Search
Erika (17789 KP) rated Hamnet in Books
Jan 10, 2021
Hamnet was the 1st book I read in 2020 that was named after the son, but, in reality, the entire book is about the mother.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Ashtanga Yoga - The Primary Series
Lifestyle and Health & Fitness
App
In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, the breath and body move as one. This classical path harnesses the...
Sushi & Maki
Food & Drink and Lifestyle
App
Have fun making sushi today ! Featured by Apple as “New and Noteworthy” on the US App Store! ...
The Byline Bible
9.0
Rate It
Book
Newspaper, magazine, and web editors are desperate for new voices and anyone, in any field, can...
The Drop-Dead Temple of Doom (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries)
10.0
Rate It
Book
A MOUTHFUL OF POISON FROG…. WHERE’S THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE? Ace detective Lee Alvarez is...
Cozy Mystery archeology Private Detective
Scoop Me Up (Love in Maplewood #7)
7.0
Rate It
Book
Falling for a straight guy is putting extra nuts in the rocky road to my life goals... I have two...
Contemporary MM Romance
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Cutting Room Floor in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. When the opportunity arrived to review this book, I decided I'd take a chance on it. While I wasn't overly impressed with the book, it was still an alright read.
The title suits the book well. The chapters titles are written like a script and sometimes include blocking directions. (If you're not familiar with drama terms, you may want to look that up). The main characters are drama geeks as well.
I do like the cover! It's definitely eye catching, and it made me want to pick this book up.
I didn't really have a problem with the world building. I felt like the world building was done rather well except I didn't like how Riley seemed to find every girl she came across as hot. That just doesn't happen in real life, yet it happened to Riley in this book.
I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in this book. At times I was debating with whether or not I should carry on. However, there are some parts of this book where the pacing does pick up, especially towards the end., so not all hope is lost.
I found the plot line to be interesting enough. I was a drama geek in school, so the plot suited me. There was the whole muder mystery thing with Riley's favorite teacher, Riley's confusion about her sexuality, and Dez's stalker crush on Riley going on. I definitely wanted to know how things would play out.
I thought the characters were written fairly well. As I've said before, I didn't like how the author made it seem like Riley was hot for every girl she came across. Saying that, I did like Riley though. Everything about her (minus liking every girl) felt real, and her confusion was very realistic. I didn't like Dez. I felt he was way too controlling when it came for Riley and that he was super selfish. In fact, I'd even go as far as calling him scary. He was always there for Riley but only because he was a stalker. There's not one thing I liked about Dez.
The dialogue flowed smoothly, and all interactions between characters felt realistic. There is some swearing in this book, but it's not over the top.
Overall, The Cutting Room Floor is a decent read. The pacing could do with some work as it does come across as a bit dull some of the time. However, the plot itself is interesting.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want a book to read to help them pass the time.
<b>I'd give The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr a 3.5 out of 5.</b>
(I was provided with a free paperback of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. When the opportunity arrived to review this book, I decided I'd take a chance on it. While I wasn't overly impressed with the book, it was still an alright read.
The title suits the book well. The chapters titles are written like a script and sometimes include blocking directions. (If you're not familiar with drama terms, you may want to look that up). The main characters are drama geeks as well.
I do like the cover! It's definitely eye catching, and it made me want to pick this book up.
I didn't really have a problem with the world building. I felt like the world building was done rather well except I didn't like how Riley seemed to find every girl she came across as hot. That just doesn't happen in real life, yet it happened to Riley in this book.
I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in this book. At times I was debating with whether or not I should carry on. However, there are some parts of this book where the pacing does pick up, especially towards the end., so not all hope is lost.
I found the plot line to be interesting enough. I was a drama geek in school, so the plot suited me. There was the whole muder mystery thing with Riley's favorite teacher, Riley's confusion about her sexuality, and Dez's stalker crush on Riley going on. I definitely wanted to know how things would play out.
I thought the characters were written fairly well. As I've said before, I didn't like how the author made it seem like Riley was hot for every girl she came across. Saying that, I did like Riley though. Everything about her (minus liking every girl) felt real, and her confusion was very realistic. I didn't like Dez. I felt he was way too controlling when it came for Riley and that he was super selfish. In fact, I'd even go as far as calling him scary. He was always there for Riley but only because he was a stalker. There's not one thing I liked about Dez.
The dialogue flowed smoothly, and all interactions between characters felt realistic. There is some swearing in this book, but it's not over the top.
Overall, The Cutting Room Floor is a decent read. The pacing could do with some work as it does come across as a bit dull some of the time. However, the plot itself is interesting.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want a book to read to help them pass the time.
