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ClareR (6037 KP) rated The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder in Books
Apr 11, 2018
After the first chapter, I didn't think I'd like this AT ALL. It's a grower though! Once you fall in to the rhythm of Jasper's life and the way that he sees the world, it's all rather beautiful. He has synaesthesia - he sees sounds and voices as colours. Numbers and words have colours too. To add to his interesting world, he also has prosopagnosia (face blindness) and autism. He paints pictures of the sounds he experiences, and they sound as though they'll be beautiful.
I really felt for his father: it can't be easy parenting a child with Jaspers complex needs. However, I feel he comes across as being a very capable, loving man. He struggles to understand his son sometimes, but I think he appears to work very hard to help Jasper. And honestly, it must be hard to be Jasper as well.
As someone who works in education, I found it difficult to see how Jasper has slipped through the net of support for his conditions - but it does say in the novel that they have moved around a lot. So this might be the reason (and I'll allow for poetic licence!).
The descriptive language in this novel surrounding Jaspers synaesthesia really is beautiful, and well worth a read purely for that. Then you can stay for the murder mystery event!
I really felt for his father: it can't be easy parenting a child with Jaspers complex needs. However, I feel he comes across as being a very capable, loving man. He struggles to understand his son sometimes, but I think he appears to work very hard to help Jasper. And honestly, it must be hard to be Jasper as well.
As someone who works in education, I found it difficult to see how Jasper has slipped through the net of support for his conditions - but it does say in the novel that they have moved around a lot. So this might be the reason (and I'll allow for poetic licence!).
The descriptive language in this novel surrounding Jaspers synaesthesia really is beautiful, and well worth a read purely for that. Then you can stay for the murder mystery event!
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Made for the Journey: One Missionary's First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador in Books
Mar 5, 2019
In this deeply personal account of her first year as a missionary, Elisabeth Elliot shares the challenges she faced as she worked in the jungles of Ecuador to bring the Word of God to a people virtually untouched by the outside world. With fascinating detail, she captures the stark realities of life in the jungle, the difficulties she encountered while developing a written language for the tribe, and her confusion when God didn't "cooperate" with her efforts to accomplish what she believed was His will.
More than just a memoir, Made for the Journey is a beautifully crafted and deeply personal reflection on the important questions of life and a remarkable testimony to authentic Christian obedience to an unfathomable God.
My Thoughts: First written in 2004 as "These Strange Ashes"; this book give s the account of Elizabeth Elliot's first year as a missionary. Well written and very insightful, it gives the reader a closer glimpse of a woman who devoted her life to missions and serving God.
This is an enjoyable read and gives a comprehensive look at what a missionary can face in a foreign country.
It's a book of encouragement to those who are thinking or looking into following God's call to taking His word out into the world.
This is a book that all will enjoy
More than just a memoir, Made for the Journey is a beautifully crafted and deeply personal reflection on the important questions of life and a remarkable testimony to authentic Christian obedience to an unfathomable God.
My Thoughts: First written in 2004 as "These Strange Ashes"; this book give s the account of Elizabeth Elliot's first year as a missionary. Well written and very insightful, it gives the reader a closer glimpse of a woman who devoted her life to missions and serving God.
This is an enjoyable read and gives a comprehensive look at what a missionary can face in a foreign country.
It's a book of encouragement to those who are thinking or looking into following God's call to taking His word out into the world.
This is a book that all will enjoy
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated DAT Poker Podcast in Podcasts
Jun 15, 2019
A news and gossip podcast focusing on the world of poker. Hosted by poker legend Daniel Negrenu, Terrance Chan and Adam Shwartz. Adam is a veteran of the poker podcast world having formerly hosted the long-running Two Plus Two podcast.
This podcast is light on the poker strategy talk but if you want all the details on all the latest gossip you have come to the right place. Daniel offers a good look into the world of high stakes poker with no holding back (language can be very colourful.) We get to hear not just about the action on the felt but also a lot on the gambling that goes alongside whether it’s golf, fantasy leagues or hockey (there is a lot of hockey talk - they are Canadian!) All the latest scandals get a good going over.
It doesn't usually bother going over too many tournament results unless they are significantly interesting or it’s World Series of Poker time. As well as the news in the poker world they also cover the best of the tweets (generally hilarious ones) in the poker world and answer questions from listeners. I enjoy it to keep up to date with what’s going on and find it generally entertaining if sometimes a little grating when they get too opinionated or side tracked.
This podcast is light on the poker strategy talk but if you want all the details on all the latest gossip you have come to the right place. Daniel offers a good look into the world of high stakes poker with no holding back (language can be very colourful.) We get to hear not just about the action on the felt but also a lot on the gambling that goes alongside whether it’s golf, fantasy leagues or hockey (there is a lot of hockey talk - they are Canadian!) All the latest scandals get a good going over.
It doesn't usually bother going over too many tournament results unless they are significantly interesting or it’s World Series of Poker time. As well as the news in the poker world they also cover the best of the tweets (generally hilarious ones) in the poker world and answer questions from listeners. I enjoy it to keep up to date with what’s going on and find it generally entertaining if sometimes a little grating when they get too opinionated or side tracked.
