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Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated In Debt to the Enemy Lord in Books
Jun 11, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62 out of 5 stars
Genre: Historical
Page Count: 288 pages
Anwen, bastard of Brynmor, has fought hard to find her place in the world. But she’s forced to rethink everything when she’s saved from death by her enemy Teague, Lord of Gwalchdu. Instead of releasing her, he holds her captive.
Teague trusts no one. So, which ominous messages threatening his life, he must keep Anwen under his watch, no matter how much her presence drives him wild.
And when passionate arguments turn to passionate encounters, Teague must believe that the strength of their bond will conquer all!
Anwen, the main character, was really cool. She was very strong, sarcastic, and always pushes Teague for answers about why he’s keeping her captive. She also keeps trying to escape so she can go back home and protect her sister from her abusive father.
However, after she falls in love with Teague, her reservations about him were a little frustrating. Even after finding out that he wasn’t the Great Traitor everyone thought he was, she still didn’t want him to be part of her life. Her only reason was that she didn’t want take orders from a domineering tyrant, but Teague was never tyrannical to her. He only held her captive to make sure she wasn’t the person attacking his home. After that, the only demands he ever made of her were for her own protection. She grew up under a tyrant, so it’s understandable that she would be a little wary, but he was never the villain she kept making him out to be.
Teague was pretty cool overall. He definitely has issues, but they’re understandable considering his rough childhood, including having his mother dying at an early age and having everyone think he’s the devil because he has an epileptic aunt. He has a lot of trust issues and really doesn’t trust anyone except his brother.
As much as I liked both Anwen and Teague, I didn’t like them together. They had a little actual sexual tension at first, but their love story is really forced. Teague is complete anti-love at the beginning and then falls head over ass for Anwen for no real reason. And sure, she still has some baggage holding her back, so they’re not both completely hypnotized but for fuck’s sake did he drink a love potion?
I was so disappointed by the two of them together. It’s Harlequin, so I wasn’t expecting an epic love story or anything, but I was expecting a love story.
On top of that, the sex scenes were pretty weird. I kept getting pulled out of the story because I couldn’t figure out the logistics of the positions or even picture what was happening. The dialogue during the sex scenes was delightfully cringy, like a romance novel parody.
I liked Teague’s brother, Rain, more than Teague. He had a lot less baggage and I would have found it much more believable if he was the one who fell in love with Anwen instead of Teague because Rain trusts people.
This book wasn’t horrible, and it’s certainly not the worst romance I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t great. However, I really didn’t see the ending coming, so I give Nicole Locke huge props for that.
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62 out of 5 stars
Genre: Historical
Page Count: 288 pages
Anwen, bastard of Brynmor, has fought hard to find her place in the world. But she’s forced to rethink everything when she’s saved from death by her enemy Teague, Lord of Gwalchdu. Instead of releasing her, he holds her captive.
Teague trusts no one. So, which ominous messages threatening his life, he must keep Anwen under his watch, no matter how much her presence drives him wild.
And when passionate arguments turn to passionate encounters, Teague must believe that the strength of their bond will conquer all!
Anwen, the main character, was really cool. She was very strong, sarcastic, and always pushes Teague for answers about why he’s keeping her captive. She also keeps trying to escape so she can go back home and protect her sister from her abusive father.
However, after she falls in love with Teague, her reservations about him were a little frustrating. Even after finding out that he wasn’t the Great Traitor everyone thought he was, she still didn’t want him to be part of her life. Her only reason was that she didn’t want take orders from a domineering tyrant, but Teague was never tyrannical to her. He only held her captive to make sure she wasn’t the person attacking his home. After that, the only demands he ever made of her were for her own protection. She grew up under a tyrant, so it’s understandable that she would be a little wary, but he was never the villain she kept making him out to be.
Teague was pretty cool overall. He definitely has issues, but they’re understandable considering his rough childhood, including having his mother dying at an early age and having everyone think he’s the devil because he has an epileptic aunt. He has a lot of trust issues and really doesn’t trust anyone except his brother.
As much as I liked both Anwen and Teague, I didn’t like them together. They had a little actual sexual tension at first, but their love story is really forced. Teague is complete anti-love at the beginning and then falls head over ass for Anwen for no real reason. And sure, she still has some baggage holding her back, so they’re not both completely hypnotized but for fuck’s sake did he drink a love potion?
I was so disappointed by the two of them together. It’s Harlequin, so I wasn’t expecting an epic love story or anything, but I was expecting a love story.
On top of that, the sex scenes were pretty weird. I kept getting pulled out of the story because I couldn’t figure out the logistics of the positions or even picture what was happening. The dialogue during the sex scenes was delightfully cringy, like a romance novel parody.
I liked Teague’s brother, Rain, more than Teague. He had a lot less baggage and I would have found it much more believable if he was the one who fell in love with Anwen instead of Teague because Rain trusts people.
This book wasn’t horrible, and it’s certainly not the worst romance I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t great. However, I really didn’t see the ending coming, so I give Nicole Locke huge props for that.
Tamsin Clark (15 KP) rated Facebook in Apps
Jan 20, 2018
Ability to keep in touch (2 more)
Pages for groups and local business
Ability to add photos and movies
Messenger and Facebook separate apps (6 more)
Facebook pushes their agenda
Adverts and content montoring
Report system only acknowledges what it wants
Enables cyber bullying
Site changes harmed small business
'Fake news' is a thing.
How much fear would you like today?
I used to really enjoy using Facebook, but over the years I've watched the site and the app(s) sink further and further into the doldrums of commercialism and sly financial gain. It's now easier to be reported and banned for making a nonsensical sentence than it is for threatening to kill someone. Pictures of female nipples are immediately banned but pictures of people torturing animals aren't.
