Merissa (12175 KP) rated Ivy (Blackbird #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This book is amazingly written and it is hard to believe that it is the debut novel. I would have loved more scenes with the three of them as there were quite a few with Ivy, and Ivy and her friends, but not so much with Ivy, Gareth and Steve. Maybe I'm just being greedy but they had such a good connection, I wanted to see more. Hopefully they will be in other Blackbird books, which I am eagerly anticipating.
On the whole, this book has a well-developed plot line which proceeds with a great pace. The characters are all believable and have layers to them. The story itself is funny, warm and romantic. Definitely recommended.
Leah Lopez (7 KP) rated Buster: The Military Dog Who Saved a Thousand Lives in Books
Nov 6, 2019
However, with my current research on British/American forces I thought it would be a good idea; given the fact I have/had no knowledge of dog/handler in the forces. It was such a great read. After reading heavy books based on Afghanistan/Iraq about Soldiers being shot at, severely wounded, and sometimes being blown up, it was good to read an easy-reading book. The chemistry between Will and Buster was well addressed; Will's narration on Buster's emotions was both funny and warm. I was actually falling in love with a dog I hadn't met. But, this journey, although it was based on Buster, wouldn't have succeeded had the chemistry and understanding not have being as blunt. Will Barrow is clearly a dog lover and to work alongside a dog with as much as energy is a bonus. I am glad they made it back to England without neither been injured.
I did notice that quite a lot of the reviews claim this book to be "boring" without "much happening (action)."
Well, I can assure you, it is much more of a pleasure in reading this book, having a happy journey and ending, than reading those whose lives have changed drastically and/or ended.
ClareR (5753 KP) rated A Bit Of A Stretch in Books
Feb 21, 2020
Chris Atkins was sent to prison for 5 years after being involved in a dodgy tax scheme that was used to finance his films. Wandsworth was to be his home for a large part of his sentence, and this is where the book is set. Chris wrote a diary whilst he was there, and he certainly had enough to write about: drug dealers, self-harmer’s, prison officers, of the helpful, clueless and vindictive varieties, and senior officials trying to instigate some sort of reform (which ends badly, if I’m honest).
It’s a funny, and at times frustrating read. It illustrates everything that’s wrong with our prison system, which seems to be stuck in the Victorian era. We need to decide what we want our prison system to do: to simply incarcerate, or to rehabilitate. The number of people who reoffend is phenomenal - isn’t this a total waste of money? Is this really a reflection of time well served?
Anyway, I suggest everyone reads this and makes up their own minds.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to the author, Chris Atkins, for reading along.
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2243 KP) rated Bear Bottom in Books
May 25, 2021 (Updated May 25, 2021)
Part of the fun of the FunJungle series is the setting and the recurring characters. I’ll admit I missed them. However, this book does have a core cast of regulars, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Both mysteries are intriguing and kept the pace steady. Watching Teddy work is always fascinating, and we got some wonderful action scenes along the way. While the series always tackles some environmental issues, I felt like this book lectured a bit more than the series usually does. It doesn’t help that one thing intended to be funny didn’t come across that way to me; instead, if felt like more lectures. I still did enjoy this book overall. It’s just not quite up to Stuart Gibbs’s usual high standards.
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9.0
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