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Louise (64 KP) rated The Square Root of Summer in Books
Jul 2, 2018
One word really describes this book…. confusing! for the majority of the book I didn’t really know what was going on. I think the state of confusion was on my behalf as I am not a massive fan of physics and unable to get my head around it.
The Square Root of Summer is Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s debut novel, the story is told from the perspective of Gottie. A year ago her life was pretty good, she had an amazing family, a boyfriend and decent friends and then it shattered all around her. It’s been a year since Gottie’s grandfather died, the family are devastated and have slowly drifted apart as they come to terms with their loss. To make things worse her so-called ‘boyfriend’ left for University/College and the great friends she had are continuing on with their lives without Gottie.
When she receives news that her next door neighbour/best friend Thomas is coming back to England to live after moving to Canada things start happening to Gottie that she just can’t explain.
Gottie is a science geek and loves physics, so when she starts having flashbacks of everything that happened the previous year before Grey’s(Grandfather) death, she tries to understand what is happening to her. Gottie believes that she is traveling back in time through wormholes and vortexes (all that physicy stuff) and soon the summer becomes a mission to find out if you can really time travel.
This book is a coming of age story that includes grief, families,friends, and love. The book shows how much heartbreak a death in the family can cause and that something stressful (major life event) will tip you over the edge. Wormholes and Vortexes were Gottie’s coping mechanism, she enjoyed physics and that’s what helped her. With these flashback’s/time travelling (you decide) it enabled her to start talking to her family and friends again, also finding herself and become the person she wanted to be.
This is a great debut novel set in Norfolk, England. Hapgood managed to include aspects of her German heritage into the book, the family dynamics and characters are complex and three-dimensional, there is bookstores and baking and also to top it off there is a cute romance.What more could you ask for?
I rated this 3 of 5 stars
*I received a copyofthis book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The Square Root of Summer is Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s debut novel, the story is told from the perspective of Gottie. A year ago her life was pretty good, she had an amazing family, a boyfriend and decent friends and then it shattered all around her. It’s been a year since Gottie’s grandfather died, the family are devastated and have slowly drifted apart as they come to terms with their loss. To make things worse her so-called ‘boyfriend’ left for University/College and the great friends she had are continuing on with their lives without Gottie.
When she receives news that her next door neighbour/best friend Thomas is coming back to England to live after moving to Canada things start happening to Gottie that she just can’t explain.
Gottie is a science geek and loves physics, so when she starts having flashbacks of everything that happened the previous year before Grey’s(Grandfather) death, she tries to understand what is happening to her. Gottie believes that she is traveling back in time through wormholes and vortexes (all that physicy stuff) and soon the summer becomes a mission to find out if you can really time travel.
This book is a coming of age story that includes grief, families,friends, and love. The book shows how much heartbreak a death in the family can cause and that something stressful (major life event) will tip you over the edge. Wormholes and Vortexes were Gottie’s coping mechanism, she enjoyed physics and that’s what helped her. With these flashback’s/time travelling (you decide) it enabled her to start talking to her family and friends again, also finding herself and become the person she wanted to be.
This is a great debut novel set in Norfolk, England. Hapgood managed to include aspects of her German heritage into the book, the family dynamics and characters are complex and three-dimensional, there is bookstores and baking and also to top it off there is a cute romance.What more could you ask for?
I rated this 3 of 5 stars
*I received a copyofthis book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Lesley (60 KP) rated A Steep Price in Books
Aug 10, 2018
Tracy Crosswhite never disappoints!
I LOVE Tracy Crosswhite and this newest entry into the series was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is the review that I posted on my blog.
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated 13 Days of Midnight in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Thirteen Days of Midnight</i> is the slightly lighthearted, young adult novel by Leo Hunt set in contemporary Northeast England. Luke Manchett is an average sixteen-year-old boy who mostly cares about his reputation as a member of the school rugby team, and attracting the attention of his crush, Holiday Simmon. However, his life drastically changes on discovering that his absent, psychic exorcist, of a father has died.
Luke is not affected by the actual death, as he barely knew his father; it is the things he inherits as the only named beneficiary of his father’s will that twist his life upside down. It turns out that Horatio Manchett was not a television phony but actually a powerful necromancer. The biggest shock of all is that Luke is now the owner of a collection of eight sinister ghosts who want him dead. With Halloween fast approaching, when the souls’ powers will be at their strongest, Luke with the help of mysterious school friend, Elza Moss, and an ancient book they cannot read, must find a way to release the ghosts without causing harm to anyone else.
