
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Mothers: A Novel in Books
Feb 8, 2018
I'm a strange person who is often wary of reading hyped books, so I put off reading this novel for a while. And I certainly did enjoy it; I can't say that I didn't. I basically read it in one day, and I was very much drawn into the story. While Bennett focuses her story on Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey, she also employs a "Greek chorus" of sorts, composed of "the mothers"--the female elders from the church--who tell the story of Nadia from their third person point of view. It's a different sort of method to employ, but Bennett pulls it off. Still, for me, I found a lot of this novel predictable, and I never really became completely attached to any of the characters. What I did enjoy is how much of the tale is rooted in the bits of life that can drag us all down. It some ways, it very well details the mundane aspects of life - making them seem interesting and nuanced. We basically see the entire span of Nadia's life, which was compelling. However, while there is a depth and message to some of Bennett's story, I can't see it sticking with me for the long-term.
Overall, this is well-written novel and certainly worth picking up. Did I find it worth all the hype? Probably not. But I'm no doubt a bit more cynical than most. It's still an intriguing story that I enjoyed reading.

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Atlantis (Jack Howard, #1) in Books
Nov 8, 2019
This book takes a slightly different approach, at least initially. His archaologist hero Jack Howard finds out about an ancient text that sheds more light on the story of the sunken civilization. Gibbins then does a good job of deconstructing the myths using real evidence of Egyptian, Minoan and Greek archaeology and rebuilding into a hypothesis which leads Howard on a quest to discover the source of the myth. I really enjoyed this part of the book, the author's knowledge in this area shows in some deft explanations.
However once on the trail of Atlantis a villainous adversary appears and this is the point where the book struggles as it tries to marry an interesting and plausible story of historical investigation and a thriller. Unfortunately I didn't think this worked as the book couldn't work out what it was anymore and the change between styles was very uneaven. There is a particular segment where the heroes are being pursued into the inner sanctum of Atlantis with all haste - and then spend a long time investigating the wonders of the frescos and artefacts they find within.
To my mind Gibbins is a good writer when what he is writing about is the archaeology and historical references. This novel didn't need the added threat of the villain and it just cheapened the deal. It's not exactly a bad book, just a bit confused about its identity. Howard himself is also a confused character, being essentially a charismatic history buff he has no problem being a hard-nosed killer and also seems to shrug off potential danger to his friends and colleagues without a thought.
I read The Tiger Warrior a little while ago and enjoyed that more simply because that book concentrated on the history and the archaeology with the threats being realistic and relevant to the plot.
The unevenness in this work can perhaps be forgiven as a first novel. As the Tiger Warrior showed Gibbins does have the potential for a good book if the ingredients are right. Unfortunately this isn't it.

Sherlock Holmes Collection Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Book and Entertainment
App
Be sure to see ratings and reviews for ALL versions. 48 original Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir...

Matthew Henry Bible Commentary - Concise Version
Book and Education
App
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible Commentaries on the Whole Bible Written by...

Pretty in Black: Pretty in Black Book 1
Book
On the day of her death, a seventeen year old cheerleader meets a vampire in the cemetery who saves...
fantasy young adult

Tim Booth recommended Soviet Kitsch by Regina Spektor in Music (curated)

Trivia Crack Kingdoms
Games and Entertainment
App
Choose your favorite topics and prove you're the best at answering questions! Test your knowledge...

iTranslate Voice - Speak & Translate in Real Time
Productivity and Reference
App
Limited time special promotion! Instantly speak over 40 languages. Can you imagine talking into...

AppyCal - the happy calendar
Productivity and Business
App
--------------- HOLIDAYS INCLUDED FOR MANY COUNTRYS --------- AppyCal 4.0 is here including...

Poptropica
Games and Education
App
Poptropica is an open virtual world created by Jeff Kinney, author of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID. Join a...