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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Library at Mount Char in Books
Feb 19, 2018
Every now and then I see a cover and / or book title so frequently that I decide I have to read it, even if i have only the vaguest idea what it might be about. That was the case with The Library at Mount Char. I'm glad I didn't read any reviews or dig too deep before starting this one, or I might have passed. I don't usually go for excessive violence and gore, but sometimes a story is so well-told that I find it worth cringing through to read it. The Library at Mount Char was definitely worth the cringing!
The characters and situations in this story were so unique and yet believable, that I had a hard time putting the book down. Mr. Hawkins also must have a somewhat twisted sense of humor. I don't know if I was supposed to be laughing, but there is a scene involving a character named Steve and 2 lions that had me chuckling out loud. I was also pleased at how in-the-dark he manages to keep the reader, and how much fun it was figuring out what was actually going on as the story progressed. While I can't say that I was particularly fond of any of the characters, it was hard not to root for Carolyn, at least to a degree, and to cheer as some others finally got their comeuppances. I do hope that there will be a second book coming sometime in the future. While not a cliff-hanger by any means, it does end in such a way that the story could be continued.
If the gore and language don't bother you, I would definitely recommend this one!
Warnings: This book is full of graphic violence and gore including, on occasion, sexual violence. It also includes large quantities of graphic language. It is NOT a kids' book.
NOTE: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The characters and situations in this story were so unique and yet believable, that I had a hard time putting the book down. Mr. Hawkins also must have a somewhat twisted sense of humor. I don't know if I was supposed to be laughing, but there is a scene involving a character named Steve and 2 lions that had me chuckling out loud. I was also pleased at how in-the-dark he manages to keep the reader, and how much fun it was figuring out what was actually going on as the story progressed. While I can't say that I was particularly fond of any of the characters, it was hard not to root for Carolyn, at least to a degree, and to cheer as some others finally got their comeuppances. I do hope that there will be a second book coming sometime in the future. While not a cliff-hanger by any means, it does end in such a way that the story could be continued.
If the gore and language don't bother you, I would definitely recommend this one!
Warnings: This book is full of graphic violence and gore including, on occasion, sexual violence. It also includes large quantities of graphic language. It is NOT a kids' book.
NOTE: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I had such high hopes for this...
I really wanted to like this book. The idea of it is a really good one: you are the size of your bank balance. So, if you are very poor, you’re tiny (about the size of a rat) and if you’re ridiculously rich, you’re taller than a sky scraper: and there are all the sizes in between. The bank is in charge of either making you bigger or smaller.
Warner and Prayer are ‘Littles’ and live a hard life, trying to avoid being stood on, eaten by cats or generally being injured in any way (hospitals can’t treat them). Prayer decides that she wants to ‘Upscale’ by finding herself a Middle scale Law student to marry, and so their adventures begin.
Now, Littles are rarely educated, or are minimally so, and this is where MY difficulties with this story began (right at the beginning, truth be told). The language. It’s written phonetically most of the time: words join with others, into longer, difficult to understand words, there are some words that are made up for the purposes of the story (munmun being one such). Sentences seem to be either overlong or very short. I had to concentrate really hard on this (for the record, I’ve read A Clockwork Orange and Ridley Walker, and coped just fine!). I know this is a YA book, and the main character is a child (14/15 years old), and perhaps the author was trying to convey this in the way the language came across. To me, he seemed a bit hyperactive, unable to concentrate, frenzied, a bit dim-witted in some things and really clever with others. Perhaps this was to emulate his lack of education and his youth? I don’t know. Honestly, it was something of a relief to finish it.
However, I DID like the ending - it was fitting. It’s just the journey to get there was pretty arduous!
Warner and Prayer are ‘Littles’ and live a hard life, trying to avoid being stood on, eaten by cats or generally being injured in any way (hospitals can’t treat them). Prayer decides that she wants to ‘Upscale’ by finding herself a Middle scale Law student to marry, and so their adventures begin.
