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KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Witch's Bell in Books
May 23, 2019
This was a free book on Amazon and the reviews make you wonder if you should even pick it up, but I still did and I have never been happier. I did find some of the complaints to be true to word, but I did enjoy the book way too much to just say it wasn't worth the read. However, we will be discussing Ebony Bell and her adventures and what Bell may have been done to make it better. Let's dive in.
So first of all, I fell in love with the idea behind this book and apparently the series. With characters like Nathan Wall and Ebony Bell, I couldn't help but be intrigued on whatever relationships was forming between them. I think this book was pretty well thought out considering it cold have left the scenes bare making it hard to visualize where the characters were and what was exactly going on. However, I did think there could have been a little less rambling about different things, though I feel it may be foreshadowing for other books. I feel that even though Ebony was pretty fleshed out, that there could have been a little more on the other characters we find ourselves following a bit. For example, Avery's mother is described by her looks and a bit of how she acted when Ebony was a child, but as a member of the Coven, I wanted a little more. Like how did she become apart of the Coven who were supposedly the strongest witches around as well as the oldest? It left a few questions popping to mind and hope they will be answered in the future. Nathan was another character I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more and not really semi revealed at the end. It left a lot to be desired, but again could just be information that makes you want to read on.
I loved, and I mean LOVED, how when Ebony had her magic blocked from her, the way she saw things changed a bit. Do not get me wrong, her outfits made me giggle, but seeing her actually notice the small things even though she didn't have to and hadn't noticed before, was kind of nice. You were able to see her actually begin to appreciate things she hadn't before. I always love seeing characters grow as a person. Ebony had learned to really appreciate what she was seeing as well as what she had. To see her struggle had brought some delight and I found myself a little mad at how she would forget the most important thing she had thought about until it was almost too late. I did find that the use of other characters did help make what was going on around her seem a little more dire.
I found the love interest between Ebony and Nathan to be a bit subtle, which was kind of nice since it left a lot of room for something to blossom a wonderful romance. I do like how Nate gets under Ebony's skin and no matter how hard she tries rattle him he is unfazed. This made them polar opposites, which made me smile a bit, Though I would have loved to see more between them in the form of witty banter and teasing. but what I was given, I didn't think it was all that bad, just could have been more.
Overall, I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars. There could have been more given and even explained something better while not rambling on things that made you begin to question a character's mental state. I loved the story line and hope that as the books move forward we can figure it all out about our mysterious Detective Nathan Wall, the Coven and whoever is behind trying to rewrite Ebony Bell's story.
So first of all, I fell in love with the idea behind this book and apparently the series. With characters like Nathan Wall and Ebony Bell, I couldn't help but be intrigued on whatever relationships was forming between them. I think this book was pretty well thought out considering it cold have left the scenes bare making it hard to visualize where the characters were and what was exactly going on. However, I did think there could have been a little less rambling about different things, though I feel it may be foreshadowing for other books. I feel that even though Ebony was pretty fleshed out, that there could have been a little more on the other characters we find ourselves following a bit. For example, Avery's mother is described by her looks and a bit of how she acted when Ebony was a child, but as a member of the Coven, I wanted a little more. Like how did she become apart of the Coven who were supposedly the strongest witches around as well as the oldest? It left a few questions popping to mind and hope they will be answered in the future. Nathan was another character I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more and not really semi revealed at the end. It left a lot to be desired, but again could just be information that makes you want to read on.
I loved, and I mean LOVED, how when Ebony had her magic blocked from her, the way she saw things changed a bit. Do not get me wrong, her outfits made me giggle, but seeing her actually notice the small things even though she didn't have to and hadn't noticed before, was kind of nice. You were able to see her actually begin to appreciate things she hadn't before. I always love seeing characters grow as a person. Ebony had learned to really appreciate what she was seeing as well as what she had. To see her struggle had brought some delight and I found myself a little mad at how she would forget the most important thing she had thought about until it was almost too late. I did find that the use of other characters did help make what was going on around her seem a little more dire.
