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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Belles: The Belles Book 1 in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist of this novel is Camellia, she is one of few Belles, who has the ability to make people beautiful by altering their bodies, from hair colour to bone structure. Being favourite is the ultimate goal of all Belles. They get recognition and exceptional treatment from the government. When Camellia arrives at the palace, one of her main tasks is to treat royals, and especially, to help princess Sophia, who is an absolute nightmare…
I really enjoyed, how the author picked the characters for this book. She offered a very wide variety to choose from, levelling the balance between positive and negative ones. All the characters have a unique set of characteristics that make this book very diverse and colourful. My favourite character was, of course, Camellia, as a reader I really got to know her personality, her thoughts and wishes, and I think she is a really nice girl, however, she is too weak to be a lead rebel, she needs more fire in her. My least favourite was, of course, Sophia, she is psychotic and an absolute nutter.
The narrative is told from Camellia’s perspective, and I did miss the input from other characters. I think it would’ve been more exciting if there would’ve been Sophia’s thoughts as well. It was a quite slow burner for me, to be honest, the transition between chapters was not very smooth and it did lack pace and adventure. The Belles sometimes felt like plastic surgeons or beauticians, I would’ve liked to see more magic or some unexpected powers. It kind of felt like an introduction to something, because not many things were happening throughout this book. In this novel author is praising women, the country is run by women, and some of the characters are even indulged in lesbian relationships. 🙂
The setting of this novel was absolutely amazing. The author wrote down the surroundings so detailed, that my imagination was working overtime. I would absolutely love to see this book on screen, I think the characters, dresses, atmosphere, all the things and buildings would look amazing in the Netflix series. It sounds so magical and absolutely stunning when you read it. The chapters were pretty short, and the language used was easy to read. I could feel this french breeze from time to time as well, especially with some of the product or food names… The ending was very exciting, and after reading this book, I hope that the second part will bring more adventure and that Camellia will deserve to be the rebel of this series.
So, to conclude, it is an interesting story, filled with very unique characters, and if you like books about beauty and evil princesses, I think you might quite enjoy this read.
I really enjoyed, how the author picked the characters for this book. She offered a very wide variety to choose from, levelling the balance between positive and negative ones. All the characters have a unique set of characteristics that make this book very diverse and colourful. My favourite character was, of course, Camellia, as a reader I really got to know her personality, her thoughts and wishes, and I think she is a really nice girl, however, she is too weak to be a lead rebel, she needs more fire in her. My least favourite was, of course, Sophia, she is psychotic and an absolute nutter.
The narrative is told from Camellia’s perspective, and I did miss the input from other characters. I think it would’ve been more exciting if there would’ve been Sophia’s thoughts as well. It was a quite slow burner for me, to be honest, the transition between chapters was not very smooth and it did lack pace and adventure. The Belles sometimes felt like plastic surgeons or beauticians, I would’ve liked to see more magic or some unexpected powers. It kind of felt like an introduction to something, because not many things were happening throughout this book. In this novel author is praising women, the country is run by women, and some of the characters are even indulged in lesbian relationships. 🙂
The setting of this novel was absolutely amazing. The author wrote down the surroundings so detailed, that my imagination was working overtime. I would absolutely love to see this book on screen, I think the characters, dresses, atmosphere, all the things and buildings would look amazing in the Netflix series. It sounds so magical and absolutely stunning when you read it. The chapters were pretty short, and the language used was easy to read. I could feel this french breeze from time to time as well, especially with some of the product or food names… The ending was very exciting, and after reading this book, I hope that the second part will bring more adventure and that Camellia will deserve to be the rebel of this series.
