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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Dirty Game (Annie Carter #1) in Books
Oct 27, 2021
178 of 250
Book
Dirty Game (Annie Carter book 1)
By Jessie Keane
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane's gritty debut novel. For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain. Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was. Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her. Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.
Growing up I was always fascinated with London gangs especially the Krays so this was right up my street. Jessie writes brilliantly about a hard ,fast paced and violent lifestyle. I love Annie’s journey in this book and can’t wait to read more. It’s brilliantly written and so similar to Martina Cole (I’m not sure who came first I just found Martina first!) the whole work surrounding these characters is violent and intricate, what I love in this one is the slight twist at the end! Highly recommend to those who love this style of writing.
Book
Dirty Game (Annie Carter book 1)
By Jessie Keane
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane's gritty debut novel. For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain. Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was. Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her. Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.
Growing up I was always fascinated with London gangs especially the Krays so this was right up my street. Jessie writes brilliantly about a hard ,fast paced and violent lifestyle. I love Annie’s journey in this book and can’t wait to read more. It’s brilliantly written and so similar to Martina Cole (I’m not sure who came first I just found Martina first!) the whole work surrounding these characters is violent and intricate, what I love in this one is the slight twist at the end! Highly recommend to those who love this style of writing.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Primary Victim in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Primary Victim by Christopher Cihlar
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Very Practical Magic: Modern Magic for Everyday Use in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Very Practical Magic: Modern Magic for Everyday Use by Nicola Kelleher is an interesting spellbook, to say the least. People interested in all different kinds of magic will be able to find something useful in this book. I just urge people to be sure of their intent before attempting any of these. Also, some of the spells suggest or even require the use of feathers and it may be important to note that the possession of specific feather in the US is not legal (something that I just learned recently) so users might just want to be aware of it.
This short book of practical spells starts out with a small preface about the author and some basic information about when it is best to perform magic. The book explains what powers are strongest on each day of the week and by each phase of the moon. It then moves on to love spells but explains that even with these spells the caster can not force anyone to love them and should not attempt to do so. The spells for the home go over every subject from protection and cleaning to even selling and finding your dream home.
No starter spellbook (and that is exactly what this is) would be complete without a section on bringing more wealth toward the user so long as it is not for greed. It contains spells to help bring new friends to you and cultivate current friendships. There is even a version of the Witch’s Ladder toward the back of the book as well. For all the pet lovers there are spells to protect or heal a pet who is sick, yet it encourages readers not to forgo proper medical care. No matter what the reader classifies themselves as or who their patron god/goddess (if applicable) is this book contains a spell for everyone.
What I liked best is that the spells are simple and could easily be adapted for a specific use. I also really liked the list of crystals, herbs, oils, and candles at the back of the book. These lists are a great reference for anyone who wants to create their own spells or needs substitutions for an unavailable item. There was just one thing that I did not like at all, a spell I did not agree with. The spell titled Nail Yourself a Lover encourages filing your nails into a tea that you will serve someone else. This just feels completely wrong to me and gross, not to mention I am not even sure if it is legal.
While I can not suggest an age range for this but there is a clear group of people this book is meant for. The main requirement is that the reader must believe in Magic (not the slight-of-hand type) but real magic. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. The title is correct in saying that this is a book of very practical magic. Most of the spells have very few ingredients or requirements and do not take long to perform. I would have liked to see pictures of the crystals along with their descriptions in the back of the book to make it better and less likely for errors to occur.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
This short book of practical spells starts out with a small preface about the author and some basic information about when it is best to perform magic. The book explains what powers are strongest on each day of the week and by each phase of the moon. It then moves on to love spells but explains that even with these spells the caster can not force anyone to love them and should not attempt to do so. The spells for the home go over every subject from protection and cleaning to even selling and finding your dream home.
