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Andy K (10821 KP) created a video about Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) in Movies
Jun 17, 2018 (Updated Jun 17, 2018)
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Fence #1 (Fence, #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I've been eyeing this for a while. I've read the author's M/M Fantasy Romance series Captive Prince and fell in love with it so I was hoping this would be just as good. It's only short being the first instalment but it had potential to be something quite good. The artwork was great and the storyline has me intrigued.
It follows Nicholas Cox, illegitimate son to a fencing star who has followed in his dad's footsteps and likes fencing. He enters a tournament and is up against fencing prodigy Seiji Katayama and fails miserably. Shortly afterwards he get's into a prestigious all boy's school where he hopes to get better with his fencing and hopefully get on the team.
I am intrigued what's going to end up happening with this series both with Nicholas and his fencing dreams and knowing the author writes M/M Romances.
I've just bought book 2, will review it soon.
It follows Nicholas Cox, illegitimate son to a fencing star who has followed in his dad's footsteps and likes fencing. He enters a tournament and is up against fencing prodigy Seiji Katayama and fails miserably. Shortly afterwards he get's into a prestigious all boy's school where he hopes to get better with his fencing and hopefully get on the team.
I am intrigued what's going to end up happening with this series both with Nicholas and his fencing dreams and knowing the author writes M/M Romances.
I've just bought book 2, will review it soon.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Fence #2 (Fence, #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I finished this last night, another fairly short continuation with Nicholas finding out his roommate is none other than Seiji and both of them hating it. They divide the room and then go to bed, ready for the next days fencing lessons where we then meet the rest of the team.
I actually thought this was a fun addition to the first, which was a bit more serious. There were definitely a few fun scenes in this with meeting the rest of the fencing team hopefuls. They all had their own personalities and quirks and the artwork showed them brilliantly.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this.
I actually thought this was a fun addition to the first, which was a bit more serious. There were definitely a few fun scenes in this with meeting the rest of the fencing team hopefuls. They all had their own personalities and quirks and the artwork showed them brilliantly.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this.
MisterK (8 KP) rated The Princess Bride (1987) in Movies
Nov 25, 2017
Perfect Casting (3 more)
Memorable, Quotable Dialog
Fencing, Fighting, Torture, Revenge, Giants, Monsters...
A Little Basic for Older Audiences
True Love
One of the quintessential cult films since the term was invented, The Princess Bride is a movie that everyone seems to love. The characters are memorable, the dialog is snappy and funny and the movie just gets better every time that one watches it.
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Lady Catherine's Secret (Secrets and Seduction, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The second book in the Secrets & Seductions series but a standalone (as they all are), Lady Catherine's Secret tells of her rise to 'Lady' from Miss, as well as her secret fetish... fencing! Now obviously, in 1853 ladies had very strict guidelines to follow and fencing was definitely something not on that list. Cat isn't about to let that stop her though, and uses an alias of Alexander Gray so that she can attend lessons. Things change though when a new Lord appears on the scene. With mischief and mayhem, will Cat keep her secret?
I loved this story! Sheridan Jeane conveys just how much Cat is breaking the rules, and what could happen if anyone finds out, with admirable aplomb! Weaving in deals gone sour, ladies chasing after a husband, blackmail and kidnap, as well as a cameo appearance by Cecilia of It Takes A Spy... fame, this story skips along at a steady pace, keeping you intrigued and delighted as you do so.
Very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye, this book is a solid read, thoroughly enjoyable in every way. Definitely recommended by me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved this story! Sheridan Jeane conveys just how much Cat is breaking the rules, and what could happen if anyone finds out, with admirable aplomb! Weaving in deals gone sour, ladies chasing after a husband, blackmail and kidnap, as well as a cameo appearance by Cecilia of It Takes A Spy... fame, this story skips along at a steady pace, keeping you intrigued and delighted as you do so.
Very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye, this book is a solid read, thoroughly enjoyable in every way. Definitely recommended by me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Fence #4 (Fence, #4) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
In this part it's Nicholas' match and after some advice off their instructor in the last part, he's struggling to get his head back in the game and fence as good as he normally does. Seiji is watching, recognising something in Nicholas' technique. And at the end, the next match is between Seiji and Aiden - who everyone has a crush on, and breaker of boys hearts.
I feel like by now we know the boys quite well, they're all very different but all have a love of fencing. The only characters I don't really like is Aiden with his cocky attitude.
I am very intrigued by how their match will play out. I really want Seiji to win just to put a dent in Aiden's "perfection" and will be buying more books in the series soon.