I found the love interest between Ebony and Nathan to be a bit subtle, which was kind of nice since it left a lot of room for something to blossom a wonderful romance. I do like how Nate gets under Ebony's skin and no matter how hard she tries rattle him he is unfazed. This made them polar opposites, which made me smile a bit, Though I would have loved to see more between them in the form of witty banter and teasing. but what I was given, I didn't think it was all that bad, just could have been more.
Overall, I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars. There could have been more given and even explained something better while not rambling on things that made you begin to question a character's mental state. I loved the story line and hope that as the books move forward we can figure it all out about our mysterious Detective Nathan Wall, the Coven and whoever is behind trying to rewrite Ebony Bell's story.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I have not read anything with Genies, nothing NADA! So when I saw this I jumped on the chance to read it. I love reading short story collections, you get to read from authors that you have never read from before and to see if you like their writing style. This collection of short stories is from authors all over the world and it is their take on the djinn and some of the myths,tales that they have heard whilst growing up or heard. The only author that I had heard and read beforehand was Neil Gaiman, I read ‘The Ocean at the end of the Lane’ years ago and enjoyed it so I knew there would be one possible story that I would like.
So going into this I knew nothing about Genie’s/Djinn other than Aladdin! The book has an introduction written by the editors Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin explaining how this book came together and the different authors involved. We also had the The Djinn Falls In Love by Hermes which is poem about a djinn which I really enjoyed.
There are 20 stories in this collection in total and are all very different, however I found the majority of them to be a little dull and wasn’t holding my attention or the story line/plot got confusing. There were however some really great ones that I loved such as ‘Spite House’ and ‘Reap’. I must admit that there will be something for everyone as there several different genres within.
‘Reap’ by Sami Shah – This was a 5 star from me. This is a story about a small team who use a drone for surveillance on a small village in Pakistan. They have to watch the residents of this village and one family has 11 children, but one day Miriam, the youngest, doesn’t return with the clan. This has supernatural elements and is pretty scary but truly wonderful and had me gripped all the way through.
This is not one of my favourite short story collection as there were just too many that didn’t hold my interest or was a little confusing. The cover though is beautiful and recommend if you want to read some different interpretations about Djinn.
I rated this 2.5 out of 5 stars
I have not read anything with Genies, nothing NADA! So when I saw this I jumped on the chance to read it. I love reading short story collections, you get to read from authors that you have never read from before and to see if you like their writing style. This collection of short stories is from authors all over the world and it is their take on the djinn and some of the myths,tales that they have heard whilst growing up or heard. The only author that I had heard and read beforehand was Neil Gaiman, I read ‘The Ocean at the end of the Lane’ years ago and enjoyed it so I knew there would be one possible story that I would like.
So going into this I knew nothing about Genie’s/Djinn other than Aladdin! The book has an introduction written by the editors Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin explaining how this book came together and the different authors involved. We also had the The Djinn Falls In Love by Hermes which is poem about a djinn which I really enjoyed.
There are 20 stories in this collection in total and are all very different, however I found the majority of them to be a little dull and wasn’t holding my attention or the story line/plot got confusing. There were however some really great ones that I loved such as ‘Spite House’ and ‘Reap’. I must admit that there will be something for everyone as there several different genres within.
‘Reap’ by Sami Shah – This was a 5 star from me. This is a story about a small team who use a drone for surveillance on a small village in Pakistan. They have to watch the residents of this village and one family has 11 children, but one day Miriam, the youngest, doesn’t return with the clan. This has supernatural elements and is pretty scary but truly wonderful and had me gripped all the way through.
This is not one of my favourite short story collection as there were just too many that didn’t hold my interest or was a little confusing. The cover though is beautiful and recommend if you want to read some different interpretations about Djinn.
I rated this 2.5 out of 5 stars
The daughter (and stepdaughter) of actors, Sally Field earned her first acting role at seventeen and was quickly on television in shows such as "Gidget" and "The Flying Nun." Those roles showcased Sally's youth and smiling personality. But, behind the scenes, Sally had a tumultuous childhood: her parents divorced when she was young, and her relationships with them and her stepfather were not easy. She found happiness, in many ways, as an actress, but also struggled to find roles that challenged her. In this, her first memoir, she tells the story of her childhood and her early years as an actress.