No starter spellbook (and that is exactly what this is) would be complete without a section on bringing more wealth toward the user so long as it is not for greed. It contains spells to help bring new friends to you and cultivate current friendships. There is even a version of the Witch’s Ladder toward the back of the book as well. For all the pet lovers there are spells to protect or heal a pet who is sick, yet it encourages readers not to forgo proper medical care. No matter what the reader classifies themselves as or who their patron god/goddess (if applicable) is this book contains a spell for everyone.
What I liked best is that the spells are simple and could easily be adapted for a specific use. I also really liked the list of crystals, herbs, oils, and candles at the back of the book. These lists are a great reference for anyone who wants to create their own spells or needs substitutions for an unavailable item. There was just one thing that I did not like at all, a spell I did not agree with. The spell titled Nail Yourself a Lover encourages filing your nails into a tea that you will serve someone else. This just feels completely wrong to me and gross, not to mention I am not even sure if it is legal.
While I can not suggest an age range for this but there is a clear group of people this book is meant for. The main requirement is that the reader must believe in Magic (not the slight-of-hand type) but real magic. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. The title is correct in saying that this is a book of very practical magic. Most of the spells have very few ingredients or requirements and do not take long to perform. I would have liked to see pictures of the crystals along with their descriptions in the back of the book to make it better and less likely for errors to occur.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Denial (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Jewry Trial.
It’s the mid-90’s and Deborah Lipstadt (Rachael Weisz, “The Lobster“), an American professor of Holocaust studies at a US university has written a book naming and shaming David Irving (Timothy Spall, “Mr Turner”) as a Nazi-apologist who denies that the Holocaust ever happened. Filing a law suit against Penguin Books and Lipstadt in the UK, Lipstadt chooses to fight rather than settle and takes the case to the High Courts in a much publicised trial.
Help is required and Lipstadt is assigned a hot-shot solicitor (if that’s not an oxymoron) in the form of Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott, “Sherlock”) and top barrister Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson, “Selma“). The stage is set for an epic legal battle that will establish not just legal precedent but also historical precedent affecting the entire Jewish people.
This film’s trailer really appealed to me, and I was looking forward to this film. And that view clearly also got through to people of my age bracket (and older) since the cinema was pretty full. But ultimately I was disappointed by the film.
But first the good points.
The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos (“Thor”, “Mamma Mia”) is memorable, particularly for the Auschwitz tour which is done in an impressively bleak way on an astoundingly bleak winter’s day.
Andrew Scott, so woefully miscast as “C” in “Spectre“, here is a nice shoo-in for the cocksure but aloof expert. And Tom Wilkinson, who can seldom put a movie foot wrong, is also perfectly cast as the claret-swigging defence-lead: passionless and analytical even when facing the horrors of a trip to Auschwitz.
Timothy Spall’s Irving is well portrayed as the intelligent and articulate – albeit deluded – eccentric he no doubt is.
There are also some nice cameo performances, including John Sessions (“Florence Foster Jenkins“) as an Oxbridge history boffin and Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”) as an Auschwitz expert.
However, these positives don’t outweigh the big negative that the broader ensemble cast never really gels together well. The first time this is evident is in an office meeting of the defence team where the interactions have a sheen of falseness about them that is barely hidden behind some weak script and forced nervous laughter. Tea can’t help.
In particular, attractive Kiwi actress Caren Pistorius (“The Light Between Oceans“) seems to have been given a poor hand to play with as the junior member of the team. A late night interaction with her boyfriend, who whinges at her for having to work late, seems to be taken from a more sexist age: “the 70’s called and they want their script back”.
None of this is helped by Rachel Weisz, who I’m normally a fan of, but here she is hindered by some rather dodgy lines by David Hare (“The Reader”) and an unconvincing (well, to me at least) New York accent. For me I’m afraid she just doesn’t seem to adequately convey her passion for the cause.
While the execution of the court scenes are well done, the film is hampered by its opening five words: “Based on a True Story”. This is something of a disease at the moment in the movies, and whilst in many films (the recent “Lion” for example) the story is in the journey rather than the result, with “Denial” the story is designed to build to a tense result that unfortunately lacks any sort of tension – since the result is pre-ordained.
