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Debbiereadsbook (1449 KP) rated Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice in Books
Dec 13, 2024
It's cute and sweet and warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 8 in the Once Upon A Holiday series, a multi author series joined ony by the Hook's Book Nook Travelling Library, which pops up in all the books. I have not read any of those, and they can all be read as stand alone books.
Luther is suffering after being medically discharged from the Marines, fostering his daughter and trying to make ends meet. Meeting Doug at the local craft market, and the pair embark on a tentative relationship, that sees Doug away from long periods. Can they make it work?
I liked this, a good deal.
It's sweet and cute, its warm and fuzzies and low angst. Not ever so explicit, but I didn't miss that. It's more about the budding relationship between these two, than the smex. I liked that it was low steam, to be honest.
I kinda didn't feel their connection at the beginning though. I felt they met, met again and then jumped into bed together. It just felt a little off, to ME, that's all. The connection DOES build, just that intial bit didn't quite work for me.
LOVED the way Luther introduces Mila and Doug, and how they all get along with Violet, Luther's sister. She has a story to tell, I'm sure! Oh and Oscar! Children and dogs for the win!
A good read, one that passed a very dull shift at work. One that made me smile.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 8 in the Once Upon A Holiday series, a multi author series joined ony by the Hook's Book Nook Travelling Library, which pops up in all the books. I have not read any of those, and they can all be read as stand alone books.
Luther is suffering after being medically discharged from the Marines, fostering his daughter and trying to make ends meet. Meeting Doug at the local craft market, and the pair embark on a tentative relationship, that sees Doug away from long periods. Can they make it work?
I liked this, a good deal.
It's sweet and cute, its warm and fuzzies and low angst. Not ever so explicit, but I didn't miss that. It's more about the budding relationship between these two, than the smex. I liked that it was low steam, to be honest.
I kinda didn't feel their connection at the beginning though. I felt they met, met again and then jumped into bed together. It just felt a little off, to ME, that's all. The connection DOES build, just that intial bit didn't quite work for me.
LOVED the way Luther introduces Mila and Doug, and how they all get along with Violet, Luther's sister. She has a story to tell, I'm sure! Oh and Oscar! Children and dogs for the win!
A good read, one that passed a very dull shift at work. One that made me smile.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I'm a massive fan of the (widely slated) original TV mini-series and can't see past Tim Curry as Pennywise. However I found this to be a good alternative version. I would say it is more of a horror movie than the original version, and probably closer to the book (though it has been some time since I read that) and there is a lot less of a Stand By Me feel about it. All the child actors are excellent in this, especially Stranger Things' superbly named Finn Wolfhand as (Beep beep) Ritchie who here gets to have a lot more fun than he seems to on Stranger Things.
Bill skarsgard plays Pennywise well, at times appearing childish and just wanting to be friends, and then quickly switches to a blank mental stare.
The decision to make this two films was a brave one, though the story does lend itself well to doing so. I much preferred the 80s setting for the film with the kids being the victims and am not exactly awaiting the adult follow up with anticipation.
Bill skarsgard plays Pennywise well, at times appearing childish and just wanting to be friends, and then quickly switches to a blank mental stare.
The decision to make this two films was a brave one, though the story does lend itself well to doing so. I much preferred the 80s setting for the film with the kids being the victims and am not exactly awaiting the adult follow up with anticipation.
Tyrone (0 KP) rated Bright (2017) in Movies
Dec 26, 2017
BRIGHT
Contains spoilers, click to show
BRIGHT has a really good concept, and I really hope someone else continues this "world" into a possible series. Bright takes place in a world where Orcs, Elves and Humans live. That is enough and awesome, if they had just told a day in the life cop story about that this movie probably would have been much better, but no. They had to get into this whole backstory of a mythical being that would return one day (to destroy the world or destroy the Elves, depending on who you believe). The movie takes place in the poorer areas of Los Angeles and the characters and gangs (Hispanic and Orc) are pretty well done. However then we have Officer Ward's (Will Smith) wife who starts out the movie as an over worked emergency room nurse, then she is in a fancy dress sitting in a very fancy restaurant/bar with several other ladies also dressed expensive, kind of confusing. I really feel this film could have been so much more. If they had done "End Of Watch" with Orcs, Human & Elves this would have been Awesome.
MPMcDonald (8 KP) rated Salem Falls in Books
Jan 12, 2018
First, I enjoyed the book and it was one that I didn't want to stop reading once I started. The premise is one that I love, the innocent man fighting to prove his innocence. The book starts strong, making us feel for both Jack and Addie. We see Jack as a kind, sensitive man who due to his good looks and profession (teacher, coach) is the kind of guy schoolgirl dreams are made of. It turns into a curse when accusations are aimed at him and he's forced to into a corner.
Addie has a tragic past that she can't or won't forget, and when Jack walks into her life, the two are drawn to each other.