Business pages have to pay to be seen and if they make posts and don't pay for them, they find their reach grossly reduced. Certain news outlets are encouraged and bolstered while others are all but hidden, and the 'trending' news always shows the very worst of the worst stories. There is also a lot of this 'fake news' around, where articles will show up with stories that are entirely untrue but made to look real, which takes even more time to research than it does to read in the first place. I'd say another 50% of posts are clickbait too. Feeds have been altered over and over again to the point that they're now almost impossible to customise to see what YOU want to see and not what Facebook wants you to see. And all the while, each click you make, each comment you write is read by the site and used to customise adverts and content to you, whether you like it or not. Even in messenger.
When it comes to content, Facebook does provide a good amount. On a personal level, if you restricted your feed to ONLY people you know in person and they didn't join any groups or flood your feed with game updates, then it would be a fine site to use for actual social interaction. It's possible to upload multiple images and videos, use links to display pages, media or otherwise that are of interest. You can set up alerts too but beware of being inundated by a million alerts every moment. There is a messaging service too; if you use a browser then it's all on the same site but if you use the apps, you have to have a separate app for Facebook and messenger and they don't work together, even though the Facebook app has a messenger icon as part of its design. It takes up a LOT of room on a phone, especially if you don't have much to start with. Also, if you block someone on messenger (even for a laugh) it automatically unfriends you on Facebook, yet supposedly the two are not connected so go figure.
I recently stopped using the site. I have a profile still as I have a lot of images and life events that I want to keep but I now barely browse once a week. Every thread descended into an argument, too many people use it as a troll hub to release the tensions of their unhappy lives on others while avoiding all responsibility for it. It ended up a bad way to waste time and made my anxiety issues a lot worse too.
Business pages have to pay to be seen and if they make posts and don't pay for them, they find their reach grossly reduced. Certain news outlets are encouraged and bolstered while others are all but hidden, and the 'trending' news always shows the very worst of the worst stories. There is also a lot of this 'fake news' around, where articles will show up with stories that are entirely untrue but made to look real, which takes even more time to research than it does to read in the first place. I'd say another 50% of posts are clickbait too. Feeds have been altered over and over again to the point that they're now almost impossible to customise to see what YOU want to see and not what Facebook wants you to see. And all the while, each click you make, each comment you write is read by the site and used to customise adverts and content to you, whether you like it or not. Even in messenger.
When it comes to content, Facebook does provide a good amount. On a personal level, if you restricted your feed to ONLY people you know in person and they didn't join any groups or flood your feed with game updates, then it would be a fine site to use for actual social interaction. It's possible to upload multiple images and videos, use links to display pages, media or otherwise that are of interest. You can set up alerts too but beware of being inundated by a million alerts every moment. There is a messaging service too; if you use a browser then it's all on the same site but if you use the apps, you have to have a separate app for Facebook and messenger and they don't work together, even though the Facebook app has a messenger icon as part of its design. It takes up a LOT of room on a phone, especially if you don't have much to start with. Also, if you block someone on messenger (even for a laugh) it automatically unfriends you on Facebook, yet supposedly the two are not connected so go figure.
I recently stopped using the site. I have a profile still as I have a lot of images and life events that I want to keep but I now barely browse once a week. Every thread descended into an argument, too many people use it as a troll hub to release the tensions of their unhappy lives on others while avoiding all responsibility for it. It ended up a bad way to waste time and made my anxiety issues a lot worse too.
Dana (24 KP) rated Fairest - Levana's Story in Books
Mar 23, 2018
As always, there are going to be spoilers in this review, so be warned.
As much as I love the Lunar Chronicles series, I did not enjoy reading this book. Yes, we got backstory into Levana's life and (finally) are told what she actually looks like, but she is not a likable character in the slightest. I was expecting some sort of redeemable quality for the character and got nothing. It is hard for me to believe that any villain has absolutely zero things that can be said are good, but Levana is one of them.
She is painted as this self involved, self-loathing, overly power hungry character who has no feelings except what she thinks is love. This, again, is hard to imagine. I mean, I understand (but do not condone) her lack of feelings toward her parents. They were not there for her at all as a child and basically let Channary get away with physically maiming her little sister. But still, she didn't feel anything toward them when they were brutally murdered and actually fantasized about doing it herself? Like, what the hell?
And then there comes her very abusive relationship with her "husband." First off, disguising yourself as his wife, that's weird, but then doing it after that wife dies, only weeks after she died, that's messed up. Then taking away his agency, his ability to say no, by manipulating him mentally, come on! Really? And getting jealous that he actually loves his daughter and wanting her to suffer for it. This girl has issues!
And to top it all off, trying to get Selene murdered by "accident" only to take her throne and have the gall to stand up at the podium at both Selene's and Channary's funeral smug as hell because she gets to be queen now? I can't believe that someone would be that heartless.
Channary, for all of her messed up qualities, is even given some amount of redemption in her love for Selene. It was only really revealed eight years after she was murdered, but still, it is something that shows she is at least part human in her emotions. Even though she is a pretty bad character, I kind of like Channary?!? Out of the two sisters, she is the most "real" in her ability to act like a person.
I also like getting the backstory of Winter so I can know what to expect and understand why she acts as she does before I start reading her book. It is interesting to know that she, Selene, and Jacin were really close as children and that Selene's death hit her so hard. I also like that we got to meet her mother, Solstice, because she was a freaking angel and should not have died. Ugh. But then, Selene wouldn't have had any friends growing up because Levana would have shut that down so fast.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. Especially since all of the other ones have been so great. It is hard to see characters who are just so bad with no redeeming qualities. It makes me think less of the story, in a way, because it is not making that character as deep as they can be. I am going to read the rest of the series, because I love the other characters, but this one was kind of a let down.