This is all a great shame, since director Mick Jackson (“LA Story”, in his first feature for nearly 15 years) has the potential here for a great movie. Perhaps a more fictionalised version (“vaguely based on a true story”) might have provided more of a foundation for a better film?
Help is required and Lipstadt is assigned a hot-shot solicitor (if that’s not an oxymoron) in the form of Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott, “Sherlock”) and top barrister Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson, “Selma“). The stage is set for an epic legal battle that will establish not just legal precedent but also historical precedent affecting the entire Jewish people.
This film’s trailer really appealed to me, and I was looking forward to this film. And that view clearly also got through to people of my age bracket (and older) since the cinema was pretty full. But ultimately I was disappointed by the film.
But first the good points.
The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos (“Thor”, “Mamma Mia”) is memorable, particularly for the Auschwitz tour which is done in an impressively bleak way on an astoundingly bleak winter’s day.
Andrew Scott, so woefully miscast as “C” in “Spectre“, here is a nice shoo-in for the cocksure but aloof expert. And Tom Wilkinson, who can seldom put a movie foot wrong, is also perfectly cast as the claret-swigging defence-lead: passionless and analytical even when facing the horrors of a trip to Auschwitz.
Timothy Spall’s Irving is well portrayed as the intelligent and articulate – albeit deluded – eccentric he no doubt is.
There are also some nice cameo performances, including John Sessions (“Florence Foster Jenkins“) as an Oxbridge history boffin and Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”) as an Auschwitz expert.
However, these positives don’t outweigh the big negative that the broader ensemble cast never really gels together well. The first time this is evident is in an office meeting of the defence team where the interactions have a sheen of falseness about them that is barely hidden behind some weak script and forced nervous laughter. Tea can’t help.
In particular, attractive Kiwi actress Caren Pistorius (“The Light Between Oceans“) seems to have been given a poor hand to play with as the junior member of the team. A late night interaction with her boyfriend, who whinges at her for having to work late, seems to be taken from a more sexist age: “the 70’s called and they want their script back”.
None of this is helped by Rachel Weisz, who I’m normally a fan of, but here she is hindered by some rather dodgy lines by David Hare (“The Reader”) and an unconvincing (well, to me at least) New York accent. For me I’m afraid she just doesn’t seem to adequately convey her passion for the cause.
While the execution of the court scenes are well done, the film is hampered by its opening five words: “Based on a True Story”. This is something of a disease at the moment in the movies, and whilst in many films (the recent “Lion” for example) the story is in the journey rather than the result, with “Denial” the story is designed to build to a tense result that unfortunately lacks any sort of tension – since the result is pre-ordained.
This is all a great shame, since director Mick Jackson (“LA Story”, in his first feature for nearly 15 years) has the potential here for a great movie. Perhaps a more fictionalised version (“vaguely based on a true story”) might have provided more of a foundation for a better film?
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Oct 5, 2017
The Action (2 more)
The Cast
The Robot Dogs
Crazy, Outrageous and Bloody Good Fun
Walking into the this movie I was expecting great things. I loved the first one and was actively waiting for number 2. Like all sequels unfortunately it did not live up to the first one. I am not saying it was a bad movie, because it was still fantastic, but it just did not have the same pop as the first.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Blackmailed (Blackmailed #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
Wow, what to say about this novel. I found it so completely ridiculous in so many ways. I'll start with how Brianna came into her position in the first place. Her father, Andrew Wyatt, blackmails his own daughter, Brianna, into being Cole Master's whore so that she can produce an heir for Wyatt. How does he blackmail daughter of legal age into doing his bidding? By threatening her brother, his son. Apparently, that is enough to turn his daughter into a breeding mule. Normally, I would find it hard to believe that anyone would act like such a neanderthal in this day and age, but I have been wrong before.
