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Gaz Coombes recommended World Music by Goat in Music (curated)
Bee and Puppycat, Vol. 1
7.7
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Natasha Allegri's smash hit YouTube animated series comes to comic books! A quirky new take on...
Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, #3)
8.0
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I’d spent my whole life settling, trying not to attract attention, and generally doing whatever it...
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Benighted in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I've spent the last three weeks reading Benighted off and on. I have a hard time describing how I feel about this book - in one respect I feel that it is well-written and very lifelike, even if it deals with lycanthropes, but in another, I feel that the story is flawed. I think that it was hard to stick with it because the tone is so depressing and dreary that I needed breaks.
Lola (or May) is a sympathetic character, but that does not, in any way, mean you'll like her, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for what she's been through and how those experiences have affected her. The main problem I had with the story was that the whole business of DORLA seemed odd. I would think that by this time, the organization would be obsolete and none of the Lycos would be afraid of Barebacks since they are supposedly the inferior species and there are so few of them. For me, it just doesn't make much sense.
I went to the author's website and she said that she preferred the U.K. title, Bareback. I feel that Benighted is a much more fitting title, as it isn't all just about the treatment of Barebacks, it's both. And since Benighted's definition at the beginning of the book is: 1. (adj) in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity
2. (archaic) overtaken by darkness
It seems to me that both definitions can be applied to both Barebacks and Lunes in different ways. But maybe that's just the American in me talking.
I did at times become bored with the book, probably due to it's excessive length (not to mention again how down it is). Now I don't mind long books at all, but Benighted is 516 pages and there were many ramblings that could have used a drastic paring down. With that said, I did find it interesting and thought provoking, but I'm not sure I would read another book from Ms. Whitfield. I was looking forward to reading something a little different than the typical werewolf book and was left disappointed. Maybe, going into it, if I had known how much more a sociological study of minorities this is than a werewolf story, I would have liked the book better.
Lola (or May) is a sympathetic character, but that does not, in any way, mean you'll like her, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for what she's been through and how those experiences have affected her. The main problem I had with the story was that the whole business of DORLA seemed odd. I would think that by this time, the organization would be obsolete and none of the Lycos would be afraid of Barebacks since they are supposedly the inferior species and there are so few of them. For me, it just doesn't make much sense.
I went to the author's website and she said that she preferred the U.K. title, Bareback. I feel that Benighted is a much more fitting title, as it isn't all just about the treatment of Barebacks, it's both. And since Benighted's definition at the beginning of the book is: 1. (adj) in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity
2. (archaic) overtaken by darkness
It seems to me that both definitions can be applied to both Barebacks and Lunes in different ways. But maybe that's just the American in me talking.
I did at times become bored with the book, probably due to it's excessive length (not to mention again how down it is). Now I don't mind long books at all, but Benighted is 516 pages and there were many ramblings that could have used a drastic paring down. With that said, I did find it interesting and thought provoking, but I'm not sure I would read another book from Ms. Whitfield. I was looking forward to reading something a little different than the typical werewolf book and was left disappointed. Maybe, going into it, if I had known how much more a sociological study of minorities this is than a werewolf story, I would have liked the book better.
BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Impervious in Books
Jul 12, 2020
When I agreed to take part in the Love Books Group book tour, I honestly thought that I would be immersing myself in a new Fantasy fiction. That one genre I hold close to my heart, where I can truly lose myself in the pages and is my escapism from everyday life. Where the hero’s and heroines win through and live happily every after.
Don’t get me wrong, on the face of it, Impervious is a Fantasy story. You find yourself wrapped up in a Quest with cleverly thought out nods to legends we oh so love. King Arthur, Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake, are those that struck me the most. With bone chilling monsters thrown into the mix.
As I got further into it, I realised there is something underlying, running parallel that you need to scratch, no dig under the surface to find.
