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Milleen (47 KP) rated Birdcage Walk in Books
Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 14, 2018)
This period drama has a dark, gothic uneasiness to it, but the tightly drawn characters, descriptive backdrop and DunmoreÕs powerful prose keep you reading. Lizzie Fawkes has been raised by a feisty mother, Julia an early advocate of women's rights and her stepfather Augustus who writes rousing political pamphlets. Lizzie has chosen to marry a sober, stoic gentleman, John Diner Tredevant, a property developer who has invested heavily in the construction of a terrace in Bristol and the entire household has moved to the Avon gorge to maintain their supportive, close-knit relationship. As the French Revolution rolls across the Channel, the house full of radicals await news from afar and the disruption echoes through their homes. Secrets and suspicions keep you interested in the story but it's the characters that provide the entertainment and emotional pull.
Troye Sivan recommended Moulin Rouge! (2001) in Movies (curated)
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Key in the Lock in Books
Feb 22, 2022
The Key In The Lock is an atmospheric, slow burner of a historic mystery - and it’s full of what I love in a book. You know that there’s a specific end in sight: that of the cause of the fire at the Great House and how exactly the grandson of the master of the house died.
Along the way, we meet Ivy, the local doctor’s daughter, who helps out at the house after the fire, and falls in love with Edward, his son. Something happens, though, and we see her in the future mourning her son’s death - her son with Boscawen the Coroner, NOT Edward.
The story is told in flashbacks to Ivy’s youth and the fire. The impact of the fire is still felt in the present for Ivy, her husband and all those involved. Ivy’s chance contact with Edward makes her feel that she can find out exactly how her son died, and how the fire started at Polneath. Edward is only too happy to help her find out more information about her son. But is he reliable?
The descriptions of Cornwall and London are such that I had no problem with building the pictures of the places in my head: the dourness of Polneath, a place that seemed unhappy even before the fire. The busyness of the town and of London, the beauty of the village (it made me want to go on holiday to Cornwall!!).
I felt so sad for Ivy, especially when she finds out the truth.
This is an elegantly told story, that made me think more than once of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. It had me gripped throughout. I loved it. Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising another great book.
Along the way, we meet Ivy, the local doctor’s daughter, who helps out at the house after the fire, and falls in love with Edward, his son. Something happens, though, and we see her in the future mourning her son’s death - her son with Boscawen the Coroner, NOT Edward.
The story is told in flashbacks to Ivy’s youth and the fire. The impact of the fire is still felt in the present for Ivy, her husband and all those involved. Ivy’s chance contact with Edward makes her feel that she can find out exactly how her son died, and how the fire started at Polneath. Edward is only too happy to help her find out more information about her son. But is he reliable?
The descriptions of Cornwall and London are such that I had no problem with building the pictures of the places in my head: the dourness of Polneath, a place that seemed unhappy even before the fire. The busyness of the town and of London, the beauty of the village (it made me want to go on holiday to Cornwall!!).
I felt so sad for Ivy, especially when she finds out the truth.
This is an elegantly told story, that made me think more than once of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. It had me gripped throughout. I loved it. Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising another great book.
Mothergamer (1521 KP) rated Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I love the Animal Crossing games because for me they are a lot of fun. I really enjoyed Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but I didn't like some of the time constraints that were involved. Plus that Tom Nook really has a racket running the town. I was pretty excited for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer the more I read about it. Then I started playing it and I absolutely loved it because there are no time constraints and it's so much fun to play. In the game you are an employee of Nook's Homes and design homes for the various animal villagers based on their interests and suggestions. You can also decide where to place a client's home when the map pops up. A mountain home, a beach house, or a desert oasis are just some of the choices. You don't just design homes however. You can also design a variety of buildings for the town such as restaurants, shops, and a school. Dragging and dropping items is a nice change from the pushing and pulling items to move them. This also makes it easier to fix mistakes or undo something. It's also easier to customize colors and patterns and as you progress you can unlock even more items for your designs.
Oh, a cute little cafe design!
You can also decorate the outside of a client's house, choosing a variety of roof colors, house colors, and items for their yard like gardens and swings. You can also revisit clients and do things like a house upgrade or even redecorate their home for them. Another cool thing is the Happy Home Network. You can upload any house or building you've designed and you can visit other people's homes and rate them. You can take pictures of your designs and post them to social media as well showing off your creative skills which is pretty neat too.
You can design an awesome yard for your clients.
There are also themed contests via the Happy Home network such as a candy house or a Halloween house. There are also Amiibo cards which look like Pokemon trading cards and they work exactly the same way that the Amiibo figures do without all that extra bulk. The Amiibo cards work exclusively with the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. If you want to use them with the old 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS you can use the NFC Reader/Writer accessory.
