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DJ Muggs recommended KAOS by Roc Marciano / DJ Muggs in Music (curated)

Wearing the Trousers: Fashion, Freedom and the Rise of the Modern Woman
Book
In the 1850s a craze swept through the wardrobes of the women of British and American society. These...

Choose the Right A Levels: Guiding You to Make Informed Choices
Book
Selecting the right A levels is more important than ever in helping you shape your future path,...

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Book
Why do naturally talented people frequently fail to reach their potential while other far less...

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Source of Magic (Academy of Falling Kingdoms #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2021
32 of 250
Kindle
The Source of Magic ( Academy of Falling Kingdoms book1)
By Drake Mason and Marisa Mills
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
I can speak to demons. The punishment is death.
The mission: put on a dress, pretend to be a lady, and infiltrate the academy of mages to steal a journal from the forbidden archives.
The problem: I’m no mage and I’ve never worn a dress in my life.
But it’s not like I have a choice. My bastard of an uncle basically sold me to a dangerously pretty nobleman, and they can’t pull off this heist without me. Unfortunately, once I fake my way through the entrance exam with a piece of hacked mage tech, and reach the floating kingdom of Reverie, my problems are only just beginning.
Keeping my secret identity is hard enough without a suspicious prince following me around, and the jealous rich girl who wants to marry him threatening me at every turn. But I know I’m in real trouble when my magic sword starts to talk to me. If I can survive the demon attacks, the backstabbing nobles, and the piles of homework long enough, I may discover the source of magic… and if the truth gets out, it will shatter everything.
This showed so much potential but for me book 1 didn’t deliver in some areas! I got a little bored but ploughed on as I don’t like giving up! It was a 2.5 until the end which gave me a bit of a boost to try book 2!
Kindle
The Source of Magic ( Academy of Falling Kingdoms book1)
By Drake Mason and Marisa Mills
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
I can speak to demons. The punishment is death.
The mission: put on a dress, pretend to be a lady, and infiltrate the academy of mages to steal a journal from the forbidden archives.
The problem: I’m no mage and I’ve never worn a dress in my life.
But it’s not like I have a choice. My bastard of an uncle basically sold me to a dangerously pretty nobleman, and they can’t pull off this heist without me. Unfortunately, once I fake my way through the entrance exam with a piece of hacked mage tech, and reach the floating kingdom of Reverie, my problems are only just beginning.
Keeping my secret identity is hard enough without a suspicious prince following me around, and the jealous rich girl who wants to marry him threatening me at every turn. But I know I’m in real trouble when my magic sword starts to talk to me. If I can survive the demon attacks, the backstabbing nobles, and the piles of homework long enough, I may discover the source of magic… and if the truth gets out, it will shatter everything.
This showed so much potential but for me book 1 didn’t deliver in some areas! I got a little bored but ploughed on as I don’t like giving up! It was a 2.5 until the end which gave me a bit of a boost to try book 2!

ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Pull of the Stars in Books
Nov 8, 2020
This book, and in particular the Audible version that I listened to, really pulled me into the world of 1918 Dublin. This isn’t a story for the faint-hearted. It’s really graphic and gory in a lot of places, and it portrayed just what life was like for women in Ireland at this time. Childbirth was portrayed as a punishment, babies being still born equally so. This was a time where it was normal for women in Ireland to birth baby after baby: on average ten.
Nurse Julia Power is unmarried at 30 and seems to be happy with that, as she sees women whose bodies are worn out from giving birth so many times and so closely together, women who have been abused by their fathers and forced to bear their children, women who have conceived their babies outside of marriage and will be forced to give them up - as well as young women who have been institutionalised from birth and forced to give up their lives to repay the nuns who raised them through free labour (Magdalene laundries). Like I said, this was no time to be a woman. The abuse and poor treatment of the women on the ward is alluded to, but never explicit.
Whilst most of the story takes place on the quarantined labour ward, we do get a glimpse in to the home life of Nurse Power, and it was interesting to see how the war had impacted on and affected her brother.
This is a beautifully told story packed full of heart. It may not have been my best move to read it during a pandemic, but nevertheless, I absolutely loved it.
Nurse Julia Power is unmarried at 30 and seems to be happy with that, as she sees women whose bodies are worn out from giving birth so many times and so closely together, women who have been abused by their fathers and forced to bear their children, women who have conceived their babies outside of marriage and will be forced to give them up - as well as young women who have been institutionalised from birth and forced to give up their lives to repay the nuns who raised them through free labour (Magdalene laundries). Like I said, this was no time to be a woman. The abuse and poor treatment of the women on the ward is alluded to, but never explicit.
Whilst most of the story takes place on the quarantined labour ward, we do get a glimpse in to the home life of Nurse Power, and it was interesting to see how the war had impacted on and affected her brother.
This is a beautifully told story packed full of heart. It may not have been my best move to read it during a pandemic, but nevertheless, I absolutely loved it.

