Search

Search only in certain items:

    Smooth Reader

    Smooth Reader

    Book and Productivity

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    "Smooth Reader" is a fast PDF reader that enables smooth and fast page turning like real printed...

<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Book-Review-Banner-79.png"/>;

I don’t always read poetry, but I won "It's Getting Harder and Harder To Tell the Two of You Apart" by Casey Renee Kiser and Johnny Scarlotti through a giveaway on LibraryThing.

And if you are already familiar with my “reading rules”, you know I try and read every single book I have ever received, because it’s only fair. And sometimes, the most unexpected books and the ones we don’t actively search for tend to surprise us the most. That happened with this book as well!

"It's Getting Harder and Harder To Tell the Two of You Apart" is written by two authors - two amazing writers of poetry, who have a very similar style of horror and suspense, but also very distinctive differences in their writing style too. The book is split in two parts, and we get the chance to explore both worlds. 

<b>Part 1 - Casey Renee Kiser</b>

The first part of the book was written by Casey Renee Kiser, and my favorite poem was “I am not a ghost yet”. It is morbid and powerful, and I loved the way the feelings and scenes were amplified in a morbid sense. I love the brutality of the writing. 

<b><i>“Everything was beautiful the day you died”,
You said as you touched my cold hand. </i></b>

<b>Part 2 - Johnny Scarlotti</b>

I could instantly see the difference in the poems between the two poets, but at the same time, also admire how similar their styles and themes are. I find Johnny’s writing very creepy, much creepier than Casey’s. Especially when the mood suddenly changes and the random “haha’s” and “woahh’s” in the poems appear.

<b><i>Now I’m dashing through the park clipping
Children’s kite strings
Ha ha, that’s what you get, you little freaks!</i></b>

It felt like I was reading the secret diary of the Joker. Either him, or Pennywise. It was so fucked up, but it read as the new normal, which is what a psycho would think and feel. It was creepy, it was wrong, but at the same time it satisfied my curiosity. I think that may be the same curiosity that makes me watch true crime shows, crime confessions and old interview with Ted Bundy. And I really enjoyed it. 

If I could change anything about my experience with this book, I would have read this for Halloween. I think it would have been the perfect experience, next to a lot of red candles and dim lighting, alongside some quiet creepy music. 

I would recommend "It's Getting Harder and Harder To Tell the Two of You Apart" to all fans of horror poetry - it is dark and twisty, brutally honest and creepy, and it will pull you over to the dark side, even for a day. 
  
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling | 2016 | Children
8
9.1 (229 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;

#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3217515684">Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2371215543">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</a> - ★★★★★
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3275165909">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> - ★★★★

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Book-Review-Banner-44.png"/>;

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter is now in his third year at Hogwarts. The atmosphere is tense. There is an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the prison guards have been called to guard the school. 

In the third book, we can immediately notice a much darker and dangerous atmosphere, compared to the previous book. During the series, the books do get gradually darker and darker, more and more mature, and I think this is the book where we start to notice this transition for the first time. 

Harry Potter and his friends have grown up a little, and it clearly shows in their conversations and choices. I was happy to see all the things we learn in this book. The dementors and their deadly kiss, patronuses as well as magical creatures. We learn that Hippogriffs are proud and easily offended.

<b><i>And we also learn that Malfoy is still a little brat.</i></b>

The fact that little entitles Malfoy is so jealous of Harry that daddy puts him to play in the Quidditch team annoyed me so much. I just wanted to slap him!

<b><i>"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," said Harry. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."</i></b>

I got quite emotional when Harry is troubled by his parent's death and is grieving openly, probably for the first time. I believe him meeting more people that were friends with his parents helped him heal. It is such a good feeling to know Harry does have a family and things are starting to look a bit better for him. 

<b><i>"You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?"
</i></b>
I didn't quite enjoy the time-travelling part through, I have to be honest. Even though the idea sounds nice, it always troubles me that it is never properly explained and very little attention is being given to it. I wish I read more about it, because then I would have loved it!

