Search
Search results
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Empire's Ghost in Books
Sep 6, 2017
Good worldbuilding (1 more)
Well-rounded characters
An alright debut novel
So I’ve had pretty good luck with debut novels, overall. This one was good – not what I’d called spectacular, like those three, but good. If the sequel was out now, I’d read it. Knowing my reading habits, I probably won’t, because by the time the sequel does come out, I’ll have forgotten too much of this first book. (I strongly dislike only reading the first book in a series and then having to wait.)
What I really liked was how the author painted every character. Even the would-be Emperor, who is probably the closest to evil any character is in this book, was interesting and had clear motivations that made sense. I wouldn’t even call him evil, just ambitious. His assassin shows a different side in part of the book that also removes him from the “evil” category. I’m impressed that Steiger manager to set up several factions at odds with each other without making any of them evil. Wrong, perhaps, misguided perhaps, but not evil. Which is unusual in high fantasy.
What I disliked was there was a point in the middle where I had to set aside the book for real life – and I almost never picked it up again. Three days later, I finally did, but to me, that means I wasn’t invested in the characters or the story. I could have moved on to a different book, and I almost did. I liked most of the characters – but without liking any of them enough to truly care what happened. I also wish the pacing was a little faster, but that’s a victim of too many viewpoints, I think.
So I could go either way on this book. It was well-written but a little slow and didn’t just GRAB me the way some books do.
See all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
What I really liked was how the author painted every character. Even the would-be Emperor, who is probably the closest to evil any character is in this book, was interesting and had clear motivations that made sense. I wouldn’t even call him evil, just ambitious. His assassin shows a different side in part of the book that also removes him from the “evil” category. I’m impressed that Steiger manager to set up several factions at odds with each other without making any of them evil. Wrong, perhaps, misguided perhaps, but not evil. Which is unusual in high fantasy.
What I disliked was there was a point in the middle where I had to set aside the book for real life – and I almost never picked it up again. Three days later, I finally did, but to me, that means I wasn’t invested in the characters or the story. I could have moved on to a different book, and I almost did. I liked most of the characters – but without liking any of them enough to truly care what happened. I also wish the pacing was a little faster, but that’s a victim of too many viewpoints, I think.
So I could go either way on this book. It was well-written but a little slow and didn’t just GRAB me the way some books do.
See all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Grownup in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b><i>I would rather be a librarian, but I worry about the job security. Books may be temporary; dicks are forever.</b></i>
This is no Gone Girl, nothing even remotely as good as Gone Girl, but, because it's so short, it was better at keeping my attention, so I wasn't so fussed about the kinda crappy ending.
This was a funny novel. Flynn is really good at inputting humour into moments of a book that could be taken more seriously, and that's what I loved so much about this book, the humour. The story was good... well the beginning and middle were, and then the end lacked any oomf, but it was our funny narrator who made this book something worth reading.
The plot for this was cliche as cliche can be, but I think that was intentional, because our narrator made fun of how cliche everything sounded. It was there to add some comedy value. The ending, as I said, was disappointing, only because it goes exactly as you would expect it to. I was hoping Flynn was going to pull another "oh-my-god" twist out after the initial twist, but alas.
Worth a read if you can get it cheap, but don't expect anything too amazing... that sounds weird to say after rating it 4 stars, but I did actually like this and it did hold my attention... it's just... I don't know, I can't explain it.
This is no Gone Girl, nothing even remotely as good as Gone Girl, but, because it's so short, it was better at keeping my attention, so I wasn't so fussed about the kinda crappy ending.
This was a funny novel. Flynn is really good at inputting humour into moments of a book that could be taken more seriously, and that's what I loved so much about this book, the humour. The story was good... well the beginning and middle were, and then the end lacked any oomf, but it was our funny narrator who made this book something worth reading.
The plot for this was cliche as cliche can be, but I think that was intentional, because our narrator made fun of how cliche everything sounded. It was there to add some comedy value. The ending, as I said, was disappointing, only because it goes exactly as you would expect it to. I was hoping Flynn was going to pull another "oh-my-god" twist out after the initial twist, but alas.
