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Oscar Wilde

Richard Ellmann

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In this long-awaited bioraphy, Wilde the legendary Victorian - brilliant writer and...

David McK (3547 KP) rated Skin Game (The Dresden Files, #15) in Books

Mar 6, 2022

Hells Bells!

<2022 update>

I should perhaps mention that Michael Carpenter and his family don't actually turn up until a fair ways into the story ...

<original 2015 review>

"Last year I died, but I got better"

It's probably been over a year since I read the last Harry Dresden book, as I'd been waiting (and waiting, and waiting ...) for this one to come out in paperback. Was it worth the wait?

Absolutely yes.

I know it's still only March (nearly April), but this is a strong contender for my choice for book of the year - definitely the best I've read so far this year, with the bar set VERY high for any others later this year to match.

As this starts, Harry is still on Demonreach island, still recovering from previous events in Cold Days. It's not long, however, before Mab - the Winter Queen - has Harry (as her Winter Knight) paying off on of her debts, forcing him to work with Nicodemus Archleone and the Knights of the Blackened Denarius. Harry has to help Nicodemus to rob a vault belonging to the Lord of the Underworld Hades himself, while somehow staying alive and a step ahead of the inevitable betrayal.

As the Knights of the Denarius are involved, this also means that the Knights of the Cross - or, more specifically, Michael Carpenter - are back in the novel, as counter-points to the fallen angels. So, too, are Waldo Butters, Molly Carpenter, Bob the skull and Karrin Murphy with Thomas, however, conspicuous by his absence.

Kudos

Sam (74 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books

Mar 27, 2019

Turtles All The Way Down

John Green | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.4

(60 Ratings)

Book Rating

When I heard about Turtles All The Way Down being released, I didn’t know how I felt. It sounded like a book I would like, but at the same time it was by John Green and I had a strict policy to myself that I wouldn’t get it until it was in paperback and in the sale.

And I kinda stuck to that. I didn’t buy it for myself. I got it for Christmas because I decided that I actually quite wanted to read it and for once I could try and throw my prejudices away.

Aza and her best friend Daisy decide to try and find out where a missing billionaire has gone. This billionaire is coincidentally Aza’s childhood best friend’s father, and the reward for finding him is $100,000.

Aza struggles with mental health illnesses throughout the book, and the book includes narratives between Ava and her thoughts which perfectly show how mental health effects people and what it actually feels like to not be in control of your thoughts. It also shows how your mental health affects people around you, even if it’s a bit brutal when it comes to that.

I love that Daisy is constantly writing fanfics throughout the novel and found her whole attitude entertaining. She’s the typical fictional best friend and is so lovable despite her flaws. She’s one of those characters who is impossible to hate.

I’m a convert. I love John Green now and I may go and try his other books again because Turtles All The Way Down is one of my top books of 2017.