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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
This was a fairly quick read, the font was quite large and the line spacing was too.
It did have me intrigued after the first 70+ pages or so, when the girls finally agreed to a pact of revenge on the people who had done them wrong. I was even cheering them on, though Alex was a bit of a question mark for me. Rennie needs to be brought down a notch or ten. And Reeve...he comes across as an egotistical idiot jock but I think he's hiding something. There were several parts in the book where he stopped playing the part of the popular QB and that last bit before the end...
It has me intrigued enough to go and buy book 2.
It did have me intrigued after the first 70+ pages or so, when the girls finally agreed to a pact of revenge on the people who had done them wrong. I was even cheering them on, though Alex was a bit of a question mark for me. Rennie needs to be brought down a notch or ten. And Reeve...he comes across as an egotistical idiot jock but I think he's hiding something. There were several parts in the book where he stopped playing the part of the popular QB and that last bit before the end...
It has me intrigued enough to go and buy book 2.
Beth Ditto recommended ASouthBronxStory by ESG in Music (curated)
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Passage in Books
May 15, 2019
A really enjoyable read
Contains spoilers, click to show
I initially read this book in about 2000, so when I decided to re-read it, I couldn't remember much about it. I'm glad I had left it for so long before I read it again, as I was surprised how good this was.
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mountain in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I was really looking forward to this book because I’d seen loads of great reviews for it, unfortunately I did not enjoy this for a number of reasons… let me explain.
I want to start off this review on a positive note. I did initially enjoy this book. It was slow to take off and the accident in the Bletterbach was gone in seconds (when it seemed like such an important part of the plot!) but the mystery of the years old Bletterbach killings did grab my interest quite quickly and I was looking forward to knowing what the hell happened. Unfortunately, that’s where the good things I have to say end.
This book was so ridiculously drawn out and slow, it really couldn’t grab my attention for very long. I would read about 30 pages and then put it down because I was so bored by all the tedious, pointless descriptions and scene that weren’t necessary to progress the plot. Most of this novel was conversations between two people, that 90% of the time ended with no further information or revelations to the mystery. Then, the bits that weren’t people talking were extremely long, often times overly scientifics bit of information that I think were meant to be eye-opening and exciting, but instead they often confused me and were extremely boring to read.
The writing in this one was also a little weird. I always find I have a bit of trouble with translated books – they feel clunky to read – and this one felt just the same. The conversations that were had between people felt forced and unrealistic most of the time and there was no atmosphere whatsoever. When Salinger was down in the Bletterbach before the accident, there was no nail-biting edge of the seat moment, and again, when he was experiencing his panic attacks, these was no tension or feeling of claustrophobia. I was hoping this was going to give me the same creeped out, terrified feelings that The White Road did, but it let me down.
I thought that maybe while I was being put to sleep by the slow moving story, I might enjoy the characters, however I was disappointed by those too. More specifically, by Salinger, our main character. I hated him. I really, really hated him. He didn’t progress as a character after everything he had been through and no matter how many times his wife came to him angry and distraught at what he was doing. Throughout the novel he was just an awful person, always thinking about throwing a punch and being inconsiderate to other people. There really was nothing nice about him. And then the other characters in the story played such small parts that we really didn’t get to know them very well. Even Werner who seemed to play an important part of the story didn’t get much “screen” time.
In the end, I skim read the last 100 pages of this novel! I’m still counting it as a full read because I pushed myself through <b><i>t h r e e h u n d r e d</b></i> tedious pages. The conclusion of the mystery was disappointing to say the least and I’m glad I didn’t attempt to read the rest of the story.
Overall, I really didn’t enjoy this book, apart from maybe the first 50 pages. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I think there are plenty of better similar books out there that you could pick up instead.
<i>Thanks to Bookbridgr and MacLehose Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I’m just sorry I didn’t enjoy it!</i>
I want to start off this review on a positive note. I did initially enjoy this book. It was slow to take off and the accident in the Bletterbach was gone in seconds (when it seemed like such an important part of the plot!) but the mystery of the years old Bletterbach killings did grab my interest quite quickly and I was looking forward to knowing what the hell happened. Unfortunately, that’s where the good things I have to say end.
This book was so ridiculously drawn out and slow, it really couldn’t grab my attention for very long. I would read about 30 pages and then put it down because I was so bored by all the tedious, pointless descriptions and scene that weren’t necessary to progress the plot. Most of this novel was conversations between two people, that 90% of the time ended with no further information or revelations to the mystery. Then, the bits that weren’t people talking were extremely long, often times overly scientifics bit of information that I think were meant to be eye-opening and exciting, but instead they often confused me and were extremely boring to read.
The writing in this one was also a little weird. I always find I have a bit of trouble with translated books – they feel clunky to read – and this one felt just the same. The conversations that were had between people felt forced and unrealistic most of the time and there was no atmosphere whatsoever. When Salinger was down in the Bletterbach before the accident, there was no nail-biting edge of the seat moment, and again, when he was experiencing his panic attacks, these was no tension or feeling of claustrophobia. I was hoping this was going to give me the same creeped out, terrified feelings that The White Road did, but it let me down.
I thought that maybe while I was being put to sleep by the slow moving story, I might enjoy the characters, however I was disappointed by those too. More specifically, by Salinger, our main character. I hated him. I really, really hated him. He didn’t progress as a character after everything he had been through and no matter how many times his wife came to him angry and distraught at what he was doing. Throughout the novel he was just an awful person, always thinking about throwing a punch and being inconsiderate to other people. There really was nothing nice about him. And then the other characters in the story played such small parts that we really didn’t get to know them very well. Even Werner who seemed to play an important part of the story didn’t get much “screen” time.
In the end, I skim read the last 100 pages of this novel! I’m still counting it as a full read because I pushed myself through <b><i>t h r e e h u n d r e d</b></i> tedious pages. The conclusion of the mystery was disappointing to say the least and I’m glad I didn’t attempt to read the rest of the story.
Overall, I really didn’t enjoy this book, apart from maybe the first 50 pages. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I think there are plenty of better similar books out there that you could pick up instead.
<i>Thanks to Bookbridgr and MacLehose Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I’m just sorry I didn’t enjoy it!</i>
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Savage in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the blurb for this novella, I was a little bit interested especially when it came to the mysterious village. The whole creature thing isn't usually what I read when it comes to the horror genre, but as this was a short read, I thought I'd give it a try. However, it wasn't something I can say I enjoyed.
I don't really like or dislike the title. It's a bit plain and boring, and I don't really see what it has to do with the book unless it pertains to what the villagers call the undisciplined. No mention of the word savage was ever used.
The cover of this book reminds me of a book from the time of Alfred Hitchcock. I believe that the cover does suit the book.
The world building starts off being believable. It was quite easy to picture a man driving along a country road, his car dying, and then he mysteriously gets transported to a strange village. However, the author starts talking about angles and shapes, and I just found myself being really confused. I wouldn't say this made the world building any less believable but just confusing, at least for me.
I thought the pacing to be a bit too slow for my liking. There's not really any action until almost the very end of the book. Luckily this book is short or else I would've quit reading it before I was finished.
The plot is interesting enough. A man's car breaks down just outside some strange village. The man goes into the village and notices how perfectly angular the people and the landscape is. The villagers start talking about the undisciplined. The man ends up getting locked up but manages to escape. However, he runs into something a lot worse than the strange villagers. So yes, the plot line was interesting enough, but I just felt it was executed a bit poorly. I felt as if the ending didn't tie in with the whole book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that if the author was going for that ending, maybe he should've rethought about whether or not to have a mysterious village in the book as the village and the ending don't really mesh well.
I did like Daryl. He seemed like your everyday, normal working man. However, I think he was a bit too intellectual for me to fully relate to. As for the villagers, I can't really comment on them because I felt like there wasn't enough back story on the village and its people to fully form an opinion. I would've liked more back story on the village, and I feel that with more back story, the book would've been less confusing and more interesting.
There wasn't much dialogue in the book which I found disappointing. It seemed like all that was in the book was adjectives and too much description for my liking. Not only that, but I felt that the words used were too intellectual for a common reader such as myself. A lot of the time I didn't even know what the words meant, and this lead to a lot of confusion and lack of interest for me. It's just too wordy of a book if that makes sense. There are a few swear words and a tiny bit of violence. There is also a little bit of sexual references but only in one or two scenes, and it's not very graphic.