I listened to the majority of this (and then switched over to the book, I'm weird), and I'm not going to lie: this wasn't always a fun listen for me. This book is sort of depressing and stressful a lot of the time. I will be honest that I didn't know a lot about Sally Field going in--I knew of Gidget, her roles with Burt Reynolds, "Forrest Gump," and honestly, most recently, "Brothers & Sisters." I knew one of her sons was gay, and she supported him.
I did not know her mother was an actress. I did not know that a lot of really bad things happened to her. Seriously, this memoir contains a lot of Sally Field telling us all the awful memories of her childhood, and, later, her early acting days. I'm not saying that's bad--it's truly brave and powerful stuff. But, man, as you're in the car driving 2+ hours to work? It's draining. I felt horrible for her, I felt proud that she'd overcome it, and I felt a little exhausted by it all. I also was appalled by how much she had to deal with (alone) and the state of the acting community for women during that time period.
It did, however, seem to make the beginning of the book go by rather slowly. Or maybe that's just the audio format--this was only the second audiobook I've ever listened to and, coincidentally, the second audiobook I found slow. When Field got to the time period where she became a mom, it picked up for me, perhaps because I could relate better to her. I felt an odd kinship--I was headed off, leaving behind my kids for a work project, and many times, so was she. (Alas, I was doing a rather boring job and she was a famous actress, but hey, you try to find parallels where you can, right?)
No matter what, I applaud her for being unafraid to tell the truth about her life, including admitting her own faults. She supplements her memories with her journal entries, newspaper articles, letters, and more. The result is a very detailed and personal account of her life--up until about "Norma Rae." After that, it glosses over most of her career following that film, which is a little sad for anyone who enjoyed all her subsequent films. This memoir is clearly focused more on Field's personal growth versus a celebrity tell-all. And I get that, I do, but you can't help but wish for a few more juicy details.
In the end, this wasn't an easy read/listen, but it was a good one. I learned a great deal about Field's life, and I admire her so much more as a person now. She had to go through a great deal to get the acting career and overall life she desired. If you enjoy memoirs and autobiographies, you will probably like this one, especially if you like them detailed, versus just focused on celebrity fluff and laughs (though Field is very witty). 4 stars.
I listened to the majority of this (and then switched over to the book, I'm weird), and I'm not going to lie: this wasn't always a fun listen for me. This book is sort of depressing and stressful a lot of the time. I will be honest that I didn't know a lot about Sally Field going in--I knew of Gidget, her roles with Burt Reynolds, "Forrest Gump," and honestly, most recently, "Brothers & Sisters." I knew one of her sons was gay, and she supported him.
I did not know her mother was an actress. I did not know that a lot of really bad things happened to her. Seriously, this memoir contains a lot of Sally Field telling us all the awful memories of her childhood, and, later, her early acting days. I'm not saying that's bad--it's truly brave and powerful stuff. But, man, as you're in the car driving 2+ hours to work? It's draining. I felt horrible for her, I felt proud that she'd overcome it, and I felt a little exhausted by it all. I also was appalled by how much she had to deal with (alone) and the state of the acting community for women during that time period.
It did, however, seem to make the beginning of the book go by rather slowly. Or maybe that's just the audio format--this was only the second audiobook I've ever listened to and, coincidentally, the second audiobook I found slow. When Field got to the time period where she became a mom, it picked up for me, perhaps because I could relate better to her. I felt an odd kinship--I was headed off, leaving behind my kids for a work project, and many times, so was she. (Alas, I was doing a rather boring job and she was a famous actress, but hey, you try to find parallels where you can, right?)
