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China's Quest: The History of the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China
Book
From its founding 65 years ago, the People's Republic of China has evolved from an important yet...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Pact in Books
Jul 1, 2021
This novel tells the story of six friends: Talitha, Xav, Felix, Amber, Daniel, Megan. How one night changed their lives forever. This book was quite a slow burner for me, at least in the beginning. All of the characters have a say in this book, and I found all of them very compelling. It is a character-driven novel and I really liked to see how the characters interacted and what they were ready to do to save themselves. đ I felt extremely sorry for Megan throughout this book and I donât really agree with her decisions. She is really amazing and I think she could have achieved so much without these âfriendsâ of hers.
The narrative of this novel was a little slow for my liking, but I was extremely keen to find out what is going to happen with Megan. I enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing and the suspense growing, and all the twists and turns were a welcome distraction to break the monotony that built up sometimes. The topics discussed were dangerous driving, alcoholism, survival, rich privilege, friendships, belonging, mental health issues, guilt, relationships between friends and families, and many more.
The writing style of this book is easy to read, enjoyable and creative, but something is missing. It is one of the âsofterâ books by this author, I could say. I am more used to her dark secrets, never-ending suspense and gripping from the first-page kind books, and this book was a little behind with it. I did like the ending of this novel, which was filled with action and rounded this story extremely well. đ The chapters are pretty short, so the pages just fly by. I have pretty bad car anxiety, especially when it comes to accidents and reckless drivers, so parts of this book did not sit well with me because of these nuances. (I was able to enjoy this book never the less, I just screamed at the characters in my head. đ ) So if you suffer from it like me, proceed with caution. đ
So, to conclude, I enjoyed this novel. The characters are very well developed and truly enchanting. They all have to offer so much to this book and I loved reading about them and their lives. The plot has plenty of intrigue, well placed twists and unexpected surprises and kept me guessing.
The narrative of this novel was a little slow for my liking, but I was extremely keen to find out what is going to happen with Megan. I enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing and the suspense growing, and all the twists and turns were a welcome distraction to break the monotony that built up sometimes. The topics discussed were dangerous driving, alcoholism, survival, rich privilege, friendships, belonging, mental health issues, guilt, relationships between friends and families, and many more.
The writing style of this book is easy to read, enjoyable and creative, but something is missing. It is one of the âsofterâ books by this author, I could say. I am more used to her dark secrets, never-ending suspense and gripping from the first-page kind books, and this book was a little behind with it. I did like the ending of this novel, which was filled with action and rounded this story extremely well. đ The chapters are pretty short, so the pages just fly by. I have pretty bad car anxiety, especially when it comes to accidents and reckless drivers, so parts of this book did not sit well with me because of these nuances. (I was able to enjoy this book never the less, I just screamed at the characters in my head. đ ) So if you suffer from it like me, proceed with caution. đ
So, to conclude, I enjoyed this novel. The characters are very well developed and truly enchanting. They all have to offer so much to this book and I loved reading about them and their lives. The plot has plenty of intrigue, well placed twists and unexpected surprises and kept me guessing.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Flatshare in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonists of this story are Tiffy and Leon. Tiffy works in publishing is an absolute extrovert who needs people in her life even to help with simple decisions, and she is coming to terms that her ex-boyfriend was an emotional abuser. Leon is a night nurse in the hospice, an absolute introvert, who needs money to help his wrongly imprisoned brother. So, yes, this book seems to be a cute rom-com, but it carries way deeper issues within itself. The book is told from a dual perspective, and I loved to find out more about each and every character. I really loved all the characters in this book, they are unique, very realistic and truly charming. Author picked the protagonists very well as well, everyone can relate either to Tiffy or Leon, and I am definitely a house Leon, I really liked his personality and his determination.
The plot of this novel is very unique and original. The whole flat-sharing thing is very intriguing, and I was dying to know when and how are the characters going to meet. There are a lot of things going on in this novel, it has rich but at the same time an easy-going story to tell. I was simply glued to this book because I needed to know how the story will end. The topics discussed in this book were property crisis, failed justice system, emotional abuse in the relationships, friendships, personal development, Love and many more.
The writing style of this book is very masterful, the author took serious topics, and covered it in funny, enjoyable, and easy to digest coating. The language used was easy to read and understandable. The chapters are short and sweet, and I didnât even notice how the pages flew by. The ending rounded up this book perfectly and left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book deserves all the praise it gets, it is witty, enjoyable but at the same time has a punch to it. I loved the diverse and well-developed characters and the unique narrative, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Please do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Canât wait for more books from this author.
