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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Blue Labyrinth (Pendergast, #14) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
NOTE: If you haven't read anything in this series yet, Blue Labyrinth might not be the best place to start. There are returning characters from previous novels, and reading some of the earlier books (especially Relic, #1 in the series) will make this one even more enjoyable.
I love revisiting old friends and old places in this series, and the New York Museum of Natural History is by far my favorite place in Pendergasts New York. Blue Labyrinth opens with a dead body in the museum, and Margo Green called in to assist with the police investigation. Full of danger and Pendergast family drama, this installment moves along at an incredible pace, and is a great addition to the series.
I love revisiting old friends and old places in this series, and the New York Museum of Natural History is by far my favorite place in Pendergasts New York. Blue Labyrinth opens with a dead body in the museum, and Margo Green called in to assist with the police investigation. Full of danger and Pendergast family drama, this installment moves along at an incredible pace, and is a great addition to the series.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Mafia Captive in Books
Jul 12, 2018
Okay, so this is one of those guilty pleasure books that will keep you entertained and a little embarrassed that you are entertained.
Things I liked about the book: The psychology behind the main characters, the use of conditioning, and how fast of a read it was.
Things I didn't like about the book: Sexual Assault, Stockholm Syndrome, and the stupidity of the characters.
The book has a different kind of plot and it is very dark compared to other novels that I have read. The main character is kidnapped, held hostage, forced into sexual experiences. This book frustrated me in the fact that BDSM does NOT equal abuse, or rape. Safe, Sane, and Consensual are the three things that don't really make an appearance.
Things I liked about the book: The psychology behind the main characters, the use of conditioning, and how fast of a read it was.
Things I didn't like about the book: Sexual Assault, Stockholm Syndrome, and the stupidity of the characters.
The book has a different kind of plot and it is very dark compared to other novels that I have read. The main character is kidnapped, held hostage, forced into sexual experiences. This book frustrated me in the fact that BDSM does NOT equal abuse, or rape. Safe, Sane, and Consensual are the three things that don't really make an appearance.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Home Safe in Books
Sep 3, 2018
I usually love Elizabeth Berg's novels but this one was hard to get through. It was boring and I could not find any empathy for the protagonist from the beginning to the end. The protagonist claims to have more than a little crush on Donald Trump, so that might be part of the reason I couldn't like her. She didn't have much of a personality and seemed to be constantly searching for a life that never happened. Her interchanges with other characters were unpleasant at best. The only redeeming quality of this book was that it offered a few ideas for creative writing when she suggested topics and writing exercises for a class she was teaching. Other than that, it was a very dissatisfying read.
David McK (3791 KP) rated The Young Hornblower Omnibus in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Released to tie in with the ITV series of the same name a few years back (hence the cover photo), this omnibus edition consists of the following:
Mr Midshipman Hornblower
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower and the Hotspur
While the second two are novels in their own right (with an over-reaching plot structure), it has to be said that the first (also the one the TV series seems to be based on) reads more like a series of short stories, a sense heightened by the fact that each chapter has its own distinct heading. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if that was originally the case, and they have all just been collected here under that umbrella heading of Mr Midshipman Hornblower!
Mr Midshipman Hornblower
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower and the Hotspur
While the second two are novels in their own right (with an over-reaching plot structure), it has to be said that the first (also the one the TV series seems to be based on) reads more like a series of short stories, a sense heightened by the fact that each chapter has its own distinct heading. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if that was originally the case, and they have all just been collected here under that umbrella heading of Mr Midshipman Hornblower!
David McK (3791 KP) rated Lion in the Valley (Amelia Peabody, #4) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The fourth of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series of books, this again sees the Victorian archaeologist return to Egypt, in the company of her husband and precocious son.
As before, they are then caught up in a mystery surrounding a murder as well as the usual romantic entanglements for these novels. This also sees the return of the 'Master Criminal' from the previous books, who is both named (obviously not his real name) and looks like becoming a recurring character in the series as a whole.
I found this to be a diverting enough read, but not up to the standards of the first novel, perhaps due to the fact that I am now familiar with the type of story it is.
As before, they are then caught up in a mystery surrounding a murder as well as the usual romantic entanglements for these novels. This also sees the return of the 'Master Criminal' from the previous books, who is both named (obviously not his real name) and looks like becoming a recurring character in the series as a whole.
I found this to be a diverting enough read, but not up to the standards of the first novel, perhaps due to the fact that I am now familiar with the type of story it is.