Now, Littles are rarely educated, or are minimally so, and this is where MY difficulties with this story began (right at the beginning, truth be told). The language. It’s written phonetically most of the time: words join with others, into longer, difficult to understand words, there are some words that are made up for the purposes of the story (munmun being one such). Sentences seem to be either overlong or very short. I had to concentrate really hard on this (for the record, I’ve read A Clockwork Orange and Ridley Walker, and coped just fine!). I know this is a YA book, and the main character is a child (14/15 years old), and perhaps the author was trying to convey this in the way the language came across. To me, he seemed a bit hyperactive, unable to concentrate, frenzied, a bit dim-witted in some things and really clever with others. Perhaps this was to emulate his lack of education and his youth? I don’t know. Honestly, it was something of a relief to finish it.
However, I DID like the ending - it was fitting. It’s just the journey to get there was pretty arduous!
Dominique Marie (7 KP) rated Hinds' Feet On High Places in Books
Nov 28, 2018 (Updated Nov 28, 2018)
MMD Reading Challenge 2017- For Fun
Category: Book recommended by someone with great taste
Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017
Category: 20th Century Classic
I had such mixed feelings about this book. It is a Christian allegory, that has some great themes, and it does make you think, but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Much-Afraid is called by the Shepherd to make a journey to His Kingdom of Love, where he will give her a new name. It was a really strange mix of biblical language and more modern language. She kept switching between Thee and Thou and You, etc. Also, it was really repetitive. The descriptions were wordy, but repetitive. I felt like I was having De'ja vu. I also felt like I was being spoon-fed a majority of the time. It actually has some very similar themes to Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, which I will be re-reading for my challenges this year, but Till We Have Faces is far superior in my opinion. There was one part in this book that drove me crazy. The Shepherd asks Much-Afraid if she would still love Him if he seemed to deceive her. She replied that she knows He cannot lie, so she would still love him. Then He asks if she would still love Him if he really did deceive her. She replied that, yes, it wouldn't matter if He really lied to her, she loves him and would still follow him. Now, I'm not a theologian or anything, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. The Shepherd is God. God cannot lie. So, if the Shepherd could lie it would mean he is not God, so she shouldn't follow him in that case. It was just a really weird scene. I do think that some people would really like this book, and I did relate in certain ways, so it's definitely a mixed bag for me.
Category: Book recommended by someone with great taste
Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017
Category: 20th Century Classic
I had such mixed feelings about this book. It is a Christian allegory, that has some great themes, and it does make you think, but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Much-Afraid is called by the Shepherd to make a journey to His Kingdom of Love, where he will give her a new name. It was a really strange mix of biblical language and more modern language. She kept switching between Thee and Thou and You, etc. Also, it was really repetitive. The descriptions were wordy, but repetitive. I felt like I was having De'ja vu. I also felt like I was being spoon-fed a majority of the time. It actually has some very similar themes to Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, which I will be re-reading for my challenges this year, but Till We Have Faces is far superior in my opinion. There was one part in this book that drove me crazy. The Shepherd asks Much-Afraid if she would still love Him if he seemed to deceive her. She replied that she knows He cannot lie, so she would still love him. Then He asks if she would still love Him if he really did deceive her. She replied that, yes, it wouldn't matter if He really lied to her, she loves him and would still follow him. Now, I'm not a theologian or anything, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. The Shepherd is God. God cannot lie. So, if the Shepherd could lie it would mean he is not God, so she shouldn't follow him in that case. It was just a really weird scene. I do think that some people would really like this book, and I did relate in certain ways, so it's definitely a mixed bag for me.