No matter what, I applaud her for being unafraid to tell the truth about her life, including admitting her own faults. She supplements her memories with her journal entries, newspaper articles, letters, and more. The result is a very detailed and personal account of her life--up until about "Norma Rae." After that, it glosses over most of her career following that film, which is a little sad for anyone who enjoyed all her subsequent films. This memoir is clearly focused more on Field's personal growth versus a celebrity tell-all. And I get that, I do, but you can't help but wish for a few more juicy details.
In the end, this wasn't an easy read/listen, but it was a good one. I learned a great deal about Field's life, and I admire her so much more as a person now. She had to go through a great deal to get the acting career and overall life she desired. If you enjoy memoirs and autobiographies, you will probably like this one, especially if you like them detailed, versus just focused on celebrity fluff and laughs (though Field is very witty). 4 stars.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Baby Teeth in Books
May 14, 2018
Hanna is seven years old and the apple of her father's eye. In his mind, she is his perfect little girl, his "lilla gumman". Suzette is Hanna's mother and she does all she can for Hanna, by home schooling her. But Hanna refuses to speak and has gotten kicked out of a few schools for her bad behavior. Is she not speaking because something is wrong or because she chooses not to? After countless doctor's visits, Suzette and Alex are at their wits end to find out what is wrong with their daughter. Hanna does not like her mother and will stop at nothing until it's just her and Daddy.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
First, I want to say that I enjoyed this book and the story was very interesting. So, I don't know if it was me in a slump or the layout of the ARC, but I didn't find myself wanting to grab this book as soon as I could. Instead I found myself crushing candies and binge watching The Big Bang Theory.
What would you do if you had a non-verbal child who hated you? Her not speaking can not be explained by doctors, therapists or teachers. You know she has sound cause he makes weird noises and hums. But Hanna is determined to get her point across one way or another and that point is, Mommy must go. Her father is blinded by all her bad behavior since Hanna turns into an angel when he is around. When a series of events seriously harms Suzette, Alex can no longer be blinded by his daughter's niceness. Will they be able to get Hanna the help she needs or will Suzette live in fear of her own daughter for the rest of her life?
I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I have read anything quite like this about kids and their relationship with their parents. I'm thankful I don't have a child with behavioral problems, cause this book would have me watching my back all of the time. I think everyone who reads this will be able to sympathize with Suzette. Most mothers always try to do their best for their kids and at times it's seems it's never enough. But trying to survive your kid is a whole other story. I hope you will pick up this book and enjoy it like I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
First, I want to say that I enjoyed this book and the story was very interesting. So, I don't know if it was me in a slump or the layout of the ARC, but I didn't find myself wanting to grab this book as soon as I could. Instead I found myself crushing candies and binge watching The Big Bang Theory.
What would you do if you had a non-verbal child who hated you? Her not speaking can not be explained by doctors, therapists or teachers. You know she has sound cause he makes weird noises and hums. But Hanna is determined to get her point across one way or another and that point is, Mommy must go. Her father is blinded by all her bad behavior since Hanna turns into an angel when he is around. When a series of events seriously harms Suzette, Alex can no longer be blinded by his daughter's niceness. Will they be able to get Hanna the help she needs or will Suzette live in fear of her own daughter for the rest of her life?
I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I have read anything quite like this about kids and their relationship with their parents. I'm thankful I don't have a child with behavioral problems, cause this book would have me watching my back all of the time. I think everyone who reads this will be able to sympathize with Suzette. Most mothers always try to do their best for their kids and at times it's seems it's never enough. But trying to survive your kid is a whole other story. I hope you will pick up this book and enjoy it like I did.
