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Servant: The Kindred (Servant, #3)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I almost feel bad having this series as my first review since I have absolutely nothing good to say about this book, or the series for that matter. Every element of this book was just terrible, from the language to the plot development, or lack thereof.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasn’t bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word “the” or “and”. The fact that Gaby couldn’t form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Foster’s attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and Luther’s arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that Gaby’s character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, Luther’s partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about Gaby’s past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by Foster’s writing style.

I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
  
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Brian Eno recommended Early Works by Steve Reich in Music (curated)

 
Early Works by Steve Reich
Early Works by Steve Reich
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I could easily talk for several hours just about this. It was particularly this piece called 'It's Gonna Rain' that I heard with my friend Peter Schmidt, the painter. I'd met Peter while I was at art college and he was a very, very distinctive and unusual character. He was a German Jew who'd come over to England in the '30s and was a very good poker player because it was impossible to know what he was thinking. He was a very inscrutable person. Most people found it very hard to be with him as you'd say something to him and he'd just look at you. But I liked him a lot and we got on very well, and it turned out we'd been thinking about a lot of similar things. One of the things we used to do was sit around at his place in Stockwell and explore new music. Generally it was he who would play things to me and one day he said, ""Have you heard this?"" and my life changed. Reich recorded this in '65, so that's 51 years old and fucking hell, what have we been doing for half a century? The first thing that happens when you're listening to that is that the repetitive element of it gradually makes you start to lose focus of the pieces that keep repeating. You start hearing the little differences. It's a little bit like the way a frog's eye works. It doesn't scan like ours do, it stays fixed on a scene and very quickly the rods and cones get saturated with everything that doesn't move. So as soon as something does move, like a fly, that's the only thing that the frog sees. I think the ears behave like that when they're presented with something highly repetitive like this. Your ears quickly saturate or habituate with the common stuff and they start to pick up details. I remember the first time I heard 'It's Gonna Rain', I started to zone in on the pigeons, because this was out in the street, it was a recording of a street preacher so you can hear cars and horns and then you start to hear these birds but only after a while, after the other stuff has cleared out of your consciousness. That's amazing because what was making the music was my brain and that was the first time I'd realised that, as a composer, you could co-opt a listener's brain. So suddenly, wow, that's another 100 per cent of the universe opening up. When you put something out into the world that is kind of incomplete and it takes your consciousness and the errors of your perceptual mechanism to actually make it into something, that totally changed my idea of what music could be. The actual amount of material used is tiny, the loop of ""it's gonna rain"" is not even a second, and that's the only element used in that section. You think, bloody hell, that's economy, and I've always loved economy. At the time I first heard this we were in a period of maximum indulgence in pop music. Sixteen-track recorders had just appeared so suddenly so many people were just putting so much shit onto everything just because you could. Every spice in the cupboard. Suddenly I heard this and it was so stark and effective. The other thing about it is that within it is a mechanism that I've subsequently used a lot, which is the idea of having things running out of sync with each other. Again, your whole experience of music until then had been to do with synchronisation. Everything sticks together and then at this point everything changes together. What happens in this piece is that you get the same cycle but running so that on each repetition they're in a slightly different place in relation to each other. So you have an automatic generator of variety and I use that on so much of my work. That became my go-to technique for making something interesting straight away."

Source
  
Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2)
Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2)
Terry Pratchett | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.4 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Scottish Play, Discworld style!
(From the blurb):

"Witches are not by their nature gregarious, and they certainly don't have leaders. Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders they didn't have. But even she found that meddling in royal politics was a lot more difficult than certain playwrights would have you believe ... "

An early Discworld novel (only #6 in a series that has just reached the 40 mark), this is also only the second appearance of Granny Weatherwax (after Equal Rites) and, I believe, the first of Nanny Ogg or Magrat Garlick.

The plot, of course, is loosely based around that of MacBeth (or 'The Scottish Play', for those of a superstitious nature), with plenty of other Shakespearean references thrown in for good measure.

Well worth a read, but be prepared to be getting funny looks if you burst out laughing while reading it in public!
  
The Mechanical
The Mechanical
Ian Tregillis | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Mechanical surprised me. The first few chapters were hard to get into. It was so different than anything I’ve read. I’m not a fan of historical fiction (even if it is supernatural or steampunk) but I gave this book a chance based on a recommendation from a friend. I’m so glad I did.

The Mechanical is a wild ride through the lives of three characters; a catholic priest pretending to be protestant and smuggling information to New France, a female spy known in the legends as The Tallyrand, and Jax, the mechanical in question. The characters stories intertwine together to create a rich well-developed adventure of excitement, love, treachery, betrayal, and euphoric freedom. The book looks you in the eye and challenges the idea of free will, religion, and the tendency for us to believe everything the government wants us to believe.

In the beginning, I found the narrator hard to listen to, maybe because of his pacing, and steady non-fluctuating voice. But as I got more and more into the story, learned more about this world and what was going on, fell in love and hatred with the characters, I appreciated the way he read more. It worked for the characters and for the story.

I am super excited for the rest of this series and highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a well thought out story. Ages 17 + for some violence and sexual scenes.
  
The Family
The Family
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Becky Morgan's family were the victims of the 'crimes of the decade'. The lone survivor of a ritualistic killing, Becky's been forever haunted by the memories of that night.
Twenty years later, with the killer never found, Becky is ready to hunt them down and exact revenge. But the path to find the murderer is a slippery slope and she finds herself opening up some old wounds that should have been left sealed.
Will Becky avenge her family or join them?