<i>Thirteen Days of Midnight </i>is not scary in the way some readers may expect paranormal novels to be. Although it contains ghosts and death threats it is not written in a way meant to terrify, rather to entertain. Luke and Elza’s lack of knowledge and experience with a large number of spirits helps the reader relate to the story, as it is with great doubt that any other teenager would have known exactly what to do. Luke’s dog, Ham, also adds a bit of humour to the book.
There were a few typical aspects to the story, which made it less original. A paranormal novel based at Halloween seems a fairly obvious choice of setting, and popular boy developing a friendship (and possibly more) with an unpopular girl seems rather mainstream in regards to current young adult books.
Some paranormal/horror novels can be a bit over the top and occasionally confusing, therefore it was a surprise to discover how good Thirteen Days of Midnight is. The main characters are likable, the narrative flows well and it is overall entertaining to read. It is definitely a recommendable book.
Thirteen Days of Midnight</i> is the slightly lighthearted, young adult novel by Leo Hunt set in contemporary Northeast England. Luke Manchett is an average sixteen-year-old boy who mostly cares about his reputation as a member of the school rugby team, and attracting the attention of his crush, Holiday Simmon. However, his life drastically changes on discovering that his absent, psychic exorcist, of a father has died.
Luke is not affected by the actual death, as he barely knew his father; it is the things he inherits as the only named beneficiary of his father’s will that twist his life upside down. It turns out that Horatio Manchett was not a television phony but actually a powerful necromancer. The biggest shock of all is that Luke is now the owner of a collection of eight sinister ghosts who want him dead. With Halloween fast approaching, when the souls’ powers will be at their strongest, Luke with the help of mysterious school friend, Elza Moss, and an ancient book they cannot read, must find a way to release the ghosts without causing harm to anyone else.
<i>Thirteen Days of Midnight </i>is not scary in the way some readers may expect paranormal novels to be. Although it contains ghosts and death threats it is not written in a way meant to terrify, rather to entertain. Luke and Elza’s lack of knowledge and experience with a large number of spirits helps the reader relate to the story, as it is with great doubt that any other teenager would have known exactly what to do. Luke’s dog, Ham, also adds a bit of humour to the book.
There were a few typical aspects to the story, which made it less original. A paranormal novel based at Halloween seems a fairly obvious choice of setting, and popular boy developing a friendship (and possibly more) with an unpopular girl seems rather mainstream in regards to current young adult books.
Some paranormal/horror novels can be a bit over the top and occasionally confusing, therefore it was a surprise to discover how good Thirteen Days of Midnight is. The main characters are likable, the narrative flows well and it is overall entertaining to read. It is definitely a recommendable book.
Pretty in Black: Pretty in Black Book 1
Book
On the day of her death, a seventeen year old cheerleader meets a vampire in the cemetery who saves...
fantasy young adult
Among the Impostors (Shadow Children, #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
It was awful. All those eyes, all looking at him. It was straight out of Luke's worst nightmares....
Science Fiction Dystopia Fantasy
tonidavis (353 KP) rated The Fault in Our Stars in Books
Jun 30, 2017
Everything (3 more)
Johns writing style
Hazel and Gus
Isaccs friendship
On A Roller Coaster That Only Goes Up My Friend
Although I say books are emotional and heart breaking this is actually the only book ever to make me cry. I cried probably not at the point most people did. I cried at an Issac scene. John is the only person I've come across that can make you want to laugh and cry at the same time he writes the most dramatic scene and then puts in something out of character yet thoughtful and makes you over explode with emotion.
Its hard to explain the book to people without going well the main character has cancer but at the same time its not about cancer its about people. That's what makes John such a great writer is that he always see's people first and what ever problem they have wrong with them second.
This is a beautiful book with love friendship joy and pain its about life and death and everything in between. On Johns youtube channel vlogbrthers he always reminds everyone "Don't forget to be awesome." This book certainly doesn't.
Its hard to explain the book to people without going well the main character has cancer but at the same time its not about cancer its about people. That's what makes John such a great writer is that he always see's people first and what ever problem they have wrong with them second.
