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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Perfect Stranger in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Oh the dreaded second book! I know Miranda has written more than 2 books, but this is her second adult mystery novel, and while it wasn’t perfect (pun intended) it wasn’t bad and I think some people are giving this a bit of a harsh time!
I can understand where people are coming from, in terms of not connecting with the characters. I wasn’t particularly a fan of Leah myself, but I had enough empathy towards her to be interested in her story. Kyle, I had mixed feelings about, I didn’t like the romance element that Miranda fit in with him and Leah and I thought he was trying to play-it-cool too much while still being really clingy.
I’ve seen some people complain about the motives behind Leah’s move and “new life”, saying it was lack lustre and unworthy of all the dramatics, but I thought it was a pretty good, and quite unique, twist to the story and helped explain Leah’s reservedness well. As for the main twist – what happened to Emmy? – I half saw it coming and half didn’t. There was certainly an element of surprise there for me so I was happy with the way the plot went, for the most part. In fact, I was more surprised by this novel than I was with All the Missing Girls, which I guessed the ending of, part way through.
At times, I found my thoughts getting a little bit muddled with all the names and how everyone fit in, but when it’s all “resolved” at the end, things became clearer.
The writing in this is, as always, superbly atmospheric and descriptive. Miranda certainly knows how to write!
Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book, reading it and finishing it in the early hours of the morning. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Miranda’s work, clearly, she is a woman of many genres!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
I can understand where people are coming from, in terms of not connecting with the characters. I wasn’t particularly a fan of Leah myself, but I had enough empathy towards her to be interested in her story. Kyle, I had mixed feelings about, I didn’t like the romance element that Miranda fit in with him and Leah and I thought he was trying to play-it-cool too much while still being really clingy.
I’ve seen some people complain about the motives behind Leah’s move and “new life”, saying it was lack lustre and unworthy of all the dramatics, but I thought it was a pretty good, and quite unique, twist to the story and helped explain Leah’s reservedness well. As for the main twist – what happened to Emmy? – I half saw it coming and half didn’t. There was certainly an element of surprise there for me so I was happy with the way the plot went, for the most part. In fact, I was more surprised by this novel than I was with All the Missing Girls, which I guessed the ending of, part way through.
At times, I found my thoughts getting a little bit muddled with all the names and how everyone fit in, but when it’s all “resolved” at the end, things became clearer.
The writing in this is, as always, superbly atmospheric and descriptive. Miranda certainly knows how to write!
Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book, reading it and finishing it in the early hours of the morning. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Miranda’s work, clearly, she is a woman of many genres!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 3, 2018
[a:Cinda Williams Chima|125308|Cinda Williams Chima|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291420167p2/125308.jpg] was my biggest takeaway from [b:The Way of the Wizard|8121665|The Way of the Wizard|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297656860s/8121665.jpg|12917149]. I absolutely adored the short story of how Linda and Hastings met, and knew that I had to read the actual series.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Stranger in TV
Feb 10, 2020
Intriguing and twisty
Pretty much everyone I know is watching this at the moment. Mainly because it's set in a fictional Greater Manchester town and was actually filmed in many locations across Greater Manchester, including my own town. I wasn't too bothered to see it though until I saw the trailer, which sucked me in just enough to start watching.
I've never read the book, so had no preconceptions whatsoever other than a general view on Harlan Coben. I've read that there are some differences, but for me this show really worked. The smaller local setting works, and it's a fun, intriguing twist filled crime thriller with a great cast. There is a lot to take in with this, with a lot of smaller stories and scenes that all mix in together with the wider main plot about the mysterious stranger. Whilst I wouldn't say it gets confusing as such, you really have to focus to keep track of everything that's going on and all the different intersecting story arcs of all the characters. It may be a little on the unbelievable side, but it is fiction after all! The only thing I was really disappointed about was the ending - the Stranger's motivations and the reveal about what happened to Corinne, whilst good, weren't entirely surprising. There are some great actors in this, Siobhan Finneran's cop with her natural Oldham accent is a riot and it's always good to see Richard Armitage on screen. I just wish there had been more Anthony Head!
The extra appeal about watching this was trying to identify all of the local areas and places it had been filmed in. It was incredibly devastating to see that both Richard Armitage and Anthony Head had been in numerous places in my town without my knowledge. I was so close to seeing Giles in the flesh!
