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What Dreams We Had
Book
Five young people are at the end of their schooldays and in the dead period between finishing their...

Merissa (13115 KP) rated Hunger (Blood Rose Tales #2) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
This story is about Brianna, a mortal in love with a vampire, and Yolen, a detective vampire on the heels of a drugs kingpin and determined to keep Brianna safe, no matter the cost. Yolen has the potential to become a mastyr vampire but doesn't want it after he saw a friend and his mate get killed immediately after he 'levelled up'. Things are going downhill for Brianna and Yolen as they both want something different but Brianna can't understand why she keeps on pushing. Throw Mastyr Keynes into the mix and we get a hot, fast-paced story.
The characters are well-rounded and old favourites are either mentioned or make cameo appearances. This world becomes more real every time I read about it. The plot is fast-paced and with no holes, although the 'bad guy' is known almost from the start, it's not for the mystery that you read this book. It is romantic and funny, hot and sad.
Definitely recommended for all fans of Caris Roane and if you haven't read anything of hers, then I can highly recommend the Blood Rose series as a starting point.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 31, 2015
The characters are well-rounded and old favourites are either mentioned or make cameo appearances. This world becomes more real every time I read about it. The plot is fast-paced and with no holes, although the 'bad guy' is known almost from the start, it's not for the mystery that you read this book. It is romantic and funny, hot and sad.
Definitely recommended for all fans of Caris Roane and if you haven't read anything of hers, then I can highly recommend the Blood Rose series as a starting point.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 31, 2015

David McK (3587 KP) rated Ready Player Two in Books
Oct 30, 2021
This is a direct sequel to Ready Player One, picking up not soon after the events of that previous novel.
It also follows the same characters, told in the same first person point of view as previous - I must admit, I initially found that a bit jarring, as I would have expected (with a title such as it is) that it would follow a different character - after all, how often IRL is Player Two the same person as Player One in a computer game?
Anyway, Wade Watts.
Still an obsessed geek; still fan-worshipping the creator of the Oasis James Halliday (at least initially). However, with the release of new technology by the company he now owns that not only allows its user to control an avatar, but to *feel* like they actually are that person - sight, taste, hearing, sensations and all - and with further experiences (I don't want to give too much away), Watts finds his hero-worshipping lessening somewhat.
If I'm honest, I did also find parts of this novel to drag somewhat, especially in the lengthy section where Cline goes into great detail around the Oasis world dedicated to 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' (which just made me uncomfortable). I also had to shake my head at just how some of the characters behaved ...
(yes, I know they're not real. Still need to to be believable, though!)
It also follows the same characters, told in the same first person point of view as previous - I must admit, I initially found that a bit jarring, as I would have expected (with a title such as it is) that it would follow a different character - after all, how often IRL is Player Two the same person as Player One in a computer game?
Anyway, Wade Watts.
Still an obsessed geek; still fan-worshipping the creator of the Oasis James Halliday (at least initially). However, with the release of new technology by the company he now owns that not only allows its user to control an avatar, but to *feel* like they actually are that person - sight, taste, hearing, sensations and all - and with further experiences (I don't want to give too much away), Watts finds his hero-worshipping lessening somewhat.
If I'm honest, I did also find parts of this novel to drag somewhat, especially in the lengthy section where Cline goes into great detail around the Oasis world dedicated to 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' (which just made me uncomfortable). I also had to shake my head at just how some of the characters behaved ...
(yes, I know they're not real. Still need to to be believable, though!)

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Mar 4, 2022

Vitality (Vitality #1)
Book
To Ava, love is about as real as fairytales. But it might be that fairytales, myths, and magic have...
Dark Paranormal Romance

Night Shade (Chronicles of The Otherworld #1)
Book
Vampires are real, and her boss is one of them. By day, Gregori Novak is Daniella's friend and...
Paranormal Romance Dark Witches Vampires Fated Mates