Worth a read if you can get it cheap, but don't expect anything too amazing... that sounds weird to say after rating it 4 stars, but I did actually like this and it did hold my attention... it's just... I don't know, I can't explain it.
There aren’t many books that make me laugh out loud, but The Split did just that - and more than once. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a book with much to laugh about. I mean, Ally is dumped by her girlfriend who is already seeing someone else, she’s having a career crisis after managing to escape teaching, and she moves back in with her dad in Sheffield - which is a long way from London. At the last minute, Ally impulsively takes the cat - Emily’s cat. I think this surprises Ally too, as the cat doesn’t seem to like anyone, least of all Ally.
So not the cheeriest subject, but the way it was written - and the narration by Imogen Church - was what made me empathise with Ally. And the situations Ally found herself in were so relatable. I felt really mean laughing at her and Jeremy going out for their first few runs, but they were hilarious (and I’ve been there too!).
I even found myself talking to Ally (should I own up to this, and the fact that I was wearing headphones at the time?!), and was helpfully reminded by the 17 year old, that telling a fictitious character not to email her ex-girlfriend was pretty pointless. I stand by what I said though!
I loved this book, and it brightened my day for a week of dog walks and (the dreaded) dinner preparation!
Recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus for my original e-copy (even though I listened to it on Audible!).
So not the cheeriest subject, but the way it was written - and the narration by Imogen Church - was what made me empathise with Ally. And the situations Ally found herself in were so relatable. I felt really mean laughing at her and Jeremy going out for their first few runs, but they were hilarious (and I’ve been there too!).
I even found myself talking to Ally (should I own up to this, and the fact that I was wearing headphones at the time?!), and was helpfully reminded by the 17 year old, that telling a fictitious character not to email her ex-girlfriend was pretty pointless. I stand by what I said though!
I loved this book, and it brightened my day for a week of dog walks and (the dreaded) dinner preparation!
Recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus for my original e-copy (even though I listened to it on Audible!).
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Alex, Approximately in Books
Dec 25, 2018
This was a super-cute Young Adult Romance. I actually read it for free off RivetedLit - it's free to read there through the end of July. I really enjoyed the change in formatting for the online conversations between Mink and Alex, and the explanation for why Bailey hadn't shared any identifying information online at all. That was pretty well done.
The book is a Young Adult take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, but it mostly avoided the "he picks on you because he likes you" line. The initial conflict between our two characters is really just due to misunderstandings, and the boy quickly apologizes. (With cookies!) I really enjoyed both of these characters, and I was definitely cheering for them as they revealed more of their histories and insecurities to each other.
I REALLY enjoyed their date to Monterey, California - they visited the Natural History Museum and the aquarium, both of which I have been to personally! I lived in Monterey many years ago, so it was neat to see them in a place I have personal memories of.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent young adult romance. There was some mention of sex, but nothing too graphic. I loved the setting; it brought me back to the Pacific Ocean, even if it was California beaches instead of the cold, rocky Pacific Northwest.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The book is a Young Adult take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, but it mostly avoided the "he picks on you because he likes you" line. The initial conflict between our two characters is really just due to misunderstandings, and the boy quickly apologizes. (With cookies!) I really enjoyed both of these characters, and I was definitely cheering for them as they revealed more of their histories and insecurities to each other.
I REALLY enjoyed their date to Monterey, California - they visited the Natural History Museum and the aquarium, both of which I have been to personally! I lived in Monterey many years ago, so it was neat to see them in a place I have personal memories of.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent young adult romance. There was some mention of sex, but nothing too graphic. I loved the setting; it brought me back to the Pacific Ocean, even if it was California beaches instead of the cold, rocky Pacific Northwest.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated the PlayStation 2 version of Need for Speed: Underground 2 in Video Games
Aug 17, 2019
Get Low
From a young age I was more into action adventures than anything, I remember great memories of NFSU2 also many arguments haha, taking in all comers and rarely losing (big head 😁) there was nothing like the feeling that ran through me during the opening, that is until the the game started, stunning graphics, an epic playlist, thrilling race's and a really enjoyable story thrown in.
NFSU2 is without a shadow of a doubt one of my all time favourite games.
