Search

Search only in certain items:

The Botanist
The Botanist
L.K. Hill | 2015
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In the heat of the desert, Detective Cody Oliver inadvertently stumbles upon a strange garden adorned with exotic flowers. Upon closer inspection, he finds the garden is but a cover for the scores of bodies buried below. Soon, the small town of Mt. Dessicate plunges into chaos as journalists, reporters, and cameramen from across the nation descend upon the tiny, desert town to get a piece of the murder mystery.
Along with the media, a mysterious woman appears. She may be the only person who has come face to face with the killer, dubbed the Botanist, and lived to tell the tale. If Cody can't piece together a timeline of the land the crime scene is located on, decipher how the woman's mysterious past is connected to the killer, and bring the Botanist to justice, he may finding himself standing alone in the midst of a desolate, desert graveyard...

Wow. This is an excellent read! Very creepy, and interesting, and with a buildup to the finale that was riveting.
 The suspense and action was thrilling. The story line is good, it is well written and well plotted.
This is more than just a crime fiction book; it has mystery and thriller thrown in the mix too. The creepiness from the beginning doesn’t let up and continues throughout the entire book.
 Characters really well developed.
The main characters, Cody & Alex, were realistic & sympathetic. The ending was brilliant.
This is a crime novel. It's detailed and not for the faint of heart. I leave hoping this detective will continue on into a few more books solving crimes; in other words please let there be more!!!!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
  
White is the Coldest Colour
White is the Coldest Colour
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
^^ Dr David Galbraith is a very good child psychologist and all sorts of children come his way for help. But immediately, within the first few pages, we discover that he is NOT to be trusted, and to say he is abusing his power is an understatement. It’s horrifying what he is able to get away with.

^^ Unfortunately, the Mailer family are going through some tough times due to marital breakdown, so in an effort to help their child Anthony, they take him to the well-known Dr Galbraith. Oh yes, you can see where this is going, right? This fact alone made me race through this book. One half of me is screaming at the pages, “Don’t take him to Dr Galbraith!” and the other half of me is going, “WOW! This is going to turn out bad, I can’t wait to see what happens!” ? It’s both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. I loved it.

^^ It’s clear the author also drew from his own experiences as a member of the police force with child protection social worker contacts, and this is also what made the book an outstanding and realistic read. It’s all too terrifyingly real in some places, and that’s what makes this plot so gripping.

^^ This totally exceeded all my expectations as a debut book by an author I have never actually heard of before. It’s well written, fast paced and totally unputdownable.

Overall: This is a stunning, psychological thriller, which really pulls you in deep to the dark side, and although the subject matter at times is very sad, and quite distressing, it’s very well done. I am totally looking forward to what this author has to offer next!
(1)   
40x40

Kyera (8 KP) rated The Night Circus in Books

Jan 31, 2018  
The Night Circus
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.1 (106 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Night Circus is set in the 19th Century although the Circus itself travels the globe. We don't see much of the world, rather the story is built and developed around this mysterious venture that only opens at night. Before we even get to know our two main characters they are placed in a competition that they know next to nothing about. As readers, we are not privy to much information that Celia or Marco do not know.

Both main characters are likable although we don't get to experience much of their personalities outside the use of their magic and the way they are shaped by the game. Celia is outspoken and witty when she chooses to be, unlike typical victorian heroines and it is wonderful. I wish we got to experience more of the interactions between Celia and Marco during the book but overall their time together is limited.

At times, we learn more about the Circus through the eyes and stories of its fans - the reveurs or as Bailey who dreamt of the circus since he was a little boy. As a reader, you are drawn to the magic and mystery of the Circus. Dreams of attending fill your mind and you become a reveur yourself. The story of the Night Circus fills you with its majesty and doesn't let go.

It's difficult to explain just what is so appealing about this book, but I fell in love with it almost immediately. The black and white striped tents, impossibly intricate clock, mouth-watering scents and tastes all come together in this enchanting novel - sure to spellbind teens and adults, whether fans of magic, fantasy, realistic or historical novels.
  
CO
Charming Olivia (Geary Brothers, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I requested this from NetGalley’s erotica section, and boy is it erotica. So much so that it overshadows much of the plot that I almost missed it. While there is a plot, it wasn’t one I was interested in. I am tired of the women with “tragic pasts” that have been hurt in some way.