The first half of the book sucked me in, but the second half focused on other characters, with Jack and Addie turned into almost secondary characters, even though it is their fate that is going to be decided at the end of the book. For me, that made the book less compelling. I wanted it to stick with Jack and Addie's pov, but instead, we see most of the rest of the book through the defense attorney's eyes.
Addie has a tragic past that she can't or won't forget, and when Jack walks into her life, the two are drawn to each other.
The first half of the book sucked me in, but the second half focused on other characters, with Jack and Addie turned into almost secondary characters, even though it is their fate that is going to be decided at the end of the book. For me, that made the book less compelling. I wanted it to stick with Jack and Addie's pov, but instead, we see most of the rest of the book through the defense attorney's eyes.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Spilled Blood in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I won an ARC of this book from First Reads.
This is the first Brian Freeman book I've ever read. Now that I'm done with it I feel like I've been missing out on a fantastic author! This book was so well written! It had colorful but realistic & well developed characters. The suspense was top notch. The conclusion was fast paced & 1 that I did not see coming in the least. So many books like this turn out to be too predictable. Thankfully this one was not!
Spilled Blood tells the story of Olivia Hawk, a high schooler who is arrested for murdering another high school girl. The evidence points strongly to her, both in the physical evidence from the scene & from the gossip around town. In sweeps her dad, a lawyer, who beings to slowly unravel the mysteries of the crime while struggling with the ever present, "Did she do it?" question. I hate to say much more than that for fear of ruining a fantastic plot!
This book had action, mystery, big companies, cancer, cover-ups, and bombs all covered yet still managed to throw in a good romance without feeling forced. This was an AMAZING read!!
This is the first Brian Freeman book I've ever read. Now that I'm done with it I feel like I've been missing out on a fantastic author! This book was so well written! It had colorful but realistic & well developed characters. The suspense was top notch. The conclusion was fast paced & 1 that I did not see coming in the least. So many books like this turn out to be too predictable. Thankfully this one was not!
Spilled Blood tells the story of Olivia Hawk, a high schooler who is arrested for murdering another high school girl. The evidence points strongly to her, both in the physical evidence from the scene & from the gossip around town. In sweeps her dad, a lawyer, who beings to slowly unravel the mysteries of the crime while struggling with the ever present, "Did she do it?" question. I hate to say much more than that for fear of ruining a fantastic plot!
This book had action, mystery, big companies, cancer, cover-ups, and bombs all covered yet still managed to throw in a good romance without feeling forced. This was an AMAZING read!!
Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms in Books
Sep 9, 2017
Worldbuilding (1 more)
Thoughtful and Engaging Characters
Tight, compelling story set in an amazing fantasy world
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms has the kind of engaging plot and clear prose that makes it easy to get lost in. Jemisin's debut novel crafts a complex world that fans of traditional fantasy will love, while still being incredibly fresh and thoughtful. The worldbuilding engages in the complexities of colonialism and cultural difference in a way that makes the world feel alive and thrumming with conflict.
Yeine is a compelling protagonist and Nahadoth, her romantic interest, is sexy, dark, and tortured (like all good love interests should be.) It's 410 pages of pure fantasy fun.
The only nitpick I have is that I wish there was more of it. Seriously. The advice to writers is to start as late in the story as possible, but I wish more time had been spent building up Yeine's world and her relationship with her mother (who's death is pivotal to the plot), and with her own Kingdom of Darre. Instead the reader enters the story with Yeine already making her way to the city of Sky. This, for me, lessened the emotional impact of later reveals.
Yeine is a compelling protagonist and Nahadoth, her romantic interest, is sexy, dark, and tortured (like all good love interests should be.) It's 410 pages of pure fantasy fun.
The only nitpick I have is that I wish there was more of it. Seriously. The advice to writers is to start as late in the story as possible, but I wish more time had been spent building up Yeine's world and her relationship with her mother (who's death is pivotal to the plot), and with her own Kingdom of Darre. Instead the reader enters the story with Yeine already making her way to the city of Sky. This, for me, lessened the emotional impact of later reveals.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Slightly Married (Bedwyn Saga, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I don't have too much to say about this first (actual) entry into the Bedwyn/Slightly series. The pacing was good, the hero and heroine were nice and likable characters, and their romance was sweet and charming. The only thing I had a problem with were the loves scenes, they just felt 'off' and didn't quite fit into or with the flow of the storyline. Especially the second one, which struck me as odd. Otherwise it was a nice and easy story to read.