NFSU2 is without a shadow of a doubt one of my all time favourite games.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Wildling (2018) in Movies
Jun 12, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Wasn't sure what I was expecting from this one but got more than I thought. At first glance I thought it was going to be more of a "psychological' horror flick. Turned out to be more of a "creature feature". There was some killing in it, but nothing too gory. Things literally got hairy in this movie. The actors all did a decent job and the cinematography was good. I'd have liked more of a "back story" on the main character but they filled in some of the gaps about her. Overall this was an entertaining movie. Not really scary at all, but held the interest well enough to watch it all the way through. Interesting take on the werewolf genra. Worth a watch if you're bored some night.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine in Books
Jul 24, 2017
Slightly overhyped with massive plot gaps
I had read a great number of reviews about this eccentric book, but perhaps it was a little too quirky for my liking. There are major similarities with Chuck Palahniuk in terms of the exaggerated style of writing and general shock factor, unfortunately it did not seem to deliver. The characters were undeveloped and there seem to be a lot of loose ends at the end of the book such as what actually happened to B and C? While I can understand the moralistic nature of the story, attacking the usage of food as a means to control people, there seemed to be something missing.
Toni Lynn Donald (2027 KP) rated Freaks (2018) in Movies
Apr 19, 2020 (Updated Apr 19, 2020)
It is about a little girl who is not allowed to go outside, it's dangerous out there. You're wondering through half the movie, why can't she go outside cause everything seems normal out there. Without giving away anything, she does end up getting outside without her father seeing her and you learn what's actually going on. It is better than how I described it, but I didn't want to give it away. There are a couple of bloody parts in it too. It really was a good movie when you finally figured out what's going on.
Duff McKagan recommended Damned Damned Damned by The Damned in Music (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated You Are Not Alone in Books
Mar 19, 2020
A few seconds change Shay Miller's life forever. It's almost ironic, as Shay, 31, and a market researcher, is obsessed with data. She's been keeping data books since age eleven, listing statistics and facts the way other girls write in diaries. Shay's recently lost her job, and her roommate and best friend, Sean, spends more time with his girlfriend than her. She feels hopeless and isolated. Then everything changes, and Shay finds herself swept up in the glamorous world of the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. They have a way of making Shay feel different. They also seem to be everywhere, shaping Shay's life in strange ways.
I've learned by now when I pick up a book by the Hendricks-Pekkanen duo that I need to just suspend disbelief for a bit and go with it. If I can do that and enjoy the ride, then the book is a fun little escape mechanism. When looked at via this prism, You Are Not Alone was very successful.
The book is told from different points of view that often stray into various time periods, and it took me a while to keep all the characters straight. Cassandra and Jane have a host of friends, and I had to bookmark the page that introduced them all so I could remember who was who for a while. There seem to be unreliable narrators galore for a while--can we trust Shay? The sisters? Their friends?
I don't want to get too much into the plot and give anything away. It's a crazy story and again, not really probable (I hope). However, it's highly addictive, and I found the book to be compulsively readable. I also really grew to like Shay, even if I was suspicious about her.
There are some great twists and turns in this thriller, which I really enjoyed. I liked how this one kept me guessing, even if there was an eye roll or two in there too. It was definitely wild! 4 stars.
I've learned by now when I pick up a book by the Hendricks-Pekkanen duo that I need to just suspend disbelief for a bit and go with it. If I can do that and enjoy the ride, then the book is a fun little escape mechanism. When looked at via this prism, You Are Not Alone was very successful.
The book is told from different points of view that often stray into various time periods, and it took me a while to keep all the characters straight. Cassandra and Jane have a host of friends, and I had to bookmark the page that introduced them all so I could remember who was who for a while. There seem to be unreliable narrators galore for a while--can we trust Shay? The sisters? Their friends?
I don't want to get too much into the plot and give anything away. It's a crazy story and again, not really probable (I hope). However, it's highly addictive, and I found the book to be compulsively readable. I also really grew to like Shay, even if I was suspicious about her.
There are some great twists and turns in this thriller, which I really enjoyed. I liked how this one kept me guessing, even if there was an eye roll or two in there too. It was definitely wild! 4 stars.