As much as I love the Lunar Chronicles series, I did not enjoy reading this book. Yes, we got backstory into Levana's life and (finally) are told what she actually looks like, but she is not a likable character in the slightest. I was expecting some sort of redeemable quality for the character and got nothing. It is hard for me to believe that any villain has absolutely zero things that can be said are good, but Levana is one of them.
She is painted as this self involved, self-loathing, overly power hungry character who has no feelings except what she thinks is love. This, again, is hard to imagine. I mean, I understand (but do not condone) her lack of feelings toward her parents. They were not there for her at all as a child and basically let Channary get away with physically maiming her little sister. But still, she didn't feel anything toward them when they were brutally murdered and actually fantasized about doing it herself? Like, what the hell?
And then there comes her very abusive relationship with her "husband." First off, disguising yourself as his wife, that's weird, but then doing it after that wife dies, only weeks after she died, that's messed up. Then taking away his agency, his ability to say no, by manipulating him mentally, come on! Really? And getting jealous that he actually loves his daughter and wanting her to suffer for it. This girl has issues!
And to top it all off, trying to get Selene murdered by "accident" only to take her throne and have the gall to stand up at the podium at both Selene's and Channary's funeral smug as hell because she gets to be queen now? I can't believe that someone would be that heartless.
Channary, for all of her messed up qualities, is even given some amount of redemption in her love for Selene. It was only really revealed eight years after she was murdered, but still, it is something that shows she is at least part human in her emotions. Even though she is a pretty bad character, I kind of like Channary?!? Out of the two sisters, she is the most "real" in her ability to act like a person.
I also like getting the backstory of Winter so I can know what to expect and understand why she acts as she does before I start reading her book. It is interesting to know that she, Selene, and Jacin were really close as children and that Selene's death hit her so hard. I also like that we got to meet her mother, Solstice, because she was a freaking angel and should not have died. Ugh. But then, Selene wouldn't have had any friends growing up because Levana would have shut that down so fast.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. Especially since all of the other ones have been so great. It is hard to see characters who are just so bad with no redeeming qualities. It makes me think less of the story, in a way, because it is not making that character as deep as they can be. I am going to read the rest of the series, because I love the other characters, but this one was kind of a let down.
Dana (24 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This is my first book in the 10 Books in 10 Days Challenge presented by Epic Reads.
This book has such an interesting concept in the way it takes the standard Good vs Evil and blurs the lines completely. There are the standard "monsters" and "humans" but it gets hard to tell who is actually at fault in the war that is brewing in the book.
I loved the characters in this book. If I were to rate the book on characters alone, I would have given it a five star review, but alas, I did not. I really enjoyed how August and Kate were both trying to be something they weren't in order to impress their families, but then when they met each other, they weren't as pressured to do that. They rescued each other from their own self destruction.
There were a few really subtle moments of romance, but it wasn't the main focus of the novel, which is something I appreciated a lot. Too often in these dystopian fantasy novels, the girl needs a male romantic lead to make her feel whole and give her some amount of power. Not here!! Kate is already strong as hell!
It was cool to see them anchoring each other through talking. When either one of them was going to break, they told each other to tell them something, anything, and that was just one of those moments that were so emotional. They start repeating each other and caring for one another, something that I don't think either of them had really had before.
I loved all of August's quotes about humanity and what makes a person human. They were very well written!!
I can honestly keep going on the characters and do a character study on these two, but I am not going to do that. (At least not right now.)
I want Ilsa to be my best friend (even though she's kinda creepy at times) and Allegro to cuddle with. It was so freaking cute how the cat was brought in to further humanize August and Ilsa. It reminded me of my cat too.
The monsters were creepy as hell. It actually made me a little nervous in the dark for a bit while I was reading it. (To be honest, I don't get scared of the dark, so that just amps the creepy factor of this book.)
I loved all of the descriptions of sound, music and silence. Because they are all so important and ingrained into the story itself, it was cool whenever Victoria Schwab would bring attention to them in more artistic and melodic ways was just beautiful. I also loved all of the star imagery (but that's just because I am obsessed with the stars.)
I really want to explore the rest of the world and see what else is in store for these characters.
Overall, very well written novel. There were a few moments where it felt a little slow to me, but those were pretty few and far between.
Plot/joke spoilers in the rest of the review.
WTF happened in the freaking Elegy? Did a new Sunai/Malaki just emerge looking like Kate's mom?!?!?!? That is just bananas!!
Also, Leo, wtf dude? You're such a prick. Why would you do that?
Sunai's favorite food = SOUL FOOD (This line was freaking brilliant.)
This book has such an interesting concept in the way it takes the standard Good vs Evil and blurs the lines completely. There are the standard "monsters" and "humans" but it gets hard to tell who is actually at fault in the war that is brewing in the book.
I loved the characters in this book. If I were to rate the book on characters alone, I would have given it a five star review, but alas, I did not. I really enjoyed how August and Kate were both trying to be something they weren't in order to impress their families, but then when they met each other, they weren't as pressured to do that. They rescued each other from their own self destruction.
There were a few really subtle moments of romance, but it wasn't the main focus of the novel, which is something I appreciated a lot. Too often in these dystopian fantasy novels, the girl needs a male romantic lead to make her feel whole and give her some amount of power. Not here!! Kate is already strong as hell!
It was cool to see them anchoring each other through talking. When either one of them was going to break, they told each other to tell them something, anything, and that was just one of those moments that were so emotional. They start repeating each other and caring for one another, something that I don't think either of them had really had before.
I loved all of August's quotes about humanity and what makes a person human. They were very well written!!
I can honestly keep going on the characters and do a character study on these two, but I am not going to do that. (At least not right now.)
I want Ilsa to be my best friend (even though she's kinda creepy at times) and Allegro to cuddle with. It was so freaking cute how the cat was brought in to further humanize August and Ilsa. It reminded me of my cat too.