When Wyatt brings his daughter to Cole, who agrees to this all out of curiosity, Cole is immediately protective of the plain girl. The best way I can explain it is lust at first sight. For some reason, Cole feels protective of Brianna and cannot wait to sexually awaken her....and then share her with his head of security, Tyler Cannon. Cole isn't gay, but he is consumed with thoughts of sharing her with his lifelong friend. What I found most disturbing is that the day after Cole pops Brianna's cherry (also the first day they met), he gets his wish of sharing his new charge. How he does it actually infuriates me. After Brianna's first time, she falls asleep in Cole's bed, only to wake blindfolded and tied to the bed so Tyler can do whatever he wants with her. If I was in the same position, I would furious, not turned on.
And so their sexual activities continue and Cole obtains custody of Brianna's birthday. Cole asks Brianna to marry him, Wyatt becomes furious, Cole shuts him down. Pretty simple yet insane plot line.
On a lighter note, the erotic scenes were fantastic although I could do without the dirty talk. For some reason, talking during sex is always more exciting when you are actually doing the deed. Reading about it is...well awkward.
An entertaining novel despite plot.
When Wyatt brings his daughter to Cole, who agrees to this all out of curiosity, Cole is immediately protective of the plain girl. The best way I can explain it is lust at first sight. For some reason, Cole feels protective of Brianna and cannot wait to sexually awaken her....and then share her with his head of security, Tyler Cannon. Cole isn't gay, but he is consumed with thoughts of sharing her with his lifelong friend. What I found most disturbing is that the day after Cole pops Brianna's cherry (also the first day they met), he gets his wish of sharing his new charge. How he does it actually infuriates me. After Brianna's first time, she falls asleep in Cole's bed, only to wake blindfolded and tied to the bed so Tyler can do whatever he wants with her. If I was in the same position, I would furious, not turned on.
And so their sexual activities continue and Cole obtains custody of Brianna's birthday. Cole asks Brianna to marry him, Wyatt becomes furious, Cole shuts him down. Pretty simple yet insane plot line.
On a lighter note, the erotic scenes were fantastic although I could do without the dirty talk. For some reason, talking during sex is always more exciting when you are actually doing the deed. Reading about it is...well awkward.
An entertaining novel despite plot.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2; Liaden Universe, #14) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
[b:Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2)|6669085|Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2) (Liaden Universe, #13)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276362333s/6669085.jpg|6131174] is good enough that I finished [b:Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1)|5585180|Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1) (Liaden Universe, #12)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256005889s/5585180.jpg|5756422], then read it in one sitting. It simply has the sort of momentum that doesn't allow for good stopping points — something that is true of many of the Liaden Universe novels.
At the end of Fledgling, Theo was sponsored into pilot school by Scout Cho sig'Radia. Saltation begins with her time there, just as politically naive as ever, but a much more confident person than she was at the beginning of Fledgling. Many of the characters from Fledgling reappear, including Win Ton, Kamele, and Jen Sar. There are new characters too, though, such as Kara ven'Arith and Orn Ald yos'Senchul (who, by the way, also appear in a free story, <a href="http://baen.com/LandedAlien.asp">Landed Alien</a>, that has just been released at the Baen web site and should be read after Saltation).
Theo is a legal adult now, but a very young one, and she has plenty of growing up left to do. That said, this is a young ADULT novel, not a children's book — while it isn't discussed specifically, Theo does take a lover.
She continues to flex and stretch into an admirable heroine. She isn't perfect, by any means, being sometimes short-tempered and not understanding social cues easily. She's someone readers can relate to, though, and that is important. We were brought up concurrent with the end of [b:I Dare|1103876|I Dare (Liaden Universe, #11)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181013406s/1103876.jpg|1644933], which was vastly satisfying. I will go right on with reading [b:Ghost Ship|9762449|Ghost Ship (Liaden Universe, #14, Theo Waitley, #3)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880001s/9762449.jpg|14651808], because I definitely want to know more!
