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Beasts Made of Night

Tochi Onyebuchi

5.3 (3 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Debut author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers an unforgettable fantasy adventure that powerfully explores...

Fantasy

JadedBubbles (1 KP) rated The King in Books

Jan 3, 2018

The King

J.R. Ward | 2014 | Paranormal, Romance

8.4

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

Drama, Politics, Band of Bastards (0 more)

Wraith and Beth finally return!

This is the 13th installment to the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels by J.R. Ward. This story goes back to Wraith and Beth, who haven;t had their own novel since the first book of the series. We also see the history of Wraith's parents, who we have only heard of, but do not really know much about until now.

The book has some really good plot points finally coming about after a few books of build up from the Band of Bastards and the Glymeria, as well as Trez and iAm getting a spot light, hinting at the contents of the next novel, since it will be revolving around them.

In this novel Wraith and Beth are coming to an impasse regarding their future; Beth, who has yet to go into her Needing, would like nothing more than to have a child of her own. She knows her life has meaning as the Queen of the race, but she feels a hole in her life that only a young can fill. Wraith, who was orphaned at a young age when his parents were killed in a raid, does not want to subject his future offspring to his same fate, ruling the race from behind a massive wooden desk hating life. Not to mention the risk to Beth.

I found that I could relate to Beth very easily, and even though I really hated the way that Wraith reacted when he found out Beth wanted a child, I could see his point too. No one wants to lose the one they love more than life itself. the dialogue between characters was fun and witty, and events followed a logical progression and conclusion (trying to not give away details is so hard) that were satisfying.

Overall, if you are a fan of this series and you have not read this book yet, it is a must read! Especially if you love Beth and Wraith as much as I do.

Kudos

EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Running Plain Sight & Other Stories in Books

Nov 20, 2019

Running in Plain Sight is a collection of short stories by author Charles Butts. The book is named after the first story in the collection. The first story tells the life story of Leander Sills JR. When he was ten years old tragedy struck, and he was forced to go on the run. The story gives glimpses into the rest of his life as he deals with hardship, kindness, and forgiveness. These are themes that are carried over into the other three stories: If All Minds Are Clear, Home Follows, and A Balanced Imbalance. Each is centered on the life of a man who is struggling with his own mistakes or the mistakes of others but grows and finds peace in life. Beginning with Running in Pain Sight was an excellent choice for the first story in the collection because not only does it do a wonderful job of setting the themes in the collection, but that story, in particular, has an incredibly strong and powerful hook from the very beginning.
What I found most captivating about each of these stories were the characters. Both the main characters and the characters around them are flawed people, otherwise known as real people. No one is perfect in these stories, but that makes them easier to be sympatric to. What makes them strong characters is that they take responsibility for their actions. Even though the short stories really only give us glimpses into the lives of the characters that live within them, their flaws and character growth make them deeply developed characters.
Charles R. Butts Jr. published this collection in 2017 and published his first book, For Only A Season in 2016. These stories are quick reads but beautiful and powerful stories. Butts’s writing style is easy and often conversational as you are in the heads of the main characters. However, the simplicity makes the voices stronger, and the meaning of the stories shine through. I greatly enjoyed reading these stories and would highly recommend them.

Kudos

Neither Donkey nor Horse: Medicine in the Struggle Over China's Modernity

Sean Hsiang-Lin Lei

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Neither Donkey nor Horse tells the story of how Chinese medicine was transformed from the antithesis...

Mo (66 KP) rated Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 in Tech

Oct 23, 2018

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9

Camera & Photo > Digital Point & Shoot Cameras

8.3

(21 Ratings)

Tech Rating

make beautiful prints of photos (2 more)

really fun to use

easy to carry around

Carries very little film, only useful if you expect to make very little prints (1 more)

Really easy to lose

Lovely idea

I love mt Instax, it is fun to use, and fits in my pockets (mainly because my pockets are huge). Unfortunately it was not too great for what I got it for which was for a child's birthday. Each cartridge carries only 10 prints, meaning even with something small like the party I got it for the film is too little. I ran out of film within the first 10 minutes of the party, and spent most of my time deciphering how to reload the camera. Also as it is small it went missing a lot.
I loved it for my day to day use which doesn't use a lot, and it was lovely. I found magnetic tape and with this it has changed my life.