Little Concepts: ABC French: Take a fun journey through the alphabet and learn some French! by Daniel Roode is an alphabet book introducing mostly animal nouns A-Z based on their French words with the English noun below.
The illustrations are brightly colored and in a cartoon-like style kids should enjoy. This is a fairly good intro to French vocabulary. I say only fairly good because not all of the animals have their article before them and in French you've got to know if it is le or la to say it correctly. The description says there is a pronunciation guide, but it was not included in the preview so I can't comment on it. In addition, the pages for letters I, J, K, M, Q, R, V,W,X, and Y were also not included. I hope that this gets fixed before it is published; otherwise, it is a great introduction book to French.
If you're looking for a foreign language picture book or a different kind of alphabet book, this is a visually attractive option. I would love to have this added to my classroom/ school library.
I received this ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster, Jr. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars. If it was not missing pages or information it would receive 5/5 stars.
The illustrations are brightly colored and in a cartoon-like style kids should enjoy. This is a fairly good intro to French vocabulary. I say only fairly good because not all of the animals have their article before them and in French you've got to know if it is le or la to say it correctly. The description says there is a pronunciation guide, but it was not included in the preview so I can't comment on it. In addition, the pages for letters I, J, K, M, Q, R, V,W,X, and Y were also not included. I hope that this gets fixed before it is published; otherwise, it is a great introduction book to French.
If you're looking for a foreign language picture book or a different kind of alphabet book, this is a visually attractive option. I would love to have this added to my classroom/ school library.
I received this ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster, Jr. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars. If it was not missing pages or information it would receive 5/5 stars.
Gail (4 KP) rated An Exaltation of Larks (Venery, #1) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
What a confusingly beautiful story. The beginning was my favorite. How the Author wrote these characters into life. The characters where given more than just another story. They were given true life. No life is perfect we have ups and downs. We just learn to navigate it better. I wasn’t a fan of how everything went down. But it was beautiful in it’s tragedy. Alex and Val have been destined for each other from the first time they didn’t let language be a problem. I loved reading their story and how they found each other after years of pushed aside affection. You add in Jav and things get really hot. I wasn’t expecting the ending but I am glad it ended the way it did. I would’ve had a hard time accepting their relationship when Jav didn’t want Val too just Alex. I see them as a packaged deal and Jav and Alex broke it. Val was amazing like I couldn’t cope with the thought of someone else loving my man. But she was so understanding and brave to try and make everyone happy. I think if they crossed that line anymore relationships would’ve been lost. Not saying it wouldn’t work just that someone would’ve been hurt and it would be Val. Love is a powerful and painful thing.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Time Travel Dinosaur in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received Time Travel: Dinosaur by Matt Youngmark for free in exchange for a review. When I found out I won this book I was excited. I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books and I felt that this book would have the opportunity to throw me back to sitting on the floor in the library with my friends reading for hours on end. This book most definitely did except this time I was sitting in my bathtub soaking my soak body after a long day at work.
The book is witty yet it causes the reader to think beyond the story, it causes the readers imagination to run wild and imagine as if they are in a jungle somewhere, to running for their life from a dinosaur to being an actual dinosaur to spending time on the moon with cops. The goal is to save the original timeline and you are able to do this through time travel.
There is some profanity used in this book, so while it appears to be perfect for children I believe it is aimed more for readers who are teenagers because of language use. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope teenagers and other adults who want a revamped choose your own adventure book to spark their imagination and entertain them for several hours.
I received Time Travel: Dinosaur by Matt Youngmark for free in exchange for a review. When I found out I won this book I was excited. I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books and I felt that this book would have the opportunity to throw me back to sitting on the floor in the library with my friends reading for hours on end. This book most definitely did except this time I was sitting in my bathtub soaking my soak body after a long day at work.
The book is witty yet it causes the reader to think beyond the story, it causes the readers imagination to run wild and imagine as if they are in a jungle somewhere, to running for their life from a dinosaur to being an actual dinosaur to spending time on the moon with cops. The goal is to save the original timeline and you are able to do this through time travel.
There is some profanity used in this book, so while it appears to be perfect for children I believe it is aimed more for readers who are teenagers because of language use. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope teenagers and other adults who want a revamped choose your own adventure book to spark their imagination and entertain them for several hours.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Descent of Blood (The Red Veil Series Book 1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. I'm usually not a big fan of historical romance, but I wouldn't say that's all this is, there's so much more there. What drew me in was the vampire angle, because I'm a softie when it comes to anything with vampires. The idea behind the different vampire clans, the floated theory about how the vampire lineage, etc., all of it drew me in from start to finish.
This story is just the prequel for The Red Veil series, and it's an amazing start. I could actually get lost in the story, the time period, the characters' relationships, etc. while reading, and that's something I think every author strives for. What really did it for me was the use of period language, phrases, manners of speaking, and so on. I've read a couple other historical works, and while the story may have been set in a certain time, the writing just didn't pull it off. However, this was not the case with Descent of Blood, and I will definitely be on the lookout for Book One in the series, as I just have to know how the rest of the story goes!