At the end of Fledgling, Theo was sponsored into pilot school by Scout Cho sig'Radia. Saltation begins with her time there, just as politically naive as ever, but a much more confident person than she was at the beginning of Fledgling. Many of the characters from Fledgling reappear, including Win Ton, Kamele, and Jen Sar. There are new characters too, though, such as Kara ven'Arith and Orn Ald yos'Senchul (who, by the way, also appear in a free story, <a href="http://baen.com/LandedAlien.asp">Landed Alien</a>, that has just been released at the Baen web site and should be read after Saltation).
Theo is a legal adult now, but a very young one, and she has plenty of growing up left to do. That said, this is a young ADULT novel, not a children's book — while it isn't discussed specifically, Theo does take a lover.
She continues to flex and stretch into an admirable heroine. She isn't perfect, by any means, being sometimes short-tempered and not understanding social cues easily. She's someone readers can relate to, though, and that is important. We were brought up concurrent with the end of [b:I Dare|1103876|I Dare (Liaden Universe, #11)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181013406s/1103876.jpg|1644933], which was vastly satisfying. I will go right on with reading [b:Ghost Ship|9762449|Ghost Ship (Liaden Universe, #14, Theo Waitley, #3)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880001s/9762449.jpg|14651808], because I definitely want to know more!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Gray Mountain in Books
Feb 13, 2018
It's a little unfair to John Grisham, but I probably would have rated this book 4 stars if he didn't write it. It was a pretty good book, but I kept waiting for the typical Grisham-flair to pop up - a huge courtroom battle, an epic good versus evil duel, etc.
Instead, the battle and storyline I would have really wanted to read about goes on in the background as a secondary storyline. The main plot follows Samantha Kofer, a young law associate at a powerful firm in New York City. However, when the recession hits in '08, Samantha finds herself furloughed and in order to keep her health insurance, and to potentially get her old job back, must intern at a rural legal aid clinic in Brady, Virginia.
There Samantha meets a cast of characters, including Mattie, who runs the clinic; her nephew, Donovan, also a lawyer; Donovan's shady brother, Jeff; and a host of other rural townsfolk. She also gets her first taste of real law. We, the reader, learn about the atrocities of Big Coal and strip mining, including Black Lung Disease, which the book goes into in great detail (and which personally, makes me want to become a lawyer or social worker, as it's all awful).
It's interesting to have Grisham write in the voice of a young female. It takes me back to Darby Shaw (of "The Pelican Brief" - one of my all-time favorite Grisham novels), though Samantha is *no* Darby Shaw, by any stretch of the imagination. She's a bit spineless, though, really, she's not given much story to work with. The first 3/4 of the book I mostly enjoyed and then the last 1/4 just sort of tapers off. It almost seems as if a sequel is in order, but who knows.
Again, I think I might have liked Samantha and her story a bit more if it wasn't Grisham, as I might have expected a bit less. It's a good read, but leaves you wanting more.
Instead, the battle and storyline I would have really wanted to read about goes on in the background as a secondary storyline. The main plot follows Samantha Kofer, a young law associate at a powerful firm in New York City. However, when the recession hits in '08, Samantha finds herself furloughed and in order to keep her health insurance, and to potentially get her old job back, must intern at a rural legal aid clinic in Brady, Virginia.
There Samantha meets a cast of characters, including Mattie, who runs the clinic; her nephew, Donovan, also a lawyer; Donovan's shady brother, Jeff; and a host of other rural townsfolk. She also gets her first taste of real law. We, the reader, learn about the atrocities of Big Coal and strip mining, including Black Lung Disease, which the book goes into in great detail (and which personally, makes me want to become a lawyer or social worker, as it's all awful).
It's interesting to have Grisham write in the voice of a young female. It takes me back to Darby Shaw (of "The Pelican Brief" - one of my all-time favorite Grisham novels), though Samantha is *no* Darby Shaw, by any stretch of the imagination. She's a bit spineless, though, really, she's not given much story to work with. The first 3/4 of the book I mostly enjoyed and then the last 1/4 just sort of tapers off. It almost seems as if a sequel is in order, but who knows.