So, to conclude, it is an interesting story, filled with very unique characters, and if you like books about beauty and evil princesses, I think you might quite enjoy this read.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Spaces In Between in Books
Sep 24, 2020
let me begin by saying, that you have to take five seconds out of your day to enjoy this cover. Hats off from me to the artist who made it, and if I would’ve had a paperback of this book, I would not be able to resist the urge to colour it in 😀 It is just so cool 😀 Another thing which still has me debating with myself is was this book based on a true story? All this experience was real? I am just left confused, where the fiction ends and true facts begin…
The main star of this book is Nicholas for sure. It is his story which makes the jaw drop. Lack of money and job forces him to work in this creepy house as an English tutor, but this house has strange residents, who live like it is 1916ies Russia. I really liked the complexity of all the residents in that house, they all were very amusing and unique personalities. They all have a role to play, and it is hard to distinguish whether they want to help or to harm Nicholas. The main character brought out many different emotions in me, I felt pity for the events he had to suffer, I was happy when good things happened to him and I was angry when he took silly decisions.
The whole story was told from two different perspectives. We have the introduction and investigative part told by a psychologist Dr Marie – Claire Groller, and the main story written down by Nicholas. I found both of the stories absolutely fascinating. The events highlighted in the blurb, which Nicholas had to suffer, are absolutely unimaginable, and the whole story is very dark, atmospheric, twisted and unbelievable. There is so much detail and emotions in his story, it is just creepy. I really enjoyed the investigation done by Dr Marie Clare and her father. I really liked all the information which they were able to find out, but I do miss the proper conclusion to this story. I WANT JUSTICE! 😀
I really enjoyed the structure of this book, I think it gave this book a great element of surprise. This book was easy to read, except for the French parts. I know maybe three words in French, so all the sentences without a translation left me a little annoyed. I really liked the decent length of the chapters and I loved the mask picture on the pages throughout the book. It gave this good feeling, that I am reading something written in medieval times. 🙂 So, to conclude, I strongly recommend reading this book, filled with unusual, eccentric characters and very unique and sinister setting, where reality mixes with fiction and imagination. What is real and what is an illusion? That’s the question. Enjoy 😀
The main star of this book is Nicholas for sure. It is his story which makes the jaw drop. Lack of money and job forces him to work in this creepy house as an English tutor, but this house has strange residents, who live like it is 1916ies Russia. I really liked the complexity of all the residents in that house, they all were very amusing and unique personalities. They all have a role to play, and it is hard to distinguish whether they want to help or to harm Nicholas. The main character brought out many different emotions in me, I felt pity for the events he had to suffer, I was happy when good things happened to him and I was angry when he took silly decisions.
The whole story was told from two different perspectives. We have the introduction and investigative part told by a psychologist Dr Marie – Claire Groller, and the main story written down by Nicholas. I found both of the stories absolutely fascinating. The events highlighted in the blurb, which Nicholas had to suffer, are absolutely unimaginable, and the whole story is very dark, atmospheric, twisted and unbelievable. There is so much detail and emotions in his story, it is just creepy. I really enjoyed the investigation done by Dr Marie Clare and her father. I really liked all the information which they were able to find out, but I do miss the proper conclusion to this story. I WANT JUSTICE! 😀
I really enjoyed the structure of this book, I think it gave this book a great element of surprise. This book was easy to read, except for the French parts. I know maybe three words in French, so all the sentences without a translation left me a little annoyed. I really liked the decent length of the chapters and I loved the mask picture on the pages throughout the book. It gave this good feeling, that I am reading something written in medieval times. 🙂 So, to conclude, I strongly recommend reading this book, filled with unusual, eccentric characters and very unique and sinister setting, where reality mixes with fiction and imagination. What is real and what is an illusion? That’s the question. Enjoy 😀
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Target in the Sun (Carlos & Mia #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The provided description of the book hardly leaves much out, but there is way more to this book. There are three main characters in the book: FBI detective Lucia, Carlos and Mia. While reading this book, I found that the characters chosen in this book are really interesting and disturbed in their own way. I really liked that a character is retelling the story of other characters, which makes two stories going on at the same time. I really liked Carlos as a character; he is this bad boy with incredibly kind heart in a way, and always trying to help. He is very interesting to read about. After reading about the author, Mia’s life story somehow reminds me of the author’s life story. Was the author writing about her wishes and experiences??? Let’s leave that to your imagination. I’m very grateful, that author gave voice to more than one character, it was great to see the story from their perspective and it makes the whole book more interesting to read.