Guy Garvey recommended Glory Hope Mountain by The Acorn in Music (curated)
Alicia S (193 KP) rated Untamed (Thoughtless, #4) in Books
Sep 28, 2018
Oh, Griffin... (smh). First off, I am a HUGE fan of the Thoughtless series. This is one of my all-time TOP favorite series. SC Stephens has a way of writing that brings you so close to the characters that you feel as if you know them personally. I was completely caught up emotionally in this series from day one and I still carry it with me. It's almost scary his much this series affected me... I was so overly sensitive to their thoughts and feelings, it was as if I was experiencing it firsthand. This most recent addition was no exception. On a personal note, this was a very tough book for me to read as the overall theme hit very close to home for me. Watching the lies and deceit flow so easily from Griffin was very hard to stomach. His snowball of bad decisions was painful to watch, for him, Anna and the girls and for the rest of the band and family. I love the D-Bags but always saw Griffin as that annoying friend that you just can't help but love and hate. I found him incredibly annoying at times and hearing it all from his POV was interesting as you saw that he did truly justify his actions.. in his own Griffin kinda way. As frustrating as it was at times, making me want to smack the $hit out of him, he was easier to understand. In the end, he rectified himself in a way that I never thought Id seem, nor did anyone else!? We all got to finally see out Hulk grown up. He's still there, just in controlled doses.. ;-) His relationship with Anna and the girls was beautiful to witness.. we really got to see a whole other side to him. This book tore me up, left me hanging at moment, scared to death and made me bawl my eyes out... Yet another masterpiece form SC Stephens.. surely not to be missed!
CarlaM (53 KP) rated Devil's Dream: Shade of Devil Book 1 in Books
Oct 30, 2019
Eat your Heart out Drac! Sorin is back!
Before Dracula ever tasted his first drop of Blood, Sorin Owned the night. After centuries of Drenching Europe in blood, he Grew weary of the Carnage and left to discover the new world, only to be tracked down by an old enemy. Sorin survives the Attack but only by being put into a healing slumber....and wakes up 500 years later in Present day New York and that is where our adventures begins.
I found this book endlessly pleasing. Sorin is out to make New friends and he meets some very interesting characters along the way. Although he has some classic Vampire broodiness, he does not conform to the new age definition of sparkly "vegetarian" Vampires. He is unapologetically brutal to his enemies and trying to come to terms with a world he doesn't understand. It makes for a funny action packed book filled with witty one liners and funny scenarios.
It was a true page turner and I loved Every minute of it.
I really can't wait for the next book!
I found this book endlessly pleasing. Sorin is out to make New friends and he meets some very interesting characters along the way. Although he has some classic Vampire broodiness, he does not conform to the new age definition of sparkly "vegetarian" Vampires. He is unapologetically brutal to his enemies and trying to come to terms with a world he doesn't understand. It makes for a funny action packed book filled with witty one liners and funny scenarios.
It was a true page turner and I loved Every minute of it.
I really can't wait for the next book!
David McK (3600 KP) rated The Three Musketeers in Books
Jan 18, 2020
Let me start by saying that this is (was) one of the few novels I had abandoned, finding it very hard going and plodding.
And, truth be told, I still haven't actually read it.
You might be wondering, then, why I'm reviewing it?
Because, thanks to a well-known Amazon-owned subsidiary, I've now listened to it!
The subject of a fair-few movies over the years (most noticeably the 1970s Michael York duo The Three/Four Musketeers), I have to admit to being somewhat surprised at just how closely that Michael York fronted film actually sticks to the source material, with the first half of the novel (The Queens Diamonds) virtually transposed straight to the screen. And, as a result, I found this portion not really all that engaging, perhaps due to (over)familiarity.
However, things picked up once we got past the halfway point, and into more unfamiliar territory, before (roughly) the final third of the novel, which obviously served as the inspiration for The Four Musketeers (where d'Artagnan actually becomes one such).
Full of swashbuckling romance and acts of derring do, this - like many other classics - is one of those novels that you read simply so that you can say you've read it!
And, truth be told, I still haven't actually read it.
You might be wondering, then, why I'm reviewing it?
Because, thanks to a well-known Amazon-owned subsidiary, I've now listened to it!
The subject of a fair-few movies over the years (most noticeably the 1970s Michael York duo The Three/Four Musketeers), I have to admit to being somewhat surprised at just how closely that Michael York fronted film actually sticks to the source material, with the first half of the novel (The Queens Diamonds) virtually transposed straight to the screen. And, as a result, I found this portion not really all that engaging, perhaps due to (over)familiarity.