<b>I'd give The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr a 3.5 out of 5.</b>
(I was provided with a free paperback of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Awakened (Vampire Awakenings #1) in Books
Sep 13, 2018
www.diaryofdifference.com
Awakened is the first book from the Vampire Awakening Series and it is written by USA Today bestselling author Brenda K. Davies. This is a book where a guy meets a girl. Girl has a secret and tells it on their first date. Boy is a vampire, but we are 80% in the book until it’s mentioned (even though title clearly states it, and you keep expecting it to happen). When secret is told - boy gives girl a choice to escape. Girls chooses to stay, and boy becomes possessive because he wants her too much. Then he does something to her, kind of against her will. And then they live happily ever after.
If I was a few years younger, I would have loved this book, probably because I wouldn’t have noticed all the glitches in it. But right here, right now - I didn’t enjoy it as much I wanted too.
Strong, sexual language and sex scenes can be found throughout the book. This was a book from my sister Tea’s Wishlist Challenge - and I was embarrassed to tell her I am reading this book - because I knew what kind of scenes she has read…
Apart from that - the characters were unrealistic. And unlikable. I liked their friends and their enemies more than I liked the main characters.
Sera - a girl that doesn’t talk to men, and has her own opinion on things, suddenly meets this guy, and he becomes possessive of her, and her character development stops right here. She keeps nodding at him, and obeys his every command. Not much of a heroine, is she?
Liam - a guy that is actually a vampire, but doesn’t tell Sera until things get really serious. He lies to her, is possessive, wants to kill everyone that touches her, and loves her and wants her so much that he has to turn her into a vampire, otherwise he’ll kill her. Really?
Now, if we take the fact that this is a vampire book - firstly, we don’t get to read about vampires until the book is almost finished. And when we do, it is unfinished, and barely even described. I don’t know anything about the way they become vampires, how they survive in the world, how they feed, how they die, but apparently, they can have children, so I guess the author covered everything. Oh, and, also - vampires can walk into the sun, but the more they kill, the more the sun hurts them. So believable - and FAIR.
The only thing that I liked was the ending - the point about how children are possible seemed to have worked out well. Not believable, but it was nice to see that as a theory. And it was also a great layout for the next story to come - which I will be reading, just to see if this writing will improve.
What is your favorite vampire book?
Awakened is the first book from the Vampire Awakening Series and it is written by USA Today bestselling author Brenda K. Davies. This is a book where a guy meets a girl. Girl has a secret and tells it on their first date. Boy is a vampire, but we are 80% in the book until it’s mentioned (even though title clearly states it, and you keep expecting it to happen). When secret is told - boy gives girl a choice to escape. Girls chooses to stay, and boy becomes possessive because he wants her too much. Then he does something to her, kind of against her will. And then they live happily ever after.
If I was a few years younger, I would have loved this book, probably because I wouldn’t have noticed all the glitches in it. But right here, right now - I didn’t enjoy it as much I wanted too.
Strong, sexual language and sex scenes can be found throughout the book. This was a book from my sister Tea’s Wishlist Challenge - and I was embarrassed to tell her I am reading this book - because I knew what kind of scenes she has read…
Apart from that - the characters were unrealistic. And unlikable. I liked their friends and their enemies more than I liked the main characters.
Sera - a girl that doesn’t talk to men, and has her own opinion on things, suddenly meets this guy, and he becomes possessive of her, and her character development stops right here. She keeps nodding at him, and obeys his every command. Not much of a heroine, is she?
Liam - a guy that is actually a vampire, but doesn’t tell Sera until things get really serious. He lies to her, is possessive, wants to kill everyone that touches her, and loves her and wants her so much that he has to turn her into a vampire, otherwise he’ll kill her. Really?
Now, if we take the fact that this is a vampire book - firstly, we don’t get to read about vampires until the book is almost finished. And when we do, it is unfinished, and barely even described. I don’t know anything about the way they become vampires, how they survive in the world, how they feed, how they die, but apparently, they can have children, so I guess the author covered everything. Oh, and, also - vampires can walk into the sun, but the more they kill, the more the sun hurts them. So believable - and FAIR.
The only thing that I liked was the ending - the point about how children are possible seemed to have worked out well. Not believable, but it was nice to see that as a theory. And it was also a great layout for the next story to come - which I will be reading, just to see if this writing will improve.
What is your favorite vampire book?
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/arc-review-these-broken-stars-by-amie-kaufman.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5 owls
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> Review copy provided by Disney Hyperion via Netgalley for review (thanks!)</i>
These Broken Stars follows two very different people, Lilac and Tarver, from a futuristic galaxy as they try to survive in the wilderness of an unknown planet after a ship crash in space.