It’s that scab that you just have to pick at (no intentions to gross anyone out there, but its the best analogy I can think of at the moment)
It’s not until close to the end that I had that Eureka moment. It was at that moment my heart was wrenched from my chest and the full force of the story hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have no doubt that some of you will have you “Ah Ha” moment a lot earlier than me. I was so wrapped up in the quest that I literally could not see the woods for the trees. But that’s OKAY! I am glad I didn’t figure it out, it kinda would have spoilt it for me.
Trina our protagonist, who pretty much has the full focus throughout, with reason, is just so god damn likeable. Lets give it up for Girl Power!
She takes everything in her stride, or so you are led to believe. Im having to be so careful I don’t give anything away here!
With that said, I am going to just leave you with this……….
This is a well written book, with a truly intricate plot within a plot. Delving into the Psyche and coping mechanisms of a teenage girl. A story with a deep message!
I received my copy from Love Books Group, A.J. Hartley and Uclan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t get me wrong, on the face of it, Impervious is a Fantasy story. You find yourself wrapped up in a Quest with cleverly thought out nods to legends we oh so love. King Arthur, Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake, are those that struck me the most. With bone chilling monsters thrown into the mix.
As I got further into it, I realised there is something underlying, running parallel that you need to scratch, no dig under the surface to find.
It’s that scab that you just have to pick at (no intentions to gross anyone out there, but its the best analogy I can think of at the moment)
It’s not until close to the end that I had that Eureka moment. It was at that moment my heart was wrenched from my chest and the full force of the story hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have no doubt that some of you will have you “Ah Ha” moment a lot earlier than me. I was so wrapped up in the quest that I literally could not see the woods for the trees. But that’s OKAY! I am glad I didn’t figure it out, it kinda would have spoilt it for me.
Trina our protagonist, who pretty much has the full focus throughout, with reason, is just so god damn likeable. Lets give it up for Girl Power!
She takes everything in her stride, or so you are led to believe. Im having to be so careful I don’t give anything away here!
With that said, I am going to just leave you with this……….
This is a well written book, with a truly intricate plot within a plot. Delving into the Psyche and coping mechanisms of a teenage girl. A story with a deep message!
I received my copy from Love Books Group, A.J. Hartley and Uclan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Katie Guinn (34 KP) rated My Husband's Wife in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Lily Macdonald is a young, newly married lawyer, determined to make a fresh start and leave her secrets in the past. But her first murder case, representing a convicted killer named Joe, will threaten her happy future.
*sigh* I’m getting really burned out on “domestic thrillers,” guys. The kind that center around husbands and wives with secrets and strained relationships, that focus on the minutiae of everyday life than on any real action. The kind that likes to tout themselves as “the next Gone Girl.” Give me a good suspenseful serial killer novel, with a twisty plot and an actual likable main character!
That’s one of my biggest problems with these sorts of books, every character is just so hard to like that it’s difficult to connect with anyone or really feel invested in the story. Lily and Ed Macdonald are two people who honestly shouldn’t have married in the first place; they barely knew each other and neither of them knows how to communicate unless it’s in the form of an argument. Their nine-year-old neighbor, Carla, gains some sympathy at first as she copes with bullies and the feeling of being “different,” Unfortunately, when the story picks up more than a dozen years later, Carla hasn’t changed very much. She still thinks and acts like a child, turning out to be, in my opinion, the least likable character in the book. A note to all the thriller authors out there: it’s not a crime to write characters that people like.
I gave this one three stars because while the writing and plotting was decent, it’s ultimately a forgettable novel. Also, it’s no Gone Girl.
*sigh* I’m getting really burned out on “domestic thrillers,” guys. The kind that center around husbands and wives with secrets and strained relationships, that focus on the minutiae of everyday life than on any real action. The kind that likes to tout themselves as “the next Gone Girl.” Give me a good suspenseful serial killer novel, with a twisty plot and an actual likable main character!