The monsters were creepy as hell. It actually made me a little nervous in the dark for a bit while I was reading it. (To be honest, I don't get scared of the dark, so that just amps the creepy factor of this book.)
I loved all of the descriptions of sound, music and silence. Because they are all so important and ingrained into the story itself, it was cool whenever Victoria Schwab would bring attention to them in more artistic and melodic ways was just beautiful. I also loved all of the star imagery (but that's just because I am obsessed with the stars.)
I really want to explore the rest of the world and see what else is in store for these characters.
Overall, very well written novel. There were a few moments where it felt a little slow to me, but those were pretty few and far between.
Plot/joke spoilers in the rest of the review.
WTF happened in the freaking Elegy? Did a new Sunai/Malaki just emerge looking like Kate's mom?!?!?!? That is just bananas!!
Also, Leo, wtf dude? You're such a prick. Why would you do that?
Sunai's favorite food = SOUL FOOD (This line was freaking brilliant.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Revenge of Praying Mantis (Hattori Hachi, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(As featured on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/review-of-revenge-of-praying-mantis.html">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> )
I've never read a book about ninjas or anything ninja related before. It never really interested me. However, I am glad I came across Revenge of Praying Mantis by Jane Prowse. I found it to be extremely interesting, and not once did my attention waver!
Revenge of the Praying Mantis is the first book in the series of Hattori Hachi, a fifteen year old girl whose mother goes missing under suspicious circumstances. Hattie must learn ninjutsu if she wishes to find out what happened to her mother. She also must learn who to trust.
I loved loved loved the characters in Revenge. I felt they were all very well developed especially those of Hattie, Mad Dog, and Yazuki. I loved the fact that finally a mixed race person was the main character of a book as you don't often see that. I also loved the fact that Hattie could hold her own. She didn't act like a damsel in distress either. She was a kick butt girl!! I found Mad Dog to be a perfect gentlemen. He didn't try to overshadow Hattie at all, and he was always willing to do his own thing. I also loved the fact that he was always willing to risk his life for Hattie. Yazuki was definitely my favourite character. I found her to be a very strong character throughout the book. She says and does some very funny things, but she is very wise. Yazuki becomes Hattie's mentor and friend. I'm really hoping Yazuki will be featured in all of the books because she feels like part of my family for some reason.
Throughout the book, I felt like I was being taught ninjutsu as well. It is very obvious throughout the book that Ms Prowse has definitely done her research in ninjutsu. I loved how each chapter started out with a saying about ninjutsu.
I found the pacing to be absolutely perfect. It wasn't too fast that I didn't understand what was going on, nor was it too slow where I got bored. Every chapter held my interest, and I was desperate to know what would happen in the next chapter.
The dialogue is very easy to understand especially as this is a YA book. It's not condescending either. I felt it used the right dialogue that would appeal to pre-teens, teens and adults alike.
Okay, I have to mention the cover now. I love it, and I find it very appealing! The cover definitely matches the story of the book especially with the shadow on the front. I like the fact that the cover is very simple yet beautiful. It's not cluttered like a lot of covers sometimes are.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe it appeals to both boys and girls, young and old. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone even if martial arts aren't your thing as there's so much more going on in this book!!
The Revenge of Praying Mantis (Hattori Hachi #1) by Jane Prowse gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
I've never read a book about ninjas or anything ninja related before. It never really interested me. However, I am glad I came across Revenge of Praying Mantis by Jane Prowse. I found it to be extremely interesting, and not once did my attention waver!
Revenge of the Praying Mantis is the first book in the series of Hattori Hachi, a fifteen year old girl whose mother goes missing under suspicious circumstances. Hattie must learn ninjutsu if she wishes to find out what happened to her mother. She also must learn who to trust.
I loved loved loved the characters in Revenge. I felt they were all very well developed especially those of Hattie, Mad Dog, and Yazuki. I loved the fact that finally a mixed race person was the main character of a book as you don't often see that. I also loved the fact that Hattie could hold her own. She didn't act like a damsel in distress either. She was a kick butt girl!! I found Mad Dog to be a perfect gentlemen. He didn't try to overshadow Hattie at all, and he was always willing to do his own thing. I also loved the fact that he was always willing to risk his life for Hattie. Yazuki was definitely my favourite character. I found her to be a very strong character throughout the book. She says and does some very funny things, but she is very wise. Yazuki becomes Hattie's mentor and friend. I'm really hoping Yazuki will be featured in all of the books because she feels like part of my family for some reason.
Throughout the book, I felt like I was being taught ninjutsu as well. It is very obvious throughout the book that Ms Prowse has definitely done her research in ninjutsu. I loved how each chapter started out with a saying about ninjutsu.
I found the pacing to be absolutely perfect. It wasn't too fast that I didn't understand what was going on, nor was it too slow where I got bored. Every chapter held my interest, and I was desperate to know what would happen in the next chapter.
The dialogue is very easy to understand especially as this is a YA book. It's not condescending either. I felt it used the right dialogue that would appeal to pre-teens, teens and adults alike.
Okay, I have to mention the cover now. I love it, and I find it very appealing! The cover definitely matches the story of the book especially with the shadow on the front. I like the fact that the cover is very simple yet beautiful. It's not cluttered like a lot of covers sometimes are.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe it appeals to both boys and girls, young and old. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone even if martial arts aren't your thing as there's so much more going on in this book!!
The Revenge of Praying Mantis (Hattori Hachi #1) by Jane Prowse gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why 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> at the end of November).
I came across this book on Amazon when I was adding books to my wishlist, and I thought it sounded interesting. I also had quite a few credits on Audible to use, so I thought I'd use one to purchase this book. I wasn't disappointed.
The title had me intrigued. It made me want to read the blurb.
