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A Ind Coope & Samuel Allsopp Breweries: The History of the Hand
Book
A History of Ind Coope & Samuel Allsopp Breweries charts the history of the Burton upon Trent...
This Idea Is Brilliant: Lost, Overlooked, and Underappreciated Scientific Concepts Everyone Should Know
Book
The latest volume in the bestselling series from Edge.org—dubbed “the world’s smartest...
life sciences
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Abandon (Abandon, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Though I have been familiar with the name of Meg Cabot for awhile, this is the first book by her that I have actually read. I am a sucker for Greek mythology, and a retelling of Hades and Persephone has great potential. With a great cover and an even better premise to the book, I had pretty high hopes for the plot itself.
The way the book begins throws me -- told through the eyes of Pierce Oliviera, which is not that great of a name for a girl (instead of Persephone?), the author refrains from giving away hardly anything about Pierce's circumstances, what happened to her, what motivates her, etc. While it can be considered good writing to hold back on the major revelations as long as possible to build the suspense and draw in the reader, for me it was rather frustrating to read almost the entire book before Pierce finally realized who and what John Hayden is(also a crummy name for a death deity). Much of the actual events of the book are Pierce's memories, and what happens in real time is the culmination of these memories.
While I disliked the way that Meg Cabot chose to string all of these separate events together, I do like what the actual events create when put together. A girl who has a Near-Death Experience, or NDE, meets for the second time the man who runs her personal Underworld, instantly making her his consort thanks to a rare diamond necklace, though she does not yet know it. Her ability to skirt death makes her a target for the bad guys in the book, the Furies (not the same as the Furies of Greek mythology), who blame John for their lot in life after death. In addition, Pierce also has a host of quirks that alternately set her up for disaster or save her life, such as her addiction to soda and her paranoia that tassels are Evil.
While Pierce has a vast array of personality and behavioral problems that make the act of living difficult for her, I do think that this book fits well in the Young Adult category. Pierce does not have everything figured out, does not always know how to handle herself, and does not even recognize when she is in love. She is protective of her feelings, can be just as detached as the next person from those around her, and has to work at not being too self-absorbed. Sometimes an imperfect heroine makes for a better book. I look forward to the next installment in the trilogy, Underworld.
The way the book begins throws me -- told through the eyes of Pierce Oliviera, which is not that great of a name for a girl (instead of Persephone?), the author refrains from giving away hardly anything about Pierce's circumstances, what happened to her, what motivates her, etc. While it can be considered good writing to hold back on the major revelations as long as possible to build the suspense and draw in the reader, for me it was rather frustrating to read almost the entire book before Pierce finally realized who and what John Hayden is(also a crummy name for a death deity). Much of the actual events of the book are Pierce's memories, and what happens in real time is the culmination of these memories.
While I disliked the way that Meg Cabot chose to string all of these separate events together, I do like what the actual events create when put together. A girl who has a Near-Death Experience, or NDE, meets for the second time the man who runs her personal Underworld, instantly making her his consort thanks to a rare diamond necklace, though she does not yet know it. Her ability to skirt death makes her a target for the bad guys in the book, the Furies (not the same as the Furies of Greek mythology), who blame John for their lot in life after death. In addition, Pierce also has a host of quirks that alternately set her up for disaster or save her life, such as her addiction to soda and her paranoia that tassels are Evil.
While Pierce has a vast array of personality and behavioral problems that make the act of living difficult for her, I do think that this book fits well in the Young Adult category. Pierce does not have everything figured out, does not always know how to handle herself, and does not even recognize when she is in love. She is protective of her feelings, can be just as detached as the next person from those around her, and has to work at not being too self-absorbed. Sometimes an imperfect heroine makes for a better book. I look forward to the next installment in the trilogy, Underworld.
The Dark Side of the Enlightenment: Wizards, Alchemists, and Spiritual Seekers in the Age of Reason
Book
In The Dark Side of the Enlightenment, John V. Fleming shows how the impulses of the European...
SW
Salvage Work: U.S. and Caribbean Literatures Amid the Debris of Legal Personhood
Book
Salvage Work examines contemporary literary responses to the law's construction of personhood in the...
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times
8.0
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Book
From Sarah Bradford, the best-selling author of George VI, Elizabeth and Diana, the definitive...
Texas Hold'em for iPad
Games and Entertainment
App
★★★ Start your poker career and hone your skills in 7 amazing casinos with online multiplayer...
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Places to Be, People to Kill in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I enjoyed this anthology more than one might expect from a collection of stories about killers, but then I've read a couple of volumes edited by [a:Brittiany A. Koren|12300|Brittiany A. Koren|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] and [a:Martin H. Greenberg|26064|Martin H. Greenberg|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1247759305p2/26064.jpg] now, and I trust the pair. (Greenberg has turned out so many anthologies that I don't assume anything at all when I see his name.)
I had to explain to my family why I kept laughing while reading "Exactly" by [a:Tanya Huff|1967|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207242126p2/1967.jpg]. I'm a long-time fan of her work, so was already familiar with sibling assassins Vree and Bannon from [b:Fifth Quarter|175312|Fifth Quarter (Quarters, #2)|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433365s/175312.jpg|169357] and [b:No Quarter|175300|No Quarter (Quarters, #3)|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433338s/175300.jpg|169345]. While all of Huff's work includes some humor, this story is particularly funny.