I really love the way how These Broken Stars is set up and formatted. I didn't exactly understand it at first, but the beginning of each chapter is in the present (in terms of the book's timeline – not 2013), giving a very brief synopsis in a sort-of interview/interrogation style with Tarver. Then the chapter gives an elaboration, telling the story behind the interview/interrogation in Lilac's and Tarver's point of views. It sort of reminds me of If I Stay with its many flashbacks, but not as depressing (thankfully).
The romance between Lilac and Tarver is probably a little fast, but I can't really tell. In other words, compared to a lot of books I've come across that have romance, These Broken Stars is one of the ones not written in such a way that the reader may cringe. *phew*
What I didn't like though, is Tarver's personality. Usually I love it when a main character is sassy and has an attitude. Tarver's though... it just didn't bounce out really well. I mean, yes, he's sarcastic, and yes he has an attitude, but I just didn't really like it. It didn't really seem to go in with Lilac's personality.
I'm not being sexist. Otherwise, I would never have said that I liked Augustus Waters' personality from The Fault in Our Stars. In fact, I probably would have said that I hated Gus's personality.
(Oh no. With that being said, I'm bound to be the target of tomatoes for a while. *gives a very innocent look and ducks*)
It's not because it's John Green either. I can't always say an author is my favorite when it's my first time reading their work(s).
Of course, everyone's opinions, likes and dislikes of a character's attitude in a book is completely different from someone else.
For a debut novel, Kaufman writes an astronomically intriguing story. The situations Lilac and Tarver are put in aren't too exaggerated or unrealistic, and in a way, the story keeps the reader guessing until the author smoothly reveals what's really going on. I had to wonder a few times why a few horror elements were doing there, lurking about.
For anyone who likes science fiction/fantasy with a hint of romance, you might want to try out These Broken Stars. Maybe someone else will have a much better time with Tarver's personality. No guarantees, though. And no rollbacks in the process.
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5 owls
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> Review copy provided by Disney Hyperion via Netgalley for review (thanks!)</i>
These Broken Stars follows two very different people, Lilac and Tarver, from a futuristic galaxy as they try to survive in the wilderness of an unknown planet after a ship crash in space.
I really love the way how These Broken Stars is set up and formatted. I didn't exactly understand it at first, but the beginning of each chapter is in the present (in terms of the book's timeline – not 2013), giving a very brief synopsis in a sort-of interview/interrogation style with Tarver. Then the chapter gives an elaboration, telling the story behind the interview/interrogation in Lilac's and Tarver's point of views. It sort of reminds me of If I Stay with its many flashbacks, but not as depressing (thankfully).
The romance between Lilac and Tarver is probably a little fast, but I can't really tell. In other words, compared to a lot of books I've come across that have romance, These Broken Stars is one of the ones not written in such a way that the reader may cringe. *phew*
What I didn't like though, is Tarver's personality. Usually I love it when a main character is sassy and has an attitude. Tarver's though... it just didn't bounce out really well. I mean, yes, he's sarcastic, and yes he has an attitude, but I just didn't really like it. It didn't really seem to go in with Lilac's personality.
I'm not being sexist. Otherwise, I would never have said that I liked Augustus Waters' personality from The Fault in Our Stars. In fact, I probably would have said that I hated Gus's personality.
(Oh no. With that being said, I'm bound to be the target of tomatoes for a while. *gives a very innocent look and ducks*)
It's not because it's John Green either. I can't always say an author is my favorite when it's my first time reading their work(s).
Of course, everyone's opinions, likes and dislikes of a character's attitude in a book is completely different from someone else.
For a debut novel, Kaufman writes an astronomically intriguing story. The situations Lilac and Tarver are put in aren't too exaggerated or unrealistic, and in a way, the story keeps the reader guessing until the author smoothly reveals what's really going on. I had to wonder a few times why a few horror elements were doing there, lurking about.
For anyone who likes science fiction/fantasy with a hint of romance, you might want to try out These Broken Stars. Maybe someone else will have a much better time with Tarver's personality. No guarantees, though. And no rollbacks in the process.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated King of Bad (Super Villain Academy #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for awhile. It sounded very intriguing, so when I was offered the chance to review it, I automatically said yes. Luckily, the book didn't disappoint.
I think the title is an excellent fit for this book. Even Jeff's sister refers to him as the king of bad at one point. It's also an ironic fit for Jeff as we soon discover. (And don't worry, that wasn't a spoiler).
The cover is alright. I like the whole fire and ice thing going on with the cover which fits nicely with the book. I just wish there was less person and more scenery in the forefront.