Merissa (13115 KP) rated Flight of the Wren in Books
May 20, 2023
This is one of those books that you pick up and, even though you have read the synopsis, you're still not sure exactly what it is you've let yourself in for.
What I got is a book that I completely immersed myself in. I was lost within Renny's world of school, flying carpets, and first love. I loved the dream meetings she had with Parnell, as well as the Kettle meetings. These characters have a wide range of ages, and as such, it is a well-rounded group that you read about. The struggles that Renny faces are real, but she still manages to find time for love. And let's face it, what 17-year-old girl wouldn't do the same?
However, Flight of the Wren is not all sweetness and light. There is a 'big bad' in the shape of Mistral, an old apprentice of Parnell's. With kidnap, violence, friendship, loyalty, and more, this is one eventful book that will tug at your heartstrings, whilst giving you a thrilling ride. I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read Spark. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016
What I got is a book that I completely immersed myself in. I was lost within Renny's world of school, flying carpets, and first love. I loved the dream meetings she had with Parnell, as well as the Kettle meetings. These characters have a wide range of ages, and as such, it is a well-rounded group that you read about. The struggles that Renny faces are real, but she still manages to find time for love. And let's face it, what 17-year-old girl wouldn't do the same?
However, Flight of the Wren is not all sweetness and light. There is a 'big bad' in the shape of Mistral, an old apprentice of Parnell's. With kidnap, violence, friendship, loyalty, and more, this is one eventful book that will tug at your heartstrings, whilst giving you a thrilling ride. I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read Spark. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated Three Strikes – You're Dead! in Books
Jun 28, 2024
Give This Collection a Sporting Chance
This is a collection of 14 crime fiction short stories with a sports theme. And there are plenty of unique sports here. The collection starts out with one of three baseball stories as the hero of a playoff game winds up dead moments after scoring the winning run. We’ve got a bounty hunter who is trying to bring in an ultimate Frisbee player. A college swimming coach is found dead at practice one morning. A woman plans to avenge her brother’s death in the bull riding ring. A biathlete is kidnapped. And a tennis coach finds himself in grave danger.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.

Lyric (Love Sync Mates, Season Two)
Book
Can an alpha athlete and a traumatized omega find true love? Lyric is a famous alpha athlete, a...
MM Fantasy Omegaverse Series

groundedGeek (4 KP) rated Welcome to Night Vale in Podcasts
Jan 10, 2018 (Updated Jan 10, 2018)
Voice acting (3 more)
Stories
Writing
Music
Welcome to Night Vale is sheer brilliance
Welcome to Night Vale is a brilliant concept for a podcast and has created a world that is so outlandish and weird that every visit is amazing. While it is somewhat difficult to jump in the middle since it's ongoing, after a few episodes you may begin to get the drift, but I highly recommend binging this from the beginning. There are characters that recur and "in-jokes" that long-time listeners will enjoy much more than a new listener, but nothing to take away from the experience of a new listener. We have actually gone to see one of their live shows and they are absolutely entertaining and well worth it. The writing is tight and eerie and often hilarious. Once you find yourself a new citizen of Night Vale, you will find it very difficult to leave. It is hands down my favorite podcast and it only keeps getting better.
Each episode features Cecil, the golden voiced community radio host updating you on the goings on in the desert town of Night Vale where the weird and bizarre are simply the norm. Usually something happens that becomes the central theme of that episode's story arc and Cecil comes back to it from time to time, updating us as he goes... and then it's always time for the "weather:" which is actually an indie artist song. Sometimes the musical guest is amazing, sometimes it is hit or miss, but it's a great way to hear and find new kind of obscure artists to listen to. When the "weather" is over, Cecil usually returns and wraps up the current storyline and the listener is left to fret and dismay as they are thrust back into the real world again and must wait until the next episode to return to their beloved Night Vale.
The writing is actually genius. No lie.
Each episode features Cecil, the golden voiced community radio host updating you on the goings on in the desert town of Night Vale where the weird and bizarre are simply the norm. Usually something happens that becomes the central theme of that episode's story arc and Cecil comes back to it from time to time, updating us as he goes... and then it's always time for the "weather:" which is actually an indie artist song. Sometimes the musical guest is amazing, sometimes it is hit or miss, but it's a great way to hear and find new kind of obscure artists to listen to. When the "weather" is over, Cecil usually returns and wraps up the current storyline and the listener is left to fret and dismay as they are thrust back into the real world again and must wait until the next episode to return to their beloved Night Vale.
The writing is actually genius. No lie.