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Dana (24 KP) rated The Raven Boys in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
Maggie Stiefvater | 2012 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.7 (35 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was surprisingly good. Since I wasn't the biggest fan of Shiver from the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, I wasn't sure how I would like this book. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to all of my tumblr friends who kept recommending this to me so that I would actually read it. I had been putting it off for about a year and a half.
The plot line was very well paced. Though the chapters were narrated by different characters (something I don't always like) it was clear as to who was speaking. The characters were interesting and fun. I loved the growing relationships between the boys and Blue. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys supernatural novels with mystery and a crap ton of psychic magic. Great job Ms. Stiefvater!
  
Days of Blood and Starlight
Days of Blood and Starlight
Laini Taylor | 2012 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.0 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
I need to know what happens next!! This book was so good. I loved how even after it has been almost exactly one year since I read the first book, it was easy to remember what happened. There were a few moments when I didn't know if the scene was a flashback or in the present, but as I read more of it, it became clear. I really enjoyed how it changed to characters we hadn't heard from before. Their perspectives were interesting to hear. seeing what happened in their world to the civilian was sometimes hard to read because it was saddening, but it was a good thing to have. Congratulations to you, Laini Taylor, for getting me hooked in yet another one of your fabulous novels.
  
A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3)
A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3)
Megan Shepherd | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a pretty good ending to the series. Though I liked the other two novels better, this one still held its own. With heavy ties to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, this novel took on even darker and more serious elements to the series. Frankly, I didn't know that would have been possible. The characters went on developing and there were quite a few twists that I didn't see coming. After one point toward that later half of the book, however, I found myself not wanting to pay as much attention. I felt like it had already been through all of the stuff it was going through and got a bit repetitive. I liked the book, overall, though and would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a good horror novel!
  
A Feast for Crows
A Feast for Crows
George R.R. Martin | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.2 (51 Ratings)
Book Rating
Some people claim that this is the weakest entry in the series so far, but I would have to disagree. It may be lacking in the shocking and epic events that had characterized the previous novels, but the character development and world building is excellent and keep me engaged throughout. Yes, many of the characters that had become the most popular either play minimal roles in this book, or are absent altogether, but they will all feature heavily in the next one, which is essentially to be thought of as part 2 of this one. It can all be a bit overwhelming in scope, but that is part of what makes it so special. If you're not into fantasy, reading these books will change your mind on the genre.
  
This is another one that I probably wouldn't have ever read if it hasn't been free, followed by an occasion some time later when it seemed the most interesting-sounding thing hanging around on the Kindle when I happened to be bored. The plot reminds me if Dan Brown to some extent, although I know he certainly wasn't the first to write novels along such lines. Religious secrets, conspiracies, secret societies, competing spies, and a great deal of violence are all tossed together. I wanted the answer to a couple of questions just barely enough to keep reading, but I figured out all the big mysteries long before the last chapter. I think the book would have been much better if it had been edited down to be much shorter.
  
TD
Thai Die (A Needlecraft Mystery, #12)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I started reading this series years ago, because of "meeting" Ms. Ferris via <a href="nntp://rec.crafts.textiles.needlework">rec.crafts.textiles.needlework </a>. It's odd to think of how much has changed since then&mdash;I don't even have a dedicated usenet client installed any more! Still, I still stitch, and I still enjoy the little handwork bits throughout Ferris' novels.

Unfortunately, the digressions into minutia on other topics (do I care where Goddy picked up an expression? Honestly, no) gets annoying. If there had been one more sentence about Lars' Stanley Steamer, I might have thrown the book across the room.

Still, these books are much brighter in tone than so much of what I read that they make a nice break here and there. The free patterns at the back of each book certainly don't hurt, either.
  
Love You More (Tessa Leoni, #1; Detective D.D. Warren, #5)
Love You More (Tessa Leoni, #1; Detective D.D. Warren, #5)
Lisa Gardner | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.7 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
I haven't read many detective books as their usually not my type of book. However, having read the summary of this book, I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm so glad I read it. It is amazing!! Definitely my favourite detective book. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book right up until the very end, literally!! I kept thinking I had figured out the plot, then something else would happen to totally throw me off.

I never would've predicted the ending which says a lot as I'm usually able to figure out the plot at least by the middle of the book.

Definitely give this book a read even if it isn't your usual genre. This book has made me want to read more detective novels!
  
I am a fan of cozy mysteries and when the opportunity to read this book fell into my lap I, of course, jumped at the chance.

The main character is Pippa and she runs Moorehaven, which is a quirky bed-and-breakfast that had been the home of a world-famous mystery writer. The B&B attracts writers who want to find their own fame of writing crime novels.

The book was filled with some mystery, a little suspense, a possibility of a love connection, funny situations, and of course a murder to solve. This was a fun new mystery and I feel other readers like myself will be jumping at the chance to read more in the series.

I volunteered to review an ARC of this book.
  
The Tin Roof Blowdown
The Tin Roof Blowdown
James Lee Burke | 2008 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The sheer scale of the work (0 more)
A novel one lives rather than reads
Each of the fifteen Dave Robicheaux novels which preceded this one are masterpieces and this is the Grand Finale. The plot and characters move within the devasted landscape of New Orleans following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The scenes of environmental destruction are described with heartbreakingly beautiful poetic prose which serves as a counterpoint to a seering indictment of the socio-economic political landscape of the time. The extreme conditions under which the plot develops drive the characters to their limits of good and evil. The plot is as relentless as the driving force of the hurricane. Often difficult to read due to the sheer emotional weight of the work but too compelling to put down.
  
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Milleen (47 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
The Girl Before
The Girl Before
J.P. Delaney | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.7 (25 Ratings)
Book Rating
A twist on the popular domestic noir novels that have dominated the bestseller list. This psychological thriller revolves around Jane, recovering after a traumatic loss, she moves into an architectural showhome, an austere house with strict rules. One Folgate Street is a formidable fortress of technology that promotes, sleek, sterile, minimalist living but it hides a murky past. Jane is not the first resident to enjoy the stark lifestyle and her interest is piqued when a stranger leaves flowers at the door. Who was the girl before and will the same fate befall Jane?
This narrative uses the two women’s perspectives to draw you into the plot. The film is being directed by Ron Howard so there’s time to read the book before you see the movie. One for your travels.