"Breia’s Diamond" by [a:Cat Collins|380276|Cat Collins|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] was a memorable low in the book. In addition to the inappropriate and inept use of romance clichés, it's all too obvious early on that the mercenaries are being paid far too much for too little work by the necromancer. That isn't foreshadowing, it's foreshouting—or just plain stupidity on the part of the mercenaries. They are murderers for hire, nothing else, and I've never felt any sympathy for such. Why would I start now, simply because a story is told from their point of view?
[a:Bradley H. Sinor|2282520|Bradley H. Sinor|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s "Money's Worth" has the feel of something excerpted from a larger work. It's good and I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed it far more in its proper context.
The only other story that is memorable enough to single out is "The Hundredth Kill" by [a:John Marco|9266|John Marco|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1244460712p2/9266.jpg]. It is a lovely jewel of a story, one that stands for itself, leaving little to be said other than "read it." I don't believe that I've read any of Marco's novels, but obviously I've missed out on something very good. I intend to remedy that omission shortly.
I had to explain to my family why I kept laughing while reading "Exactly" by [a:Tanya Huff|1967|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207242126p2/1967.jpg]. I'm a long-time fan of her work, so was already familiar with sibling assassins Vree and Bannon from [b:Fifth Quarter|175312|Fifth Quarter (Quarters, #2)|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433365s/175312.jpg|169357] and [b:No Quarter|175300|No Quarter (Quarters, #3)|Tanya Huff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433338s/175300.jpg|169345]. While all of Huff's work includes some humor, this story is particularly funny.
"Breia’s Diamond" by [a:Cat Collins|380276|Cat Collins|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] was a memorable low in the book. In addition to the inappropriate and inept use of romance clichés, it's all too obvious early on that the mercenaries are being paid far too much for too little work by the necromancer. That isn't foreshadowing, it's foreshouting—or just plain stupidity on the part of the mercenaries. They are murderers for hire, nothing else, and I've never felt any sympathy for such. Why would I start now, simply because a story is told from their point of view?
[a:Bradley H. Sinor|2282520|Bradley H. Sinor|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s "Money's Worth" has the feel of something excerpted from a larger work. It's good and I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed it far more in its proper context.
The only other story that is memorable enough to single out is "The Hundredth Kill" by [a:John Marco|9266|John Marco|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1244460712p2/9266.jpg]. It is a lovely jewel of a story, one that stands for itself, leaving little to be said other than "read it." I don't believe that I've read any of Marco's novels, but obviously I've missed out on something very good. I intend to remedy that omission shortly.
Wade-O Radio Weekly Podcast
Podcast
The Wade-O Radio Show is an international, terrestrial, Internet radio show, and podcast that...
Darren (1599 KP) rated Diamonds Are Forever (1971) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – James Bond gets to finally take care of his arch nemesis Blofeld before going on his latest mission going undercover searching for diamonds, he shows us his usually swagger, getting the women along the way as he looks to solve this latest mystery. Tiffany Case is one of the connections in the chain of the diamond smuggling, the first one James makes contact with, she must learn the help along the way to get out alive. Blofeld is the old enemy that James gets to take care of early on, the man that has held James up from multiply other mission. We do get to meet plenty of people involved in the ring which only make James’s mission more difficult.
Performances – Sean Connery is back and back to his best in this outing as the iconic spy, it is great to have him back even if it is only for one last time. Jill St John is good as the Bond girl for the movie though offers nothing new for the series. Charles Gray keeps the role of Blofeld nicely giving us just what we need from the villain role.
Story – The story here shows James finally getting his hands on Blofeld before needing to head off on a new mission, one that gives him everything he wants, beautiful women, casinos and a villain he wants to stay ahead off. This story plays out just like one of the more famous ones in reverse which becomes very interesting to watch, it has everything you need for the latest adventure for Bond, a villain that is prepared for the intelligence of Bond and the world needing saving once again. This does feel like it has given the life back to the franchise which needed to be bought back from the weaker outings, the story is simple enough and continues to keep us watching along with Bond.
Action/Adventure – The action is good even if the fights are simple enough to show how Bond can beat most in combat. The adventure just takes Bond to new and old locations for his mission.
Settings – From Amsterdam to America, we get a much more knowledge set of locations with the bases being in locations which would make sense for a super villain to be hiding in.
Scene of the Movie – The base attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – They seem to be too friendly Bond and Blofeld.
Final Thoughts – For the Bond franchise this is a new feel to them, one that is more interesting and strong then the last few instalments.
Overall: Returning to what we want to see.
Performances – Sean Connery is back and back to his best in this outing as the iconic spy, it is great to have him back even if it is only for one last time. Jill St John is good as the Bond girl for the movie though offers nothing new for the series. Charles Gray keeps the role of Blofeld nicely giving us just what we need from the villain role.
Story – The story here shows James finally getting his hands on Blofeld before needing to head off on a new mission, one that gives him everything he wants, beautiful women, casinos and a villain he wants to stay ahead off. This story plays out just like one of the more famous ones in reverse which becomes very interesting to watch, it has everything you need for the latest adventure for Bond, a villain that is prepared for the intelligence of Bond and the world needing saving once again. This does feel like it has given the life back to the franchise which needed to be bought back from the weaker outings, the story is simple enough and continues to keep us watching along with Bond.
Action/Adventure – The action is good even if the fights are simple enough to show how Bond can beat most in combat. The adventure just takes Bond to new and old locations for his mission.
Settings – From Amsterdam to America, we get a much more knowledge set of locations with the bases being in locations which would make sense for a super villain to be hiding in.
Scene of the Movie – The base attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – They seem to be too friendly Bond and Blofeld.
Final Thoughts – For the Bond franchise this is a new feel to them, one that is more interesting and strong then the last few instalments.
Overall: Returning to what we want to see.