5 stars =)
I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. I'm usually not a big fan of historical romance, but I wouldn't say that's all this is, there's so much more there. What drew me in was the vampire angle, because I'm a softie when it comes to anything with vampires. The idea behind the different vampire clans, the floated theory about how the vampire lineage, etc., all of it drew me in from start to finish.
This story is just the prequel for The Red Veil series, and it's an amazing start. I could actually get lost in the story, the time period, the characters' relationships, etc. while reading, and that's something I think every author strives for. What really did it for me was the use of period language, phrases, manners of speaking, and so on. I've read a couple other historical works, and while the story may have been set in a certain time, the writing just didn't pull it off. However, this was not the case with Descent of Blood, and I will definitely be on the lookout for Book One in the series, as I just have to know how the rest of the story goes!
5 stars =)
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Love my home: 99 clutter-free tips in only 10 minutes a day in Books
Dec 9, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review and I wanted to learn new decluttering tips. Unfortunately, I didn’t. This book felt like a school assignment with a minimum number of words required. Words, phrases, and ideas were frequently repeated. For example, in “Chapter 8: Single guy’s tips”, “as a single guy” is in half of the tips. Some of the chapters’ last paragraphs say how the tips discussed in the chapter were handy decluttering tips. The goal of the book is to declutter so it isn’t necessary to say it.
Tip #45, discusses demarcating the boundaries. Demarcate means to set the boundaries so the phrase is redundant. The word doesn’t fit with the rest of the vocabulary used.
Some of the language felt as if it was written by a person who does not live in the United States. We say bunk beds, not bunker beds. We write Tip #23, not #Tip 23. The term “netflix and chill” is often used as a euphemism for some form of sex in the US.
The book needs more editing. It’s an ARC book, but the cover states “only 10 minutes a day”, the inside title page states “20 minutes”.
This is a fast read but I could not recommend it.
Tip #45, discusses demarcating the boundaries. Demarcate means to set the boundaries so the phrase is redundant. The word doesn’t fit with the rest of the vocabulary used.
Some of the language felt as if it was written by a person who does not live in the United States. We say bunk beds, not bunker beds. We write Tip #23, not #Tip 23. The term “netflix and chill” is often used as a euphemism for some form of sex in the US.
The book needs more editing. It’s an ARC book, but the cover states “only 10 minutes a day”, the inside title page states “20 minutes”.
This is a fast read but I could not recommend it.
Jamie (57 KP) rated The Agency (Tess Drake, #1) in Books
Nov 28, 2018
Strong characters’, language, easy to read. Though Tess seemed to be a selfish woman at the beginning of the book, I believe she started seeing herself in the eyes of the people around her, especially her ex-best friend Saleema and her soon to be ex-boss Cosima. What struck me most about the story, though I never been in any of the awkward, sexual exploits , or even in the publishing world she wove her life in, I still could identify with her candor, her evaluation of her choices, and even with some of her weakness’. The end of the story, happy, still left me wondering what would have happened to her if that big movie star didn’t call about Oliver’s wonderfully written book, that no one seemed to think had potential but Tess Drake, or weather or not that Cosima got her just deserts or even Sally, a so called friend who betrayed her in the end, or if Dorothy settled that claim that was made against her . Hopefully, there will be a second book, where things are bright for Tess, Emma, Oliver, Dorothy, and Saleema, but doomed to hell for Cosima, Sally, and Jack. All together, a great read that I would recommend, especially for people who enjoy fast paced stories about glitz, glamour, and karma.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated The Dragonstone (Mithgar, #1) in Books
Dec 3, 2018 (Updated Dec 8, 2018)
The book follows our heroines and heroes hoping to avert a possible disaster by finding the jade egg and defeating a wizard. Their only real map a puzzle of a prophecy that they have to figure out. It does use a lot of what I call "old or high" language where the meanings have changed from today's usage and there are a lot of thee and thine. As well as a peppering of what I think is Japanese and possibly French words. He also really likes the word whelm. The Dragonstone is philosophical inclined and many discussions about free will vs. predestination are inside.
Technically, I rate this book as 7 1/2 stars (I'm not sure how to do a half rating & enjoyed it enough to round up). I received over half of his books over ten years ago about the same time as the LOTR movies came out. Yes, they are very similar. You can tell he is a LOTR fan. Like a lot of his books, this story starts in the middle and builds through flashbacks. One of my favorite things about this books series is that you get multiple p.o.v. And you can read the series all hodgepodge with few as "true" sequels or trilogies- most of those are contained as one book now.
Technically, I rate this book as 7 1/2 stars (I'm not sure how to do a half rating & enjoyed it enough to round up). I received over half of his books over ten years ago about the same time as the LOTR movies came out. Yes, they are very similar. You can tell he is a LOTR fan. Like a lot of his books, this story starts in the middle and builds through flashbacks. One of my favorite things about this books series is that you get multiple p.o.v. And you can read the series all hodgepodge with few as "true" sequels or trilogies- most of those are contained as one book now.