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Space Hopper
8.0
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This is a story about taking a leap of faith and believing the unbelievable. “They say those...
Historical Fiction Magical Realism Time Travel 1970’s UK
Milk Fed
Book
Rachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she...
What Maisie Knew
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What Maisie Knew (1897) represents one of James's finest reflections on the rites of passage from...
This Poison Heart
9.5
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Kalynn Bayron does more than re-write a fairy-tale ... She breaks it apart and rebuilds it into a...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Collective in Books
Jul 31, 2022
A very satisfying tale of revenge that I raced through in quick time.
Unfortunately, we have all heard of cases where a child is abused or found dead, murdered or killed by someone else and the person thought to have committed that atrocity walks free. We all feel for the parents but what would you do if that parent was you? Would you want revenge and how far would you go?
Camille is that parent; her only child is gone and her marriage has ended.
Grief has no time scale and after five years, the pain is still as raw, if not more so as the person she believed murdered her beautiful daughter is walking free and getting on with their lives. She has to do something but what?
Enter the collective ... a secret online group of mainly mothers who will help you get the justice you feel you deserve by working together.
Camille now has purpose but how far will she go?
With a great plot and interesting characters written at a pace that was quite slow at first but increased as the story developed, this book is a great thriller and certainly had me gripped from the start waiting to see how it all turned out.
Thank you must go to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Collective and share my views.
Unfortunately, we have all heard of cases where a child is abused or found dead, murdered or killed by someone else and the person thought to have committed that atrocity walks free. We all feel for the parents but what would you do if that parent was you? Would you want revenge and how far would you go?
Camille is that parent; her only child is gone and her marriage has ended.
Grief has no time scale and after five years, the pain is still as raw, if not more so as the person she believed murdered her beautiful daughter is walking free and getting on with their lives. She has to do something but what?
Enter the collective ... a secret online group of mainly mothers who will help you get the justice you feel you deserve by working together.
Camille now has purpose but how far will she go?
With a great plot and interesting characters written at a pace that was quite slow at first but increased as the story developed, this book is a great thriller and certainly had me gripped from the start waiting to see how it all turned out.
Thank you must go to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Collective and share my views.
ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Witches of Vardø in Books
Dec 30, 2022
What starts off as a story about the life of a child in a fishing community, soon turns into a seemingly hopeless struggle for their lives. It’s dangerous to be a woman in the 1600’s. Dancing, laughing, drinking - all of these simple, everyday things can result in an accusation of witchcraft. Funnily enough, if a man does them, that’s ok (I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with the injustice of it all!).
The young girls are the ones that hold the story together. They are the link between the accused women (their mothers, aunt and another villager) and the King’s prisoner, Anna. Anna is trusted to ‘care’ for the witches whilst they’re held in the Witches hold - a thoroughly inhumane incarceration. She’s a woman with an education, so I expected for her to treated a lot worse than she was.
There’s a great mix of history and magic in this, although done in such a way as the magic didn’t seem out of place - and fitted in perfectly with the rest of the book. It was interesting to learn about the way the Sámi were regarded by the rest of Finn-mark (I’m unsure of the spelling!) - even though it wasn’t good (they weren’t Christians, and therefore dangerous).
It was a really engrossing read - I loved it.
The young girls are the ones that hold the story together. They are the link between the accused women (their mothers, aunt and another villager) and the King’s prisoner, Anna. Anna is trusted to ‘care’ for the witches whilst they’re held in the Witches hold - a thoroughly inhumane incarceration. She’s a woman with an education, so I expected for her to treated a lot worse than she was.
There’s a great mix of history and magic in this, although done in such a way as the magic didn’t seem out of place - and fitted in perfectly with the rest of the book. It was interesting to learn about the way the Sámi were regarded by the rest of Finn-mark (I’m unsure of the spelling!) - even though it wasn’t good (they weren’t Christians, and therefore dangerous).
It was a really engrossing read - I loved it.
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Triflers Need Not Apply in Books
Jun 27, 2022
Triflers Need Not Apply is based on the true story of Belle Gunness, a Norwegian who emigrated to America. And that’s what makes it so unnerving: her normality. Outwardly, Belle is a nice, god-fearing woman. But if you are married to her, that’s a different story.
I enjoyed how the two different sides of Belle were portrayed, and how her sister wanted to always think the best of her. But she knew there was a darker side. Belle’s children seemed oblivious to her proclivities, but would they have been? In fact, it does seem that at least one had a pretty good idea of her mothers capabilities.
Part of me likes to think that Belle did what she did to keep herself and her children financially safe. Men were a means to an end in a time where women had no rights. Belle really was a woman scorned - and boy, did she hold a grudge! There are some truly gruesome scenes described in an offhand way, so much so that I just got used to them: “Oh, she’s chopping them into bits! Well, that’ll make disposal easier, I suppose!” I mean, I’m not in the market for this type of thing, but it all seemed quite reasonable. That’s what made it truly horrific!
It’s a great story. I might bear some of Belle’s methods in mind…😉
I enjoyed how the two different sides of Belle were portrayed, and how her sister wanted to always think the best of her. But she knew there was a darker side. Belle’s children seemed oblivious to her proclivities, but would they have been? In fact, it does seem that at least one had a pretty good idea of her mothers capabilities.
Part of me likes to think that Belle did what she did to keep herself and her children financially safe. Men were a means to an end in a time where women had no rights. Belle really was a woman scorned - and boy, did she hold a grudge! There are some truly gruesome scenes described in an offhand way, so much so that I just got used to them: “Oh, she’s chopping them into bits! Well, that’ll make disposal easier, I suppose!” I mean, I’m not in the market for this type of thing, but it all seemed quite reasonable. That’s what made it truly horrific!
