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Mr Churchill's Driver: A Murderer's Story
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Mr Churchill's Driver: A Murderer's Story describes real events, and events that may be real....
Nora Webster
8.0
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* * * Shortlisted for the 2014 Costa Novel Awards and the 2015 Folio Prize * * * Nora Webster is the...
Everything is Illuminated
6.0
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Everything Is Illuminated is Jonathan Safran Foer's bestselling novel of a search for...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Qualityland: Visit Tomorrow, Today! in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This story is told from multiple perspectives, sharing the lives of very different but interesting characters. The main character of this book would be Peter, a regular guy, who doesn’t really have many goals in life. He kind of goes with the flow, until he receives an item, that he didn’t want. There is this cloud of sadness surrounding Peter, he seems boring, however, he is witty and really kind man, and I really enjoyed his adventures. I did like the other characters in this novel as well, they portrayed different angles of this messed up country, and I really enjoyed their thoughts about machinery and consumerism.
I really liked the narrative of this book, it is constantly changing, diverse, and absolutely absorbing. This novel has a political spice to it, that some people might not like, but I think the rich vs. poor theme suited this book very well. This novel doesn’t have major twists in it, but all the turns and adventures were really interesting and entertaining.
I loved the writing style of this book, it is very thought-provoking, very well researched and educational. I am truly wondering, how Marc-Uwe Kling produced this wonderful book, how he came up with all this. The whole story is quite surreal but makes sense at the same time.
I really liked the narrative of this book, it is constantly changing, diverse, and absolutely absorbing. This novel has a political spice to it, that some people might not like, but I think the rich vs. poor theme suited this book very well. This novel doesn’t have major twists in it, but all the turns and adventures were really interesting and entertaining.
I loved the writing style of this book, it is very thought-provoking, very well researched and educational. I am truly wondering, how Marc-Uwe Kling produced this wonderful book, how he came up with all this. The whole story is quite surreal but makes sense at the same time.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Adventure Time: v. 1 in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I love the show and just had to read this. Now I'm possibly in love with it.
The story is simple yet great; The Lich is sucking up the world into his bag and Finn and Jake must save everyone. They are accompanied by some fabulous characters - Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Lumpy Space Princess, Desert Princess, The Ice King - and there are some hilarious pieces of dialogue. All the characters have funny, well-developed personalities that you can't help but fall in love with.
I also like how the fourth wall is often broken - Marceline moans at the readers, and fake "The End" pages are included for humour. It gives the novel a unique feel that I really enjoyed.
The artwork is amazing. Like, absolutely awesome. So much colour! And it's all so clear and beautiful. The only problem with the appearance in this novel is that the text at the bottom of some pages is a strange, pale green that is pretty hard to read against the white background of the pages.
Toward the back of the book, there are also tons of different cover images, all in different art styles. I loved them all! They were a great touch to the novel.
I was very tempted to give this 5 stars, but I don't think it's quite there. But 4.5 stars for sure!
The story is simple yet great; The Lich is sucking up the world into his bag and Finn and Jake must save everyone. They are accompanied by some fabulous characters - Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Lumpy Space Princess, Desert Princess, The Ice King - and there are some hilarious pieces of dialogue. All the characters have funny, well-developed personalities that you can't help but fall in love with.
I also like how the fourth wall is often broken - Marceline moans at the readers, and fake "The End" pages are included for humour. It gives the novel a unique feel that I really enjoyed.
The artwork is amazing. Like, absolutely awesome. So much colour! And it's all so clear and beautiful. The only problem with the appearance in this novel is that the text at the bottom of some pages is a strange, pale green that is pretty hard to read against the white background of the pages.
Toward the back of the book, there are also tons of different cover images, all in different art styles. I loved them all! They were a great touch to the novel.
I was very tempted to give this 5 stars, but I don't think it's quite there. But 4.5 stars for sure!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Been There, Married That in Books
May 23, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Agnes Murphy Nash has the perfect Hollywood life...or so she thought until arriving home to find the gates and doors locked and is prevented from entering her own house. What ensues is a humorous look at divorce, the stupid things people do while divorcing, and how badly we can act.
Gigi Levangie Grazer could have written Been There, Married That as a Debbie Downer book especially when discussing Agnes having to still cohabitate with her husband during the divorce. Anyone who had to endure cohabitating knows there is not much to laugh about. Grazier focuses on the negative but writes it with such style you are guaranteed to laugh.
I do not usually read "women's fiction" or "chick lit" but, after reading its description, I figured I would give it a try. I am so glad I chose this novel. I will continue with my norms (mystery, YA, SciFi) but will not shun women's fiction immediately from now on. I will probably still avoid romances but Been There, Married That is not a romance novel.
I also heard part of the audiobook. The narrator, Amy McFadden, did a fabulous job and really brought this novel and its humor to life.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 5/23/20.
Agnes Murphy Nash has the perfect Hollywood life...or so she thought until arriving home to find the gates and doors locked and is prevented from entering her own house. What ensues is a humorous look at divorce, the stupid things people do while divorcing, and how badly we can act.