I've never read the book, so had no preconceptions whatsoever other than a general view on Harlan Coben. I've read that there are some differences, but for me this show really worked. The smaller local setting works, and it's a fun, intriguing twist filled crime thriller with a great cast. There is a lot to take in with this, with a lot of smaller stories and scenes that all mix in together with the wider main plot about the mysterious stranger. Whilst I wouldn't say it gets confusing as such, you really have to focus to keep track of everything that's going on and all the different intersecting story arcs of all the characters. It may be a little on the unbelievable side, but it is fiction after all! The only thing I was really disappointed about was the ending - the Stranger's motivations and the reveal about what happened to Corinne, whilst good, weren't entirely surprising. There are some great actors in this, Siobhan Finneran's cop with her natural Oldham accent is a riot and it's always good to see Richard Armitage on screen. I just wish there had been more Anthony Head!
The extra appeal about watching this was trying to identify all of the local areas and places it had been filmed in. It was incredibly devastating to see that both Richard Armitage and Anthony Head had been in numerous places in my town without my knowledge. I was so close to seeing Giles in the flesh!
Ashley Toutant (3 KP) rated All The Missing Girls in Books
Nov 21, 2017
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated Black Desert in Video Games
Oct 12, 2019
Excellent and Intense game
I started playing this as a game on game pass that i have never heard of. I thought that i would give it ten minutes, three hours later and i was still playing it. Its not easy to put down and there are lots of missions and side quests as well as a large and extensive single player campaign. Its an MMORPG that is easy to play and yet strangely addictive. The graphics are really good and the intuitive gameplay makes for a very absorbing challenge. :)
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Halloween II (2009) in Movies
Oct 11, 2018
Haters gotta hate, but I liked it
After another successful "reboot", Rob Zombie tries his hand at a sequel to his version of Michael Myers.
Haunted by the death of his mother, Michael doesn't know what to do with himself other than continue his murderous rampage in pursuit of his sister, Laurie Strode.
Dr. Loomis has capitalized on his Michael encounters in penning a tell-all book which reveals all the "gory" details.
Yeah this movie is extremely violent at times and sometimes goes in various directions, but why all the negative reviews. IMDb has many, many of them. There are certainly lots of crappier horror movies out there. Maybe because expectations were high after the remake and this one went too far off the proven trail.
I was entertained mostly because I have watched all 10 Halloween movies over the last two weeks and this one I could honestly say I didn't know where it was going.
Haunted by the death of his mother, Michael doesn't know what to do with himself other than continue his murderous rampage in pursuit of his sister, Laurie Strode.
Dr. Loomis has capitalized on his Michael encounters in penning a tell-all book which reveals all the "gory" details.
Yeah this movie is extremely violent at times and sometimes goes in various directions, but why all the negative reviews. IMDb has many, many of them. There are certainly lots of crappier horror movies out there. Maybe because expectations were high after the remake and this one went too far off the proven trail.
I was entertained mostly because I have watched all 10 Halloween movies over the last two weeks and this one I could honestly say I didn't know where it was going.
Merissa (13628 KP) rated Bluegrass Undercover (Bluegrass Brothers, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I love the Bluegrass series and was very happy to read that there was more to come in the shape of the Bluegrass Brothers. This is a set of books set in a small town where everybody knows everybody and some know things that no one else knows how they know! Still with me? This book carries on with the LOL moments and the suspense in this book is in the form of the drugs ring that the DEA is trying to break.
The ending was fairly obvious but I wasn't reading it for the suspense side of things so this wasn't a problem for me. If you are looking for a light read, filled with humour, feel-good moments and spice thrown in there too, then give the Bluegrass/Bluegrass Brothers series a go. Recommended.
The ending was fairly obvious but I wasn't reading it for the suspense side of things so this wasn't a problem for me. If you are looking for a light read, filled with humour, feel-good moments and spice thrown in there too, then give the Bluegrass/Bluegrass Brothers series a go. Recommended.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Liv, Forever 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>).
A book with a setting of a boarding school and involving ghosts? Yes please! This was one of those books I really had to have. Luckily, it was a great read!
I like the title. It's very cute, and it's mentioned in the book and is the total opposite of what actually happens to Liv.
I'm not really a fan of the cover at all. I don't like the outfit the girl is wearing, and it really irks me for some reason.
The world building is fantastically written! There were a few times I was confused, but later on in the book, it would be explained. I did feel that Live and Malcolm fell in love a little too suddenly, but I do know that when I was a teenager, the word "love" came so easily to everyone. I really loved the setting of a boarding school. Books that involve boarding schools always make me want to read them for some reason.
The pacing was done really well. In fact, I finished the book in one setting. It was just that good, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. The chapters flowed very well into one another.
I loved, loved, loved the plot! Okay, so it's kind of been done before, but it didn't make this story any less interesting. The boarding school side of it was pretty typical - rich elitists, token mean girl, the less privileged kids there on scholarship or some other reason, and the boy/girl who strays from his/her rich friends. However, I loved the secret society part of it and the whole mystery of this secret society as well as the ghosts that were stuck at Wickham Hall. I loved reading about each ghostly girl's story of their demise, and I loved how Hilton explained why the ghosts did what they did. I think there's supposed to be a plot twist towards the end about who murdered Liv, but it was really easy to figure out even before I'd gotten half way through the book.