It’s a great story. I might bear some of Belle’s methods in mind…😉
mostlyinpyjamas (13 KP) rated The Roanoke Girls in Books
Nov 29, 2017
A well written book with a dark theme.
This book is one of those that's not going to be for everyone. The subject matter is heavy, and for some may well be triggering.
It features child abuse, incest, suicide and murder. It's deeply unsettling and at times made me feel really uncomfortable. I don't think there's a character in this book who isn't very messed up.
However it is very well written, I'm not sure if enjoyed is the right word to use but I was completely drawn in, I had to stick with it. I liked the way the author interweaves the flashbacks with the current story. Often, I don't enjoy flashbacks in books, they can make a story feel too disjointed for me, but it worked in The Roanoke girls.
I don't feel like it sensationalises the subjects it deals with, it sets them out as the stomach churning matters that they are.
It's definitely a story that will get you thinking.
I don't usually read the reading group questions at the end of a book, but I did with this book because I was curious, and I feel that there's definitely plenty for discussion, so perhaps it would be a good book club book.
An example of the reading group questions.
"Do you think gran is right when she says mothers are judged more harshly than fathers? Why do you think that might be? Is it a fair standard?"
Overall I enjoyed this book.
It features child abuse, incest, suicide and murder. It's deeply unsettling and at times made me feel really uncomfortable. I don't think there's a character in this book who isn't very messed up.
However it is very well written, I'm not sure if enjoyed is the right word to use but I was completely drawn in, I had to stick with it. I liked the way the author interweaves the flashbacks with the current story. Often, I don't enjoy flashbacks in books, they can make a story feel too disjointed for me, but it worked in The Roanoke girls.
I don't feel like it sensationalises the subjects it deals with, it sets them out as the stomach churning matters that they are.
It's definitely a story that will get you thinking.
I don't usually read the reading group questions at the end of a book, but I did with this book because I was curious, and I feel that there's definitely plenty for discussion, so perhaps it would be a good book club book.
An example of the reading group questions.
"Do you think gran is right when she says mothers are judged more harshly than fathers? Why do you think that might be? Is it a fair standard?"
Overall I enjoyed this book.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Most Wanted in Books
May 10, 2018
Christine Nelson has wanted nothing more than to be a mother. When she and her husband, Marcus have trouble conceiving, they use a sperm donor in order to have their child. Soon after Christine finds out she's pregnant, a news story comes on about a serial killer who is killing nurses. The killer looks a lot like their sperm donor and Christine will not rest until she finds out the truth. Traveling from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, she uses all her available resources to find out who the father of her child is no matter what her husband thinks.
Lisa Scottoline writes a book that is almost impossible to put down. Gripping from start to finish, <u>Most Wanted</u> sends you on a roller coaster ride that you never want to get off of. Zachary Jeffcoat is the name of the sperm donor. Everyone on the east coast knows him right now as the Nurse Killer. He claims he is innocent and Christine wants to believe him for no other reason than she doesn't want to be carrying a baby that could turn out to be a serial killer, can you imagine?
When Christine decides to visit Jeffcoat in prison, her husband thinks she is making a big mistake. But like all mothers, protecting her child is her number one priority and she will not rest until she knows if she is carrying a possible serial killer or not.
Lisa Scottoline writes a book that is almost impossible to put down. Gripping from start to finish, <u>Most Wanted</u> sends you on a roller coaster ride that you never want to get off of. Zachary Jeffcoat is the name of the sperm donor. Everyone on the east coast knows him right now as the Nurse Killer. He claims he is innocent and Christine wants to believe him for no other reason than she doesn't want to be carrying a baby that could turn out to be a serial killer, can you imagine?
When Christine decides to visit Jeffcoat in prison, her husband thinks she is making a big mistake. But like all mothers, protecting her child is her number one priority and she will not rest until she knows if she is carrying a possible serial killer or not.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Do You Know Your Mom's Story?: 365 Questions You Need to Ask Her in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Questions that allow you to see your mom as more than just a mom
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Do You Know Your Mom's Story?: 365 Questions You Need to Ask Her by Glenna Mageau is not what I expected. I thought it would be just pages and pages of lists of questions. It is much more than that. It encourages you to have a conversation with your mother. It allows you to learn about your mother as a person and not just as a title, "Mom".
While being a mom is a huge part of me, it is not all of me. Why do we assume that is all our mothers are?
The book is broken down into categories based on subjects and different points of their lives. It includes easy to talk about memories and the incredibly difficult ones. Asking these questions honestly helped change my relationship with my mother to morph from mother and daughter to person and person. It allowed us to talk as adults, as equals, and understand each other better. Memories were shared but from two completely different points of view.
I would have liked to have found something similar before my father passed away. It would have been nice to preserve his memories and thoughts of being more than just a dad.
Do You Know Your Mom's Story?: 365 Questions You Need to Ask Her by Glenna Mageau is not what I expected. I thought it would be just pages and pages of lists of questions. It is much more than that. It encourages you to have a conversation with your mother. It allows you to learn about your mother as a person and not just as a title, "Mom".
While being a mom is a huge part of me, it is not all of me. Why do we assume that is all our mothers are?
The book is broken down into categories based on subjects and different points of their lives. It includes easy to talk about memories and the incredibly difficult ones. Asking these questions honestly helped change my relationship with my mother to morph from mother and daughter to person and person. It allowed us to talk as adults, as equals, and understand each other better. Memories were shared but from two completely different points of view.
I would have liked to have found something similar before my father passed away. It would have been nice to preserve his memories and thoughts of being more than just a dad.