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Gavin Maxwell: A Life
Book
Gavin Maxwell was a romantic, self-destructive adventurer, brave and handsome, with a deep sympathy...
Dingo's Dreams
6.5
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Tabletop Game
Dingo and his friends have gotten lost on Walkabout! Visit their dreams to lead them home! ...
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Tempted (House of Night, #6) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
In terms of plot, I would say this is the worst book of the series. Loose ends are left dangling all over the place, more questions are formed than answered, and (spoiler!) the main character, Zoey escapes into the afterlife "Otherworld." The last page is like a huge "To Be Continued..." and I just hate so-called endings like that. Most of the book is spent making plans regarding Kalona and Neferet, the red fledglings, and the House of Night school, but very little is actually accomplished. I appreciate that the series seems to move in real-time, but at the same time, things need to move a bit faster for anything to actually happen. The most exciting thing was Stevie Rae's near-death experience, which isn't saying much. I was greatly antipating the group's trip to Venice, but their meeting with the High Council was strangely short and anti-climactic. I think that at least one vampyre on the council should have disagreed with Neferet's lies, since Kalona's hypnotic powers are supposed to rely on choice.
The things I did like about the book are what I've like about the entire series. I love how the characters all strive for normalcy, even when everything around them is completely paranormal. I love the dialogue and how it is very typically teenager-ish. I also love how Zoey makes tons of mistakes, even though she has the favor of the Goddess. The one "loose end" that did seem to get taken care of in a way was the Imprint between Aphrodite and Stevie Rae being broken, though it just formed another loose end with Stevie Rae hiding the Raven Mocker Rephaim from everyone else.
I will likely stay loyal to the series in the hopes that the plot improves with the next book, Burned.
The things I did like about the book are what I've like about the entire series. I love how the characters all strive for normalcy, even when everything around them is completely paranormal. I love the dialogue and how it is very typically teenager-ish. I also love how Zoey makes tons of mistakes, even though she has the favor of the Goddess. The one "loose end" that did seem to get taken care of in a way was the Imprint between Aphrodite and Stevie Rae being broken, though it just formed another loose end with Stevie Rae hiding the Raven Mocker Rephaim from everyone else.
I will likely stay loyal to the series in the hopes that the plot improves with the next book, Burned.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
The Dream Thieves, the second book in The Raven Cycle series, was not what I expected. I assumed there would be a lot of romantic tensions between the characters (especially since that is so prevalent in these kinds of books) but there wasn't which was so refreshing!
I loved how the characters interacted and how their relationships evolved with the actions of the previous book. It was cool to see them all starting to grow into their own roles in their quest to find Glendower.
The first few chapters that the Grey Man narrated were jarring. I was not used to his voice, so it seemed very slow. They did become more interesting as we were given more information on him throughout the book.
One thing I wish was more obvious was the distinction between who is speaking as the narrator at any given time. They all have very similar voices, so just a bit more differentiation would make it easier to read, at least in my opinion.
I loved how we got more information about Ronan, his gift, and his background. (Spoilers ahead for the rest of the paragraph. You have been warned.) Also, I am giddy over how, though Ronan's sexuality is (finally) shown to be not straight, his entire character does not revolve around that! It is mentioned, and I assume is going to be explored more in the future books. I am so happy!
I am excited to see more of the magic and more of the background of the other characters and of Cabeswater itself. I want to see more of how Adam and Persephone will have their relationship grow and evolve with their newfound commonalities in their power.
I am super excited to be able to read the next book (but I have to buy it first, lol)!
I loved how the characters interacted and how their relationships evolved with the actions of the previous book. It was cool to see them all starting to grow into their own roles in their quest to find Glendower.
The first few chapters that the Grey Man narrated were jarring. I was not used to his voice, so it seemed very slow. They did become more interesting as we were given more information on him throughout the book.
One thing I wish was more obvious was the distinction between who is speaking as the narrator at any given time. They all have very similar voices, so just a bit more differentiation would make it easier to read, at least in my opinion.
I loved how we got more information about Ronan, his gift, and his background. (Spoilers ahead for the rest of the paragraph. You have been warned.) Also, I am giddy over how, though Ronan's sexuality is (finally) shown to be not straight, his entire character does not revolve around that! It is mentioned, and I assume is going to be explored more in the future books. I am so happy!
I am excited to see more of the magic and more of the background of the other characters and of Cabeswater itself. I want to see more of how Adam and Persephone will have their relationship grow and evolve with their newfound commonalities in their power.
I am super excited to be able to read the next book (but I have to buy it first, lol)!
Dana (24 KP) rated The Scorpio Races in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This book had a really cool concept. I was sent this book by the publisher (though I am still not sure why, but I will take it because I love books) and I decided to read it sooner rather than later. I was not disappointed.