That’s one of my biggest problems with these sorts of books, every character is just so hard to like that it’s difficult to connect with anyone or really feel invested in the story. Lily and Ed Macdonald are two people who honestly shouldn’t have married in the first place; they barely knew each other and neither of them knows how to communicate unless it’s in the form of an argument. Their nine-year-old neighbor, Carla, gains some sympathy at first as she copes with bullies and the feeling of being “different,” Unfortunately, when the story picks up more than a dozen years later, Carla hasn’t changed very much. She still thinks and acts like a child, turning out to be, in my opinion, the least likable character in the book. A note to all the thriller authors out there: it’s not a crime to write characters that people like.
I gave this one three stars because while the writing and plotting was decent, it’s ultimately a forgettable novel. Also, it’s no Gone Girl.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Inn at Hidden Run (Tree of Life #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Hidden Run is a B&B in the small town of Canyon Mines, just outside of Denver, Colorado. When a stranger comes to town looking lost, Jillian and her father Nolan are determined to help her find her way. Meri comes from a family of doctors, but that is not what she wants to do. Maybe coming to Colorado, a place she last felt like herself will help her to find the future that is best for her.
Thank you to NetGalley & Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The title of this book really isn't fitting for what it contains. It's much more than the Inn. That is where Meri is situated while in Colorado, but it's really about the people in the town that help her when she is lost. Meri loves her family, but doesn't feel the calling to be a doctor like everyone else for generations has been. When she comes to Canyon Mines, Jillian, who is a genealogist, helps her to find her family roots and maybe explain while she feels the way she does.
I gave this book three stars, because it didn't grasp my attention right away. At times it felt as if the story line kept repeating the same things, like the author copy and pasted a line from one chapter to all the other chapters in the book. Overall the book is enjoyable, trading from modern day Colorado, to 1800's Memphis during the yellow fever outbreak. This is a good book for those the enjoy historical fiction. I did learn a lot about that epidemic which includes some very factual details in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley & Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The title of this book really isn't fitting for what it contains. It's much more than the Inn. That is where Meri is situated while in Colorado, but it's really about the people in the town that help her when she is lost. Meri loves her family, but doesn't feel the calling to be a doctor like everyone else for generations has been. When she comes to Canyon Mines, Jillian, who is a genealogist, helps her to find her family roots and maybe explain while she feels the way she does.
I gave this book three stars, because it didn't grasp my attention right away. At times it felt as if the story line kept repeating the same things, like the author copy and pasted a line from one chapter to all the other chapters in the book. Overall the book is enjoyable, trading from modern day Colorado, to 1800's Memphis during the yellow fever outbreak. This is a good book for those the enjoy historical fiction. I did learn a lot about that epidemic which includes some very factual details in this story.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Claiming Her Highway in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Historical
Words: 17,970
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8/5 stars
My rating: 2/5 stars
Cass runs one of the greatest band of highwaymen around. Despite being a woman, she’s respected by her crew, and every night they return to camp richer than they were and she can enjoy being in the arms of her second-in-command, Will Carpenter. But that all changes when Will accepts a position in the King’s Guard. Cass knows Will wants more than what she can give him. He wants marriage and kids, as well as honest work instead of thieving. But Cass doesn’t know if she can ever give him up.
Claiming Her Highwayman is free on Smashwords.
I found myself underwhelmed by this story. When it starts, Will and Cass are already a couple, and the chemistry between them already feels forced, as well as the heist they’re about to go on. It’s like a bad first draft that hasn’t developed into something greater yet. Cass and Will feel more like paper dolls than people and unfortunately, I never get that attached to them. They just don’t have the chemistry.
It doesn’t help that my suspension of disbelief took a huge beating when Will’s offered a job with the King’s Guard, as the princess’s personal guard. He’s a highwayman! Since when do they let criminals guard princesses? Um, never. Not only that, but he’s still in contact with his old gang, and he’s not even in training to be a soldier! He just is. Apparently the standards for becoming a member of the King’s Guard is really low.