While reading this book, I really enjoyed the plot itself. This exotic life in Mexico and the daily struggle, which ordinary people have to go through, really fascinated me. Even though the story was interesting, I missed some twists and turns in this story, it kind of plodded along. The writing style in this publication was really interesting; it was like a diary with this very naive way of writing. The language was very easy to read, but there were some Spanish phrases for which you might need to use some sort of translator. I am not a fan of long chapters as it gets me bored really easy, that’s why I was very happy to see that chapters in this novel are short and quick to read. This book is not very suitable for young people; it does contain a lot of sexual scenes and talks about sex. I really liked that this book discussed the situations which are everyday life in Mexico. The struggles which ordinary Mexicans have to face to feed their families and how easy it is to slip into a criminal’s life. I really enjoyed that author was discussing the drug problems and how it is influencing all people down the trafficking chain. The ending of the book was really well thought through and concluded the book really nicely. When I heard that there is a second book, I was surprised but at the same time intrigued. So to conclude, if you are looking for something related with Mexican drug cartels, exotic and romantic, give this book a go and you might be pleasantly surprised.
While reading this book, I really enjoyed the plot itself. This exotic life in Mexico and the daily struggle, which ordinary people have to go through, really fascinated me. Even though the story was interesting, I missed some twists and turns in this story, it kind of plodded along. The writing style in this publication was really interesting; it was like a diary with this very naive way of writing. The language was very easy to read, but there were some Spanish phrases for which you might need to use some sort of translator. I am not a fan of long chapters as it gets me bored really easy, that’s why I was very happy to see that chapters in this novel are short and quick to read. This book is not very suitable for young people; it does contain a lot of sexual scenes and talks about sex. I really liked that this book discussed the situations which are everyday life in Mexico. The struggles which ordinary Mexicans have to face to feed their families and how easy it is to slip into a criminal’s life. I really enjoyed that author was discussing the drug problems and how it is influencing all people down the trafficking chain. The ending of the book was really well thought through and concluded the book really nicely. When I heard that there is a second book, I was surprised but at the same time intrigued. So to conclude, if you are looking for something related with Mexican drug cartels, exotic and romantic, give this book a go and you might be pleasantly surprised.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Tin Man in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I would like to begin by saying, that I heard so much about this novel and I didn’t expect this book to be so tiny. It is only around 197 pages, but it has a really powerful punch to throw.
This novel carries a story of two friends, Ellis and Michael. They are the main characters in this book and the whole book was told from their perspectives. I shouldn’t forget Annie as well, even though she is kind of a silent character, she plays an integral part in the essence of this novel. All the characters are exceptionally crafted and incredibly complex. The whole novel got my brain working and imagination just flew free. I loved that author allowed the reader to paint the characters themselves, she allows you to know the story, but at the same time, there are so many details missing and so many questions left unanswered. I am not really sure whether I liked those gaps or not… because everything made so much sense. I found all the characters very likable and their internal relationship very amusing.
The narrative of this book was very confusing to me, it always keeps jumping between present and past, filling this book with romantic, but at the same time heartbreaking stories. I really enjoyed all the twists which author brought in, it made this book even more deeper and unexpected. I really liked the topics Sarah Winman was highlighting in this novel, such as homosexuality, friendship, HIV, family issues, loneliness etc. HIV hasn’t been discussed in the books for a while now, and I am great full for this reminder.
