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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated House of Thieves in Books
Feb 21, 2018
How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? Thats the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his sons gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.
I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of Johns family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.
Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of Johns family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.
Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated An Unforgettable Rogue (Rogues Club, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Well, this second entry into the Rogues Club series was much better than the first. As with the first book, the plot is unoriginal and I have read better books with the same theme, but it was still a nice, easy, and sometimes humorous read. Also, I love scarred/tortured/etc heroes, they're my weakness! :P All the characters were much more enjoyable and believable, especially Alex and Hawk (I've found that Annette Blair's secondary characters are usually more interesting than the hero and heroine, except Alex and Hawk were equally enjoyable this time), there was more humor, and overall I actually enjoyed it. My main problem was the secret keeping; there were times when I thought, "Just tell him/her you idiot!" Sometimes that can be very annoying in romances. However, as I said before, this book was a nice read to pass the time but nothing too remarkable.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Mountain Between Us (2017) in Movies
Feb 18, 2018
I liked it more than most it seems
The survival in the wilderness aspect of this film is what it does best, but it seems like I liked the developing love more than most people based on their ratings and comments.
Yeah fine no one wants the dog to die, but the movie was more than that. The Idris Elba character slowly reveals aspects of his personal like to Kate Winslet in a unique way. You expect them being found to be the end of the film, but it isn't and I was all right with that.
As far as the ending goes, there weren't too many ways it could go and the director picked one. Didn't bother me and I actually enjoyed it.
I also love Kate. Have since her "Introducing Kate Winslet" card in Heavenly Creatures. Make sure everone watched that too.
Yeah fine no one wants the dog to die, but the movie was more than that. The Idris Elba character slowly reveals aspects of his personal like to Kate Winslet in a unique way. You expect them being found to be the end of the film, but it isn't and I was all right with that.
As far as the ending goes, there weren't too many ways it could go and the director picked one. Didn't bother me and I actually enjoyed it.
I also love Kate. Have since her "Introducing Kate Winslet" card in Heavenly Creatures. Make sure everone watched that too.
Erika (17788 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Sep 27, 2018
I had no expectations going into this film. The only thing I knew about it was that it was based off of a book that was originally illustrated by Edward Gorey.
It's strange that Jack Black has found his niche in making kids movies. I thought he was great as the eccentric uncle, and Cate Blanchett was a good counterbalance. Their banter was enough to keep me entertain most of the film.
Yes, the story line is very predictable, and you would think it's because there have been so many films like it before, but since the book was written in the 1970s, I'm assuming all of the other films were originally riffing off this story.
The costumes and visuals were great, and I liked the creepy vibe. Eli Roth did a pretty good job keeping it PG. It wasn't great, but I didn't hate my life while watching it.
It's strange that Jack Black has found his niche in making kids movies. I thought he was great as the eccentric uncle, and Cate Blanchett was a good counterbalance. Their banter was enough to keep me entertain most of the film.
Yes, the story line is very predictable, and you would think it's because there have been so many films like it before, but since the book was written in the 1970s, I'm assuming all of the other films were originally riffing off this story.
The costumes and visuals were great, and I liked the creepy vibe. Eli Roth did a pretty good job keeping it PG. It wasn't great, but I didn't hate my life while watching it.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Murder in the morning in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo Book Diary recommends ‘Murder in the Morning’ which is the second of the Melissa Craig cozy mystery series by Betty Rowland.
Having enjoyed the first Melissa Craig instalment I was eager to get into the follow up. I found this instalment, which begins where the previous book concluded, to be more entertaining than the first. However, this could be due to reading them both in order and in the same week – I would definitely suggest reading them in order and together as I did.
Whilst the book focuses on a new crime the characters involved were developed in the first instalment and I assume will continue through the ongoing series.
This series will be enjoyed by those who enjoy Midsomer Murders, Agatha Raisin and Father Brown type of mystery!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Having enjoyed the first Melissa Craig instalment I was eager to get into the follow up. I found this instalment, which begins where the previous book concluded, to be more entertaining than the first. However, this could be due to reading them both in order and in the same week – I would definitely suggest reading them in order and together as I did.
Whilst the book focuses on a new crime the characters involved were developed in the first instalment and I assume will continue through the ongoing series.
This series will be enjoyed by those who enjoy Midsomer Murders, Agatha Raisin and Father Brown type of mystery!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Who She Was in Books
Aug 20, 2023
I really enjoy Tony Parsons' books as they have always excited me, kept me on tenterhooks and had me reading long into the night. Unfortunately, Who She Was, for me, is nowhere near on a par with his previous books which I am upset about.
It pains me to say this but I found the story boring, the plot tedious, the characters totally unlikeable or memorable and the twists just meh!
Now, this is my opinion only and I have seen lots of reviews that rate this very highly so please don't take my word for it ... you can't please everyone all of the time! I also won't let this blip put me off from reading more of Tony Parsons work in the future.
Thanks must go to the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Who She Was.
It pains me to say this but I found the story boring, the plot tedious, the characters totally unlikeable or memorable and the twists just meh!
Now, this is my opinion only and I have seen lots of reviews that rate this very highly so please don't take my word for it ... you can't please everyone all of the time! I also won't let this blip put me off from reading more of Tony Parsons work in the future.
Thanks must go to the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Who She Was.
Saul Sailing Snapper (211 KP) rated This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor in Books
Nov 13, 2019
Funny and heartbreaking at the same time (1 more)
Quick easy read
Aches and pains with laughter
Full disclosure this is not a book I would normally have read however I had heard good things about it and saw it as a smashbomb giveaway so thought I would enter and I was lucky enough to be selected thank you.