ClareR (5879 KP) rated Build Your Home Around My Body in Books
Jul 28, 2021
I loved this enchanting, horrific, beautiful story. Build Your House Around My Body is a difficult book to describe. There are at least three timelines, all relevant to what is happening in the present day to the main character, Winnie née Ngoan.
Winnie is a lost soul - she has gone to Vietnam to stay with family while she teaches English to Vietnamese students, hoping to find herself, but she seems to become more and more lost as the story progresses. She struggles with her dual identity as her mother is American, and her father is Vietnamese. The fact that she seems to deliberately sabotage her own life is the most tragic thing about her.
The time does jump around a bit, but this didn’t confuse me at all - the chapter headings made sure of that - in fact they gave some interesting history lessons (e.g. French colonialism, Japanese occupation).
It’s a weird and wonderful one (my favourite kind!), sometimes bordering on the grotesque (ditto). Bodily functions and food that I wasn’t sure about, galore! (I’d still try the food though, although I draw the line at dog…).
The supernatural elements showed that these things are still very much a part of Vietnamese culture (spirits and demons both feature).
Some parts are achingly sad, some made me feel a bit ill, and others were actually quite amusing. I couldn’t put this book down. The joy of it was that I didn’t know, couldn’t predict, what was going to happen next!
I’m really interested to see what Kupersmith writes next if this is her debut - what an imagination!
Many thanks to Jellybooks for giving me the chance to read this wonderful book.
Winnie is a lost soul - she has gone to Vietnam to stay with family while she teaches English to Vietnamese students, hoping to find herself, but she seems to become more and more lost as the story progresses. She struggles with her dual identity as her mother is American, and her father is Vietnamese. The fact that she seems to deliberately sabotage her own life is the most tragic thing about her.
The time does jump around a bit, but this didn’t confuse me at all - the chapter headings made sure of that - in fact they gave some interesting history lessons (e.g. French colonialism, Japanese occupation).
It’s a weird and wonderful one (my favourite kind!), sometimes bordering on the grotesque (ditto). Bodily functions and food that I wasn’t sure about, galore! (I’d still try the food though, although I draw the line at dog…).
The supernatural elements showed that these things are still very much a part of Vietnamese culture (spirits and demons both feature).
Some parts are achingly sad, some made me feel a bit ill, and others were actually quite amusing. I couldn’t put this book down. The joy of it was that I didn’t know, couldn’t predict, what was going to happen next!
I’m really interested to see what Kupersmith writes next if this is her debut - what an imagination!
Many thanks to Jellybooks for giving me the chance to read this wonderful book.

