World of Yesterday: Memoirs of a European
Anthea Bell, Stefan Zweig and David Pearson
Book
'The time provides the pictures, I merely speak the words to go with them, and it will not be so...
Three Graves Full
Jon Gray and Jamie Mason
Book
Hitchcock meets the Coen Brothers in a darkly comic suspense novel with the tense pacing of a...
Dominicana
8.0
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 'A story for now, an important story . . ....
Historical Fiction New York Literary Fiction Adult Fiction The Dominican Republic Coming of Age
Unsheltered
7.0
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(via goodreads.com) The New York Times bestselling author of Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, and The...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom in Books
Jan 2, 2018
Ricks points out, both men's "dominant priority, a commitment to human freedom, gave them common cause", despite Orwell being an introvert and Churchill being a prominent orator - and it seems to be the common thread that ties them throughout.
The author's focus on Orwell felt far more interesting than Churchill's background, given that Orwell served in various armed forces around the world by choice, and usually fighting with the underdog. He was also poverty-stricken for a period of time, in which he wrote the classic memoir Down and Out in Paris and London. But Churchill's ability to change minds across the political sphere is legendary.
While certainly not exhaustive, this book provides an overview of the lives of both influential men, delving into each's careers as the themes of war, politics, and personal liberties are explored. It may be seen as a bit of a stretch given the two never actually met, however, it is still informative and entertaining.
Sam (74 KP) rated A Thousand Perfect Notes in Books
Mar 27, 2019
But overall, the book just didn’t feel right. The language used was very poetic, almost as if C.G. Drews was just trying to make Instagram-worthy quotes. The language seemed really forced and really out of context. I can’t understand how a story about an abused teen would use very romanticised and literary language.
In any other context, I think I would quite like her writing style, but I feel that it really didn’t fit in at all here.
And then there’s the way that every few pages the lines
are
like
this
For absolutely no reason at all, and then for about fifty pages you see no use of this writing style almost as if the author has forgotten that she was trying to use this as a feature.
I get that this is a debut, but it just seemed really amateurish and didn’t flow at all. I started off liking the characters, and I finished hating them.
The only reason that this is two stars instead of one is that I did actually manage to finish it.
David McK (3557 KP) rated Casino Royale Vintage 007 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
And that's the crux of this book: British (not-so) secret Agent James Bond is chosen to go undercover to bankrupt Le Chiffre in gambling at the Casino Royale of the title.
THis Bond is also quite 'hard', more akin to the Bond of the Dalton or Craig era of the films than to that of (say) the Moore era or - my favourite - the Brosnan era. As the first novel in the series, this also highlights to Bond just how cold the spy game an be, with the inclusion of Vesper Lynd: one of only two female's in his (literary) life who have such an impact on him.
While the prose does flow well enough, and the novel is short enough not to out-stay it's welcome, it none-the-less failed to ignite any desire in me to hunt down any other of Ian Fleming's Bond novels: I'm not going to avoid them (or say no if I come across them), but neither I am going to actively hunt them out.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Happiness for Humans in Books
Jan 17, 2019
It’s not everyday you’d read a romantic comedy novel about AIs, but I’m pleased to say this is a highly entertaining read. It’s funny and has some great endearing and humanly flawed characters (even the AIs). The plot is bonkers, and gets even crazier towards the end, and you do have to suspend your disbelief at times. I did prefer the first half of the story, when it was mainly AI matchmaking rather than the darker (and crazier) side, but it was still all very enjoyable. Not one that’s going to win any literary prices, but still well written and very entertaining. I’m holding out now for my own personal matchmaker AI.
Usborne Sticker Dolly Princess
Book and Entertainment
App
Little girls will love dressing the princesses in this delightful app based on the bestselling...
The Last Blasket King: Padraig O Cathain, an Ri
Book
There is something magical about the notion of a king on a small isolated island. Few would look at...