I loved the world building! It made me wish I was part of it. Strand does a fantastic job of making the world of King of Bad seem like it's a real thing. The setting takes place in the United States although there are super villain and super hero academies all around the world. I like that Strand kept her novel set in the real world instead of some made up fantasy world. It makes it feel more real. The only thing I found confusing was the end. To me, it just felt a bit rushed, and just left me scratching my head wondering what had just happened.
The pacing is very enjoyable, and I found myself becoming more and more immersed with what was and what would happen to Jeff. Like the world building, the pacing does speed up a bit too much towards the end for my liking. Personally, I felt that things should've been better explained.
I loved the plot! It's about time we see the perspective of the world from a super villain! All too often, books tend to focus on the super hero. I liked the idea of a Super Villain Academy and seeing how the children were all trained to be bad. When a super hero academy attacks Jeff's school, I was actually rooting for the bad guys although it didn't feel wrong. There is a plot twist which I really enjoyed. There's no cliff hangers in this book that I noticed, so it can be read as a stand alone.
The characters were fantastic. It was hard not to love Jeff. He had fantastic manners for a baddie, and he was also very sarcastic which was my favorite thing about him. Source was probably my favorite character. I loved his nerdiness, and I could totally relate to him feeling that he didn't really fit in although Jeff felt that way as well. Oceanus came across as conflicted which I believe was intentional. She didn't want Jeff to think of her as a nice girl because she was supposed to be a villain. However, I did like Oceanus very much, and I kept rooting for her and Jeff to get together. Mystic is a fantastic character, and I never really trusted her. The author does a fantastic job in making the reader feel conflicted about Mystic which is also intentional. She had the power of suave which I thought was a fantastic ability. She also comes across as a caring and sweet girl for the most part.
The dialogue and character interactions flow very smoothly. Nothing ever felt forced or awkward writing wise. There is some swearing in this book as well as some sexual references and violence in case that isn't your thing.
Overall, King of Bad is an enjoyable and original read. My favorite thing about this book were the characters and reading about super villains as opposed to super heroes.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are feeling a little bit bad although they're really good. If you enjoy great characters and a fantastic plot, then this is the book for you!
(I received this ebook for free from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for awhile. It sounded very intriguing, so when I was offered the chance to review it, I automatically said yes. Luckily, the book didn't disappoint.
I think the title is an excellent fit for this book. Even Jeff's sister refers to him as the king of bad at one point. It's also an ironic fit for Jeff as we soon discover. (And don't worry, that wasn't a spoiler).
The cover is alright. I like the whole fire and ice thing going on with the cover which fits nicely with the book. I just wish there was less person and more scenery in the forefront.
I loved the world building! It made me wish I was part of it. Strand does a fantastic job of making the world of King of Bad seem like it's a real thing. The setting takes place in the United States although there are super villain and super hero academies all around the world. I like that Strand kept her novel set in the real world instead of some made up fantasy world. It makes it feel more real. The only thing I found confusing was the end. To me, it just felt a bit rushed, and just left me scratching my head wondering what had just happened.
The pacing is very enjoyable, and I found myself becoming more and more immersed with what was and what would happen to Jeff. Like the world building, the pacing does speed up a bit too much towards the end for my liking. Personally, I felt that things should've been better explained.
I loved the plot! It's about time we see the perspective of the world from a super villain! All too often, books tend to focus on the super hero. I liked the idea of a Super Villain Academy and seeing how the children were all trained to be bad. When a super hero academy attacks Jeff's school, I was actually rooting for the bad guys although it didn't feel wrong. There is a plot twist which I really enjoyed. There's no cliff hangers in this book that I noticed, so it can be read as a stand alone.
The characters were fantastic. It was hard not to love Jeff. He had fantastic manners for a baddie, and he was also very sarcastic which was my favorite thing about him. Source was probably my favorite character. I loved his nerdiness, and I could totally relate to him feeling that he didn't really fit in although Jeff felt that way as well. Oceanus came across as conflicted which I believe was intentional. She didn't want Jeff to think of her as a nice girl because she was supposed to be a villain. However, I did like Oceanus very much, and I kept rooting for her and Jeff to get together. Mystic is a fantastic character, and I never really trusted her. The author does a fantastic job in making the reader feel conflicted about Mystic which is also intentional. She had the power of suave which I thought was a fantastic ability. She also comes across as a caring and sweet girl for the most part.
The dialogue and character interactions flow very smoothly. Nothing ever felt forced or awkward writing wise. There is some swearing in this book as well as some sexual references and violence in case that isn't your thing.
Overall, King of Bad is an enjoyable and original read. My favorite thing about this book were the characters and reading about super villains as opposed to super heroes.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are feeling a little bit bad although they're really good. If you enjoy great characters and a fantastic plot, then this is the book for you!
(I received this ebook for free from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).