This was my first encounter with Sarah Winman’s writing, but there is no doubt that her writing style is very unique and absolutely masterful. The thing is, even though I admire her writing gift and I strongly believe she should be awarded for it, I am not a very big fan of it. Too many unanswered questions and I was not very satisfied with the closure of this book. Another thing what nagged me was the length of the chapters. Even though the book is not very long, the chapters were pretty long for my liking and it kind of dragged sometimes. So, to conclude, even though there were some things which were not for me, I truly think this book is a must-read, the characters and the plot are absolutely unique and very creative, and the prose is absolutely gorgeous and mentally challenging. Get it, read it, and I hope you will enjoy it! 🙂 (I know it is a confusing review and sometimes sentences contradict themselves, but that how this book made me feel… 🙂 )
This novel carries a story of two friends, Ellis and Michael. They are the main characters in this book and the whole book was told from their perspectives. I shouldn’t forget Annie as well, even though she is kind of a silent character, she plays an integral part in the essence of this novel. All the characters are exceptionally crafted and incredibly complex. The whole novel got my brain working and imagination just flew free. I loved that author allowed the reader to paint the characters themselves, she allows you to know the story, but at the same time, there are so many details missing and so many questions left unanswered. I am not really sure whether I liked those gaps or not… because everything made so much sense. I found all the characters very likable and their internal relationship very amusing.
The narrative of this book was very confusing to me, it always keeps jumping between present and past, filling this book with romantic, but at the same time heartbreaking stories. I really enjoyed all the twists which author brought in, it made this book even more deeper and unexpected. I really liked the topics Sarah Winman was highlighting in this novel, such as homosexuality, friendship, HIV, family issues, loneliness etc. HIV hasn’t been discussed in the books for a while now, and I am great full for this reminder.
This was my first encounter with Sarah Winman’s writing, but there is no doubt that her writing style is very unique and absolutely masterful. The thing is, even though I admire her writing gift and I strongly believe she should be awarded for it, I am not a very big fan of it. Too many unanswered questions and I was not very satisfied with the closure of this book. Another thing what nagged me was the length of the chapters. Even though the book is not very long, the chapters were pretty long for my liking and it kind of dragged sometimes. So, to conclude, even though there were some things which were not for me, I truly think this book is a must-read, the characters and the plot are absolutely unique and very creative, and the prose is absolutely gorgeous and mentally challenging. Get it, read it, and I hope you will enjoy it! 🙂 (I know it is a confusing review and sometimes sentences contradict themselves, but that how this book made me feel… 🙂 )
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Child Behind The Wall in Books
Sep 19, 2020
Hard-hitting and gripping
Never having read anything by this author before let alone any of the others in this series, I took a punt based on the blurb and I certainly wasn't disappointed and I was absolutely hooked from page 1.
On his website, Mr Parker describes "My style of writing is hard-hitting, fast-paced, violent and carry moral messages that you might have to dig a bit deeper for. I try not to use more words than is necessary although more than a few of them are of the swearing variety. Hey! People swear. And they swear a ******* lot in my world. I will unashamedly tackle issues where some writers fear to tread." I would say this is a pretty accurate reflection - this book is not for the feint-hearted; it contains bad language and graphic scenes which leave nothing to the imagination so be warned!
This is a fast-paced, action packed read from the first to the last page with twists and turns and shocks along the way. The characters are an interesting and eclectic bunch with the 2 main protagonists of Paterson and Clocks being, what I would describe, an acquired taste - Mr Parker advises that they are based loosely on characters he has known throughout his 20 year career in the Police ... all I can say is that if I knew Clocks in particular, I would have probably disliked him intensely on first impression however, I can see a very loyal friend who would do anything for you plus there is definitely a troubled softie in there. Having said that, I still found him annoying!
The main plot is hard-hitting and totally gripping - there is some humour interspersed throughout which did provide some much needed lighter moments. The sub-plots are intriguing and an interesting insight into the politics within the various echelons within the Police; these, I assume, are linked to previous cases covered in earlier books in the series. Like I said, I haven't read any of the others but didn't find this too confusing but I do think I was missing the backstory somewhat which probably impacted on my overall enjoyment of the story as a whole but this is my fault rather than the fault of the author.