What I appreciated about this novel is that it shows that people are able to separate love and sex. I think our society is so caught up in the idea that only people who are in love should have sex and if there isn’t love involved, then there is something wrong with those people taking part (i.e. sluts, perverts, etc.) That’s not the case at all. Adults should be allowed to explore their sexuality without judgement and be able to enjoy themselves. That is what this novel is about: two people (one more so than the other) discovering their sexuality.

It was an idea I could definitely get behind and that is why I enjoyed this novel so much. While I am a highly monogamous person in my own relationship, I fully support those who aren’t. I am not saying I condone cheating; that is a completely different ballpark. I just understand that monogamy isn’t the only way and people should be able to have a happy healthy sex life without being by judge.

To get back to the story. Harper is a talented writer who knows how to write steamy scenes and a plotline present enough to keep the story moving. Her characters weren’t my favorite but they were realistic enough with their own flaws and quirks. The best part was the variety and open-mindedness of the erotic.
  
As this is the third book in the series, there is not much that I can say about it that will not spoil either of the previous books but I will do my best to avoid most specifics. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend not reading this review.

My opinions about this book have not varied greatly since I began reading the Prisoner of Cell 25. The writing quality is still not impressive, but it feels more like a middle-grade novel or low-level young adult so it isn't entirely out of place. The author continues to overuse the word said as his descriptor for almost every person who is speaking, which becomes tedious. As I am listening to the audiobook, I have mentioned before that it could compound the issue for me hearing so many "saids" in a row but in my opinion, that's just poor word choice that could be rectified quite easily.

I enjoyed how this book continued to develop the characters and world because previously I felt those aspects to be a little lacking. We learn more about the Elgen and their secretive board, though I hope that is expanded in future books. They are a shadowy corporation and the "big bad" of the series in conjunction with Hatch, but we know very little about either party.

There was more character development and added depth to their personalities. We were given internal motivation and struggles that made them more realistic and relatable. Our core group feels more developed now, although the supporting characters are still a little flat. I hope that they are fleshed out more in subsequent books.

Overall, this is a fast, easy read that is perfect for middle grade or young adult/teen who just want a fun book with an aspect of fantasy.
  
40x40

Kyera (8 KP) rated Noteworthy in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Noteworthy
Noteworthy
Riley Redgate | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Note Worthy reminds me of Twelfth Night, She's the Man, or even Mulan - where a girl masquerades as a guy for whatever purpose and ends up in over her head. Jordan wants to be in theatre, but as an Alto 2 she is hard-pressed to even find a find tailored to her range. All she wants is to pursue her dreams. Feeling down, she notices an audition for a tenor in an all-male A Capella group and takes a chance. Dressed as Julian and sporting a short wig, she impresses the Sharpshooters enough to claim the open spot and suddenly everything changes. She actually had this small, musically-inclined family to belong to. A place at Kensington - as long as nobody realizes that she is a girl.

Pretty quickly, it looks like one of the guys might be a future love interest for Jordan, not Julian as in all likelihood the group will eventually discover her secret. I expected that they would be hurt at first, but eventually forgive her after all they've been through together. Most of my expectations came to pass, although there were slight deviations. Overall, there weren't really any big surprises or reveals in the book.

The characters are so wonderfully well written and realistic. You watch them grow, learn about themselves and find yourself grinning like an idiot when Trav does (because that boy seriously needed it). You cheer for their wins and want to personally beat up those who wrong them. You've become an honorary Sharp and these guys are your family just like they are for Jordan.

Highly recommended contemporary novel about growing up, learning about yourself, making friends and the secrets you keep. And most importantly? Music. Great read for teen/young adult readers with a small amount of profanity.
  
The Girl with All the Gifts
The Girl with All the Gifts
M.R. Carey | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.1 (43 Ratings)
Book Rating
If I had been watching this story as a movie instead of reading it I would have spent a quarter of the time with my eyes tight shut and my hands over my ears. I avoid thrillers for this exact reason, I get so scared, it's rather ridiculous.

