different than what I expected - lots of Martial Arts sequences (the fight on the bamboo scaffolding is a high-light), the usual Marvel musings on family, and one or two character inclusions that I wasn't expecting (but really should have been) ...
We've had Origin stories (upon origin story upon origins story ...)
We've had 'fish out of water' comedies (see: Thor)
We've had outright sci-fi/sci-fantasy (see: Guardians of the Galaxy)
We've had political thrillers (see: Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
We've had team-up (see: The Avengers)
We've had crime capers (See: Ant-man)
Up until now, we've had no Martial Arts movies (sorry, Netflix's 'Iron Fist': you don't count as a movie).
We've also had no movies with a mainly Asian cast. Until now.
This also brings back the 10 Rings organisation (first name-dropped all the way back in 2008's 'Iron Man'), with the plot outline of the movie actually quite different than what I expected - lots of Martial Arts sequences (the fight on the bamboo scaffolding is a high-light), the usual Marvel musings on family, and one or two character inclusions that I wasn't expecting (but really should have been) ...
River Sing Me Home
9.0
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We whisper the names of the ones we love like the words of a song. That was the taste of freedom to...
Historical fiction Literary fiction Family Colonialism Slavery Caribbean
Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Do you follow in Books
Jan 11, 2022
I truly enjoyed reading "Do You Follow" because I have a set of twins in my family. I am intrigued by the concept of Alexa and Beth who have both has psychiatric problems. I am a believer in twins having telepathic connections so this was a new twist. All readers will enjoy reading about the twins and their fascinating relationship.
There is a mental illness aspect of the story which can be taboo to talk about but I think it should become less taboo and more so spoke about so I liked that they addressed this aspect in the reading.
The characters were detailed and I glad to have found a connection with them. I enjoyed learning more about them, and their back-stories, as the novel progressed. Every time it's like getting to know a new mary kate and ashley, but there are always new surprises in a twin tale. Even though I guessed some of the plots and twists, there were still plenty of surprises.
Definitely recommend 9/10
There is a mental illness aspect of the story which can be taboo to talk about but I think it should become less taboo and more so spoke about so I liked that they addressed this aspect in the reading.
The characters were detailed and I glad to have found a connection with them. I enjoyed learning more about them, and their back-stories, as the novel progressed. Every time it's like getting to know a new mary kate and ashley, but there are always new surprises in a twin tale. Even though I guessed some of the plots and twists, there were still plenty of surprises.
Definitely recommend 9/10
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated All These Beautiful Strangers in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Review can also be found on www.diaryofdifference.com
A beautiful story about families, love, betrayal, the difference between the rich and poor, and a girl that tries to discover what happened to her missing mother, while discovering herself.
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But their secrets go deeper than she knows.
Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?
I haven’t heard about this book until I received it as a birthday gift from my sister. The cover is just – gorgeous! You can feel the raindrops on the cover, and the sides are painted black, and you can read out ”I KNOW”. They have been thinking of all the little details.
The story is a bit slow at the beginning. It took me a while to get into it, as they delay the plot for a while, but once you get past that little hill of boredom, it gets better and better. I could imagine myself climbing a mountain with my bike, struggling while climbing, just so I can enjoy the great fast downhill and wind in my face.
The story is told by many people’s perspective, and it changes after each chapter. The amazing thing was, the stories go back in the past as well, but the story keeps flowing in one direction, event by event, which I really enjoyed. If this was poorly made, the book would’ve been so confusing, but fortunately, it wasn’t.
Even though I didn’t expect, this turned out to be a great mystery-solving novel, with wonderful and unexpected plot-twists, and a cliffhanger until the end. Is the mother dead or alive?
Many of the topics covered are very relatable. The difference between children raised in rich families versus the children raised in not-s-rich families. Their thoughts and mindsets, their beliefs, and the people they hang out with. And when a girl like Charlie, who has a father from a rich family and a mother from a poor family, is on the cross-road, it is amazing to see this character develop and make choices for herself, that reflect on both her backgrounds.
A lovely read, fast-paced novel, with a beautiful cover and even more beautiful reading material, this is one of the stories that I would recommend for you to read on a rainy day, covered in a blanket, with a hot chocolate – despite the summer theme on the cover, this was a winter book for me.
A beautiful story about families, love, betrayal, the difference between the rich and poor, and a girl that tries to discover what happened to her missing mother, while discovering herself.
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But their secrets go deeper than she knows.
Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?
I haven’t heard about this book until I received it as a birthday gift from my sister. The cover is just – gorgeous! You can feel the raindrops on the cover, and the sides are painted black, and you can read out ”I KNOW”. They have been thinking of all the little details.
The story is a bit slow at the beginning. It took me a while to get into it, as they delay the plot for a while, but once you get past that little hill of boredom, it gets better and better. I could imagine myself climbing a mountain with my bike, struggling while climbing, just so I can enjoy the great fast downhill and wind in my face.