Wow!!! What a read this one was!
This was just so gripping from the very start. I was hooked straight away.
This book ticked all my boxes. Intense, chilling, scary and absolutely gripping. I could not put this book down.
I have never read anything from this author before but I am definitely going to be looking for more.
I don't want to say too much about things as don't want to ruin it.
Becky is the main character of our story and she survived a horrific and ritualistic killing of her entire family. She was injured and rescued by a man in the woods.
Now adult Becky is looking for the killer and revenge.
Intense and dark; will not let you go.
The ending was just MEGA WOW and didn't see that coming!!
Highly Recommend!

I would like to thank the author, Aria and Netgalley for the ARC and this is my honest voluntary review.
  
Dont Look Now
Dont Look Now
Daphne du Maurier | 2008 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I think this book is very deserving of 4 stars rather than the 3 a lot of people have decided to give it. While I agree the last two books of the collection (The Way of The Cross and The Breakthrough) were disappointing in relation to the first three (Don't Look Now, Not After Midnight and A Border-Line Case) I don't think that knocked the book of a star as each story was well written and unique.

My favourite was, by far, A Border-Line Case. Du Maurier does a great job of building tension throughout and while people are complaining that it's twist ending is nothing new, you have to remember that this was originally published in the 70's and so the twist probably was something new and from that time since there have been repeats of the shock ending - meaning Du Maurier's story is unique and the others thereafter are not (though a lot of them are in other ways).

I haven't read any of Du Maurier's other stories and I'm glad of that because it seems like these short stories are being compared to her other works. So for me, having nothing to compare these stories with, it seems I found this a lot more enjoyable than other people seemed to!

Even though the last two stories weren't as fun and spooky they were still good stories and I would recommend this book to many of my friends and family.
  
What the Cluck? It’s Murder
What the Cluck? It’s Murder
Jacqueline Vick | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Meeting the Family Turned into a Clustercluck
Frankie and her boyfriend are getting away for a long weekend so that Frankie can meet a few of Martin’s older sisters, the women who raised him. However, trying to make a good impression isn’t the only thing that Frankie has to worry about when she and Martin find a dead farm hand near the chicken coop. With the evidence pointing to one of Martin’s sisters, Frankie and Martin have to team up to figure out what is going on. Can they do it?

Yes, this is one of the few paranormal series I read, and I find the premise very fun. I was happy with how quickly I was able to keep the sisters and their families straight. I’m sure it helped that we weren’t meeting all of them. Since Frankie and Martin are the only returning characters, they got plenty of time to grow, and I love what we saw, especially from Martin. We get plenty of fun, especially with Frankie trying to read animals, although they did give us one scene I found tasteless. There are a few timeline glitches, but they were more annoying than anything else. The plot fights with family dynamics a time or two for dominance, but there are some fun surprises on the way to a suspenseful ending. All told, this is another fun book if you are looking for something different.
  
MASK OF THE ETERNAL MOON is the second book in the Legends of Elessia series and should be read in sequence as this one starts not long after the other finishes.

With the characters now known to me, I was looking forward to getting back into their story. There are multiple storylines going on in this book, and it took a while for me to get them straight in my head. Lucius and Oskar are still together, searching for Memphala. Donata and Hilda go on their own quest. Gotthilf and Helga are at home, and Memphala has her own story too. Not only that but Silas and Frida are new characters that are introduced and they play a big role. So, yep, there's a lot going on!

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book, with all of its twists and turns. Nothing is as expected and the surprises come from every direction. There is action on every page and the pacing moves it along perfectly. There are now slumps in the writing that I found. A brilliant ending that definitely leaves you wanting more.

An amazing story that I am thoroughly enjoying and have no hesitation in recommending!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
  
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Merissa (12897 KP) rated Footsteps of the Past (Second Chances #2) in Books

Jul 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)  
Footsteps of the Past (Second Chances #2)
Footsteps of the Past (Second Chances #2)
Felice Stevens | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
FOOTSTEPS OF THE PAST is the second book in the Second Chances series and this time, it is Chess and André's story. They have been together for nine years but there are still secrets hidden away, just waiting to be found.

Oh, what a story. Poor Chess. I can completely understand where he was coming from. He's worked so hard to turn his life around, but sometimes the doubt resurfaces that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't deserve all the good things. As for André, he loves Chess completely but is swayed by his mum to be away from him more often than not. I loved it when he took a stand and said 'enough!'

The group of friends play a big part, as you would imagine. Elliot and Win are still my favourites, with Chess and André close behind. As I suspected would happen, Ms Stevens is changing my mind about Spencer, and Wolf has learnt his lesson.

A fantastic addition to the series, this book focuses on truth and honesty, sharing the highs and the lows. I loved every word and have no hesitation in recommending it.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
Jul 15, 2021
  
King of Beasts (Curse of the Dark Kingdom #4)
King of Beasts (Curse of the Dark Kingdom #4)
Amberlyn Holland | 2023 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
KING OF BEASTS is the last (so far) in the Curse of the Dark Kingdom series. Everyone has broken free of their curse apart from the eldest, Kyllean. He is the one stuck in The Library, in a beast form. Anyone want to guess the fairytale?

Kyllean and Leandra definitely get their story told, but the others appear too so, in the end, the Big Bad is defeated by all of them working together. I do love it when that happens, don't you?! Leandra is a strong character; she has to be as she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is not cowed by Kyllean, even when he roars, and I loved how she always stood up to him. Kyllean himself is a very sympathetic character. He is doing the best he can, the only way he knows how. His insecurities lead him to questionable actions but I found I understood them.

A fantastic retelling of a classic, this was a wonderful ending to the series. The world- and character-building are just as good as always, and the pacing was perfect. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 20, 2023