The plot of this novel is very unique and original. The whole flat-sharing thing is very intriguing, and I was dying to know when and how are the characters going to meet. There are a lot of things going on in this novel, it has rich but at the same time an easy-going story to tell. I was simply glued to this book because I needed to know how the story will end. The topics discussed in this book were property crisis, failed justice system, emotional abuse in the relationships, friendships, personal development, Love and many more.
The writing style of this book is very masterful, the author took serious topics, and covered it in funny, enjoyable, and easy to digest coating. The language used was easy to read and understandable. The chapters are short and sweet, and I didnât even notice how the pages flew by. The ending rounded up this book perfectly and left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book deserves all the praise it gets, it is witty, enjoyable but at the same time has a punch to it. I loved the diverse and well-developed characters and the unique narrative, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Please do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Canât wait for more books from this author.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Woman with Wings in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Alison works in the international advertising company as an IT specialist, and she loves bird watching. During one of her trips, she falls off the mountain but survives. I liked Alison as a person, she is a loner, and she is doing what she loves. She is like every other female in London, only she gets wings from somewhere. Alison has a great friend Jed, who likes and supports her, and a rich executive of the company named Doxat that fancies her, so this book couldâve been a great romantic novel, and those wings ruined it for me. The story was told from multiple perspectives, but the transition between those perspectives was quite blurry, I wouldâve liked if different thoughts started as a different chapter.
Alison talks a lot about birds and their migration, it is great to know about this, especially because Alisonâs true passion is birds, but I was skim-reading them because I donât like copy-paste material. I am sure, bird enthusiasts will enjoy the information, and I can see the research put into that, but those parts were not for me. Another thing that did not make sense to me were parts about Kurt Godel and his mathematical calculations regarding time traveling. There were pages and pages about the same thing, which was well researched and very philosophical, but at the same time repetitive and felt like pasted there out of Wikipedia. :/ I liked the way Alison was interacting with other characters, and there was an interesting love triangle going on in there, but thatâs about it.
I was not a very big fan of the writing style of this novel, it seemed well researched, and poetic, but at the same time, it felt raw and unfinished. The setting of this book was changing between London and remote places of the UK like Skye, and I enjoyed its picturesque views. The chapters were quite long, and the narrative quite jumpy. The culmination of this novel didnât make any sense to me and left me with million of questions instead of answers. :/
So, to conclude, this book was not for me. It has interesting characters, and I enjoyed their relationships with each other, and this book has great potential, but the plot didnât really impress me. I think this book might interest a bird-loving community as well as people who enjoy philosophy.
Alison talks a lot about birds and their migration, it is great to know about this, especially because Alisonâs true passion is birds, but I was skim-reading them because I donât like copy-paste material. I am sure, bird enthusiasts will enjoy the information, and I can see the research put into that, but those parts were not for me. Another thing that did not make sense to me were parts about Kurt Godel and his mathematical calculations regarding time traveling. There were pages and pages about the same thing, which was well researched and very philosophical, but at the same time repetitive and felt like pasted there out of Wikipedia. :/ I liked the way Alison was interacting with other characters, and there was an interesting love triangle going on in there, but thatâs about it.
I was not a very big fan of the writing style of this novel, it seemed well researched, and poetic, but at the same time, it felt raw and unfinished. The setting of this book was changing between London and remote places of the UK like Skye, and I enjoyed its picturesque views. The chapters were quite long, and the narrative quite jumpy. The culmination of this novel didnât make any sense to me and left me with million of questions instead of answers. :/
So, to conclude, this book was not for me. It has interesting characters, and I enjoyed their relationships with each other, and this book has great potential, but the plot didnât really impress me. I think this book might interest a bird-loving community as well as people who enjoy philosophy.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated My Sister Is Missing in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from multiple perspectives, but Jess was the one trying to investigate and find her sister. I really liked this approach to the book, it allowed to see different events happening and how they interconnect between the characters in this story. There were a lot of characters in this novel, but they lacked some spirit in them. I could not understand Jessâs relationship with her boyfriend, and some of her thoughts sound quite feeble. I liked this ghostly vibe which the author used in this novel, it felt quite creepy sometimes. 🙂
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jessâs investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didnât get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didnât drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jessâs investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didnât get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didnât drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Visitor in Books
Oct 5, 2020
An interesting and complex piece of work that covers memory loss and family love tightly together. A short read, but also a missed opportunity of what could be a lovely novel, if developed in a better way.