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The City Revolts (Caitlin Chronicles #4) in Books
May 27, 2021
71 of 250
Kindle
The City Revolts ( The Caitlin Chronicles book 4)
By Daniel Willcocks and Michael Anderle
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
What can one woman do when a whole city wants to fight back?
Things are heating up in The Broken City. Accompanied by Kain, Mary-Anne, and Jaxon, Caitlin must work - and work fast - to stop both humans and Weres from destroying everything they've worked so hard to rebuild.
Danger approaches from every angle. The two factions of the city are ready to revolt. Nudged on by a crazed psychopath with unspoken power, Caitlin must pull together her full force to stop the city from crumbling.
The fate of the city rests on Caitlin's shoulders, and the last thing she wants to do is fail...
Set within the wonder of the Kurtherian Gambit Universe, discover the chaos and insanity of the Age of Madness - a time when the world turned on its head, and nothing is as it appears...
I’m gutted to be giving it 2 stars as I’ve been loving this series but for some reason this one just didn’t grab me! I was struggling all the way through. I can’t quite put my finger on why I found it so hard to read or a little boring!
Please don’t be put off by personal opinions on this one book in a series of 5 as the ones before this I really enjoyed! I will be finishing the series and look forward to book 5 In the hope I enjoy it which I’m sure I will.
Kindle
The City Revolts ( The Caitlin Chronicles book 4)
By Daniel Willcocks and Michael Anderle
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
What can one woman do when a whole city wants to fight back?
Things are heating up in The Broken City. Accompanied by Kain, Mary-Anne, and Jaxon, Caitlin must work - and work fast - to stop both humans and Weres from destroying everything they've worked so hard to rebuild.
Danger approaches from every angle. The two factions of the city are ready to revolt. Nudged on by a crazed psychopath with unspoken power, Caitlin must pull together her full force to stop the city from crumbling.
The fate of the city rests on Caitlin's shoulders, and the last thing she wants to do is fail...
Set within the wonder of the Kurtherian Gambit Universe, discover the chaos and insanity of the Age of Madness - a time when the world turned on its head, and nothing is as it appears...
I’m gutted to be giving it 2 stars as I’ve been loving this series but for some reason this one just didn’t grab me! I was struggling all the way through. I can’t quite put my finger on why I found it so hard to read or a little boring!
Please don’t be put off by personal opinions on this one book in a series of 5 as the ones before this I really enjoyed! I will be finishing the series and look forward to book 5 In the hope I enjoy it which I’m sure I will.

Nancy Whang recommended Silence Yourself by Savages in Music (curated)

Merissa (12919 KP) rated Below Dark Waters (Dalya #2) in Books
Sep 25, 2020
Below Dark Waters is the second book in the Dalya series and it really should be read in order or it just won't make sense!
Megan and the rest are making their way away from Capo and hopefully Megan's murderous father. They are a ragtag crew but fit together although cracks are showing in Sarah. Megan is having a rough time of it and isn't sleeping, giving the others concern about her. She is changing more each day, becoming stronger and more fae-like.
Oh wow! This book has just as much going for it as the first! This time, it is told from the points of view - Megan, Lilly, and Carmia. Three very different women with very different experiences. I can't wait to see how they tie together.
One thing I love about Katie Zaber is even when she writes a scene where you expect someone to be nice, she manages to turn it around and throw Megan to the wolves and you don't even blink! She continually surprises me and, for someone who reads as much as I do, that is fantastic.
I loved how the story still involves all the characters from book one although I would have enjoyed more time with Mana but that's just me. 😁 It is getting more intriguing the more I read and I really can't wait to continue this series.
Absolutely and completely recommended by me!
* 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!
Megan and the rest are making their way away from Capo and hopefully Megan's murderous father. They are a ragtag crew but fit together although cracks are showing in Sarah. Megan is having a rough time of it and isn't sleeping, giving the others concern about her. She is changing more each day, becoming stronger and more fae-like.
Oh wow! This book has just as much going for it as the first! This time, it is told from the points of view - Megan, Lilly, and Carmia. Three very different women with very different experiences. I can't wait to see how they tie together.
One thing I love about Katie Zaber is even when she writes a scene where you expect someone to be nice, she manages to turn it around and throw Megan to the wolves and you don't even blink! She continually surprises me and, for someone who reads as much as I do, that is fantastic.
I loved how the story still involves all the characters from book one although I would have enjoyed more time with Mana but that's just me. 😁 It is getting more intriguing the more I read and I really can't wait to continue this series.
Absolutely and completely recommended by me!
* 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!