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David McK (3562 KP) rated Valiant (The Lost Fleet, #4) in Books

Jan 30, 2019

The 4th entry in Jack Campbell's (the pen-name of John Hemry) Lost Fleet series, this picks up almost directly from the end of the precious novel (Courageous), where the Alliance fleet - caught far behind enemy lines - was almost trapped and destroyed by the Syndic forces in Lakota.

This novel further develops the relationships between 'Black Jack' Geary and the commander of his flagship, Tanya Desjani, as well as between Geary and co-president Victoria Rione. Starting and finishing with space battles, it also sees the news of the alien intelligence on the far side of Syndic space becoming surhter circulated among the fleet, as well as conspirators within his own fleet stepping up their attacks on Geary.

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David McK (3562 KP) rated Thank You, Jeeves in Books

Jan 30, 2019

Thank You, Jeeves

P.G. Wodehouse | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The first full-length novel to feature Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves (or #5 by setting), this one has barely begun before Jeeves hands in his notice, after Bertie Wooster's somewhat untuneful playing of the banjolele.

Off Bertie goes to visit his friend Chuffy in the countryside, setting the scene for the typically-somewhat-convoluted set of circumstances that, or course, only Jeeves is able to sort out by the end.

To modern eyes, parts of the story may be somewhat uncomfortable (I'm talking, in particular, the sub-plot concerning the entertainers hired and Wooster's attempts to mimic them); however you do have to make allowances for the time the novel was written/set in.

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Deborah (162 KP) rated The Last Queen in Books

Dec 21, 2018

The start was a bit shaky - a few Americanisms thrown in there (Why 'visit with'??! It's a daft, redundant sort of expression!) but when I got in to it I found it to be a really rather compelling novel! This is the story of Juana 'The Mad', Quuen of Castile, daughter of Ferdinand & Isabella, the catholic kings. Gortner has an interesting take on Juana's 'madness' which he develops in the novel.

It's not altogether a comfortable read though! so many times I felt myself to be frustrated for Juana and the situation she found herself in - manipulated by others.

An interesting and thought-provoking read about a queen perhaps not much known outside of Spain.

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Deborah (162 KP) rated Habits of the House (Love & Inheritance Trilogy, #1) in Books

Dec 21, 2018

I really expected to like this book, but it didn't really live up to my expectations. Plot is aristocratic family, land rich and cash poor and what are they going to do about it. Nothing really new there either. Some other reviewers have seen this as a brilliant satire, but I'm afraid for me it was just a novel with lots of characters, many very undeveloped and most of them not even very likeable.

It is supposed to be the first part of Weldon's Love & Inheritance trilogy, but a lot of lose ends are tied up and this could really be a standalone novel. Certainly I'm far from feeling the compulsion to read the next two volumes.

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Gisell Middleton (189 KP) rated A Bad Day for Sunshine in Books

Feb 23, 2020

This is a fantastic novel! The well rounded characters, interest backgrounds and fast pace make for a can’t-put-down page turner. I enjoyed the several layers to each sub-plot and how certain people/events were connected and some were not. It takes a skilled writer to be aware of how much to include as well as how much to omit. This author is amazing! Most of the questions we, the reader, start out with in this novel are answered by the end in a way that gives us the satisfaction of “an ending” but leave enough hanging so that we are intrigued by the possibilities and will be waiting for the next installment. Great book!