This is a no-holds-barred, gritty thriller that I would recommend to any who enjoy the harsher stories dealing with horrific crimes but, as I have said, it does contain gruesome details of crimes against children so if this isn't your preference, then I wouldn't go there but you will be missing out on a really excellent book.
Many thanks go to Joffe Books via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
On his website, Mr Parker describes "My style of writing is hard-hitting, fast-paced, violent and carry moral messages that you might have to dig a bit deeper for. I try not to use more words than is necessary although more than a few of them are of the swearing variety. Hey! People swear. And they swear a ******* lot in my world. I will unashamedly tackle issues where some writers fear to tread." I would say this is a pretty accurate reflection - this book is not for the feint-hearted; it contains bad language and graphic scenes which leave nothing to the imagination so be warned!
This is a fast-paced, action packed read from the first to the last page with twists and turns and shocks along the way. The characters are an interesting and eclectic bunch with the 2 main protagonists of Paterson and Clocks being, what I would describe, an acquired taste - Mr Parker advises that they are based loosely on characters he has known throughout his 20 year career in the Police ... all I can say is that if I knew Clocks in particular, I would have probably disliked him intensely on first impression however, I can see a very loyal friend who would do anything for you plus there is definitely a troubled softie in there. Having said that, I still found him annoying!
The main plot is hard-hitting and totally gripping - there is some humour interspersed throughout which did provide some much needed lighter moments. The sub-plots are intriguing and an interesting insight into the politics within the various echelons within the Police; these, I assume, are linked to previous cases covered in earlier books in the series. Like I said, I haven't read any of the others but didn't find this too confusing but I do think I was missing the backstory somewhat which probably impacted on my overall enjoyment of the story as a whole but this is my fault rather than the fault of the author.
This is a no-holds-barred, gritty thriller that I would recommend to any who enjoy the harsher stories dealing with horrific crimes but, as I have said, it does contain gruesome details of crimes against children so if this isn't your preference, then I wouldn't go there but you will be missing out on a really excellent book.
Many thanks go to Joffe Books via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Felipe (17 KP) rated Chaplin (1992) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
A modern tragedy meant to be one of the greats
Contains spoilers, click to show
Richard Attenborough delivers another masterpiece of cinematic biography and is a worthy successor to Ghandi. The structure of the film is told as a flashback while Charlie Chaplin is writing his autobiography with a fictional editor that does not exist. We see for the first time the flaws of who Chaplin is as a person and we see him confront his past in a way that is painful not unlike how it is painful when we relive moments in our lives we would rather choose to forget. However, the success of the film is how it strips the illusion of who Chaplin was and presents to us a person who is tragically flawed but who is unbale to appreciate his own genius. An example is when Chaplin's version of the invention of the Tramp is seen for what he imagined it to be an idealized moment in which the character is calling to him except for what it really was, We see the reality of the movies during this time; a hectic spur of the moment improvised invention drawn from real life. Yet we see Chaplin as the midwife to this new artform the movies and we see him develop it for what it is, the highest expression of art that stirs our imagination and makes us believe anything is possible. We even cry during Chaplin's moments of personal tragedy; the insanity and loss of his mother; repeated failed marriages; the death of his best friend, Douglas Fairbanks and finally his tragic and painful exile from America the only place he knew as home all taking place in the backdrop of the invention and evolution of cinema. However, I feel that in the end Chaplin is the one that comes out triumphant. In the last moments of the movie we see how Chaplin despairs that he feels that he has been forgotten and made irrelevant by the changing times; he feels that the weight of not only his age but the weight of the world on his shoulders and yet we see that everything he believes himself to be is completely wrong when Hollywood bestows on him the greatest honor which is not only the special Oscar but also a standing ovation. His final triumph is to be made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II, we are truly made to see that although flawed he is triumphant in the end.
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