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Melanie Caldicott (6 KP) rated Goodnight, Brian in Books

Apr 29, 2021  
Goodnight, Brian
Goodnight, Brian
Steven Manchester | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The concept of this book originally interested me and I found the first few chapters where the tragedy that caused Brian's disability is uncovered takes place moving. However, I quickly grew tired of Mama and found her a very manufactured, unrealistic character who was just too "perfect". Her "clever" answers in how to bring out the best in Brian and the myriad of problems the rest of the family faced seemed to serve no other purpose than to allow the author a platform from which to preach at us. This, in my opinion, was painfully unsubtle and fiction should not be used as a vehicle for moralising, but to merely describe the experiences of characters, their feelings and reactions which provoke thoughts and empathy within the reader. I did not finish this book as the sermonesque style ultimately became unbearable!
  
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Tom Turner (388 KP) rated Planet Of The Apes in Books

Apr 29, 2021  
Planet Of The Apes
Planet Of The Apes
Pierre Boulle | 1963 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When the Tim Burton remake of the 1969 movie was released there was an uproar, essentially because they had changed the twist ending. True, the twist the Burton film came up with was awful, but there is an irony in that uproar. You see, that classic twist from the original movie is not the twist in this book! I'm not going to say what that twist is, but thankfully it is on a part with the one we all know and live.

I love this novel, and really wish more people were aware it existed. I wouldn't be surprised if some people avoided it believing it to be a novelization of the movie, but no, this was published six years before the original movie! I think this is a must read for any science fiction fan, and movie historian.
  
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Emma Watson recommended The Handmaid's Tale in Books (curated)

 
The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood | 1998 | Essays
8.3 (112 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale over thirty years ago now, but it is a book that has never stopped fascinating readers because it articulates so vividly what it feels like for a woman to lose power over her own body. Like George Orwell’s 1984 (a novel that Atwood was inspired by) its title alone summons up a whole set of ideas, even for those who haven’t read it…Atwood has called it ‘speculative fiction’, but also says that all the practises described in the novel are ‘drawn from the historical record’ – i.e. are things that have actually taken place in the past. Could any of Atwood’s speculations take place again, or are some of them taking place already? Are the women in the book powerless in their oppression or could they be doing more to fight it?"

Source
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Mar 27, 2021  
Visit my blog to read a great excerpt from the literary fiction/short stories book A WALL OF BRIGHT DEAD FLOWERS by Babette Fraser Hale. Enter the giveaway to win a bookplate signed by Babette Fraser Hale as well as a $20 gift card to Brazos Bookstore - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/03/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-wall-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Most are newcomers to the scenic, rolling countryside of central Texas whose charms they romanticize, even as the troubles they hoped to leave behind persist. Twelve stories highlight “the book’s recurring theme of desire—for freedom, for clarity, for autonomy, and for personal fulfillment … When women are alone, unencumbered and unbeholden to anyone, they engage in intense internal reflection and show reverence for nature—and during these scenes, Hale’s language is luminescent” (Kirkus Reviews).
      
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Oct 7, 2020  
"I could go on and on about how amazing Tui Snider's newest book is, but you are better off just reading it for yourself."

Check out my review for the non-fiction Texas travel book 6 FEET UNDER TEXAS by Tui Snider on my blog. Enter the GIVEAWAY to win a paperback or eBook copy of the book, a thank you postcard, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/10/reviewapalooza-and-giveaway-6-feet.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Explore the cemeteries of Texas with Tui Snider as she reveals overlooked history in these fascinating open-air museums.

Along the way, you’ll meet fascinating characters, including a whistleblower who died in suspicious circumstances, an oilman who added a phone line to his mausoleum, and the events that caused two “frenemies” to be chained together in death.
      
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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2) in Books

Jan 19, 2021  
The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2)
The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2)
Kate Mosse | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A must read!
What a book! An amazing sequel to The Burning Chambers. The detail in the description is exactly what I have come to expect from Kate Mosse’s books and she did not disappoint with this one. I loved seeing Piet and Minou’s family grow. There was the same amount of suspense about whether and how things would work out for them all, and that suspense carried on right until the last chapter and even the last sentences. I cannot wait for the third instalment of this series and to find out more about what happens to they Reydon family and whether they can in fact live their lives in peace or whether trouble will always find them! A must read for anyone who is interested in historical fiction as it touches on some major events in history.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Four Symbols (The Black Sun Trilogy) in Books

Jun 7, 2020  
The Four Symbols (The Black Sun Trilogy)
The Four Symbols (The Black Sun Trilogy)
Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne | 2020 | History & Politics, Mystery, Paranormal
5
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I must admit that I really, really struggled with this book because although the story was good and the way the author weaved historical fact with fiction was well done and it was clearly well researched, it was just too slow for me and there was too much jumping from scene to scene making it hard for me to keep track as it didn't flow particularly well and I didn't get the excitement or tension that I was hoping for.

I accept that this is my view and this book will certainly appeal to a lot of people ... you just have to see how many 4 and 5 star reviews this has got to prove that but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.