I'm not really a big fan of the cover if I'm honest although I don't know what I'd like to see on the cover. Maybe I'd put Clay on the cover as well. I'm not really sure.
I enjoyed the world building. I find it hard to believe that no one would follow the instructions left on the tapes that Hannah made, but I suppose it could happen. The world building fits with what high school was like, at least when I was a teenager.
I found the pacing to be done well. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen on the next tape. There were only a few times where the pacing slowed a bit, but it didn't stay slow for very long.
The plot is an interesting one. Hannah make a cassette tape for each of the thirteen people that she felt contributed to her committing suicide. Clay is trying to think of all the times he was around Hannah and wondering why he'd be on the tapes. It was interesting to find out the way certain people contributed to Hannah's depression. I also think the plot sends a great message about how we shouldn't judge anyone because we don't know what that person has gone through or is going through.
I think the characters were written fairly well. At first, I felt a bad for Hannah. However, as time went on, I felt that Hannah became too selfish, not because of her suicide, but just by what she said on the tapes. Clay came across as a nice guy (and Hannah even said he was), but I just would've liked to know more about him.
The dialogue worked for a young adult book. The characters actually sounded their age and not like an adult trying to write YA characters. The dialogue flows freely and smoothly as well. Being that this is a book about a girl's suicide, the dialogue does mention that as well as rape and another sexual situation. There is a few swear words, but the swearing is only mild.
Usually, the narrator's of audiobooks tend to annoy me, but Debra Wiseman and Joel Johnstone did an excellent job. Debra Wiseman really brings the character of Hannah alive, and Joel Johnstone does the same for Clay. I think they both portrayed emotions really well. However, I had imagined Clay to sound a bit different. Johnstone's voice sounded just a tad bit too old for Clay's age in my opinion. Other then that, Wiseman and Johnstone were superb!
Overall, Thirteen Reasons Why is a very different but interesting book. I felt that even though it deals with suicide, it does send out a positive message.
Due to the major theme and some sexual scenes, I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to read something realistic.
I came across this book on Amazon when I was adding books to my wishlist, and I thought it sounded interesting. I also had quite a few credits on Audible to use, so I thought I'd use one to purchase this book. I wasn't disappointed.
The title had me intrigued. It made me want to read the blurb.
I'm not really a big fan of the cover if I'm honest although I don't know what I'd like to see on the cover. Maybe I'd put Clay on the cover as well. I'm not really sure.
I enjoyed the world building. I find it hard to believe that no one would follow the instructions left on the tapes that Hannah made, but I suppose it could happen. The world building fits with what high school was like, at least when I was a teenager.
I found the pacing to be done well. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen on the next tape. There were only a few times where the pacing slowed a bit, but it didn't stay slow for very long.
The plot is an interesting one. Hannah make a cassette tape for each of the thirteen people that she felt contributed to her committing suicide. Clay is trying to think of all the times he was around Hannah and wondering why he'd be on the tapes. It was interesting to find out the way certain people contributed to Hannah's depression. I also think the plot sends a great message about how we shouldn't judge anyone because we don't know what that person has gone through or is going through.
I think the characters were written fairly well. At first, I felt a bad for Hannah. However, as time went on, I felt that Hannah became too selfish, not because of her suicide, but just by what she said on the tapes. Clay came across as a nice guy (and Hannah even said he was), but I just would've liked to know more about him.
The dialogue worked for a young adult book. The characters actually sounded their age and not like an adult trying to write YA characters. The dialogue flows freely and smoothly as well. Being that this is a book about a girl's suicide, the dialogue does mention that as well as rape and another sexual situation. There is a few swear words, but the swearing is only mild.
Usually, the narrator's of audiobooks tend to annoy me, but Debra Wiseman and Joel Johnstone did an excellent job. Debra Wiseman really brings the character of Hannah alive, and Joel Johnstone does the same for Clay. I think they both portrayed emotions really well. However, I had imagined Clay to sound a bit different. Johnstone's voice sounded just a tad bit too old for Clay's age in my opinion. Other then that, Wiseman and Johnstone were superb!
Overall, Thirteen Reasons Why is a very different but interesting book. I felt that even though it deals with suicide, it does send out a positive message.
Due to the major theme and some sexual scenes, I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to read something realistic.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Other in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog at <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. One good twin, one bad twin, yup, definitely sounded interesting. However, it took me a long time to get into this book, but I was definitely rewarded with a twist and a great ending!
Niles and Holland are identical twins. Niles is the good one whilst Holland is the bad one, always up to something really bad. Niles worships Holland and would do anything to get Holland's admiration, including making excuses for Holland whenever Holland does a bad deed. What will it take for Niles to realise that Holland isn't all he seems?
The title of this book comes across as being a book about something sinister. I believe there were plenty of better titles the author could have chose for his book though. Whilst it does suit the story, I feel the author missed a trick with the naming of it.
The cover of The Other very much suits it!! I won't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but once you read this book from start to finish, you'll realise why it suits the book perfectly.
The world building and setting are fantastic! The book takes place around the mid-1900s. I wasn't alive at the time, but the author did a great job in re-creating that era for me. I could actually feel that I was in that moment in time.
The pacing is what really good me. The first two-thirds of the book is really slow, almost painfully. I was tempted to stop reading it and add it to my did not finish pile, but I really hate leaving books unread, so I read on. However, I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book. The last third of the book is amazing! The author nailed the pacing here. I couldn't put the book down once I got to this bit. I was rewarded for my perseverance with a twist I never saw coming as well as an ending that I didn't see coming either.
The dialogue matches the setting. The characters speak as they would from the mid-1900s. I found the dialogue between the characters to be quite entertaining and sometimes funny.