I love Maggie Stiefvater's works. The writing is always so magical and beautiful and I just can't get enough of it! After reading all of the Raven Boys books last year, I wanted something else of hers to read, and this came up into my hands like a magical fairy.
Okay, that was kinda weird, but oh well.
Now, onto the plot! I loved the whole concept of these magical sea horses and people trying to tame, train, and race them. I loved the killer aspect of it, it added so much tension and drama to the book. Though it did get a bit slow at parts, I think those slow parts added to the heightened emotions of the quicker movements in the plot. This book, honestly, made me want to go horseback riding on some beach and run off into the sunset with a beautiful boy who loves dangerous horses.
The characters were super cool! I loved how different everyone was and how we did not know all of the hidden motivations for every one of them. It was a nice treat to have the romance in there, but I liked that it was not at the forefront of the novel. This was about a girl and a boy who were both doing all they could to get what they needed to survive.
Overall, I really liked this book and, although I know it is a standalone, I could totally go for another book set in this world.
I love Maggie Stiefvater's works. The writing is always so magical and beautiful and I just can't get enough of it! After reading all of the Raven Boys books last year, I wanted something else of hers to read, and this came up into my hands like a magical fairy.
Okay, that was kinda weird, but oh well.
Now, onto the plot! I loved the whole concept of these magical sea horses and people trying to tame, train, and race them. I loved the killer aspect of it, it added so much tension and drama to the book. Though it did get a bit slow at parts, I think those slow parts added to the heightened emotions of the quicker movements in the plot. This book, honestly, made me want to go horseback riding on some beach and run off into the sunset with a beautiful boy who loves dangerous horses.
The characters were super cool! I loved how different everyone was and how we did not know all of the hidden motivations for every one of them. It was a nice treat to have the romance in there, but I liked that it was not at the forefront of the novel. This was about a girl and a boy who were both doing all they could to get what they needed to survive.
Overall, I really liked this book and, although I know it is a standalone, I could totally go for another book set in this world.
Beyond Limits: A Life Through Climbing
Book
Beyond Limits is the autobiography of Steve McClure, one of the world's top rock climbers. From his...
Company Directors: Duties, Liabilities, and Remedies
Book
This is a new edition of the established authority on the law relating to directors of companies...
Nature Spirits: The Remembrance: A Guide to the Elemental Kingdom
Book
In this lucid, step-by-step guide, Susan Raven introduces us to the world of nature spirits and...
ClareR (5571 KP) rated The Shape of Darkness in Books
Feb 21, 2021
The Shape of Darkness was well worth the wait! I’ve read two of Laura Purcell’s books on The Pigeonhole, so when this book came up on NetGalley, I knew that I had to read it. This has been one of my half term reads, and well worth the wait!
Agnes is a silhouette artist in Victorian Bath, and she struggles to support her sickly mother and her nephew - although his father does contribute some money to help feed and clothe him (and help Agnes and her mother too).
Shortly after one of Agnes’ clients leaves her studio, he is murdered. She then discovers that another client has also been murdered - there is an unnerving pattern forming here, because this is just the start. In order to get some insight, Agnes decides that she should consult a medium. This is where Pearl and her sister Myrtle, a mesmerist-in-training, come in. Pearl is ethereal, a child with albinism, and seems to genuinely possess the gift of communicating with the dead.
This is an unnerving, chilling and at times, quite a scary book. It’s full of the detail of Victorian life too: poverty, class distinctions, the hustle and bustle of a busy Victorian Bath. I loved the dark, gothic feel, too. It contained loads of details of life, of how technology was changing and affecting the lives of Victorians. And it was just a really excellent mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. If you’re going to read it (and I strongly suggest that you do!), just don’t read it with only the little light on if you’re spooked easily!
Many thanks to Raven Books for providing me with an e-book through NetGalley to read and review.
Agnes is a silhouette artist in Victorian Bath, and she struggles to support her sickly mother and her nephew - although his father does contribute some money to help feed and clothe him (and help Agnes and her mother too).
Shortly after one of Agnes’ clients leaves her studio, he is murdered. She then discovers that another client has also been murdered - there is an unnerving pattern forming here, because this is just the start. In order to get some insight, Agnes decides that she should consult a medium. This is where Pearl and her sister Myrtle, a mesmerist-in-training, come in. Pearl is ethereal, a child with albinism, and seems to genuinely possess the gift of communicating with the dead.
This is an unnerving, chilling and at times, quite a scary book. It’s full of the detail of Victorian life too: poverty, class distinctions, the hustle and bustle of a busy Victorian Bath. I loved the dark, gothic feel, too. It contained loads of details of life, of how technology was changing and affecting the lives of Victorians. And it was just a really excellent mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. If you’re going to read it (and I strongly suggest that you do!), just don’t read it with only the little light on if you’re spooked easily!
Many thanks to Raven Books for providing me with an e-book through NetGalley to read and review.