Gigi Levangie Grazer could have written Been There, Married That as a Debbie Downer book especially when discussing Agnes having to still cohabitate with her husband during the divorce. Anyone who had to endure cohabitating knows there is not much to laugh about. Grazier focuses on the negative but writes it with such style you are guaranteed to laugh.
I do not usually read "women's fiction" or "chick lit" but, after reading its description, I figured I would give it a try. I am so glad I chose this novel. I will continue with my norms (mystery, YA, SciFi) but will not shun women's fiction immediately from now on. I will probably still avoid romances but Been There, Married That is not a romance novel.
I also heard part of the audiobook. The narrator, Amy McFadden, did a fabulous job and really brought this novel and its humor to life.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 5/23/20.
Celine
5.0
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From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars and The Painter, a luminous, masterful novel of...
Fiction crime mystery thriller female lead stand alone novel
Across the Endless River
8.0
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From the acclaimed bestselling author of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, a historical novel about...
David McK (3562 KP) rated Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) in Books
Nov 14, 2021
<2021 update>
Still good!
<original 2011 review>
I'd read the first 11 or so Dresden Files in a (relatively) short space of time, before taking a break and reading some other novelists, interspersed with his Codex Alera series.
Right from the first sentence of this novel, however, it's obvious that this one has been particulary aptly named, and why I found this particular series to be better than his other. It's all happening here: this novel hits the ground running (a weakness I found with the Codex Alera, in that they took a lot longer to get up to speed) and barely pauses for breath right throughout it's 500+ pages! By the end, it's obvious that nothing will be the same again ...
I remember reading somewhere that Jim Butcher had the series planned out to be 20 books: if that's so, we're just slightly over the 1/2 way mark by now, and you can see some of the plot threads introduced in earlier novels begining to move towards their denouement, with one (in particular) tied up in this novel. For that reeason, I probably wouldn't recommend this to be a first read - while technically possible to read them out of sequence, I feel that you would be doing yourself a great dis-service in doing so, especially with the recurring characters, references and themes that continually pop up.
Still good!
<original 2011 review>
I'd read the first 11 or so Dresden Files in a (relatively) short space of time, before taking a break and reading some other novelists, interspersed with his Codex Alera series.
Right from the first sentence of this novel, however, it's obvious that this one has been particulary aptly named, and why I found this particular series to be better than his other. It's all happening here: this novel hits the ground running (a weakness I found with the Codex Alera, in that they took a lot longer to get up to speed) and barely pauses for breath right throughout it's 500+ pages! By the end, it's obvious that nothing will be the same again ...
I remember reading somewhere that Jim Butcher had the series planned out to be 20 books: if that's so, we're just slightly over the 1/2 way mark by now, and you can see some of the plot threads introduced in earlier novels begining to move towards their denouement, with one (in particular) tied up in this novel. For that reeason, I probably wouldn't recommend this to be a first read - while technically possible to read them out of sequence, I feel that you would be doing yourself a great dis-service in doing so, especially with the recurring characters, references and themes that continually pop up.
David McK (3562 KP) rated The Long Walk in Books
Nov 13, 2022
I like going for long walks.
Not sure I'd like to participate in The Long Walk, though!
An early King novel, writing under the pseudonym Richard Bachamn, this is (or was, I think, at the time of writing) a near-future-set dystopian novel where the national pastime has become The Long Walk that happens once a year, where 100 teenager contestants (all male, although I don't know whether that's part of the rules or not!) participate in The Long Walk: basically, walk for days on end without being allowed to drop below a certain pace (4 miles per hour), and with 3 warnings given before you're out for good.
Out out, as in that (more modern) episode of Dr Who with the Weakest Link ripoff - shot by the soldiers pacing the Walkers in their relative safety and comfort.
The novel, as a whole, relies on character development, which there is no denying happens throughout. I just wish, well, that something actually *happened* (apart from a few brief scenes), and that more background had been given into how this state of affairs came about.
It also has a very open-ended 'ending' (it just sort of stops), which is a matter of taste whether you prefer that or not - personally, I could have done with a bit more clarity around that!
Not sure I'd like to participate in The Long Walk, though!
An early King novel, writing under the pseudonym Richard Bachamn, this is (or was, I think, at the time of writing) a near-future-set dystopian novel where the national pastime has become The Long Walk that happens once a year, where 100 teenager contestants (all male, although I don't know whether that's part of the rules or not!) participate in The Long Walk: basically, walk for days on end without being allowed to drop below a certain pace (4 miles per hour), and with 3 warnings given before you're out for good.
Out out, as in that (more modern) episode of Dr Who with the Weakest Link ripoff - shot by the soldiers pacing the Walkers in their relative safety and comfort.
The novel, as a whole, relies on character development, which there is no denying happens throughout. I just wish, well, that something actually *happened* (apart from a few brief scenes), and that more background had been given into how this state of affairs came about.
It also has a very open-ended 'ending' (it just sort of stops), which is a matter of taste whether you prefer that or not - personally, I could have done with a bit more clarity around that!