I enjoyed this book a lot! It is Harry Potter after all. But it isn't a favorite of mine. I loved how Harry finds out more about his past and gets a couple of more answers, but I also loved that new paths are opening and are waiting to be discovered in the next books. 
  
(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 is a book I'd been wanting to read for awhile. The whole gothic horror thing really piqued my interest. While this wasn't my favorite horror story, it was still a good read. I've also seen some reviews saying that this book was a lot like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer but I didn't think it was.

I must admit that the title is what caught my attention first. I love it, and I find that it's a very fitting title for the book.

The cover is the next thing that caught my attention, and while I don't think it really fits in with the story, it's still an interesting cover.

I enjoyed the world building very much. However, a majority of characters in this book had really peculiar names like Violet White, River West, True White, Sunshine, etc. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I still found it strange that they all had extraordinary names. I loved the back story of everything which helped to set up the world building very nicely. The one thing that kind of annoyed me was the insta-love between River and Violet.

The pacing did start off a bit slow, but I hung in there. By about the third chapter, the book reeled me in, and my attention was focused solely on finding out what was going to happen and if River was truly a bad boy or just misunderstood.

I felt that the plot had some originality to it. River moves in to Violet's guest house and suddenly a bunch of weird things start happening. I really want to elaborate more on the plot, but I also don't want to give anything away. Let's just say the plot deals with the paranormal and romance. There is a plot twist. There's also a sort of cliff hanger ending since there's a second book in the series.

As for the characters, I thought they were alright even if they did seem a bit older than their actual ages of 16 and 17. I liked how Violet wasn't ashamed to be different. She was odd, yes, but that's what I loved about her. She seemed, for the most part, to be comfortable in her own skin. I didn't really know what to make of River. He was very mysterious and he lied...a lot! This made me not trust him at all, yet Violet was perfectly happy to trust River. (Okay, so Violet had one annoying trait). I liked Luke, and I didn't feel that he was as mean to Violet as what Violet led us to believe. In fact, I thought he was quite nice and caring. He was a bit of a ladies man, but the kid is 17 years old after all. I liked how Neely was like the protector of everyone. He did have a bit of a temper, but he was willing to do whatever it took to protect his friends and family. The character I really had a problem with was Brodie. He's such a stereotypical Texan, and that's what really made me upset. He came across as an uneducated hillbilly. I really did feel offended by the author for her portrayal of Texans.

The dialogue sounds more fitting for an adult novel as the teenagers in the book speak like they are much older than their 16 and 17 years. As I stated in the above paragraph, I was offended by the character of Brodie. His speech was so stereotypical and offensive. I've never even heard anyone from Texas speak the way Brodie spoke, and I was born and raised here in Texas! I think the author should've done a bit more research about the dialogue and dialect of Texas instead of just stereotyping. Other than that, the dialogue flowed smoothly and freely. The book is fairly violent, and there are some mild sexual situations. There is some swearing as well.

Overall, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is an intriguing read with a great plot. The world building is interesting, and the characters are likable even if one was extremely offensive.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are fans of gothic horror or just horror in general.

<b>I'd give Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke a 3.75 out of 5.</b>


(I purchased a hardcover copy of this book with my own money from Amazon. No review was required).
  
Paranormal Texas: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas &amp; Fort Worth, (2nd Edition)
Paranormal Texas: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas & Fort Worth, (2nd Edition)
Tui Snider | 2019 | History & Politics, Mind, Body & Spiritual, Paranormal
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Those who know me know that I love the paranormal, mainly ghosts. When a chance came up to read Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider came about, I couldn't say no. As a Texas girl myself and a fan of all places ghostly, this seemed like the perfect book for me. I wasn't wrong!

Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a fantastic guidebook for those looking to chase ghosts in the great state of Texas, more specifically, towns and cities near Dallas and Fort Worth. I don't live near Dallas or Fort Worth, but I've been on vacation in and around there, and I will be taking future vacations in and around that area. In fact, I've been to two of the haunted locations featured in this book! I never even knew they were supposedly haunted at the time.