Again, I think I might have liked Samantha and her story a bit more if it wasn't Grisham, as I might have expected a bit less. It's a good read, but leaves you wanting more.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Havana Sleeping in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>Havana Sleeping</i> is a historical mystery novel by British author Martin Davies, which is based on real events that occurred in Cuba during the 1850s. Although the Slave Trade had been abolished in England, there were still people in America and Cuba who would be happy for slavery to remain legal. George Backhouse was posted to Havana, Cuba as a British Judge to take a stand against the illegal slave trading.
Backhouse ends up getting involved in a lot of complicated situations that could potentially spark a devastating war. His path also becomes tied up with the other main character, Leandra Leigh. Whilst most of the characters are real historical figures, Leandra appears to be fictional. A dear friend of hers, a watchman, was murdered during a supposed robbery and although the matter has been closed for a couple of years Leandra is determined to find out the truth – something of limited value in Havana. To begin with Backhouse and Leandra’s investigations seem unrelated, but a connection begins to build up as the story goes on.
In all honesty, the novel was very difficult to get into. There is nothing wrong with the actual writing as such, it is in fact written well and grammatically correct, however there was a lack of excitement in the narrative. It was also difficult to keep track of the characters – admittedly that may have been the point in the case of a couple of people, but as a result it was impossible to connect story. There were a few attempts of showing emotion, mostly surrounding Leandra’s character, yet this failed to arouse much interest.
From a historical point of view, those interested in Cuban and British history of this time period may be interested in reading <i>Havana Sleeping</i> and the author also includes some factual notes at the end of the book, but anyone hoping to get a story of some kind is bound to be disappointed.
<i>Havana Sleeping</i> is a historical mystery novel by British author Martin Davies, which is based on real events that occurred in Cuba during the 1850s. Although the Slave Trade had been abolished in England, there were still people in America and Cuba who would be happy for slavery to remain legal. George Backhouse was posted to Havana, Cuba as a British Judge to take a stand against the illegal slave trading.
Backhouse ends up getting involved in a lot of complicated situations that could potentially spark a devastating war. His path also becomes tied up with the other main character, Leandra Leigh. Whilst most of the characters are real historical figures, Leandra appears to be fictional. A dear friend of hers, a watchman, was murdered during a supposed robbery and although the matter has been closed for a couple of years Leandra is determined to find out the truth – something of limited value in Havana. To begin with Backhouse and Leandra’s investigations seem unrelated, but a connection begins to build up as the story goes on.
In all honesty, the novel was very difficult to get into. There is nothing wrong with the actual writing as such, it is in fact written well and grammatically correct, however there was a lack of excitement in the narrative. It was also difficult to keep track of the characters – admittedly that may have been the point in the case of a couple of people, but as a result it was impossible to connect story. There were a few attempts of showing emotion, mostly surrounding Leandra’s character, yet this failed to arouse much interest.
From a historical point of view, those interested in Cuban and British history of this time period may be interested in reading <i>Havana Sleeping</i> and the author also includes some factual notes at the end of the book, but anyone hoping to get a story of some kind is bound to be disappointed.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Before We Were Wicked in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Ken Swift is a young college kid, just trying to pay his way through school and life without having enormous debt. His job isn't exactly on the legal side, but it helps him to survive and once he's done with school, this job will be done too. When he is working one night at Club Fetish, reminding the owner that he still owes for his thriving club, he meets Jimi Lee. Jimi Lee is a beautiful Ethiopian woman who he can't keep his eyes off of. She feels the connection too and before long they are at his apartment dancing in other ways. Even though Ken is forbidden fruit in the eyes of Jimi's strick Ethiopian family, she can't stay away from him and soon enough, she'll be joined to him forever.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.
I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.
There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.
I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.
I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.
There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.
I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.