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try, and I was not disappointed at all. I was left feeling cold, and a sense of deep disturbance in my balanced little world. Obviously this book is very well written, taken from different characters perspectives. Their personalities, relationships with each other and themselves develop and change through the book in entirely realistic ways. You just know there is no happy ending here, there is perhaps a tolerable ending to look forward to. You're not entirely sure how deep the rabbit hole goes, but you do know is going to be very dark and a torch will probably only make it worse. It is an excellent thriller, it kept me fully engrossed until I put the book down, relieved as I was, that I could finally extract my mind out of the horror of an apocalyptic future that would have to be extremely different from anything that the world has ever known just to survive. Dr Caldwell was frightening simply because I could not relate to her, her single-mindedness was more inhumane than Melanie, who was the key character. She was essentially the heroine, making the best out of a completely stuffed up world and paving a way to make things better. This book took me about a day to read and it will probably take a few more days to fully leave that world of 'hungries', 'e-blockers', and danger round every corner. I won't be able to look at a mushroom the same way again.
(1)   
The Time of My Life
The Time of My Life
Nora Phoenix | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Time of My Life by Nora Phoenix
Nora Phoenix is a relatively new author to me. I've only read her No Shame series up until this one. For No Shame, I was hooked. I loved how Ms. Phoenix was able to introduce her characters and ways of living. So when I saw The Time of My Life I immediately signed up to review.

And I am glad that I did!!!

This is an amazing story, that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. The characters, whether they are there to be liked or loathed, all ring true, and sometimes in a whole that's-too-realistic-and-it's-scary kind of way! Judah and Denver are very different, in more ways that one, but they complement each other perfectly. The path to true love is never smooth though, and these two know that more than most.

I honestly don't want to talk too much about particular points in the story as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. For myself, I loved going in blind, not knowing anything about it. What I can and will say is that there are no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Spread out over time, this is no insta-love, but it builds up over time, making it all the sweeter. The pacing is smooth and the transitions from one scene to the next are flawless.

Just one more thing that made me laugh to myself - and yes, this is a big hint, I guess - I never considered the title of the book until the ending. Perfect.

Absolutely recommended by me!

* 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!
  
MS
Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lizzie Pepper became a famous actress as a teen -- growing up before America's eyes on her TV show. Eventually Lizzie meets America's most famous movie star, Rob Mars -- and quickly their courtship and marriage becomes tabloid fodder and her life changes forever. At first, Lizzie is head over heels in love with Rob and all that he brings: romance, lavish trips, and instant stardom. But soon, her life is taken over by Rob's wealth and fame -- his constant absences, a complete lack of privacy, and a world overshadowed by Rob's total commitment to One Cell Studio, a form of study and practice that nears cult status. Once they have children, Lizzie begins to doubt everything about their relationship -- and what her husband stands for.

This was a fun book. Written by Hilary Liftin, a celebrity ghostwriter, Lizzie is a really enjoyable and insightful character. The book is clearly supposed to be based on Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. I kept imagining Rob Mars as a creepy twist between Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe, which was a little frightening. The One Cell piece is oddly disconcerting, as it's supposed to be, and made me want to delve more into the weirdness that is Scientology. Lizzie's evolution was fun to read about (I enjoyed, on a personal level, that she had twins) and she remained a realistic and relatable character, despite being elevated to movie star status. It truly makes you think about some of the insanity that movie stars have to go through, especially those that have children. It also gets you thinking about various religious cults and the power they have over people. In the end, probably a 3.5 star book, as it's a quick, fun read, but with a surprising depth behind it in places. After all, in the end, a marriage crumbling is a marriage crumbling, even in Hollywood.
  
Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomb Raider (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure
So, this reboot of the franchise happened. I dare say, I doubt anyone was asking for it. It's a hard film to critique due to the fact that I have to compare it to the Angelina Jolie films where the biggest plus was that Jolie looked like the video game character... And that was the biggest plus.

That being said, I would call this a good movie and an acceptable action flick.


The characters were pretty much all outshine by Alicia Vikander who was the only character with any real nuance. Her father had a lot of potential but was extremely unrelatable. The villain seemed bored to even be there. Her Asian buddy could have been lifted out of the film... And you would never have noticed.


That being said, Vikander's performance was strong and made the character grounded. She took hits. She didn't seem like she just knew how to do everything perfectly well. I actually enjoyed that for most of it she seems out of her element and made to do all the action sequences out of survival.


The plot was better than I expected. I enjoyed the lore and mythology that surrounded the island, but I admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when the reveal showed it being something much more realistic and less supernatural.


The action sequences we're actually very good. There were quite a few times I found myself on the edge of my seat. I particularly enjoyed the bike race at the beginning and her escape from the "chain gang".


Considering that this is clearly an original story attempting to start a franchise, I'm not convinced I need another chapter. But I am glad I got the one they gave me.
(1)