Search
Search results
Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms in Books
Sep 9, 2017
Worldbuilding (1 more)
Thoughtful and Engaging Characters
Tight, compelling story set in an amazing fantasy world
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms has the kind of engaging plot and clear prose that makes it easy to get lost in. Jemisin's debut novel crafts a complex world that fans of traditional fantasy will love, while still being incredibly fresh and thoughtful. The worldbuilding engages in the complexities of colonialism and cultural difference in a way that makes the world feel alive and thrumming with conflict.
Yeine is a compelling protagonist and Nahadoth, her romantic interest, is sexy, dark, and tortured (like all good love interests should be.) It's 410 pages of pure fantasy fun.
The only nitpick I have is that I wish there was more of it. Seriously. The advice to writers is to start as late in the story as possible, but I wish more time had been spent building up Yeine's world and her relationship with her mother (who's death is pivotal to the plot), and with her own Kingdom of Darre. Instead the reader enters the story with Yeine already making her way to the city of Sky. This, for me, lessened the emotional impact of later reveals.
Yeine is a compelling protagonist and Nahadoth, her romantic interest, is sexy, dark, and tortured (like all good love interests should be.) It's 410 pages of pure fantasy fun.
The only nitpick I have is that I wish there was more of it. Seriously. The advice to writers is to start as late in the story as possible, but I wish more time had been spent building up Yeine's world and her relationship with her mother (who's death is pivotal to the plot), and with her own Kingdom of Darre. Instead the reader enters the story with Yeine already making her way to the city of Sky. This, for me, lessened the emotional impact of later reveals.
This is a really good read for all those middle schoolers who have a passion for adventure and dinosaurs. It remains interesting and at times fast-paced while being easy to follow and enjoyable. Matt has just turned 12 and has a curious ability to touch a dinosaur egg and see the creature as it would have been in life, Along with his dad, a well-respected palaeontologist and artist, he is allowed to go on his first dig, however, much to Matt's annoyance others get to come along too, not all off then invited. His cousin Jo is one of the expedition, but her interests are more with the illegal logging taking place in the Amazon forest setting than on dinosaur eggs. How this gets them both into trouble and how the uninvited followers all fit into this adventure you will have to read to find out.
Reading this book will introduce you to a set of characters that I am sure you and your children will enjoy following in their future adventures. I for one am looking forward to the next episode of Matt and his father.
Reading this book will introduce you to a set of characters that I am sure you and your children will enjoy following in their future adventures. I for one am looking forward to the next episode of Matt and his father.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Jerome is a lovely man who has the Baudelaires best interests in mind. Esmé, on the other hand, has the orphans for a style purpose and nothing more. To her, the orphans are expendable items, just something else she will get rid of within an instant if it goes out of fashion.
The Ersatz Elevator is the most unpredictable book in the series so far. Unlike the other books, the title isn’t as relevant so it’s harder to tell what’s going to happen. Without going into too much detail and spoiling it, there are also a lot of different plot twists, a few of them are massive towards the future plot of the series.
As good as the plot twists were, it definitely wasn’t one of the best books in the series. Count Olaf’s appearance was expected, like in every other book, and I just find that it’s getting a bit too same-y how Olaf is always close to whoever is the Baudelaires’ guardian at the time and the guardian never believes them. I feel like a change is probably on the way in the books because I can’t see this theme carrying on throughout the whole series.
The Ersatz Elevator is the most unpredictable book in the series so far. Unlike the other books, the title isn’t as relevant so it’s harder to tell what’s going to happen. Without going into too much detail and spoiling it, there are also a lot of different plot twists, a few of them are massive towards the future plot of the series.
As good as the plot twists were, it definitely wasn’t one of the best books in the series. Count Olaf’s appearance was expected, like in every other book, and I just find that it’s getting a bit too same-y how Olaf is always close to whoever is the Baudelaires’ guardian at the time and the guardian never believes them. I feel like a change is probably on the way in the books because I can’t see this theme carrying on throughout the whole series.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 30, 2018
Great Biographical
In the newspaper business it is either report the story or go out of business under certain ethical reasoning's. In this case The Washington post was the small time paper producing the same articles as the NY Times, Daily News etc... Chance has it that a certain report my SOD McNamara has been stolen and this report basically lays out what each president was doing during the Vietnam war and then showed what they were lying to the American people about. After printing it a federal judge threw an injunction on the NYT for publishing it. By chance a partial copy of this report lands in the hands of the editor of the Washington post and he has to make the decision on whether to run this piece with the knowledge that a court date would be enviable for fight the first amendment right allowing the good people know what exactly their government is doing for their good interests and what they are being lied too about.