Overall, Savage by Gary Fry has a promising story line, but with all the big words, too much description and not enough dialogue, it just falls flat. It doesn't help that the mysterious village has no back story and that the ending doesn't really mesh with the rest of the story.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you know words that aren't used in every day conversations or if you're an English major. I'd say this book is written for those 18+.
<b>I'd give Savage by Gary Fry a 2 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review).
When I read the blurb for this novella, I was a little bit interested especially when it came to the mysterious village. The whole creature thing isn't usually what I read when it comes to the horror genre, but as this was a short read, I thought I'd give it a try. However, it wasn't something I can say I enjoyed.
I don't really like or dislike the title. It's a bit plain and boring, and I don't really see what it has to do with the book unless it pertains to what the villagers call the undisciplined. No mention of the word savage was ever used.
The cover of this book reminds me of a book from the time of Alfred Hitchcock. I believe that the cover does suit the book.
The world building starts off being believable. It was quite easy to picture a man driving along a country road, his car dying, and then he mysteriously gets transported to a strange village. However, the author starts talking about angles and shapes, and I just found myself being really confused. I wouldn't say this made the world building any less believable but just confusing, at least for me.
I thought the pacing to be a bit too slow for my liking. There's not really any action until almost the very end of the book. Luckily this book is short or else I would've quit reading it before I was finished.
The plot is interesting enough. A man's car breaks down just outside some strange village. The man goes into the village and notices how perfectly angular the people and the landscape is. The villagers start talking about the undisciplined. The man ends up getting locked up but manages to escape. However, he runs into something a lot worse than the strange villagers. So yes, the plot line was interesting enough, but I just felt it was executed a bit poorly. I felt as if the ending didn't tie in with the whole book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that if the author was going for that ending, maybe he should've rethought about whether or not to have a mysterious village in the book as the village and the ending don't really mesh well.
I did like Daryl. He seemed like your everyday, normal working man. However, I think he was a bit too intellectual for me to fully relate to. As for the villagers, I can't really comment on them because I felt like there wasn't enough back story on the village and its people to fully form an opinion. I would've liked more back story on the village, and I feel that with more back story, the book would've been less confusing and more interesting.
There wasn't much dialogue in the book which I found disappointing. It seemed like all that was in the book was adjectives and too much description for my liking. Not only that, but I felt that the words used were too intellectual for a common reader such as myself. A lot of the time I didn't even know what the words meant, and this lead to a lot of confusion and lack of interest for me. It's just too wordy of a book if that makes sense. There are a few swear words and a tiny bit of violence. There is also a little bit of sexual references but only in one or two scenes, and it's not very graphic.
Overall, Savage by Gary Fry has a promising story line, but with all the big words, too much description and not enough dialogue, it just falls flat. It doesn't help that the mysterious village has no back story and that the ending doesn't really mesh with the rest of the story.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you know words that aren't used in every day conversations or if you're an English major. I'd say this book is written for those 18+.
<b>I'd give Savage by Gary Fry a 2 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review).
Deborah (162 KP) rated Florence Grace in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I hadn't read Tracy Rees' previous novel, but thought that this sounded interesting and worth giving a go - so I did!
It's well written, but without being too highbrow or difficult to read - in fact I got through it in just a couple of days!
Plot wise it did remind me a little of Mansfield Park to start with - with the poor cousin being taken into the richer household which if alien in its ways and she is expected to be grateful - there's even an unpleasant aunt, two female cousins who think rather too well of themselves and a crush on a cousin! The book is set in the Victorian period, goes down other paths and Florence/Florrie is rather more forthright than Fanny Price!
There are some twists and turns in the plot, but nothing melodramatic and the book keeps it's air of realism.
The ending I felt was perhaps a little too neatly tied up and a touch anti-climactic, but overall it was an easy read and a book that I definitely enjoyed.
It's well written, but without being too highbrow or difficult to read - in fact I got through it in just a couple of days!
Plot wise it did remind me a little of Mansfield Park to start with - with the poor cousin being taken into the richer household which if alien in its ways and she is expected to be grateful - there's even an unpleasant aunt, two female cousins who think rather too well of themselves and a crush on a cousin! The book is set in the Victorian period, goes down other paths and Florence/Florrie is rather more forthright than Fanny Price!
There are some twists and turns in the plot, but nothing melodramatic and the book keeps it's air of realism.
