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Southern Today (21 KP) rated Fangirl in Books

Nov 7, 2017  
Fangirl
Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.9 (46 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, I love this book. I have been trying to read it since it came out, and finally got it at a library. Yay!

For some reason, I thought that, in this book, Cath (the main character) would meet her favorite character in real life. She does not. But what Rowell does do is describe a girl who has some very real life social issues. Some of which I can relate to.

I absolutely love Levi. He is wonderful. I still don’t have a very clear picture of him in my head and I think that might be a good thing. This is a book that I don’t think I want to see in theaters. If we did, I would probably have mixed feelings. We could never see into Cath’s life so clearly.

That’s all I have to say here. I loved this book. Look at my portfolio for a review to come!
  
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Hag 12 Down (6 KP) rated The Fireman in Books

Dec 30, 2017  
The Fireman
The Fireman
Joe Hill | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Everything! The characters, the story, the writing. (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
The Book I can't forget
This is the book I can't let go of. There are several books that give me withdrawal, but this one. Oh my! I read it 15 months ago and I can't get over it. I check out my books from the library, but I keep thinking daily that I should buy a copy and re-read it. The fun part is that when I read this book I had no idea who Joe Hill was. Simply not a clue. When I finished reading it I started researching to see what else he had written. I was pleasantly surprised to find he is Stephen King's son! I read so many King books when I was younger! Pick this up and read it. Don't be intimidated by it's size, you won't regret it. I realize I haven't said anything about the actual plot. That's because you deserve to enjoy every minute of it on your own.
  
When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1)
When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1)
Jenny Carroll | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I hate Meg Cabot. she is a terrible writer. she doesn't write sentinces, she writes fragments and then puts more fragments at the end to clear up what was perfectly clear in the first place. she leaves out things that are important. she doesn't describe stuff. her prose stinks. how on EARTH she became a best selling and popular author, i have no idea.

<b>but. </b>

i read the first book of her series here, "When Lightning Strikes," and seriously had to read the others. i still haven't read the last book, my library doesn't have it in right now, but this book got me hooked to a story that was written by (excuse me) a sucky writer. it was wild, weird, crazy, funny, and had some very creative twists in it. great story.

now if only she could learn to write. sentinces, i mean. (<-- example of what she does. i swear i don't write like that normally.)
  
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Domonique (0 KP) rated The Maze Runner in Books

May 12, 2018  
The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner
James Dashner | 2011 | Children
10
8.0 (55 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely loved this book! I first heard about it via the movie of course and then once I was able to get a copy from the library, I started it immediately. And I was hooked! I love to read books told from the perspective of teenagers because it always amaze s me how perceptive and curious they can be. Even though I knew Thomas was supposed to be the hero and save everyone, there were still a few things I didn't see coming: the truth about the maze for one thing, where the kids came from and how they ended up in the maze to begin with and just the lengths people were willing to go to save humanity. It really makes me think about what would happen if the world as we know it suddenly was hit by a natural disaster that killed millions and created disease. How would we survive? It certainly makes you think and find out what happens next!
  
At the Table of Wolves (Dark Talents #1)
At the Table of Wolves (Dark Talents #1)
Kay Kenyon | 2017 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've had this book on my nook e-reader since it was released, but I just never had the itch to read it.
I'm glad I finally did. This is the first of a trilogy that's an alt-history in the 1930s. After the Great War, there's an event called 'the bloom' and individuals begin to have 'talents' or powers manifest. It's definitely a riff off of the X-Men, but it really worked for me in this novel. The lead character, Kim, is a 30-something who has the talent of 'spill', which is essentially compelling people to spill various secrets, though she can't exactly control it. I liked Kim because she was completely relatable and made mistakes.
I wish that the book had been longer, but now I'm anxiously awaiting for the 2nd book from the library. Luckily, the final book in the trilogy is coming out in March, so I won't have long to wait for book 3.
  
TM
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this years ago but didn't realize at the time that it was a duet and had a cliff-hanger ending, so I was left bereft. So being in an Egyptology kick lately, and now having the concluding book, I decided to give it a go while waiting for the third Amelia Peabody mystery to come in at the library (which is coincidentally called The Mummy Case).

While <i>The Mummy Case</i> as a whole is highly improbable, it has a certain charm and was a cute read. Even though it is a Harlequin book, I liked that it dealt less with the romance and more with the mystery, probably because it is part of a duo. I've read Dawn Stewardson books before and have been impressed with how well she can develop the plot and characters in so few pages. I look forward to reading the completion the <b>Voice of the Nile</b>. ;P

3.25 stars
  
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Patrick Logan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
By this point, the series is really starting to feel like it's being drawn out unnecessarily. More characters are being brought in, with pages of information about them/their surroundings/backgrounds, which feels a lot like filler to meet a word count in some cases.


For me, the series isn't living up to the promise of the first book, which is a real shame. I really hoped for a more "haunted" vibe, given the name of the series, with unresolved matters being settled in the manner of the very first book, but the direction the story has taken isn't as appealing to me - purely a matter of personal taste, and I'm clearly very much in the minority given reviews I've read on other sites.

In all honesty, this isn't a series I would have persevered with if I was buying the books, but borrowing them as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription (akin to borrowing from a local library, but more convenient!), I will finish the series.
  
The Stonekeeper (Amulet, #1)
The Stonekeeper (Amulet, #1)
Kazu Kibuishi | 2008 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Beautiful graphics & engaging plot
I have been waiting forever for the library copy of this book to finally be available! I am so glad I waited. I first learned of the Amulet series when I worked in a bookstore. I just started to get into graphic novels and it was always a book I passed by and thought "I should read that." When my niece came to my house toating the book around like precious cargo, I knew it was time to finally read it!

The Stonekeeper is the first book in the series and it really does a great job of setting up the story. The graphics were breathtakingly good & I loved how it was just the perfect amount of dark. I will say, it surprised me how dark it was but that isn't a bad thing. I tend to like grittier things so it was a pleasant surprise. The plot kept my interest and I will definitely need to keep reading the series!
  
TF
The Fantastic Family Whipple
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Arthur is the only member of the Whipple family who hasn’t broken any world records. It’s not that he hasn’t tried, but he always comes up short. However, when the family birthday party is sabotaged, Arthur might be the only one who can uncover the truth.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. The various world records were outlandishly funny. The characters were good, although most of them don’t get that much development. Unfortunately, the plot was too unfocused and fairly uneven as a result. I really think there needed to be more focus on that in another rewrite to make this book better. Having said that, there are some dangling threads that make me curious enough to think about picking up the next book, but only if I can get it from the library.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-fantastic-family-whipple-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
NC
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Athena College Library has a new director, and Oscar Reilly seems determined to drive all the staff away. The heads of the library’s departments hate him and Charlie’s friend Melba is ready to quit. In fact, Charlie’s issue, that Oscar is claiming allergies as a reason that Charlie can’t bring his cat Diesel to work anymore, seems minor. It’s not terribly surprising when Oscar turns up dead, but who actually killed him?

Those who like this series will love this installment. The characters are as delightful as ever, and we get some advancement on series plot threads. The murder is set up well with good suspects and motives that Charlie has to work his way through until we reach the logical solution. This is my favorite to date in the series.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-no-cats-allowed-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.