However, things picked up once we got past the halfway point, and into more unfamiliar territory, before (roughly) the final third of the novel, which obviously served as the inspiration for The Four Musketeers (where d'Artagnan actually becomes one such).
Full of swashbuckling romance and acts of derring do, this - like many other classics - is one of those novels that you read simply so that you can say you've read it!
Frank Carter recommended You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen in Music (curated)
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Gun, With Occasional Music in Books
Nov 23, 2021
Banter (1 more)
Good premise
Easily distracted while reading (2 more)
Poor execution of idea
Not good with explanations
I went into this book with low expectations. I mean there's a kangaroo with a gun. How serious can you take it? But suprisingly, I wouldn't say it qualified as absurdist noir/sci-fi.
The noir part is ok, pretty straightforward; however the point is to try and solve it along with the detective, or in this case private inquisitor, but the character made leaps and bounds with his puzzling and I was ".... how did you figure that?" Or I was more intrigued by the babyheads (which got a passing explanation that was blah and not enough) or the fact that the government encouraged the use of addictive drugs like forgetol or avoidtol (yeah super creative names but it got the point across) or why it was considered rude to ask questions or what is up with the Karma card? Most of which you get 0 answers.
The sci-fi aspect is surface level with the evolution of animals and the accelerated intelligence of babies/child. Freezing prisoners instead if regular jail. It was meh with sparatic points of interesting.
The dystopian world was well thought out but he did spend way too much waxing poetic on sunsets and sunrises. Don't get me wrong I love sunsets and sunrises but when I tried to see if there would be important information dropped at these points I got nothing.
The banter between characters was pretty good. Not the best bit it was good fir a small chuckle or appreciation.
The main character is not an likeable one however I found myself rooting for him. And I was repulsed by him and not just because of how he treats women. He even admits it is wrong. He's a very angry main character.
There is a take on body dysphoria, although as this book came out in the 90s I don't know if that was intentional or not.
Not having body dysphoria, but understanding how you can be uncomfortable in your own skin. I wonder if it's a semi accurate description?????
I almost rated it a five but I am still confused and am going "WTF did I just read?" So I thought a lot and was also way too easily distracted by other things (like tiktok or tv or my own thoughts). I should have been able to read this book in a day slow pacing or not and kept getting bored with it. I'll probably unhaul it at a used bookstore where someone can appreciate it more than I.
The noir part is ok, pretty straightforward; however the point is to try and solve it along with the detective, or in this case private inquisitor, but the character made leaps and bounds with his puzzling and I was ".... how did you figure that?" Or I was more intrigued by the babyheads (which got a passing explanation that was blah and not enough) or the fact that the government encouraged the use of addictive drugs like forgetol or avoidtol (yeah super creative names but it got the point across) or why it was considered rude to ask questions or what is up with the Karma card? Most of which you get 0 answers.
The sci-fi aspect is surface level with the evolution of animals and the accelerated intelligence of babies/child. Freezing prisoners instead if regular jail. It was meh with sparatic points of interesting.
The dystopian world was well thought out but he did spend way too much waxing poetic on sunsets and sunrises. Don't get me wrong I love sunsets and sunrises but when I tried to see if there would be important information dropped at these points I got nothing.
The banter between characters was pretty good. Not the best bit it was good fir a small chuckle or appreciation.
The main character is not an likeable one however I found myself rooting for him. And I was repulsed by him and not just because of how he treats women. He even admits it is wrong. He's a very angry main character.
There is a take on body dysphoria, although as this book came out in the 90s I don't know if that was intentional or not.
Not having body dysphoria, but understanding how you can be uncomfortable in your own skin. I wonder if it's a semi accurate description?????
I almost rated it a five but I am still confused and am going "WTF did I just read?" So I thought a lot and was also way too easily distracted by other things (like tiktok or tv or my own thoughts). I should have been able to read this book in a day slow pacing or not and kept getting bored with it. I'll probably unhaul it at a used bookstore where someone can appreciate it more than I.