Great cast of Hanks and Streep makes this one of the best time period movies of the year
Great cast of Hanks and Streep makes this one of the best time period movies of the year
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Small Town Girl in Books
Jan 18, 2018
As far as style goes, Spencer has a beautiful and easy style that seems to seep into her mind like a daydream. It's so easy to read through her works, that you are over before you even realize you have begun. Her characters are solid and real, the type of people you can imagine walking out onto your front porch and seeing no matter where you are from.
I loved the humor and realness that seemed to come naturally to this story. I found myself laugh just as often as I found myself cringing in frustration at the stubbornness of the characters.
However, this novel was so boring, I had a hard time completely it. While the words flowed quickly from the pages, the story itself held no interests whatsoever. It felt like a peak into someone's diary of their everyday life or watching a lifetime movie. It was so true to life (minus the famous country star scenario), that it just didn't seem to have any appeal or magic.
I feel that giving it three stars may be to harsh, and yet at the same time, I cannot justify giving it more.
I loved the humor and realness that seemed to come naturally to this story. I found myself laugh just as often as I found myself cringing in frustration at the stubbornness of the characters.
However, this novel was so boring, I had a hard time completely it. While the words flowed quickly from the pages, the story itself held no interests whatsoever. It felt like a peak into someone's diary of their everyday life or watching a lifetime movie. It was so true to life (minus the famous country star scenario), that it just didn't seem to have any appeal or magic.
I feel that giving it three stars may be to harsh, and yet at the same time, I cannot justify giving it more.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated The Art of Escaping in Books
Sep 20, 2018
Set in Rhode Island, Erin Callahan's The Art of Escaping takes place in the summer between junior and senior year, when most students are busy making plans for their future or trying to pad their applications for college.
Then there are those like our unusual protagonist Mattie who uses her three months away from class to find herself by daring to pursue her passion for escapology.
Tracking down the daughter of her favorite escape artist (a local, female Houdini, if you will), although she's hesitant at first, Miyu gradually gives in and begins teaching Mattie the tricks of her mother's trade from lock picking to underwater escapes. Soon enough Mattie is performing her act under a stage persona at a hip speakeasy like club.
An entertaining albeit unusual YA novel that strains your suspension of disbelief, Callahan's Art gets better the further you get into it.
And while its overly stylized characters come off as wise beyond their years and their retro interests and dialogue might have played better if the book - already retro in feel - had been set in the '80s or '90s, it's a fun, fast, and wholly original read nonetheless.
Then there are those like our unusual protagonist Mattie who uses her three months away from class to find herself by daring to pursue her passion for escapology.
Tracking down the daughter of her favorite escape artist (a local, female Houdini, if you will), although she's hesitant at first, Miyu gradually gives in and begins teaching Mattie the tricks of her mother's trade from lock picking to underwater escapes. Soon enough Mattie is performing her act under a stage persona at a hip speakeasy like club.
An entertaining albeit unusual YA novel that strains your suspension of disbelief, Callahan's Art gets better the further you get into it.
And while its overly stylized characters come off as wise beyond their years and their retro interests and dialogue might have played better if the book - already retro in feel - had been set in the '80s or '90s, it's a fun, fast, and wholly original read nonetheless.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Demon Road in Books
Nov 26, 2019
Pre entertainment where good and evil fight
Derek Landy's 'Skullduggery Pleasant' series is great. i read them to my son, so when Demon road came out I got it for him and he recommended I read it too. I was pleasantly surprised, Landy has created a trilogy that is brilliant and very cinematic.
This takes place in our world and in our world are demons, some of whom have made deals with high demons for powers and in return has to do terrible things as payment. The lead character is the daughter of such demons but is a normal girl...until she hits puberty. But then she finds out her parents don't quite have her best interests at heart.
I don't read many teen books unless sent for me to review or because i am reading to my kids but this is a gripping brilliant read. it is so cinematic it deserves to become a movie.
Characters are very strong, the adventure is adrenaline fuelled and its done in a completely non cheesy way. Its brilliant and I went straight to book two afterwards.
This takes place in our world and in our world are demons, some of whom have made deals with high demons for powers and in return has to do terrible things as payment. The lead character is the daughter of such demons but is a normal girl...until she hits puberty. But then she finds out her parents don't quite have her best interests at heart.
I don't read many teen books unless sent for me to review or because i am reading to my kids but this is a gripping brilliant read. it is so cinematic it deserves to become a movie.
Characters are very strong, the adventure is adrenaline fuelled and its done in a completely non cheesy way. Its brilliant and I went straight to book two afterwards.
Farmer's Weekly
News and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Farmer’s Weekly is an agricultural magazine based in South Africa, targeting the whole of Southern...
The Wright Brothers: The Dramatic Story-Behind-the-Story
Book
On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio...