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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Girls Made of Snow and Glass in Books
Sep 5, 2017
One of my best books of 2017!
I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads and got to read it before the release date (September 5th! GO GET IT!) and I was SO excited to read it. It did not disappoint! This is her debut novel, and the story is absolutely fantastic. It’s billed as a “fantasy feminist fairy tale” and I think it lives up to that pretty well. There are no princes in this story. There are a couple of men – the King, the Queen’s father, and the Huntsman, but they are not who the story is about. The story really is about the relationship between the Queen/stepmother and her stepdaughter, the Princess.
You can read my full review here: https://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/book-review-girls-made-of-snow-and-glass/
You can read my full review here: https://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/book-review-girls-made-of-snow-and-glass/
Leah (: (569 KP) rated Queen of Someday (Stolen Empire, #1) in Books
Feb 4, 2019
This book tells the story of a young Sophia on her journey to Russia where she will hopefully marry Peter to become queen one day.
I didn’t realise it was telling the story of the young Catherine the Great and how she came to be ruler of Russia.
I found Sophie’s character to overall be very enjoyable as she was badass and would take care of herself whilst also having a kind and caring side. However she was a bit annoying at times with how naive and idealistic she could be.
What was really great about this book was at the end of most chapters there was a link to a short video. In this the author would give some extra information and sometimes explain differences between her story and known historical facts and the reasons behind them.
Overall I enjoyed this book and decided to buy the rest in the series and that is saying something.
I didn’t realise it was telling the story of the young Catherine the Great and how she came to be ruler of Russia.
I found Sophie’s character to overall be very enjoyable as she was badass and would take care of herself whilst also having a kind and caring side. However she was a bit annoying at times with how naive and idealistic she could be.
What was really great about this book was at the end of most chapters there was a link to a short video. In this the author would give some extra information and sometimes explain differences between her story and known historical facts and the reasons behind them.
Overall I enjoyed this book and decided to buy the rest in the series and that is saying something.
Leah (: (569 KP) rated Queen of Always (Stolen Empire, #3) in Books
Feb 4, 2019
This book was the conclusion to the series. As the title would suggest this is the book where we see Catherine take the throne and finally become queen.
This book started a few months after the last one finished which meant the first part was spent catching up on what had happened.
Unfortunately there becomes a love triangle in this book which is something I just don’t enjoy and became frustrated with Catherine and her inability to just pick and commit to one person.
This book was a great conclusion to the series and tied the story up nicely. It left at a good point and where history would be able to fill in. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and didn’t like the one chapter change in POV although I do know why it happened.
Personally I still enjoyed this book just not quite as much as the previous two.
This book started a few months after the last one finished which meant the first part was spent catching up on what had happened.
Unfortunately there becomes a love triangle in this book which is something I just don’t enjoy and became frustrated with Catherine and her inability to just pick and commit to one person.
This book was a great conclusion to the series and tied the story up nicely. It left at a good point and where history would be able to fill in. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and didn’t like the one chapter change in POV although I do know why it happened.
Personally I still enjoyed this book just not quite as much as the previous two.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated When Passion Rules in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I had been wanting to read this novel since I first saw the cover before it was even released. I don't understand why the cover is so delectable, but it made this novel a must read for me.
I love Lindsey's Malory Series. It's on my top 10 series list in fact. I have read some of her other works but this is the first in a few years. The greatest thing about Lindsey is that she knows how to tell a story. From her style to the dialogue, from the plot and character development to the story itself, the woman has a gift.
However, I did not fall in love with it the way I expected myself to. I love historical romance, and Lindsey is the Queen of Historical Romance. Despite this, I was not wowed like I thought I would. I loved how Lindsey put a little murder mystery in it. The twist towards the end was interesting, though not wholly unexpected.
I love Lindsey's Malory Series. It's on my top 10 series list in fact. I have read some of her other works but this is the first in a few years. The greatest thing about Lindsey is that she knows how to tell a story. From her style to the dialogue, from the plot and character development to the story itself, the woman has a gift.
However, I did not fall in love with it the way I expected myself to. I love historical romance, and Lindsey is the Queen of Historical Romance. Despite this, I was not wowed like I thought I would. I loved how Lindsey put a little murder mystery in it. The twist towards the end was interesting, though not wholly unexpected.
Sasha (36 KP) rated Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) in Movies
Jan 19, 2018
Love Love Love it!
Okay so personally I am obsessed with Anne Boylyn and the Tudors period. I have numerous books on the subject and always look for more I can find out on the topic. So naturally this movie came as a treat. For a person who doesn’t watch many older movies it took me couple of minutes to get used to the quality but soon enough I got sucked in.
Both of the actors do an amazing job of portraying the characters and there are many turning points in the movie to keep the viewer entertained. For example my heart broke for Anne after she give birth to Elizabeth and Hendry acted like she just committed the worst crime in the worst. I suppose in his eyes she did, his drive for a son was obvious from the beginning and it’s not like she didn’t promise him one before she became queen.
The movie is definitely worth watching :)
Both of the actors do an amazing job of portraying the characters and there are many turning points in the movie to keep the viewer entertained. For example my heart broke for Anne after she give birth to Elizabeth and Hendry acted like she just committed the worst crime in the worst. I suppose in his eyes she did, his drive for a son was obvious from the beginning and it’s not like she didn’t promise him one before she became queen.
The movie is definitely worth watching :)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Poirot is called back to England, he must forgo a planned layover in Istanbul and find a berth on a surprisingly crowded train. A freak snow storm strands the train on the tracks, and that night a murder takes place. The victim had come to Poirot because he feared that his life was in danger. With the train stuck, the killer is still on board. But who could it be?