It is Christmas Eve, but the furnace has gone out, the breaker needs to be reset and the cupboards are empty. In her cold house, Mrs. Langstrum is waiting for her husband to arrive from his quick trip to the store. As a snowstorm is approaching, Mrs. Langstrum gets worried. But just as she decides to get help, someone knocks on her door. A visitor. A stranger. But before she can tell him to go, he says he has news about her husband.
The blurb was the main reason I picked up this book. You sort of get the idea of what this book might be about. A mystery person arrives, and he has a story. The woman has a story, and the setting makes you curious about how this will continue to unravel.
The plot is complex, and even though itâs a very short book, the story went incredibly slow. The plot twist happened at the begging, and knowing this, I expected another one, as the beginning was obvious. In the end, when no other plot twists happen, and the book ends exactly how you thought it would end at the beginning, you are felt disappointed and unsatisfied.
I really loved the idea of the woman who has a memory loss, and a person that reveals information bit by bit. Going from other perspectives and back in time, it was a nice concept. I also really enjoyed the family relationships captured, and all the challenges openly discussed. We have some big taboo subjects here, and not many people are brave enough to openly talk about this.
However, this whole concept, and idea, was not delivered as it shouldâve been, as it had the capacity to. There was room for more development, more work, and more plot twists.
Some parts are confusing, and it was nice that the story was so short and you could go back to it and re-read it, but is that really a good thing? Would we go back and re-read a 300-page book if it was confusing? I wouldnât.
It is Christmas Eve, but the furnace has gone out, the breaker needs to be reset and the cupboards are empty. In her cold house, Mrs. Langstrum is waiting for her husband to arrive from his quick trip to the store. As a snowstorm is approaching, Mrs. Langstrum gets worried. But just as she decides to get help, someone knocks on her door. A visitor. A stranger. But before she can tell him to go, he says he has news about her husband.
The blurb was the main reason I picked up this book. You sort of get the idea of what this book might be about. A mystery person arrives, and he has a story. The woman has a story, and the setting makes you curious about how this will continue to unravel.
The plot is complex, and even though itâs a very short book, the story went incredibly slow. The plot twist happened at the begging, and knowing this, I expected another one, as the beginning was obvious. In the end, when no other plot twists happen, and the book ends exactly how you thought it would end at the beginning, you are felt disappointed and unsatisfied.
I really loved the idea of the woman who has a memory loss, and a person that reveals information bit by bit. Going from other perspectives and back in time, it was a nice concept. I also really enjoyed the family relationships captured, and all the challenges openly discussed. We have some big taboo subjects here, and not many people are brave enough to openly talk about this.
However, this whole concept, and idea, was not delivered as it shouldâve been, as it had the capacity to. There was room for more development, more work, and more plot twists.
Some parts are confusing, and it was nice that the story was so short and you could go back to it and re-read it, but is that really a good thing? Would we go back and re-read a 300-page book if it was confusing? I wouldnât.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Shadow Friend in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The protagonist of this story is Paul. He has to come back to a miserable town where he grew up after he found out that his mother is about to die. Paul hates that town for so many reasons, but mainly because of what happened when he was young. This book is told from a dual perspective. Another character sharing details is Amanda, she is a detective, investigating a murder, that looks exactly like the one that happened many many years ago. Amanda has her own issues, and she is kind of a background character in this book. I liked Paul as a character, he was a good kid, he is awkward, but a nice guy. All the characters chosen in this novel are quite mysterious, and the whole book has a very depressing and gloomy atmosphere, that works very well in Alex Northâs books.
The narrative of this novel is exceptionally well written. The author used a dual timeline, we have the events happening now, and the events that happened when Paul was young. My favourite was the ones from the past, of course. It absolutely absorbed me, I was so eager to find out what happened all those years ago. The parts from the present were quieter and more self-reflecting, sharing the inner struggles, but creepy nevertheless. This book is very twisty, and some of the turns really left me gobsmacked and surprised. The topics discussed in this novel were lucid dreaming, bullying, wish to belong, abusive parents, mental abuse, dementia and its effects, parent-child relationships, the influence of the internet and many, many more.