I feel like by now we know the boys quite well, they're all very different but all have a love of fencing. The only characters I don't really like is Aiden with his cocky attitude.
I am very intrigued by how their match will play out. I really want Seiji to win just to put a dent in Aiden's "perfection" and will be buying more books in the series soon.
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Midnight Captive (Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2023
The second book in the Bonded by Blood Chronicles concentrates on Cailin, the daughter of Davina. She is now fully grown and promised to James, although she hasn't seen him for a few years as he has been in Germany at a Fencing School. Things have been quiet with Angus but all that is about to change.
This book was quite humorous as Cailin tries to be the 'dutiful wife' that she thinks James wants, whereas he can't figure out what is wrong with her! When Cailin is kidnapped, James is thankful that she isn't some wilting willow and does all he can to get her back safe and sound.
Broderick does his own thing, and the prophecy becomes clearer, and at the same time, more confusing as actions, together with layer upon layer of meaning, are laid out for the reader.
Well written, with a smooth and easy pace, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Cailin and James. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Apr 24, 2016
This book was quite humorous as Cailin tries to be the 'dutiful wife' that she thinks James wants, whereas he can't figure out what is wrong with her! When Cailin is kidnapped, James is thankful that she isn't some wilting willow and does all he can to get her back safe and sound.
Broderick does his own thing, and the prophecy becomes clearer, and at the same time, more confusing as actions, together with layer upon layer of meaning, are laid out for the reader.
Well written, with a smooth and easy pace, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Cailin and James. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Apr 24, 2016
Midge (525 KP) rated Before She Knew Him in Books
Mar 18, 2019
An Exceptional Psychological Thriller!
This exceptional psychological thriller from Peter Swanson (author of ‘The Kind Worth Killing’), is an absolute masterpiece!
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Serial Wives in Books
Dec 9, 2018
Couldn't connect with any of the characters (1 more)
Seems to be a long book but only 204 pages
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I was immediately intrigued by the description of "Serial Wives" by Yvonne Eve Walus. A guilt ridden girl, a mother with a husband who recently returned home but is still a bad boy, and a serial killer who murders women and displays their bodies dressed in a white sheet and puts a fencing mask on them. This description had me hooked. Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to any of the characters. I did not find myself rooting for them to succeed or survive. I did not hate them nor was I actively hoping any of them failed or died. I just was not sympathetic toward them. I found the story to be all over the place, leaping from one person to an other. From the beginning you knew all of the characters were going to be connected. The "reveals" did not seem like reveals.
The book seemed very long. When I finished, I was surprised to see if was, according to Goodreads, only 204 pages. I think the story was ok and would give it 3 stars. Yvonne Eve Walus has written 13 books but I do not think I will add any to my "want to read" list.
I was immediately intrigued by the description of "Serial Wives" by Yvonne Eve Walus. A guilt ridden girl, a mother with a husband who recently returned home but is still a bad boy, and a serial killer who murders women and displays their bodies dressed in a white sheet and puts a fencing mask on them. This description had me hooked. Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to any of the characters. I did not find myself rooting for them to succeed or survive. I did not hate them nor was I actively hoping any of them failed or died. I just was not sympathetic toward them. I found the story to be all over the place, leaping from one person to an other. From the beginning you knew all of the characters were going to be connected. The "reveals" did not seem like reveals.
The book seemed very long. When I finished, I was surprised to see if was, according to Goodreads, only 204 pages. I think the story was ok and would give it 3 stars. Yvonne Eve Walus has written 13 books but I do not think I will add any to my "want to read" list.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Stepsister in Books
Aug 16, 2019
Review by Disney Bookworm
I took a break from the Disney Twisted Tales collection to check out a new novel by the New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Donnelly and wow am I glad I did!
Judging purely by the title of the book: the cynical side of me expected this to be a retelling of the traditional fairy tale from the viewpoint of the “ugly stepsisters”. Perhaps with a remorseful twist and a concluding reconciliation. I could not have been more wrong.
This is possibly the first time I should have judged a book by its cover: the iconic glass slipper casting fragmented shards across the jacket should have certainly forewarned me that this will not be just another Cinderella story.
Unlike the twisted tales and the villain series, Step Sister is, as far as I know, not connected to the Disney enterprise at all. This makes it an edgier read by far but also allows the novel to lean as far away from the traditional fairy tale as it dares: smashing just a couple of stereotypes along the way.
Oh, and just a quick point: the novel opens on Isabelle and Octavia disfiguring their own feet, at the command of their mother, with the aim to fit into the glass slipper and marry the Prince. See what I mean- edgy right?