After you've designed a couple of homes, you'll get the whole introduction to the Amiibo cards and how to use them as well as having an Amiibo phone in the Nook's Homes office. You'll be prompted to use an Amiibo card and when you do you'll be sent to the client's home where you can design to your heart's content. Each Amiibo card has different characters that you can design for. Another cool feature with these is if you have friends who have Amiibo cards, you can share furniture simply by visiting a client by tapping the Amiibo card to your friend's screen and if you do it twice the character will remember all their furniture. It's a fun way to socialize and get more items for your designs.
A forest of books!
I do wish you had your own house to decorate as all the designing only happens in town or in a client's home. That's not a big deal though because you can design the buildings any way you want and I put a lot of my own personal touches in things like the school and a concert hall. There's also lots to choose from with the designs and items making for a unique and entertaining experience. This is all about creativity and just having a good time with it. I'm still playing the game, trying out all these different things as well as checking out other people's awesome designs. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer overall is a great game full of endless fun.
Oh, a cute little cafe design!
You can also decorate the outside of a client's house, choosing a variety of roof colors, house colors, and items for their yard like gardens and swings. You can also revisit clients and do things like a house upgrade or even redecorate their home for them. Another cool thing is the Happy Home Network. You can upload any house or building you've designed and you can visit other people's homes and rate them. You can take pictures of your designs and post them to social media as well showing off your creative skills which is pretty neat too.
You can design an awesome yard for your clients.
There are also themed contests via the Happy Home network such as a candy house or a Halloween house. There are also Amiibo cards which look like Pokemon trading cards and they work exactly the same way that the Amiibo figures do without all that extra bulk. The Amiibo cards work exclusively with the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. If you want to use them with the old 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS you can use the NFC Reader/Writer accessory.
After you've designed a couple of homes, you'll get the whole introduction to the Amiibo cards and how to use them as well as having an Amiibo phone in the Nook's Homes office. You'll be prompted to use an Amiibo card and when you do you'll be sent to the client's home where you can design to your heart's content. Each Amiibo card has different characters that you can design for. Another cool feature with these is if you have friends who have Amiibo cards, you can share furniture simply by visiting a client by tapping the Amiibo card to your friend's screen and if you do it twice the character will remember all their furniture. It's a fun way to socialize and get more items for your designs.
A forest of books!
I do wish you had your own house to decorate as all the designing only happens in town or in a client's home. That's not a big deal though because you can design the buildings any way you want and I put a lot of my own personal touches in things like the school and a concert hall. There's also lots to choose from with the designs and items making for a unique and entertaining experience. This is all about creativity and just having a good time with it. I'm still playing the game, trying out all these different things as well as checking out other people's awesome designs. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer overall is a great game full of endless fun.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Lord of the Wings (Meg Langslow, #19) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The town of Caerphilly is hosting the first annual Halloween festival, and Meg is hoping she can take it easy since she is only in charge of the Goblin Patrol, the extra volunteer security force. However, a break in at the haunted house, a foot in the alligators, and a dead body complicate matters.
I love this series, and this book is another fun addition. When I realized it was set at Halloween, I almost set it aside until October, but I just couldn’t wait. The characters are strong and charming as always, and the various aspects of the plot keep things moving forward quickly. I was disappointed that one character introduced a couple books back is once again absent, but that is my only complaint in another fantastic read.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-lord-of-wings-by-donna.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I love this series, and this book is another fun addition. When I realized it was set at Halloween, I almost set it aside until October, but I just couldn’t wait. The characters are strong and charming as always, and the various aspects of the plot keep things moving forward quickly. I was disappointed that one character introduced a couple books back is once again absent, but that is my only complaint in another fantastic read.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-lord-of-wings-by-donna.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Behind Chocolate Bars (A Chocolate Covered Mystery #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Michelle and Erica are getting into the Halloween spirit by helping create the annual haunted house to benefit the Boys and Girls Club. But their time gets distracted when a murder happens out of town, and Dylan, a teen they know, becomes the prime suspect. Can the duo find the time to help prove he didn’t do it?
It was fantastic to be back with these characters again. The series regulars are fantastic, and the new characters were just as good. This book was a little different because he didn’t meet the victim before the murder, but that didn’t hamper the plot at all with plenty of suspects and clues before we reached the logical end.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-behind-chocolate-bars-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
It was fantastic to be back with these characters again. The series regulars are fantastic, and the new characters were just as good. This book was a little different because he didn’t meet the victim before the murder, but that didn’t hamper the plot at all with plenty of suspects and clues before we reached the logical end.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-behind-chocolate-bars-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Toad in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
The Toad by Elise Gravel is part of the Disgusting Critters Series. It is a non-fiction picture book about all things toads. The book shows how toads relate to frogs, their habitat, and food. It also shows that there are different kinds of toad breeds. Beyond talking about the different kinds of toads, the readers learn about their skin and the bumps. Readers learn that the pests that toads eat help to keep the insects at a reasonable amount so we humans don't have to deal with them as much.