The story is told by many people’s perspective, and it changes after each chapter. The amazing thing was, the stories go back in the past as well, but the story keeps flowing in one direction, event by event, which I really enjoyed. If this was poorly made, the book would’ve been so confusing, but fortunately, it wasn’t.
Even though I didn’t expect, this turned out to be a great mystery-solving novel, with wonderful and unexpected plot-twists, and a cliffhanger until the end. Is the mother dead or alive?
Many of the topics covered are very relatable. The difference between children raised in rich families versus the children raised in not-s-rich families. Their thoughts and mindsets, their beliefs, and the people they hang out with. And when a girl like Charlie, who has a father from a rich family and a mother from a poor family, is on the cross-road, it is amazing to see this character develop and make choices for herself, that reflect on both her backgrounds.
A lovely read, fast-paced novel, with a beautiful cover and even more beautiful reading material, this is one of the stories that I would recommend for you to read on a rainy day, covered in a blanket, with a hot chocolate – despite the summer theme on the cover, this was a winter book for me.
Merissa (13590 KP) rated Reckless (Yoga in the City #2) in Books
Oct 17, 2018
Reckless (Yoga in the City #2) by Leigh LaValle
Reckless is the second book in the Yoga in the City series, and this time we focus on Crystal Ananda, one of the partners of the Yoga Studio. She is the one that is always dependable, even if she really doesn't actually want to do it! The reasons for this become clear as the story progresses. And then we have Ford, the workaholic CEO who doesn't spare anyone's feelings in his quest to get the family business back on track. Both their stories - wildly opposite at the start, actually start to show parallels - and Crystal and Ford find something they both want to last.
This was a pleasant story, with laugh out loud moments, and lots of quirkiness (usually on Crystal's side of the family) thrown in for good measure. Crystal is too often see as just a pretty thing, blonde bimbo, type of character, so it was wonderful to see the author turn this on it's head (where needed) and give Crystal her own strengths. Together with Ford, they make a strong team.
With no editing or grammatical errors, this book was a smooth read, with plenty of emotions coming through. The story flowed from one scene to the next, and we even caught up with Hannah and Jake from Breathless. 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!
This was a pleasant story, with laugh out loud moments, and lots of quirkiness (usually on Crystal's side of the family) thrown in for good measure. Crystal is too often see as just a pretty thing, blonde bimbo, type of character, so it was wonderful to see the author turn this on it's head (where needed) and give Crystal her own strengths. Together with Ford, they make a strong team.
With no editing or grammatical errors, this book was a smooth read, with plenty of emotions coming through. The story flowed from one scene to the next, and we even caught up with Hannah and Jake from Breathless. 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!
AW
A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren, 1939-45
Sarah Death and Astrid Lindgren
Book
'A breathtaking read' - Die Welt One of the twentieth century's greatest children's writers - and...
The Namesake
7.0
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Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies established this young writer as one the most brilliant of...
India immigrants
The Rest of The Story
7.7
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Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does...
Merissa (13590 KP) rated The Krampus's First Christmas Gift (An MM Monster Christmas #6) in Books
Dec 19, 2025
THE KRAMPUS'S FIRST CHRISTMAS GIFT is the sixth novel in the MM Monster Christmas series, and finishes off the series (I think!).
This is also the one where we find out just what happened to Jasper, and what his mysterious illness is all about. If you've read the prior books, you know Jasper had a fall in the forest and never fully recovered. You find out snippets in both Leo's and Trent's stories, but now you actually get all of it.
You might think, because of the title, that this might be scary or frightening, but what you get is a touch-starved black sheep of the family with a heart of gold. I loved Kraghol from the very beginning, but hearing about his family life and upbringing about broke my heart. I loved how Jasper made no judgments and fought for what-or rather, who-he wanted, right up until he didn't. That was the right thing in my opinion, and I loved how the story continued after that.
Trent's story will always be my favourite out of the bunch, but this one comes a close second. A brilliant story that I read in one sitting, that held my attention from beginning to end. A great series that I definitely recommend.
** 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!
Dec 19, 2025
This is also the one where we find out just what happened to Jasper, and what his mysterious illness is all about. If you've read the prior books, you know Jasper had a fall in the forest and never fully recovered. You find out snippets in both Leo's and Trent's stories, but now you actually get all of it.
You might think, because of the title, that this might be scary or frightening, but what you get is a touch-starved black sheep of the family with a heart of gold. I loved Kraghol from the very beginning, but hearing about his family life and upbringing about broke my heart. I loved how Jasper made no judgments and fought for what-or rather, who-he wanted, right up until he didn't. That was the right thing in my opinion, and I loved how the story continued after that.
Trent's story will always be my favourite out of the bunch, but this one comes a close second. A brilliant story that I read in one sitting, that held my attention from beginning to end. A great series that I definitely recommend.
** 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!
Dec 19, 2025