Stepsister is told from the viewpoint of Isabelle: a headstrong girl with an ambitious mother, an intelligent sister Octavia and a kind, sweet sister, Ella. Isabelle is a disappointment to her mother: a plain girl who prefers riding and fencing to corsets and suitors. A number of flashbacks to the girls’ childhood also suggests that Isabelle, Octavia and Ella were once very close, leading the reader to wonder how the relationship became the poisonous one we are so familiar with.
Unsurprisingly, their Maman’s plan to mutilate her way to the palace does not succeed and Ella takes her rightful place by the Prince’s side, claiming her ‘happily ever after’. But what is to become of the family she leaves behind? Maimed and outcast, Isabelle and Octavia struggle to carry on once their actions are brought to light and they are promptly labelled the “ugly stepsisters” by all around them.
Desolate and lost, Isabelle mistakenly believes that her life would improve if she were more attractive and makes a wish to the fairy queen Tanaquill, who promises to grant her desire when Isabelle finds the three missing parts of her heart.
Thus, begins Isabelle’s mission to reclaim her heart and turn her life around. The stepsister’s road of discovery is a bumpy one however, and is not made any easier by an old crone named Fate and a young man named Chance, both of whom seem to have an unhealthy obsession with her progress and a strange, almost friendly rivalry over the possession of Isabelle’s life map.
Jennifer Donnelly introduces us to a number of characters throughout Isabelle’s journey, all of whom are exquisite: Chance is an eccentric debonair with an entourage that may have just stepped out of The Greatest Showman; Octavia is every nerdy, sarcastic girl’s dream and even Fate is strangely likeable. It is truly impressive how Donnelly can make us feel like we know these people within the space of 470 pages.
I was also impressed with how different Jennifer Donnelly’s characters are from everything I have read before. Even Tanaquill is not the fairy godmother we all know and love. She isn’t even the slightly bonkers Helena Bonham-Carter version! There isn’t a bibbidi bobbidi boo in sight for this talon-fingered shapeshifter and she certainly does not grant wishes easily.
As a result, the reader does not quite trust the fairy queen: there is always an aspect of her that seems evil. Alas, this is another stroke of genius by Donnelly: the fairy queen doesn’t look like Tinkerbell or the Blue Fairy and so we don’t trust her- even when she is helping Isabelle and why is that? Because of her appearance? Well that makes us just as bad as those who persecute Isabelle!
Ella features very little in the novel. This is not wholly unexpected: it is not her story after all. She is frequently referred to and heavily present in Isabelle’s evolution but, out of all the characters, we know Ella the least. This is not to say that Donnelly presents Ella as a 2D character in order to prevent us from preferring her to our feistier protagonist: in fact, Ella slowly reveals a darker side to her own tale. Simply put, she does not have the depth and human rawness that Isabelle has. Isabelle appeals to the insecure teenager in us all: never believing that she is good enough, focusing on her flaws and judging herself based on the opinions of others.
When Isabelle finally finds the pieces of her heart and has to literally fight to achieve her happy ending, she automatically looks to one of the male characters to lead. After all, it has always been instilled into her that she is “just a girl”. However, Chance and his entourage have educated Isabelle as to the potential of her sex and it is through this inspiration that Isabelle and the reader realise that the answer has been there all along: the answer is Isabelle. All the childhood flashbacks of riding and fighting have been breadcrumbs for the reader: Isabelle is a warrior- her life is not mapped out by Fate or Chance anymore; she can decide her own path.
Step Sister holds up a gigantic mirror to the way we judge beauty and shows us what it really means to be a girl. Jennifer Donnelly proves that being strong, brave and, most importantly, true to yourself is what makes you beautiful. In fact, it is not until Isabelle accepts herself that she is described as beautiful and, by standing up for what she believes in, everyone achieves their own happy endings. As a mum of two young boys I really appreciated how Octavia’s love of science and math and Felix’s creativity and love of art directly contrasted with Maman’s old-fashioned desire to “marry off” her daughters. This story is no fairy tale: it is real, it is edgy and it is telling all generations that life is what you make it.
Judging purely by the title of the book: the cynical side of me expected this to be a retelling of the traditional fairy tale from the viewpoint of the “ugly stepsisters”. Perhaps with a remorseful twist and a concluding reconciliation. I could not have been more wrong.
This is possibly the first time I should have judged a book by its cover: the iconic glass slipper casting fragmented shards across the jacket should have certainly forewarned me that this will not be just another Cinderella story.