Tui Snider does a fantastic job of keeping readers interested in Paranormal Texas. She gives information about each place as well as local lore and/or personal encounters with each place. Tui also has a few urban legends in her book which are great for approaching locals with as long as they're into that sort of thing. Sometimes she gives the history behind each place which was my favorite thing. Personally, I would have liked to read more history about each place, but I was still happy nonetheless. What I really enjoyed was each place Tui mentioned wasn't a wall of text. It was concise and to the point. She also included photos of each place. These aren't photos of evidence though. The photos are just of the actual place itself which was a tad bit disappointing. I would have liked to see some photos of alleged evidence. However, Tui does have a website where you can look at paranormal photos, EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), and more. (I'll go into detail about her website a little later.) All the photos are in black and white in my copy of Paranormal Texas. Mine is an ARC, so maybe the actual copies will have some colored photos.

One thing I really enjoyed about Paranormal Texas is that Tui Snider lists the address of each place, so you don't have to bother searching for it yourself. If it's a harder place to get to, Tui gives you directions of how best to get there. I thought this was a fantastic touch because when you want to look for ghosts, the last thing you want to do is waste time trying to find an address.

Another thing I am grateful for is how the book has each city listed alphabetically at the beginning and then each haunted location is listed for that city. This makes it a lot easier to find what city you're interested in to do some ghost exploring!

However, Paranormal Texas isn't just about haunted places in Texas. Tui Snider also writes about the techinal terms that come with ghost hunting which is great for those that are new to ghost hunting as well as how to be a respectful thrill seeker which has great information for even seasoned ghost hunters. I would advise not skipping the beginning of the book that has all this great advice simply because it will help enrich your reading experience with Paranormal Texas or any paranormal non-fiction book. Heck, it will probably even enrich your experience with even paranormal and supernatural fiction books!

Be sure to check out Tui Snider's online evidence database for Paranormal Texas which she mentions in her book. Like Paranormal Texas, she has each city listed alphabetically for you to listen and see supposed paranormal happenings. This is such a fantastic accompaniment to the book. It really makes the book come alive. It's like you're there! Definitely check out her online database. It will give you the chills. It's still a work in progress as Tui encourages readers to send in their own paranormal evidence as well, but still, it is great nonetheless.

Paranormal Texas is such a great guide for old and new ghost hunters alike. There is such a plethora of information within the pages. Trust me, not only are you learning about new ghost locations, but you are also being schooled on so much more. It's like a bonus lesson in history and ghost hunting, but one that is a lot of fun. I'd recommend leaving the lights on for this book. I'd definitely recommend Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love ghost stories, Texas, or those who just love to be spooked. You won't be disappointed!
--
(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback ARC of Paranormal Texas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
  
I LOVE this series. By the end of this book I had tears streaming down my face because of the beauty of the conclusion. (Second series that I have completed this week...GAH!) I admit that these last two books have been especially hard to read, emotionally. There is so much that happens, that definitely pulled on my heart. However, Roseanna pulled it all together wonderfully. Allowing for healing, forgiveness, trust and freedom. How does one go through life without trust in God? I am so very thankful to have been raised in a Christian home. Trusting in the Lord though, can be easier said than done. I never fully understood the peace and the rest that comes when you can fully trust God to guide you and lead your steps. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes dire circumstances for us to be able to get to that place.

Lady Ella is someone that I would love to have as a friend. She has joy that cannot be dissuaded and hope that cannot be deterred. It was so much fun to see characters from the other books make their appearance again. I especially love the interaction between the three heroes from the books. I was laughing out loud at their antics. But as much as I adore Stafford and Nottingham, Cayton is my favorite. Let's just say artistic AND loves Shakespeare...yup...My favorite! A beautiful story set in 1913, England, and filled with mystery, adventure, romance, betrayals, forgiveness, and more romance...You do not want to pass up the conclusion to the Ladies of the Manor and the curse of the Fire Eyes. To truly enjoy the story, I recommend starting with The Lost Heiress, Brooke's tale is one full of adventure and sets the stage for this series brilliantly.

I received a free copy of A Lady Unrivaled from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
    GO-LIFE

    GO-LIFE

    Lifestyle

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    GO-JEK’s lifestyle services are the ones that make GO-JEK wins the heart of so many people. With...