Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2560 KP) rated Kilned at the Ceramic Shop in Books
Feb 18, 2025
Yes, the ceramics is what caught my eye here, although that’s not the official hook for the series. It reminded me of the few months I did some with my grandma and how much she enjoyed that hobby for decades. But that was where the good ended for me. The writing was poor throughout the book. The pacing was off with events substituting for investigation. And the characters were weak, although I did like them. There was definitely promise here, but the book needed a good edit. Others seemed to enjoy this book more than I did, but I won’t be moving forward with this series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2560 KP) rated A Murder Most Fowl in Books
Sep 10, 2025
I was looking forward to this debut since it sounded fun. And the book started out well, with me laughing and the set up moving along well. But as the book kept going, I found events took the place of actual investigation. Many of the suspects were thin, and the main characters started to wear on me with their antics. The book wasn’t all bad, but it needed a little more time to become more polished. Hopefully, a second book will be better.
Destiny Kills (Myth and Magic #1)
8.0
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When Destiny McCree wakes up beside a dead man on an Oregon beach, she knows only this: she has to...
Take Me Home
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'Such a fun read…Karly has smashed the contemporary fiction genre with Take Me Home.' - Beauty and...
Sisters is about July and September, born 10 months apart and as close as twins. They’ve only ever needed each other. But when school bullying results in them moving away with their mother to an abandoned house on the Yorkshire coast, their relationship starts to fracture. And as they push one another to do increasingly daring things, July starts to realise that something isn’t quite right.
My thoughts:
I love a quirky read, and Sisters is exactly that. I was never quite sure what July and September were going to do next, and their demands of each other were at times really dangerous. They are very insular and don’t seems to want anyone else involved in their relationship - even their mother. Even the house they live in is unfriendly, set in a hostile environment.
This isn’t a scary book at all, but it’s packed with suspense and there’s a really uncomfortable, disorientating atmosphere.
I loved it.
ClareR (6225 KP) rated Small Worlds in Books
Sep 20, 2023
As a young black man, Stephen feels safety in his small worlds: music, family and friends. And then there is outside those worlds where Stephen feels less safe: places in London where there is brutality or unrest, and University, which is where he really doesn’t want to be, as it’s so far from his friends and family - and his world.
Stephen needs these constants in his life, and when it’s taken away, he’s lost.
Stephen goes to Ghana to see the people and places of his parents youth, and it’s here that he finds some connection with those he loves. When he goes home, he’s able to come to terms with those people he has lost and rebuild relationships.
This was a really moving novel that made me really think about the challenges of culture, family, race and policing in London (in particular).
Recommended.
Where the Guilty Hide
10.0
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On the shore of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, a body lays half hidden, the waves slowly moving it with...
The Illusions
9.0
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Bristol, 1896. Used to scraping a living as the young assistant to an ageing con artist, Cecily...
Historical fiction
Merissa (13991 KP) rated Guardian Core (Sky Stone #2) in Books
May 20, 2023
With kidnap, heartbreak, a residence for the Sky Guardians, plus lots more, this book is filled from start to finish. With the story moving along at a fair pace, it builds to the climax and ends with a positive. It isn't all simple though, and Skyla has her work cut out for her.
A wonderful young adult fantasy to read and enjoy, definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 29, 2016
Back Together Again (The Wish Makers #5)
10.0
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Everyone wants a home. Will Ainsley ever get one? A best friend, a boyfriend, and a coveted spot...
Young Adult Urban Fantasy