Unlike the twisted tales and the villain series, Step Sister is, as far as I know, not connected to the Disney enterprise at all. This makes it an edgier read by far but also allows the novel to lean as far away from the traditional fairy tale as it dares: smashing just a couple of stereotypes along the way.
Oh, and just a quick point: the novel opens on Isabelle and Octavia disfiguring their own feet, at the command of their mother, with the aim to fit into the glass slipper and marry the Prince. See what I mean- edgy right?
Stepsister is told from the viewpoint of Isabelle: a headstrong girl with an ambitious mother, an intelligent sister Octavia and a kind, sweet sister, Ella. Isabelle is a disappointment to her mother: a plain girl who prefers riding and fencing to corsets and suitors. A number of flashbacks to the girls’ childhood also suggests that Isabelle, Octavia and Ella were once very close, leading the reader to wonder how the relationship became the poisonous one we are so familiar with.
Unsurprisingly, their Maman’s plan to mutilate her way to the palace does not succeed and Ella takes her rightful place by the Prince’s side, claiming her ‘happily ever after’. But what is to become of the family she leaves behind? Maimed and outcast, Isabelle and Octavia struggle to carry on once their actions are brought to light and they are promptly labelled the “ugly stepsisters” by all around them.
Desolate and lost, Isabelle mistakenly believes that her life would improve if she were more attractive and makes a wish to the fairy queen Tanaquill, who promises to grant her desire when Isabelle finds the three missing parts of her heart.
Thus, begins Isabelle’s mission to reclaim her heart and turn her life around. The stepsister’s road of discovery is a bumpy one however, and is not made any easier by an old crone named Fate and a young man named Chance, both of whom seem to have an unhealthy obsession with her progress and a strange, almost friendly rivalry over the possession of Isabelle’s life map.
Jennifer Donnelly introduces us to a number of characters throughout Isabelle’s journey, all of whom are exquisite: Chance is an eccentric debonair with an entourage that may have just stepped out of The Greatest Showman; Octavia is every nerdy, sarcastic girl’s dream and even Fate is strangely likeable. It is truly impressive how Donnelly can make us feel like we know these people within the space of 470 pages.
I was also impressed with how different Jennifer Donnelly’s characters are from everything I have read before. Even Tanaquill is not the fairy godmother we all know and love. She isn’t even the slightly bonkers Helena Bonham-Carter version! There isn’t a bibbidi bobbidi boo in sight for this talon-fingered shapeshifter and she certainly does not grant wishes easily.
As a result, the reader does not quite trust the fairy queen: there is always an aspect of her that seems evil. Alas, this is another stroke of genius by Donnelly: the fairy queen doesn’t look like Tinkerbell or the Blue Fairy and so we don’t trust her- even when she is helping Isabelle and why is that? Because of her appearance? Well that makes us just as bad as those who persecute Isabelle!
Ella features very little in the novel. This is not wholly unexpected: it is not her story after all. She is frequently referred to and heavily present in Isabelle’s evolution but, out of all the characters, we know Ella the least. This is not to say that Donnelly presents Ella as a 2D character in order to prevent us from preferring her to our feistier protagonist: in fact, Ella slowly reveals a darker side to her own tale. Simply put, she does not have the depth and human rawness that Isabelle has. Isabelle appeals to the insecure teenager in us all: never believing that she is good enough, focusing on her flaws and judging herself based on the opinions of others.
When Isabelle finally finds the pieces of her heart and has to literally fight to achieve her happy ending, she automatically looks to one of the male characters to lead. After all, it has always been instilled into her that she is “just a girl”. However, Chance and his entourage have educated Isabelle as to the potential of her sex and it is through this inspiration that Isabelle and the reader realise that the answer has been there all along: the answer is Isabelle. All the childhood flashbacks of riding and fighting have been breadcrumbs for the reader: Isabelle is a warrior- her life is not mapped out by Fate or Chance anymore; she can decide her own path.
Step Sister holds up a gigantic mirror to the way we judge beauty and shows us what it really means to be a girl. Jennifer Donnelly proves that being strong, brave and, most importantly, true to yourself is what makes you beautiful. In fact, it is not until Isabelle accepts herself that she is described as beautiful and, by standing up for what she believes in, everyone achieves their own happy endings. As a mum of two young boys I really appreciated how Octavia’s love of science and math and Felix’s creativity and love of art directly contrasted with Maman’s old-fashioned desire to “marry off” her daughters. This story is no fairy tale: it is real, it is edgy and it is telling all generations that life is what you make it.