As for the characters, for a long time, I had a hard time relating to them. It wasn't until I started to really enjoy the book and found out the twist that I started caring about the characters. Niles is always aiming to please, a goody two shoes. Holland doesn't really care what anyone thinks. He's his own person and will do anything to get what he wants. Ada comes across as the voice of reason in the book. I found myself wishing that she was my grandmother. My favourite character was Alexandra, the mother of the twins. Although she wasn't featured much in the book, I still really liked her. I think it's because I found myself relating to her the most.
This book definitely isn't what you think it is. It will leave you gobsmacked once you finish it. I'd recommend this book to anyone aged 15+.
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. One good twin, one bad twin, yup, definitely sounded interesting. However, it took me a long time to get into this book, but I was definitely rewarded with a twist and a great ending!
Niles and Holland are identical twins. Niles is the good one whilst Holland is the bad one, always up to something really bad. Niles worships Holland and would do anything to get Holland's admiration, including making excuses for Holland whenever Holland does a bad deed. What will it take for Niles to realise that Holland isn't all he seems?
The title of this book comes across as being a book about something sinister. I believe there were plenty of better titles the author could have chose for his book though. Whilst it does suit the story, I feel the author missed a trick with the naming of it.
The cover of The Other very much suits it!! I won't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but once you read this book from start to finish, you'll realise why it suits the book perfectly.
The world building and setting are fantastic! The book takes place around the mid-1900s. I wasn't alive at the time, but the author did a great job in re-creating that era for me. I could actually feel that I was in that moment in time.
The pacing is what really good me. The first two-thirds of the book is really slow, almost painfully. I was tempted to stop reading it and add it to my did not finish pile, but I really hate leaving books unread, so I read on. However, I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book. The last third of the book is amazing! The author nailed the pacing here. I couldn't put the book down once I got to this bit. I was rewarded for my perseverance with a twist I never saw coming as well as an ending that I didn't see coming either.
The dialogue matches the setting. The characters speak as they would from the mid-1900s. I found the dialogue between the characters to be quite entertaining and sometimes funny.
As for the characters, for a long time, I had a hard time relating to them. It wasn't until I started to really enjoy the book and found out the twist that I started caring about the characters. Niles is always aiming to please, a goody two shoes. Holland doesn't really care what anyone thinks. He's his own person and will do anything to get what he wants. Ada comes across as the voice of reason in the book. I found myself wishing that she was my grandmother. My favourite character was Alexandra, the mother of the twins. Although she wasn't featured much in the book, I still really liked her. I think it's because I found myself relating to her the most.
This book definitely isn't what you think it is. It will leave you gobsmacked once you finish it. I'd recommend this book to anyone aged 15+.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated No More Than Mystic in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
No Less Than Mystic: A Story of Lenin and the Russian Revolution for a 21st Century Left</i> by John Medhurst is an in-depth historical and political insight to the truth about what really happened in Russia before, during and after the Bolshevik insurrection of October 1917. Beginning with the end of the Tsars rule and ending with Stalinism, Medhurst unearths the fact from the fiction, challenging the information the world has been led to believe.
As mentioned in Medhurst lengthy introduction, previous books on the subject are often biased and inaccurate. Swayed by political beliefs, authors and historians often pass judgement by using the information they have chosen to believe, dismissing anything that goes against their viewpoint. In this book, Medhurst filters through these false histories, preferring to cite from publications written at the time rather than those penned by people who did not witness the events between 1903 and 1921.
Medhurst’s narrative is more political than historical, often going off on tangents. In order to for the reader to obtain some sort of connection with the events described, the author contrasts them with more recent occurrences that readers may have observed or at least understand. These include the British miner’s strike, feminist movements, the Greek economy and a variety of other capitalist struggles.
The Russian revolution is a complex affair that cannot easily be condensed. As a result, <i>No More Than Mystic</i> exceeds 600 pages and covers every event, no matter how big or small, that contributed to the rise of USSR. Russia was a dangerous place to live during the 20th century, particularly when Leninism spiralled into Stalinism. However, Leninism was not all the history books make it out to be.
During GCSE History, one teacher led his class to believe that Lenin was good and Stalin was bad, however, the reality was much more complicated than that. Lenin was not the good guy that many painted him to be. Thousands died as a result of his policies from both execution and starvation. Yet, at the same time, Medhurst tries to point out the reasoning behind the ideas of the communist rulers, refusing to give a personal opinion without laying bare both sides of the argument.
Although this book is accurate and educational, it is not the easiest to sit down and read. Extensive chapters full of mind-numbing information detract from the comprehensive insightfulness of the content. Notwithstanding the fact that the inclusion of contrasting capitalist examples helps the reader to establish some form of familiar ground, the sudden changes in topic, location and time period are often confusing and hard to follow.
<i>No Less Than Mystic </i>is for the intellectual person with a great interest in 20th-century Russian history and communist affairs. Without any prior education on the topic, this book will not mean anything. It attempts to challenge the ingrained beliefs people have about what happened during the Bolshevik insurrection. Those who do not know anything will not benefit from the confronting enlightenment.
In all, <i>No Less Than Mystic</i> is a well-researched academic text that brings a fresh history of Lenin and the Russian Revolution. Those who want an unbiased truth need to read this book and be sceptical about any other on the topic. In order to form opinions, one must know the facts.
No Less Than Mystic: A Story of Lenin and the Russian Revolution for a 21st Century Left</i> by John Medhurst is an in-depth historical and political insight to the truth about what really happened in Russia before, during and after the Bolshevik insurrection of October 1917. Beginning with the end of the Tsars rule and ending with Stalinism, Medhurst unearths the fact from the fiction, challenging the information the world has been led to believe.
As mentioned in Medhurst lengthy introduction, previous books on the subject are often biased and inaccurate. Swayed by political beliefs, authors and historians often pass judgement by using the information they have chosen to believe, dismissing anything that goes against their viewpoint. In this book, Medhurst filters through these false histories, preferring to cite from publications written at the time rather than those penned by people who did not witness the events between 1903 and 1921.