This is a beautiful book with love friendship joy and pain its about life and death and everything in between. On Johns youtube channel vlogbrthers he always reminds everyone "Don't forget to be awesome." This book certainly doesn't.
[Last Days of Last Island] by [Bill Dixon] shows that being rich doesn't always come with common sense. In the mid 1800 in America the rich were looking for new ways to enjoy their wealth. In Louisiana the plantation owners found a beautiful island off the coast. It had great views and fishing. Also the breezes were a nice change from the temperatures inland in the South.
The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?
There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.
[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?
There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.
[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Rings (2017) in Movies
Aug 3, 2017
Why?!??!
This review is being written mid film... Because I don't know if I can finish it.
So far it's been horrible...
If some of you can remember, Johnny Galecki was in I Know What You Did Last Summer, playing a semi bad character who was battling for Jennifer Love Hewitt's affection... And he sucked at it.
Fast forward ten years and he's been playing The Big Bang Theory's Leonard Hoffsteader, a super intelligent physicist with a witty sense of humor... Now stick another ten years on it and he's playing a professor who watches the dreaded tape of Samara Morgan's and is cursed with death... But it seems allot does is make him an asshole... The man is not made to play these types of roles... He's just too nice...
So I'm not sure if I can find his portrayal genuine.
.I haven't jumped, screamed or had my heart race once during this film. It is a waste of time and space...
If I could rewind my life and take back the time, I would've picked something else... Hell I would've rather watched the emoji movie than this. Probably would've been more entertaining.
So far it's been horrible...
If some of you can remember, Johnny Galecki was in I Know What You Did Last Summer, playing a semi bad character who was battling for Jennifer Love Hewitt's affection... And he sucked at it.
Fast forward ten years and he's been playing The Big Bang Theory's Leonard Hoffsteader, a super intelligent physicist with a witty sense of humor... Now stick another ten years on it and he's playing a professor who watches the dreaded tape of Samara Morgan's and is cursed with death... But it seems allot does is make him an asshole... The man is not made to play these types of roles... He's just too nice...
So I'm not sure if I can find his portrayal genuine.
.I haven't jumped, screamed or had my heart race once during this film. It is a waste of time and space...
If I could rewind my life and take back the time, I would've picked something else... Hell I would've rather watched the emoji movie than this. Probably would've been more entertaining.
Charley (64 KP) rated The Book Thief in Books
Feb 16, 2019
Powerful and moving.
I was unable to put this book down from the start.
The book Thief is set in a WW2 Germany and follows the life of Leisel Merminger and her struggles in a Nazi Germany.
Before I go into more detail of the storyline I want to first mention how moving it is to see the second world war from a different perspective. I knew that the German people didn't have it easy during the war as well as the allies but it isn't often spoken about. The pressure that the German people were under to conform to the Nazi regime was imense and this book shows this perfectly. It outlines the day to day struggles of a regular family.
This book is a brilliant read and I feel the best part about it is that it is narrated by Death. This gives a little bit of humour to an otherwise quite intense and dark read.
I feel everyone should give this brilliant book a go.
The book Thief is set in a WW2 Germany and follows the life of Leisel Merminger and her struggles in a Nazi Germany.
Before I go into more detail of the storyline I want to first mention how moving it is to see the second world war from a different perspective. I knew that the German people didn't have it easy during the war as well as the allies but it isn't often spoken about. The pressure that the German people were under to conform to the Nazi regime was imense and this book shows this perfectly. It outlines the day to day struggles of a regular family.
This book is a brilliant read and I feel the best part about it is that it is narrated by Death. This gives a little bit of humour to an otherwise quite intense and dark read.
I feel everyone should give this brilliant book a go.
Lily (2 KP) rated The Sun Eaters in Books
Jan 30, 2018
Two orphan boys try to survive post WWII
This book will definitely grab your life-sac into a boxing ring, land a few right hooks, an upper cut, and drop kick you on the floor. But maybe, like the boys say in the book, you're one of the ones that can see the beauty in the strange, the love-hate of all good stories. So you'll put it down, make someone something to eat, feed yourself, fortify your bones to get at it again - finish it, tear a piece of one of the pages and chew it into a stew-like paste and swallow it. Forever making a little home for these boys inside your body. Maybe you'll eat a little bit more of it each day as you pray and work to keep the world one in which we don't have to eat the sun, dig our own graves. But be warned, once read their hunger might become your own. And hunger never dies.