David McK (3791 KP) rated Raven: Blood Eye (Raven 1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The first in a planned trilogy, Raven: Blood Eye is set during the early days of the Viking incursion into what would later become known as England. Pretty much the entire novel centres around one such such fictional raid: before, during and after the said event, with the subseqent sequels planning to 'open out' the Viking world.
If I had to compare it to other similar novels I've read, I would probably have to place it somewhere in the gap between Bernard Cornwell's (an author, incidentally, who Giles Kristian acknowledges as being part of his inspiration) series on Alfred the Great and Tim Severin's Viking books: not quite as polished as the former, nor as scholarly as the latter. Still an enjoyable enough read, though!
If I had to compare it to other similar novels I've read, I would probably have to place it somewhere in the gap between Bernard Cornwell's (an author, incidentally, who Giles Kristian acknowledges as being part of his inspiration) series on Alfred the Great and Tim Severin's Viking books: not quite as polished as the former, nor as scholarly as the latter. Still an enjoyable enough read, though!
Finished by Richard Preston, this is the novel that Michael Crichton was working on at the time of his death in 2008.
I have to say that, of late, I have actually been disappointed by most of Crichton's more recent novels, with the possible exception of <i>Prey</i>. Unfortunately, I was also pretty disappointed by this: I felt that I was never really engaged with any of the characters, so their plight never really had any impact on me - without giving too much away, and in a pretty superficial sense, I think this novel could be pretty much described as <i>The Borrowers</i>, set in nature.
For me, <i>Jurassic Park</i> (by far) still remains Crichton's seminal work.
I have to say that, of late, I have actually been disappointed by most of Crichton's more recent novels, with the possible exception of <i>Prey</i>. Unfortunately, I was also pretty disappointed by this: I felt that I was never really engaged with any of the characters, so their plight never really had any impact on me - without giving too much away, and in a pretty superficial sense, I think this novel could be pretty much described as <i>The Borrowers</i>, set in nature.
For me, <i>Jurassic Park</i> (by far) still remains Crichton's seminal work.
themaxdog (14 KP) rated Highland Spring in Books
Jul 17, 2019
Spring is a feisty Scottish warrior woman and a refreshing change from the usual damsels in distress that permeate novels of this genre and period. However, once her father arranges her marriage to Shaw, laird of Edinvale Castle and her clan's sworn enemy, this young woman's life changes forever.
One of my favourite things about this story was Spring's character development. Throughout the story, she uncovers more and more of the truth and discovers what it truly means to belong along the way. Fun, romantic, and at times, steamy, this is a great starting point to delve into the world that author Elizabeth Rose has created.
Highland Spring is a quick, light read - perfect for keeping you busy on a rainy weekend!
One of my favourite things about this story was Spring's character development. Throughout the story, she uncovers more and more of the truth and discovers what it truly means to belong along the way. Fun, romantic, and at times, steamy, this is a great starting point to delve into the world that author Elizabeth Rose has created.
Highland Spring is a quick, light read - perfect for keeping you busy on a rainy weekend!
Milleen (47 KP) rated Our Little Lies in Books
Jan 14, 2019
This is a very dramatic departure from the usual sugar dusted, bakery inspired novels Watson is so famous for. It’s a psychological, dark, domestic thriller that explores a seemingly perfect marriage, exposing what goes on behind closed doors. Marianne has everything, a handsome surgeon husband, a beautiful home and three children she adores. A perfect life. Then her husband says another woman’s name and her spiral descent begins. Is it paranoia or does she have reason to believe that this is another woman? This is a tense novel, using dramatic irony to pull you along Marianne’s journey. The characters are a little cliched, but I won’t spoil your reading by revealing too much. If you enjoy this genre then it is ‘unputdownable’.
rebeccareadsyt (8 KP) rated Genuine Fraud in Books
Jan 18, 2019
Quick to read
I read this on holiday, in two sittings. Only because I had to get up from my first sitting to get a drink before burning up.
I felt that this was one of those YA novels that is very typical. We have the main character, someone who wants everything they can't have. We have the boyfriend of the friend, who she wants and who wants her, but neither can have.
But then, then we have the dead girl.
I don't know how I truly felt about this one, it definitely plays with your mind. It's a good start to psychological thrillers if that's a genre you want to explore more, but for me, it felt like a meh book.
I felt that this was one of those YA novels that is very typical. We have the main character, someone who wants everything they can't have. We have the boyfriend of the friend, who she wants and who wants her, but neither can have.
But then, then we have the dead girl.
I don't know how I truly felt about this one, it definitely plays with your mind. It's a good start to psychological thrillers if that's a genre you want to explore more, but for me, it felt like a meh book.