Cat Goddess Freyja (16 KP) rated The Bear and the Nightingale in Books
Dec 5, 2018
Fantastic Read
Contains spoilers, click to show
I loved reading this book. Since reading it, a few weeks ago, it has become the first book that I recommend to someone looking for a good read. The author has brought her characters alive in a beautiful and alluring way. The story is based in Russia with a country noble's family being the main focus. The story itself, is a mixture of a coming of age story- in which the young main character, Vasya, discovers her place in the world- a fairy tale- a mythical snow demon who can only be calmed by a 'sacrificial' woman, who in turn fights with the snow demon against his evil brother- and a religious historical fiction- there is a strong opposition between Vasya, who believes strongly in the magic and old ways of her village, and a christian priest who comes to 'correct' their pagan beliefs and steer them towards God. There is a touch of romance, but it is not overwhelming and is charming in its own way. The characters come across as natural human beings/ mythical beings, and their choices in the story are logical and works well with whatever conflict they face. My absolute favorite thing that the author, Katherine Arden, did, however was her word choice. Karherine studied Russian in school, and knows quite a bit about its culture and language. A brilliant choice on her part, was recognizing that many of her readers may not be as familiar with the Russian language and culture as she is. So, to keep the feel of Russia alive in her book, she took the time to teach her characters beliefs to the reader, and come up with words that sound close to their Russian counterparts but are easy to pronoun for readers who don't know Russian. This is a very thoughtful fiction book and one I recommend for anyone who wants their imagination to shine.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Sons of Blackbird Mountain (Blackbird Mountain, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Oh, readers...Prepare your heart for this one. Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a story that you will want to savor. Let the words sink into your soul and let them move you. Because they will...
I have never seen American Sign Language portrayed so precise as I have in this book. Having been raised by an interpreter for the Deaf, I have been immersed in the language and the culture my whole life. I say "Brava!" to Joanne Bischof for not only taking on this astounding task, but accomplishing it successfully and with excellence.
I can't get this story out of my heart or my head. Thor's struggles and his strength. His love and his protectiveness. Aven is the sister of my heart. With her compassion, empathy, understanding, and even her fears...she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I want to live in this story with them. I want to walk the orchard. Make a pie in Ida's kitchen. Go swimming...Ok, you have to read the story to understand...And through it all, watching Thor and Aven find their strength, not in each other alone, but in God. Learning to lean on HIM to provide. Letting HIS strength guide and direct their paths. And to show HIS love to those around them, even if they are the "enemy".
You all know how much I love The Lady and the Lionheart, well...Thor is sure giving Charlie a run for his money. I think my heart might explode with all the feelings and emotions emitted by these two stories and heroes.
Joanne Bischof continues to expand the boundaries of Christian Fiction. With passion, tension, conflict, and romance we are drawn into the world of Aven and the Norgaard brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain from the publisher through Book Look. I also received an ebook copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I have never seen American Sign Language portrayed so precise as I have in this book. Having been raised by an interpreter for the Deaf, I have been immersed in the language and the culture my whole life. I say "Brava!" to Joanne Bischof for not only taking on this astounding task, but accomplishing it successfully and with excellence.
I can't get this story out of my heart or my head. Thor's struggles and his strength. His love and his protectiveness. Aven is the sister of my heart. With her compassion, empathy, understanding, and even her fears...she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I want to live in this story with them. I want to walk the orchard. Make a pie in Ida's kitchen. Go swimming...Ok, you have to read the story to understand...And through it all, watching Thor and Aven find their strength, not in each other alone, but in God. Learning to lean on HIM to provide. Letting HIS strength guide and direct their paths. And to show HIS love to those around them, even if they are the "enemy".
You all know how much I love The Lady and the Lionheart, well...Thor is sure giving Charlie a run for his money. I think my heart might explode with all the feelings and emotions emitted by these two stories and heroes.
Joanne Bischof continues to expand the boundaries of Christian Fiction. With passion, tension, conflict, and romance we are drawn into the world of Aven and the Norgaard brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain from the publisher through Book Look. I also received an ebook copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated On the Origin of Findo Gask in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
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