It would make a hell of a lot more sense to me if there was a scarcity of guards for some reason, like the country was at war, and that’s why they’re turning to criminals to keep up with the demand of soldiers. That would flesh out the plot, too. But nope. Apparently we’re supposed to accept that a robber can become a princess’s bodyguard easily after mugging her with his gang of bandits. Oh, and he almost becomes her husband. Because every king wants his little girl to marry a common criminal.
Despite everything wrong with the story, I like Will’s and Cass’s characters. Even though Will only exists to be Cass’s lover, he’s got some pretty charming lines in the story. His need to protect her is incredibly sexy.
Cass’s character is a little more complex. She’s strong and independent, and she knows what she wants in life. She’s the type of girl who would be bored to death in most respectable professions for a woman, instead enjoying being a bandit. But I hated her when Bryce, one of her men, attacked her in her tent. All she did to defend herself was bide her time until she could scream for help
What. The. Fuck.
She’s a damn gang leader and she doesn’t know how to defend herself against one man who gets too handsy? Please. That’s fucking ludicrous, and all of my respect for her is just gone because of that one scene. How the hell did she become a leader in the first place if she needs to scream like a damn damsel whenever she gets attacked? Not cool.
This book really didn’t do much for me. While it’s all right, it’s not that good. The characters aren’t good, and neither is the writing. I suggest you look elsewhere for your historical romance bad boy.
Words: 17,970
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8/5 stars
My rating: 2/5 stars
Cass runs one of the greatest band of highwaymen around. Despite being a woman, she’s respected by her crew, and every night they return to camp richer than they were and she can enjoy being in the arms of her second-in-command, Will Carpenter. But that all changes when Will accepts a position in the King’s Guard. Cass knows Will wants more than what she can give him. He wants marriage and kids, as well as honest work instead of thieving. But Cass doesn’t know if she can ever give him up.
Claiming Her Highwayman is free on Smashwords.
I found myself underwhelmed by this story. When it starts, Will and Cass are already a couple, and the chemistry between them already feels forced, as well as the heist they’re about to go on. It’s like a bad first draft that hasn’t developed into something greater yet. Cass and Will feel more like paper dolls than people and unfortunately, I never get that attached to them. They just don’t have the chemistry.
It doesn’t help that my suspension of disbelief took a huge beating when Will’s offered a job with the King’s Guard, as the princess’s personal guard. He’s a highwayman! Since when do they let criminals guard princesses? Um, never. Not only that, but he’s still in contact with his old gang, and he’s not even in training to be a soldier! He just is. Apparently the standards for becoming a member of the King’s Guard is really low.
It would make a hell of a lot more sense to me if there was a scarcity of guards for some reason, like the country was at war, and that’s why they’re turning to criminals to keep up with the demand of soldiers. That would flesh out the plot, too. But nope. Apparently we’re supposed to accept that a robber can become a princess’s bodyguard easily after mugging her with his gang of bandits. Oh, and he almost becomes her husband. Because every king wants his little girl to marry a common criminal.
Despite everything wrong with the story, I like Will’s and Cass’s characters. Even though Will only exists to be Cass’s lover, he’s got some pretty charming lines in the story. His need to protect her is incredibly sexy.
Cass’s character is a little more complex. She’s strong and independent, and she knows what she wants in life. She’s the type of girl who would be bored to death in most respectable professions for a woman, instead enjoying being a bandit. But I hated her when Bryce, one of her men, attacked her in her tent. All she did to defend herself was bide her time until she could scream for help
What. The. Fuck.
She’s a damn gang leader and she doesn’t know how to defend herself against one man who gets too handsy? Please. That’s fucking ludicrous, and all of my respect for her is just gone because of that one scene. How the hell did she become a leader in the first place if she needs to scream like a damn damsel whenever she gets attacked? Not cool.
This book really didn’t do much for me. While it’s all right, it’s not that good. The characters aren’t good, and neither is the writing. I suggest you look elsewhere for your historical romance bad boy.