I had not read this book before, but I still knew the ending. Even knowing that, I was enthralled watching how it all played out. There is a reason that Agatha Christie is considered the queen of plots to this day. I also found the characters strong enough that I could keep them all straight, and there are plenty of suspects.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-murder-on-orient-express-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I had not read this book before, but I still knew the ending. Even knowing that, I was enthralled watching how it all played out. There is a reason that Agatha Christie is considered the queen of plots to this day. I also found the characters strong enough that I could keep them all straight, and there are plenty of suspects.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-murder-on-orient-express-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Vegas (725 KP) rated Murder, She Wrote in TV
Sep 10, 2018
Easy going (1 more)
Fun
Formulaic (1 more)
Occasional fetched plots
A TV classic
America's answer to Miss Marple...
In the little village of Cabot Cove, Maine lives retired school teacher, writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher, who uses her skills and annoying persistence to get to the bottom of the murders that follow her around - from Cabot Cove to the big cities she travels to and resides in from time to time.
She appears to know or get in the confidence of police chiefs, detectives and other high ranking officials worldwide who for some reason let her get involved in their investigations..
The easy going 'cozy' mysteries are a nice casual watch, that isn't too taxing on the brain, but they do follow a very set formula most of the time which can make them a little predictable.
Created by the duo of Levinson and Link who created classic television detective series such as Columbo, Ellery Queen and Scene of the Crime along with Peter S. Fischer...
In the little village of Cabot Cove, Maine lives retired school teacher, writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher, who uses her skills and annoying persistence to get to the bottom of the murders that follow her around - from Cabot Cove to the big cities she travels to and resides in from time to time.
She appears to know or get in the confidence of police chiefs, detectives and other high ranking officials worldwide who for some reason let her get involved in their investigations..
The easy going 'cozy' mysteries are a nice casual watch, that isn't too taxing on the brain, but they do follow a very set formula most of the time which can make them a little predictable.
Created by the duo of Levinson and Link who created classic television detective series such as Columbo, Ellery Queen and Scene of the Crime along with Peter S. Fischer...
David McK (3623 KP) rated Cúchulainn & The Crow Queen in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Honestly?
I'm not really sure how this fits into the categories I have set up on my Goodreads account.
This is a re-telling of the stories of 'The Hound of Ulster', of Cuchulainn, from his birth through to the cattle raid of Ulster and his final death at the hands of the Morrigu, the Crow Queen.
It's also a straight re-telling, which is both its strong point (there's no trying to fit modern sensibilities / political statements into it) and it's weak point (these stories were originally intended to be told orally).
I have to say, I did find that most of the chapters didn't really 'flow' into each other; that there was no connection to the stories other than (occasionally) having Setanta (Cuchulainn's real name) himself appear in them every so often: for my money, Neil Gaiman's Norse Myths is a better retelling of stories that have helped shape modern society.
(Oh, and in the end, I opted for shelving this as Educational)
I'm not really sure how this fits into the categories I have set up on my Goodreads account.
This is a re-telling of the stories of 'The Hound of Ulster', of Cuchulainn, from his birth through to the cattle raid of Ulster and his final death at the hands of the Morrigu, the Crow Queen.
It's also a straight re-telling, which is both its strong point (there's no trying to fit modern sensibilities / political statements into it) and it's weak point (these stories were originally intended to be told orally).
I have to say, I did find that most of the chapters didn't really 'flow' into each other; that there was no connection to the stories other than (occasionally) having Setanta (Cuchulainn's real name) himself appear in them every so often: for my money, Neil Gaiman's Norse Myths is a better retelling of stories that have helped shape modern society.
(Oh, and in the end, I opted for shelving this as Educational)
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3) in Books
Dec 30, 2019
Claire is still trying to survive her freshman year at TPU and adjusting to her relationship with Shane. Michael is dealing with the results of becoming a vampire, and Eve is trying to stay away from her psycho brother Jason.
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Death of Mrs Westaway in Books
Jan 14, 2019 (Updated Jan 14, 2019)
I wanted to love this book. I liked Ware's Woman in Cabin 10, and with all of the blurbs saying it was a lot like Agatha Christie's cozy mysteries.
NEVER INVOKE THE QUEEN OF MYSTERY IF IT'S A SHIT BOOK. I got about 30 percent of the way into this book, and had it all figured out. So I didn't even bother reading the rest, I just googled the plot, and sources told me I was correct, then, for good measure, I read the last chapter. It was not atmospheric, as some suggest. It was plain boring. The main character, Hal, was completely obnoxious. I got that she was poor, because it was mentioned legitimately once every few pages. Everything was just so blatantly obvious. And please, authors, for the love of god, STOP USING INCEST as a plot point.
Because of this book, I'm probably never going to read another Ruth Ware book. I am completely angry I wasted time on this POS book.
NEVER INVOKE THE QUEEN OF MYSTERY IF IT'S A SHIT BOOK. I got about 30 percent of the way into this book, and had it all figured out. So I didn't even bother reading the rest, I just googled the plot, and sources told me I was correct, then, for good measure, I read the last chapter. It was not atmospheric, as some suggest. It was plain boring. The main character, Hal, was completely obnoxious. I got that she was poor, because it was mentioned legitimately once every few pages. Everything was just so blatantly obvious. And please, authors, for the love of god, STOP USING INCEST as a plot point.
Because of this book, I'm probably never going to read another Ruth Ware book. I am completely angry I wasted time on this POS book.