Medhurst’s narrative is more political than historical, often going off on tangents. In order to for the reader to obtain some sort of connection with the events described, the author contrasts them with more recent occurrences that readers may have observed or at least understand. These include the British miner’s strike, feminist movements, the Greek economy and a variety of other capitalist struggles.
The Russian revolution is a complex affair that cannot easily be condensed. As a result, <i>No More Than Mystic</i> exceeds 600 pages and covers every event, no matter how big or small, that contributed to the rise of USSR. Russia was a dangerous place to live during the 20th century, particularly when Leninism spiralled into Stalinism. However, Leninism was not all the history books make it out to be.
During GCSE History, one teacher led his class to believe that Lenin was good and Stalin was bad, however, the reality was much more complicated than that. Lenin was not the good guy that many painted him to be. Thousands died as a result of his policies from both execution and starvation. Yet, at the same time, Medhurst tries to point out the reasoning behind the ideas of the communist rulers, refusing to give a personal opinion without laying bare both sides of the argument.
Although this book is accurate and educational, it is not the easiest to sit down and read. Extensive chapters full of mind-numbing information detract from the comprehensive insightfulness of the content. Notwithstanding the fact that the inclusion of contrasting capitalist examples helps the reader to establish some form of familiar ground, the sudden changes in topic, location and time period are often confusing and hard to follow.
<i>No Less Than Mystic </i>is for the intellectual person with a great interest in 20th-century Russian history and communist affairs. Without any prior education on the topic, this book will not mean anything. It attempts to challenge the ingrained beliefs people have about what happened during the Bolshevik insurrection. Those who do not know anything will not benefit from the confronting enlightenment.
In all, <i>No Less Than Mystic</i> is a well-researched academic text that brings a fresh history of Lenin and the Russian Revolution. Those who want an unbiased truth need to read this book and be sceptical about any other on the topic. In order to form opinions, one must know the facts.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Song of Achilles in Books
Jul 19, 2018
I thought I would enjoy it more
Review can also be found on my blog - www.diaryofdifference.com
The Song Of Achilles became a part of my TBR list right after I finished reading Circe. I loved Circe and it is one of my favorite books of 2018. I also enjoyed The Song of Achilles, but not nearly as much.
For the ones out there who love greek mythology, this is a book that covers Achilles’s life told from Patroclus’s point of view. It is more or less accurate, and covers a lot of details from the early lives of these two princes. This is a story about one great friendship that turns into something more, a lot of challenges, a lot of doubts, and a lot of choices to be made during a time of war.
The story is very fast paced, and I was skipping through the pages as fast as Achilles was killing Trojan warriors. From their childhood, to their growing up, to their adventures and the war, this book will never keep you calm, because every chapter something unexpected happens. Well, sometimes not too much, as I know the story, but even still, I was surprised a lot.
A thing that bothered me a lot throughout the whole book was the inaccuracy at some points, and hiding information.
Now, we all know that Achilles was immortal. And we all know the story that his mother Thetis, a goddess of water dipped his body into the water in the river Styx. However, she was holding him by the heel, so his heel was the only place where he was vulnerable. This will be the reason of his death, when Apollo would direct Paris’s spear into Achilles’ heel.
Now - if this is such a common fact, and everybody who heard about Achilles knows it - why wouldn’t the author include it in the book. It wasn’t mentioned once.. Not once… I found this really upsetting.
Moving forward to the characters, we have Patroclus presented as the weaker one, the coward, the person that is mocked by everyone, not loved even by his parents and unworthy. ( Another point that bothered me is that this is not entirely true - according to Homer, Patroclus was apparently wiser than Achilles)
On the other hand, we have the opposite - a wise, brave, strong and handsome man, loved by everyone, immortal and a son of a goddess. We have a perfect example for a leader.
While fate connect these two to meet from their very early years, they also build a love relationship which they try to hide it at first. This relationship will cause them hatred from Thetis (Achilles’ mom) and will prompt them to make choices that might not be necessarily good ones. Now, Homer never mentioned a pederasty in his works between these two, but Miller does. And I am not sure how I feel about it. Not about the fact that they are gay, but the fact that this is Achilles.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. It is a great retelling of the story and a great time capture of the past. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t feel heartbroken in the end, but it was definitely worth reading it. I give it three stars - ★★★.
3 likes
The Song Of Achilles became a part of my TBR list right after I finished reading Circe. I loved Circe and it is one of my favorite books of 2018. I also enjoyed The Song of Achilles, but not nearly as much.
For the ones out there who love greek mythology, this is a book that covers Achilles’s life told from Patroclus’s point of view. It is more or less accurate, and covers a lot of details from the early lives of these two princes. This is a story about one great friendship that turns into something more, a lot of challenges, a lot of doubts, and a lot of choices to be made during a time of war.
The story is very fast paced, and I was skipping through the pages as fast as Achilles was killing Trojan warriors. From their childhood, to their growing up, to their adventures and the war, this book will never keep you calm, because every chapter something unexpected happens. Well, sometimes not too much, as I know the story, but even still, I was surprised a lot.
A thing that bothered me a lot throughout the whole book was the inaccuracy at some points, and hiding information.
Now, we all know that Achilles was immortal. And we all know the story that his mother Thetis, a goddess of water dipped his body into the water in the river Styx. However, she was holding him by the heel, so his heel was the only place where he was vulnerable. This will be the reason of his death, when Apollo would direct Paris’s spear into Achilles’ heel.
Now - if this is such a common fact, and everybody who heard about Achilles knows it - why wouldn’t the author include it in the book. It wasn’t mentioned once.. Not once… I found this really upsetting.