The ending I felt was perhaps a little too neatly tied up and a touch anti-climactic, but overall it was an easy read and a book that I definitely enjoyed.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Murder in the Wine Country in Books
Aug 29, 2023
Too Much Going on
Kelly’s boss is bringing in others to get a vision of what he’s accomplished in Redwood Cove in the hopes of replicating it around the country. Part of this is a wine tasting, and Eric is supposed to be assisting with it. However, not too long after Kelly meets him, Eric turns up dead. Could it have to do with the poachers in the area looking for a rare and expensive plant?
This teaser doesn’t even mention a storyline that starts part way into the book and really takes over. I get why it does, but it makes the resulting story feel way more rushed than it should have been. There was enough here for two books. Plus, there’s a sub-plot that is resolved way too easily (and unrealistically). But, as always, I loved the characters and watching their relationships grow. I was smiling as I read about them. Likewise, I enjoyed revisiting the setting. If you are new to the series, don’t start here. Fans will enjoy it even if it is the weakest in the series.
This teaser doesn’t even mention a storyline that starts part way into the book and really takes over. I get why it does, but it makes the resulting story feel way more rushed than it should have been. There was enough here for two books. Plus, there’s a sub-plot that is resolved way too easily (and unrealistically). But, as always, I loved the characters and watching their relationships grow. I was smiling as I read about them. Likewise, I enjoyed revisiting the setting. If you are new to the series, don’t start here. Fans will enjoy it even if it is the weakest in the series.
Ducklady (1174 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Feb 3, 2020
If your a fan of snatch or lockstock then this is the movie for you.
Full of great actors and fantastic witty dialogue.
I was entirely confused by the football stadium scene where I was convinced Jack Whitehall was sitting in front of Dry eyes and Matthew. There was also a goof where the frozen dead body repeatedly blinked and went from staring wide eyed to having his eyes closed.
"The pig scene" has officially been overused in the film/TV industry but this movie had me in a pleasant mix of horror and hysterics regardless.
Rosalind is such a badass character I was disappointed by her lack of screen time though.
I really recommend going to see this movie, preferably in the cinema. Great movie, great script, great cast. Dam, my brain is too fried this evening to think of a better word than "great" haha
Full of great actors and fantastic witty dialogue.
I was entirely confused by the football stadium scene where I was convinced Jack Whitehall was sitting in front of Dry eyes and Matthew. There was also a goof where the frozen dead body repeatedly blinked and went from staring wide eyed to having his eyes closed.
"The pig scene" has officially been overused in the film/TV industry but this movie had me in a pleasant mix of horror and hysterics regardless.
Rosalind is such a badass character I was disappointed by her lack of screen time though.
I really recommend going to see this movie, preferably in the cinema. Great movie, great script, great cast. Dam, my brain is too fried this evening to think of a better word than "great" haha
Joe Mantegna recommended Time After Time (1979) in Movies (curated)
Gail (4 KP) rated Only (Alex Conner Chronicles, #3) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Only: The Alex Connor Chronicles book 3
Four stars
This was an interesting read. Different in a good way. I was confused some what when the scenes changed. But it didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment of this book. I recommend reading the first two books first. I didn’t think about that when I started reading this book. So I was a little lost in the beginning. It’s a lot at first when you just jump right in but I liked it without the knowing the back story. The author offered US something unique and compelling. If you’re interested in other world reading and magic this is a good series for that. Alex is a strong character who is scared to be soft and scared at times. But when it was needed her back was made of steel. I will go back to read the first two books because I would like to know what happened to Justin. Her relationship with Valant is intriguing also. Then there is Ryan. Can you say oh la la. Definitely a series worth picking up to give a try. The authors style was smooth and had a very good dialogue.
Four stars
This was an interesting read. Different in a good way. I was confused some what when the scenes changed. But it didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment of this book. I recommend reading the first two books first. I didn’t think about that when I started reading this book. So I was a little lost in the beginning. It’s a lot at first when you just jump right in but I liked it without the knowing the back story. The author offered US something unique and compelling. If you’re interested in other world reading and magic this is a good series for that. Alex is a strong character who is scared to be soft and scared at times. But when it was needed her back was made of steel. I will go back to read the first two books because I would like to know what happened to Justin. Her relationship with Valant is intriguing also. Then there is Ryan. Can you say oh la la. Definitely a series worth picking up to give a try. The authors style was smooth and had a very good dialogue.