I don't dislike Freyja as much in this book, but for setting a series on a whole family of six, why did Ms. Balogh write them so unlikable? Or at least, they don't make me want to read the next book immediately, as I feel it should be. I am interested in Wulfric's intended and how she is able to break through to him. <i>That</i> ought to be something! :P
Now that I've read three in a row in the series (this and the two 'prequels'), I think I'll take a break. I've heard that there is a bit of repetition and it's better to break them up. :)
I don't dislike Freyja as much in this book, but for setting a series on a whole family of six, why did Ms. Balogh write them so unlikable? Or at least, they don't make me want to read the next book immediately, as I feel it should be. I am interested in Wulfric's intended and how she is able to break through to him. <i>That</i> ought to be something! :P
Now that I've read three in a row in the series (this and the two 'prequels'), I think I'll take a break. I've heard that there is a bit of repetition and it's better to break them up. :)
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Duchessina: A Novel of Catherine de' Medici (Young Royals, #5) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<u>Duchessina</u> was a fairly good young adult take on Catherine de' Medici. The historical details are flawlessly added, and while it's <i>too</i> sympathic towards Catherine, I understand the need for the heroine to be that way in this type of book. My only major complaint is the end, where there was too much left in the book to wrap up so quickly. I thought the whole book was just going to be the first twenty or so years of her life, which would have made the book more cohesive. Instead the last thirty pages were rushed with the rest of her marriage and then the historical notes after Henri II died.
However, I do appreciate authors bringing history to younger readers in the hope that they will want to read more about certain people and times. Especially in the case of Catherine de' Medici, whom I feel history was more vicious to than she deserved. She was a woman of her times and she survived as best she could. Was she a saint? No, far from it, but I don't believe she was evil either.
3.5 stars
However, I do appreciate authors bringing history to younger readers in the hope that they will want to read more about certain people and times. Especially in the case of Catherine de' Medici, whom I feel history was more vicious to than she deserved. She was a woman of her times and she survived as best she could. Was she a saint? No, far from it, but I don't believe she was evil either.
3.5 stars
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss in Books
Mar 14, 2019
A wonderful story of family and finding yourself.
This is SUCH a good book!
Professor Chandra, a Professor at Cambridge University, has missed out on the Nobel Prize for Economics, and he’s not happy about it! So unhappy in fact, that he doesn’t pay attention whilst crossing the road, and gets run over by a bicycle. He ends up in hospital, and decides that he needs to re-evaluate his life and get in contact with his children. And so starts his journey of self-realisation.
I loved this book. The characters were all immensely likeable (even the irritating Steve - Chandra’s ex-wife’s new husband). Some of the things that happened seemed a bit unlikely, but we’re not reading this as a non-fiction book, are we? They were very funny though, and occasionally, they were quite sad. This book had it all for me. I read this on The Pigeonhole, so one part a day for ten days, and I can honestly say that I looked forward to reading it every day. I feel a little bereft that it’s over now.
Highly recommended!
Professor Chandra, a Professor at Cambridge University, has missed out on the Nobel Prize for Economics, and he’s not happy about it! So unhappy in fact, that he doesn’t pay attention whilst crossing the road, and gets run over by a bicycle. He ends up in hospital, and decides that he needs to re-evaluate his life and get in contact with his children. And so starts his journey of self-realisation.
I loved this book. The characters were all immensely likeable (even the irritating Steve - Chandra’s ex-wife’s new husband). Some of the things that happened seemed a bit unlikely, but we’re not reading this as a non-fiction book, are we? They were very funny though, and occasionally, they were quite sad. This book had it all for me. I read this on The Pigeonhole, so one part a day for ten days, and I can honestly say that I looked forward to reading it every day. I feel a little bereft that it’s over now.
Highly recommended!
Rainbow Rowell basically wrote fanfiction which was based on her book Fangirl, which I was completely up for. I loved Cath’s little snippets of fanfiction throughout the book so to read a whole book of it?! Yes please!
I completely fell in love with Simon and Baez in Fangirl, so I was really excited to finally be able to read some more of their story.
I don’t think it quite lived up to my expectations, though. Through Fangirl, I can remember thinking that the Simon Snow books just sounded like a rip off of Harry Potter which I was okay with because it wasn’t the main plot of the book. But then reading Carry On was just like reading some Harry Potter fanfiction which I hadn’t been expecting and I found quite disappointing.
I was hoping for more of an original plot but this retelling of the ‘chosen one’ plot just really didn’t work as an ‘original’ story.
Overall I feel that it could have been written better. I enjoy reading fanfics which is why this is still a 3 from me, but for an author as good as Rainbow Rowell, it was a bit disappointing.
I completely fell in love with Simon and Baez in Fangirl, so I was really excited to finally be able to read some more of their story.
I don’t think it quite lived up to my expectations, though. Through Fangirl, I can remember thinking that the Simon Snow books just sounded like a rip off of Harry Potter which I was okay with because it wasn’t the main plot of the book. But then reading Carry On was just like reading some Harry Potter fanfiction which I hadn’t been expecting and I found quite disappointing.
I was hoping for more of an original plot but this retelling of the ‘chosen one’ plot just really didn’t work as an ‘original’ story.
Overall I feel that it could have been written better. I enjoy reading fanfics which is why this is still a 3 from me, but for an author as good as Rainbow Rowell, it was a bit disappointing.