I loved the character of Liv. I felt she was easy to relate to and very down to Earth. I loved her persistence and her determination. She had a very good head on her shoulders. I also liked Malcolm and how he was disregarded his social status for Liv. I liked how he didn't really care what anyone thought of him. I liked Gabe, but I wanted to know more about him. I felt like he was a little bit of an underdeveloped character. I would've liked a bit more back story on him.
I enjoyed the dialogue and felt that it flowed smoothly. The dialogue does suit a young adult book although there were a few times when the teenagers used vocabulary that even I didn't know the meaning of. I put this down to their privileged upbringing though. There is violence in this book although it's not really too gruesome and there are a few swear words but nothing over the top. As for anything sexual, the only thing is when a girl runs out of her school naked and it talks about her being fondled by a few boys, but it's nothing really graphic.
Overall, I found Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington to be a really fast and enjoyable read. It has a fantastic plot and a great main character. I'd love to see this book be made into a movie at some point.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like books that aren't really scary but still interesting as well as those that are fans of paranormal mysteries.
(I received a free paperback ARC of this title through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for a fair and honest review).
A book with a setting of a boarding school and involving ghosts? Yes please! This was one of those books I really had to have. Luckily, it was a great read!
I like the title. It's very cute, and it's mentioned in the book and is the total opposite of what actually happens to Liv.
I'm not really a fan of the cover at all. I don't like the outfit the girl is wearing, and it really irks me for some reason.
The world building is fantastically written! There were a few times I was confused, but later on in the book, it would be explained. I did feel that Live and Malcolm fell in love a little too suddenly, but I do know that when I was a teenager, the word "love" came so easily to everyone. I really loved the setting of a boarding school. Books that involve boarding schools always make me want to read them for some reason.
The pacing was done really well. In fact, I finished the book in one setting. It was just that good, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. The chapters flowed very well into one another.
I loved, loved, loved the plot! Okay, so it's kind of been done before, but it didn't make this story any less interesting. The boarding school side of it was pretty typical - rich elitists, token mean girl, the less privileged kids there on scholarship or some other reason, and the boy/girl who strays from his/her rich friends. However, I loved the secret society part of it and the whole mystery of this secret society as well as the ghosts that were stuck at Wickham Hall. I loved reading about each ghostly girl's story of their demise, and I loved how Hilton explained why the ghosts did what they did. I think there's supposed to be a plot twist towards the end about who murdered Liv, but it was really easy to figure out even before I'd gotten half way through the book.
I loved the character of Liv. I felt she was easy to relate to and very down to Earth. I loved her persistence and her determination. She had a very good head on her shoulders. I also liked Malcolm and how he was disregarded his social status for Liv. I liked how he didn't really care what anyone thought of him. I liked Gabe, but I wanted to know more about him. I felt like he was a little bit of an underdeveloped character. I would've liked a bit more back story on him.
I enjoyed the dialogue and felt that it flowed smoothly. The dialogue does suit a young adult book although there were a few times when the teenagers used vocabulary that even I didn't know the meaning of. I put this down to their privileged upbringing though. There is violence in this book although it's not really too gruesome and there are a few swear words but nothing over the top. As for anything sexual, the only thing is when a girl runs out of her school naked and it talks about her being fondled by a few boys, but it's nothing really graphic.
Overall, I found Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington to be a really fast and enjoyable read. It has a fantastic plot and a great main character. I'd love to see this book be made into a movie at some point.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like books that aren't really scary but still interesting as well as those that are fans of paranormal mysteries.
(I received a free paperback ARC of this title through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for a fair and honest review).
ArecRain (8 KP) rated My Forbidden Desire (My Immortals #2) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
Honestly, this book was <i>very confusing.</i> The overall theme was easy to understand: girl is put in danger, her psychotic father doesn't care if she dies as long as he obtains what he wants, her overprotective foster brother forces a fiend to guard her, they are sexually attracted to each other, eventually emotionally involved, and together they survive through a major tragedy, defeat her father, and live happily ever after. That pretty much seems to be the outline for every novel I read nowadays. It has indeed become old. Despite that, I still enjoyed this novel.
However, I often found myself confused. It wasnt because I didnt know what was going on, who somebody was, and didnt read the first in the series. No, the characters gestures and dialogues confused me. Sometimes, one character would touch another in a certain way, and I didnt understand why. Other times, characters would be conversing and I just didnt understand <i>why</i> they were saying the things they were. I dont know if I was tired or what, but I found myself wondering more often than not why they were doing the things they were. After awhile, I just stopped questioning and read.