The text in the book is presented in an easy way to read which is both entertaining and funny. The illustrations are a great visual that accompanies the text.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Toad by Elise Gravel is part of the Disgusting Critters Series. It is a non-fiction picture book about all things toads. The book shows how toads relate to frogs, their habitat, and food. It also shows that there are different kinds of toad breeds. Beyond talking about the different kinds of toads, the readers learn about their skin and the bumps. Readers learn that the pests that toads eat help to keep the insects at a reasonable amount so we humans don't have to deal with them as much.
The text in the book is presented in an easy way to read which is both entertaining and funny. The illustrations are a great visual that accompanies the text.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Shayde (75 KP) rated The Beach House: A Shimmer Pointe Romance (Book 1) in Books
Sep 6, 2018
the scene (2 more)
the idea
good romance novel
needs more backstory (1 more)
needs to be more drawn out
Honest Review
Contains spoilers, click to show
Full Disclosure: I won a copy of this book in a Smashbombs giveaway. It came signed by the author, with a handwritten note, and a signed bookmark. It was so cute and I loved it upon arrival.
However, I should also mention I am a bit of a cynic at times. For me, this book read way too fast.
~SPOILERS~
Girl goes to a beach house, girl meets boy, they go out, they end up together. There's also an ex who shows up but it's not even an issue. I would have liked a slower building romance, that maybe felt a bit more real. Also, as for the writing style, I wanted more show and less tell. Overall though, I think it's a pretty cute book and would be a good beach read.
However, I should also mention I am a bit of a cynic at times. For me, this book read way too fast.
~SPOILERS~
Girl goes to a beach house, girl meets boy, they go out, they end up together. There's also an ex who shows up but it's not even an issue. I would have liked a slower building romance, that maybe felt a bit more real. Also, as for the writing style, I wanted more show and less tell. Overall though, I think it's a pretty cute book and would be a good beach read.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated A House Of Ghosts in Books
Nov 10, 2019
The binding is gorgeous (1 more)
Had everything
A House Full of Ghosts
Well I loved this. It had everything. A thriller and a murder mystery with romance and ghosts as well. The story flowed magnificently, the characters were endearing and shone from the pages and the history and setting were also deliberate and engrossing. This is a book you can imagine being timeless and far reaching, I can imagine my teenage son or my grandad in his nineties enjoying it. A fantastic story difficult to put down and to top it off presented beautifully in this gorgeous black and gold hardback. Imagine Downton Abbey meets Sherlock Holmes with a bit of Spooky Dickens chucked in for good mrasure. Bring on the movie, it would work so well and I have absolutely no doubt that we will be seeing these characters again and I for one can't wait.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated A Parfait Crime in Books
Oct 26, 2023 (Updated Oct 26, 2023)
Val is Trapped in Another Mystery
Val’s Grandfather has joined a local reader’s production of Agatha Christie’s classic play The Mousetrap. The cast is just planning to read the play for the audience instead of doing a full production with a set and movement on stage. However, a house fire kills the woman who was going to play the lead. Even stranger, the firefighters find a dead body hidden in a freezer elsewhere in the house. Val is drafted to fill the dead woman’s place in the play, and it gives Val and her grandfather perfect access to others who knew the victim. What will the duo uncover?
You don’t need to have seen The Mousetrap to enjoy this book. In fact, it goes out of its way to not spoil the play but still mentioning anything the story is mirroring. But fans of the play will get an added kick out the way it is included. The plot is strong as always with plenty of suspects and clues to keep us guessing. I did feel the climax was a little weak, but the everything is still explained satisfactorily. The characters are as good as always, and I loved seeing some of the series regulars grow. And we get five more five-ingredient recipes at the end. If you enjoy a well plotted mystery, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
You don’t need to have seen The Mousetrap to enjoy this book. In fact, it goes out of its way to not spoil the play but still mentioning anything the story is mirroring. But fans of the play will get an added kick out the way it is included. The plot is strong as always with plenty of suspects and clues to keep us guessing. I did feel the climax was a little weak, but the everything is still explained satisfactorily. The characters are as good as always, and I loved seeing some of the series regulars grow. And we get five more five-ingredient recipes at the end. If you enjoy a well plotted mystery, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.
