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I received this book as a complimentary review copy through Story Cartel.

A love story of a different kind, The Divided Hearts tells the tale of Judith and Nate, and the long realisation they both go through before they accept their love for each other. Set against the backdrop of Newport, America, on the another war with the motherland, some great historical points are raised, as well as dealing with the emotional conflict of those with English ties but who are American at heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is quite strange as I usually stay away from romance, and there are many reasons for this! Firstly I'll start with how easy it was to read. The flow was fantastic, really easy to get your head into, Darcy really sets the scene well and gives you just the right amount of information to keep you engaged in the story without overloading you. IT's very rare to find a book that's so easy to read, but you could dip in and out at your own leisure, knowing the idyllic life of early America was waiting for you to return.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the fantastic description used by Darcy. It was beautifully detailed, I felt that I could see every vista she described, feel all the dresses Judith wore and get all hot and flustered at Nate's muscles! It's rare that a book truly appeals to all senses whilst you are reading it, but Darcy manages this superbly and it is a great delight to read.

In addition, the characters deserve a mention. In a relatively short text, it's sometimes difficult to really engage and invest emotionally in the characters, but in 'The Divided Hearts' you are drawn whole heartedly into their lives. You agonise with Judith over her decision of whether to stay in America or not. You get excited when good things happen to the characters, you feel scared for them when they're in danger. I know it sounds vague, but believe me, this is a book you want to read for yourself, and I won't spoil that first read excitement!

Perhaps the best thing for me though was the story itself. It was entirely believable from start to finish. You really could have imagined this happening during that difficult transition time, and that makes it all the more enjoyable. It's like you're getting a lovely snippet into the past, and although it's a story, you don't feel it is entirely fictional, rather, you feel like there's some truth and somewhere out there this actually did happen. I think the accuracy of the history in general helps greatly with this, and it's a relief (and a pleasure!) to see a book that's so well researched and that presents such an accurate historical representation of the time and place it is describing.

In conclusion, this is a brilliant read for an easy afternoon sat in the sunshine. The plot, characters and description work fantastically together to provide a much needed release from the drama's of every day like. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or a little bit of easy reading romance.
  
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Becky Albertalli | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Gender Studies
9
9.0 (29 Ratings)
Book Rating
I got this because I saw the film was out on DVD and I like to read the books before I see the film.

So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.

I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.

I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.

I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.

I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one
  
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Sheridan (209 KP) rated The Martian in Books

Jul 9, 2017  
The Martian
The Martian
Andy Weir | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.9 (50 Ratings)
Book Rating
Just Epic :)
[edit]
I loved everything about this book, Watney's sense of humour is golden and I love how he never reacts to a situation like you would expect a normal person to. Instead of breaking down and being dramatic (not every human reacts like this!!) he just accepts that s**t happens and moves on, that's a pretty admirable trate in a person. Not only did I enjoy the way the story was told through his logs but also through different points of view, I also enjoyed how incredibly scientific the book was, it's all reasonably accurate science too which is refreshing, most sci fi books drift into the realm of impossibly and become outright ridiculous but this kept the science pretty on point which is impressive. If you're a space nerd with a dry sense of humour (like me) I'd highly recommend reading this, it's an amazing book :)
  
    Mindly (mind mapping)

    Mindly (mind mapping)

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    Mindly helps to organize your inner universe. Give a structure to your thoughts, capture ideas, plan...

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    Experience information like never before with IBM Cognos Mobile. Access and interact with all of the...

P
Purgatorium
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Imagine waking up without knowing where you are, not remembering who you are or why you are here - only to realise that you are in coma, and you only have a few days to live.

In order to get out of this ‘’in-between’’ place, you have to beat your demons… Would you be able to do that? Would you be able to realise what you were doing wrong, and become a better person?

See the full review on my website - www.diaryofdifference.com

Purgatorium is a wonderful thought story.

The main character is very unique, and a lot of people can relate to that certain type, for many different reasons.

I like how the story covers a little bit of Dante’s idea for a Purgatory, and a little bit of Alice in the Wonderland fantasy. I love how the time is presented, and every day has its own lost soul to help the main character.

The pace of the book goes easily, as it is nicely split into little chapters, all split into separate days, so we can keep track of where in time we are.

I found the character really amusing, how he changes over time, how he realises that he should have been a better person and tries to fix his life and make amends.
The story will blow your mind - it did blew my mind for sure. Expect to find a lot of unexpected things to happen, lots of twists, that will haunt you in a good way, for a very long time!

This story is so intriguing, unpredictable, and definitely worth reading. It makes you wonder about the true values in life, about who we really are, and all the sins we are making without realising the consequences.

It also makes you wonder whether a person can really change, entirely become a better person, or would he try to be a better person, just so he can have another chance in life to continue living the way he always used to live his life.
This is definitely one of the books that will make you want to re-read it over and over again.