Xia and Alexandrines relationship also had me scratching my head. At first, all they did was bicker. And not even intelligent arguing either. There was no trying to prove a point or open the others eyes. Nope, this was just flat out arguing for the sake of arguing. I was to the point of pulling my hair when all of a sudden, they cared about each other. They werent emotionally attached yet, just one person caring about the safety of another. I think the turnabout gave me whiplash. Then events actually started happening. By the time I finished the book, I literally had no idea about anything. I think I was just too exhausted to read this novel and actually comprehend it.
However, I often found myself confused. It wasnt because I didnt know what was going on, who somebody was, and didnt read the first in the series. No, the characters gestures and dialogues confused me. Sometimes, one character would touch another in a certain way, and I didnt understand why. Other times, characters would be conversing and I just didnt understand <i>why</i> they were saying the things they were. I dont know if I was tired or what, but I found myself wondering more often than not why they were doing the things they were. After awhile, I just stopped questioning and read.
Xia and Alexandrines relationship also had me scratching my head. At first, all they did was bicker. And not even intelligent arguing either. There was no trying to prove a point or open the others eyes. Nope, this was just flat out arguing for the sake of arguing. I was to the point of pulling my hair when all of a sudden, they cared about each other. They werent emotionally attached yet, just one person caring about the safety of another. I think the turnabout gave me whiplash. Then events actually started happening. By the time I finished the book, I literally had no idea about anything. I think I was just too exhausted to read this novel and actually comprehend it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Glorious in Books
Apr 27, 2018
It's really hard to say if I liked Glorious or not. I liked it in some ways, in some ways it was good but I could not like it, and in other ways I disliked it.
One of the reasons I did like it, was the writing. McFadden has an interesting writing style: She writes like people think. You get asked a question and you have a million things you want to say, and a million thoughts go through your head at light speed, but all you say is a short quick answer that has no significance to the person who asked, but has monumental significance to you because of your thoughts behind all of it? That's what reading Glorious feels like, and that's how McFadden writes. It's beautiful and insightful.
Glorious is really hard to enjoy, even if you do like it, because of the things that happen. It's a tragic time period, and a lot of horrible things happen to poor Easter. She witnesses families being torn apart by abuse and rape, she sees people die, she commits sins, she gets wrapped up with the wrong people. There are good parts, wonderful parts that make you smile and sigh and say "thank God something good is finally happening to the poor girl." But then there are other parts that say "oh will it ever end for poor Easter?" It's hard to enjoy stuff like rape and murder and lynching. Glorious is a wakeup call, reminding us what life was like for Black Americans (respectively) after they got their freedom, but before they gained equality with Whites.
I got to Chapter 23, about 2/3 of the way through, when I stopped reading. It didn't feel like anything was happening. I mean, lots of things happened to Easter, but nothing was happening in the story. It was just her life written out, and it was too broad. There was no main plot, it was all subplot.
I "enjoyed" (or maybe appreciated is a better word) the part that I read, however I don't think I should read something unless I feel urged to continue.
Content: Adult content. Language, violence, rape, etc. Has some homosexuality
Recommendation: Ages 18+
One of the reasons I did like it, was the writing. McFadden has an interesting writing style: She writes like people think. You get asked a question and you have a million things you want to say, and a million thoughts go through your head at light speed, but all you say is a short quick answer that has no significance to the person who asked, but has monumental significance to you because of your thoughts behind all of it? That's what reading Glorious feels like, and that's how McFadden writes. It's beautiful and insightful.
Glorious is really hard to enjoy, even if you do like it, because of the things that happen. It's a tragic time period, and a lot of horrible things happen to poor Easter. She witnesses families being torn apart by abuse and rape, she sees people die, she commits sins, she gets wrapped up with the wrong people. There are good parts, wonderful parts that make you smile and sigh and say "thank God something good is finally happening to the poor girl." But then there are other parts that say "oh will it ever end for poor Easter?" It's hard to enjoy stuff like rape and murder and lynching. Glorious is a wakeup call, reminding us what life was like for Black Americans (respectively) after they got their freedom, but before they gained equality with Whites.
I got to Chapter 23, about 2/3 of the way through, when I stopped reading. It didn't feel like anything was happening. I mean, lots of things happened to Easter, but nothing was happening in the story. It was just her life written out, and it was too broad. There was no main plot, it was all subplot.
I "enjoyed" (or maybe appreciated is a better word) the part that I read, however I don't think I should read something unless I feel urged to continue.
Content: Adult content. Language, violence, rape, etc. Has some homosexuality
Recommendation: Ages 18+