The premise of the book is simple. It is a trainee Doctors diary with various entries of the course of their many years of long hours having to deal with anything that came through the doors during their hospital postings. The chapters are split with each progression through the training ladder and even explaining the process quite well for those who are not aware how crazy the system appears.
I found myself laughing out loud for some of the entries, especially those concerning the removing of alien objects from the body. Aghast at others over what Doctors have to go through on a daily basis and with a lump in my throat over moments of heartbreak mere lines later.
I enjoyed the book immensely and found myself re-reading paragraphs and even the odd few pages to let it all sink in. The plaudits from various celebrities in the cover do not really do it justice but are well deserved. It is a very easy to read book and you would be hard pressed not to come away with a greater admiration for the NHS and its staff have to go through.
The premise of the book is simple. It is a trainee Doctors diary with various entries of the course of their many years of long hours having to deal with anything that came through the doors during their hospital postings. The chapters are split with each progression through the training ladder and even explaining the process quite well for those who are not aware how crazy the system appears.
I found myself laughing out loud for some of the entries, especially those concerning the removing of alien objects from the body. Aghast at others over what Doctors have to go through on a daily basis and with a lump in my throat over moments of heartbreak mere lines later.
I enjoyed the book immensely and found myself re-reading paragraphs and even the odd few pages to let it all sink in. The plaudits from various celebrities in the cover do not really do it justice but are well deserved. It is a very easy to read book and you would be hard pressed not to come away with a greater admiration for the NHS and its staff have to go through.
When I went to the library to pick up the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, I also picked up this book. I wanted to learn more about her last months, as Anne didn’t write in her diary after she was found and brought to the camps.
If you, just like me, are looking for books to help you find this info, please skip this one.
The title is completely misleading, as Anne Frank is barely mentioned in the book, and these women that claim to know her seem to not have known her at all. If I see a person on the far end of the fence, or sit together while the guards are counting us, I wouldn’t consider them a friend. Just a fellow unfortunate companion.
Don’t get me wrong – these six women, that went through all this traumatized period, and are brave enough to tell the story are worth mentioning, and are worth of great recognitions. And this book is also a great value to history of what happened in those cruel places.
But when people use a famous person’s name in order to sell a book, on such painful basis, this is beyond me to comment, so I will leave it to you to make a conclusion on your own.
Among this part, the stories of these six women were heartbreaking, and so well-described, it felt as if I was there for a moment. The things they went through and the families they lost is so sad.
I also liked the old images that were in the middle of the book. They added a real image to the words.
If you want to read more about Anne Frank – choose another book. But if you want to find out about other people’s stories from this time period – grab this book.
If you, just like me, are looking for books to help you find this info, please skip this one.
The title is completely misleading, as Anne Frank is barely mentioned in the book, and these women that claim to know her seem to not have known her at all. If I see a person on the far end of the fence, or sit together while the guards are counting us, I wouldn’t consider them a friend. Just a fellow unfortunate companion.
Don’t get me wrong – these six women, that went through all this traumatized period, and are brave enough to tell the story are worth mentioning, and are worth of great recognitions. And this book is also a great value to history of what happened in those cruel places.
But when people use a famous person’s name in order to sell a book, on such painful basis, this is beyond me to comment, so I will leave it to you to make a conclusion on your own.
Among this part, the stories of these six women were heartbreaking, and so well-described, it felt as if I was there for a moment. The things they went through and the families they lost is so sad.
I also liked the old images that were in the middle of the book. They added a real image to the words.
If you want to read more about Anne Frank – choose another book. But if you want to find out about other people’s stories from this time period – grab this book.
Travis Knight recommended Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) in Movies (curated)
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hope to Die (DI Adam Fawley #6) in Books
Aug 14, 2022
I have just finished the previous book in this series, The Whole Truth, and dived into this the 6th outing for DI Fawley and his team and, let me tell you, what a treat it is.
I have said it before and I will say it again, what an absolute cracker of a book this is and, once again, an excellent addition to this excellent series. Please be reassured that you don't have to have read the others as this works well as a standalone however, I recommend you do ... you won't be disappointed.
DI Fawley and his team are called after the violent death of an unidentified young man shot dead in an isolated farmhouse in an apparent burglary but things just don't add up and so begins a complex, challenging and thrilling investigation which uncovers secrets and lies and so, so much more.
Cara Hunter uses, very cleverly, other media to provide different perspectives to the story including Netflix and voicemail transcripts. This helps the story to flow and provides another element and makes it feel current and relevant. The only thing that I have a small quibble about is that some of this didn't work very well on my Kindle as it's quite small writing and I found myself constantly adjusting the font size but that may have been because I received an advance copy so I felt it was a small price to pay for what is an excellent addition to the way of telling the story.
Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals with twists and turns that keep you guessing ... roll on number 7!
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for enabling me to read Hope to Die and share my thoughts.
I have said it before and I will say it again, what an absolute cracker of a book this is and, once again, an excellent addition to this excellent series. Please be reassured that you don't have to have read the others as this works well as a standalone however, I recommend you do ... you won't be disappointed.
DI Fawley and his team are called after the violent death of an unidentified young man shot dead in an isolated farmhouse in an apparent burglary but things just don't add up and so begins a complex, challenging and thrilling investigation which uncovers secrets and lies and so, so much more.
Cara Hunter uses, very cleverly, other media to provide different perspectives to the story including Netflix and voicemail transcripts. This helps the story to flow and provides another element and makes it feel current and relevant. The only thing that I have a small quibble about is that some of this didn't work very well on my Kindle as it's quite small writing and I found myself constantly adjusting the font size but that may have been because I received an advance copy so I felt it was a small price to pay for what is an excellent addition to the way of telling the story.
Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals with twists and turns that keep you guessing ... roll on number 7!
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for enabling me to read Hope to Die and share my thoughts.