Moving forward to the characters, we have Patroclus presented as the weaker one, the coward, the person that is mocked by everyone, not loved even by his parents and unworthy. ( Another point that bothered me is that this is not entirely true - according to Homer, Patroclus was apparently wiser than Achilles)
On the other hand, we have the opposite - a wise, brave, strong and handsome man, loved by everyone, immortal and a son of a goddess. We have a perfect example for a leader.
While fate connect these two to meet from their very early years, they also build a love relationship which they try to hide it at first. This relationship will cause them hatred from Thetis (Achilles’ mom) and will prompt them to make choices that might not be necessarily good ones. Now, Homer never mentioned a pederasty in his works between these two, but Miller does. And I am not sure how I feel about it. Not about the fact that they are gay, but the fact that this is Achilles.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. It is a great retelling of the story and a great time capture of the past. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t feel heartbroken in the end, but it was definitely worth reading it. I give it three stars - ★★★.
3 likes
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Aug 1, 2018
Quite possibly, the best action film ever made
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT just might be the best action movie I have ever seen.
Yes...it is that good.
The 6th entry in the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise, this film stars, as usual, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, part of the IMF, a secret government entity that takes on the impossible missions that the CIA (and other agencies) won't touch. He is joined, yet again, in this installment of the franchise by his "usual" team, Simon Pegg (Benji), Ving Rhames (Luther), Rebecca Ferguson (Ilse) and Alec Baldwin (IMF Director Hunley). It was fun to have "the band" back together again. They looked like they had a good time filming this and I had a good time watching it.
Jumping right in on the fun is Angela Bassett (BLACK PANTHER) as the head of the CIA, but doing more than just being a thorn in the side of Alec Baldwin. As well as Vanessa Kirby (THE CROWN) as the mysterious "White Widow" and, especially, Henry Cavill, who shows that he can do more than be DC's Superman.
And, finally, the franchise wisely brings back Sean Harris as "big bad" Solomon Lane (think Bond's arch-nemesis Blofeld). He proves to be, yet again, an able adversary for the IMF team.
The plot, of course, is somewhat convoluted, with twists, turns and double-crosses (by both the good and bad guys) throughout this film. If I have a quibble for this film, it is that they got a little "cute" with the plot twists - there was (perhaps) one or two too many "gotchas" - but that is just a quibble, for the plot gets us from point "A" to point "B" nicely.
And when I say "Point A" and "Point B", I mean action set piece "A" to action set piece "B" (and "C" and "D" and "E" and "F"...) - and boy are these action set pieces EXTRAORDINARY!
Director Christopher McQuarrie (he also Directed the previous film in this franchise, ROUGE NATION) is the first person to helm two of these films - and I think it is a smart choice for he established in Rogue Nation an ability to create smart, tense action, chase and fight sequences that are easy to follow and fun to watch.
Credit for most of this fun has to go to 55 year old (at the time of filming) Tom Cruise - looking every bit as fit and capable as a 35 year old Tom Cruise. He dives into the action sequences (literally) with gusto and proves more than capable of delivering the goods. Once again, he does a death-defying stunt that left me amazed.
But, what I really left the theater with was an appreciation for McQuarrie, Cruise and company for delivering an end sequence that earned the build up it was given. EVERY member of the company had something to do and the action in this endpiece was a step up of anything that had come before it - either in the Mission Impossible series, or in any other action flick.
If you are a fan of good, solid action films, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT is one to not miss.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Yes...it is that good.
The 6th entry in the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise, this film stars, as usual, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, part of the IMF, a secret government entity that takes on the impossible missions that the CIA (and other agencies) won't touch. He is joined, yet again, in this installment of the franchise by his "usual" team, Simon Pegg (Benji), Ving Rhames (Luther), Rebecca Ferguson (Ilse) and Alec Baldwin (IMF Director Hunley). It was fun to have "the band" back together again. They looked like they had a good time filming this and I had a good time watching it.
Jumping right in on the fun is Angela Bassett (BLACK PANTHER) as the head of the CIA, but doing more than just being a thorn in the side of Alec Baldwin. As well as Vanessa Kirby (THE CROWN) as the mysterious "White Widow" and, especially, Henry Cavill, who shows that he can do more than be DC's Superman.
And, finally, the franchise wisely brings back Sean Harris as "big bad" Solomon Lane (think Bond's arch-nemesis Blofeld). He proves to be, yet again, an able adversary for the IMF team.
The plot, of course, is somewhat convoluted, with twists, turns and double-crosses (by both the good and bad guys) throughout this film. If I have a quibble for this film, it is that they got a little "cute" with the plot twists - there was (perhaps) one or two too many "gotchas" - but that is just a quibble, for the plot gets us from point "A" to point "B" nicely.
And when I say "Point A" and "Point B", I mean action set piece "A" to action set piece "B" (and "C" and "D" and "E" and "F"...) - and boy are these action set pieces EXTRAORDINARY!
Director Christopher McQuarrie (he also Directed the previous film in this franchise, ROUGE NATION) is the first person to helm two of these films - and I think it is a smart choice for he established in Rogue Nation an ability to create smart, tense action, chase and fight sequences that are easy to follow and fun to watch.
Credit for most of this fun has to go to 55 year old (at the time of filming) Tom Cruise - looking every bit as fit and capable as a 35 year old Tom Cruise. He dives into the action sequences (literally) with gusto and proves more than capable of delivering the goods. Once again, he does a death-defying stunt that left me amazed.
But, what I really left the theater with was an appreciation for McQuarrie, Cruise and company for delivering an end sequence that earned the build up it was given. EVERY member of the company had something to do and the action in this endpiece was a step up of anything that had come before it - either in the Mission Impossible series, or in any other action flick.
If you are a fan of good, solid action films, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT is one to not miss.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)