I really love Alex Northâs writing style. He is amazing in creating suspense, and all the mind manipulation of the reader was truly amazing. đ The chapters are quite short, I was engrossed in this novel, so the pages just flew by, for me. The ending was shocking and very unexpected, but I did like the way this novel ended. I hope someone will adopt this novel to a film, I am pretty sure it would be wickedly good. đ
So, to conclude, I really liked this horror psychological thriller. The characters are very mysterious and the plot is absorbing, layered and complex. This book left me emotionally shaken in the best possible way, and I really recommend to those, who would like something creepy.
The narrative of this novel is exceptionally well written. The author used a dual timeline, we have the events happening now, and the events that happened when Paul was young. My favourite was the ones from the past, of course. It absolutely absorbed me, I was so eager to find out what happened all those years ago. The parts from the present were quieter and more self-reflecting, sharing the inner struggles, but creepy nevertheless. This book is very twisty, and some of the turns really left me gobsmacked and surprised. The topics discussed in this novel were lucid dreaming, bullying, wish to belong, abusive parents, mental abuse, dementia and its effects, parent-child relationships, the influence of the internet and many, many more.
I really love Alex Northâs writing style. He is amazing in creating suspense, and all the mind manipulation of the reader was truly amazing. đ The chapters are quite short, I was engrossed in this novel, so the pages just flew by, for me. The ending was shocking and very unexpected, but I did like the way this novel ended. I hope someone will adopt this novel to a film, I am pretty sure it would be wickedly good. đ
So, to conclude, I really liked this horror psychological thriller. The characters are very mysterious and the plot is absorbing, layered and complex. This book left me emotionally shaken in the best possible way, and I really recommend to those, who would like something creepy.
Sophie Wink (11 KP) rated Granite Grit (Fighting's in the Blood #1) in Books
Jun 26, 2019
"When your toughest opponent is you."
Your not kidding! A very true statement in more ways than one throughout the novel, for the main character Joe and the reader's themselves. What a fantastic debut novel.
The storyline is brilliant, easy to follow and written in quite a unique style jumping from past to present in the space of a couple lines with ease. It is truly fascinating, coming from someone who is clueless when it comes to boxing of any kind I managed to understand everything, it all made sense. I loved the twists and turns the story itself took, unwinding the spiral of destruction the main character created for himself, it's powerful yet sad and overall really moving creating the important hook.
The themes of the story are simple and conveyed with the utmost professionalism, the love between man and women, between parents and children, between man and the art of boxing. The relationships between the characters throughout the novel are wonderfully portrayed whether they come to a complete halt or blossom in times of tragedy. I think the theme of abuse is conveyed beautifully considering the sensitive, powerful and hard-hitting nature of the theme as a whole tying in well with a further theme of family which seems to be one of Joe's fatal flaws. Which leads me on to the character Joe whom I love, hate and support, the character development of Joe is remarkably controlled and really well done. At first, I really loved and sympathised with the man trying to keep his family afloat, then his downwards spiral left me hating him yet supporting him, wanting him to do well and wanting him to win the fight with not only himself but his opponents.
Personally, the fight scenes were my favourite due to the descriptive manner of which they were told, I felt like I was in the crowd onlooking the entire scene feeling the tension and fear in the atmosphere. Although it may not seem like it due to the boxing element the novel is very relatable considering family loyalty, the struggle for money and even the determination Joe has to prove himself. I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the comments Joe made.
Overall, this is truly an amazing book and I couldn't recommend it more.
Your not kidding! A very true statement in more ways than one throughout the novel, for the main character Joe and the reader's themselves. What a fantastic debut novel.
The storyline is brilliant, easy to follow and written in quite a unique style jumping from past to present in the space of a couple lines with ease. It is truly fascinating, coming from someone who is clueless when it comes to boxing of any kind I managed to understand everything, it all made sense. I loved the twists and turns the story itself took, unwinding the spiral of destruction the main character created for himself, it's powerful yet sad and overall really moving creating the important hook.
The themes of the story are simple and conveyed with the utmost professionalism, the love between man and women, between parents and children, between man and the art of boxing. The relationships between the characters throughout the novel are wonderfully portrayed whether they come to a complete halt or blossom in times of tragedy. I think the theme of abuse is conveyed beautifully considering the sensitive, powerful and hard-hitting nature of the theme as a whole tying in well with a further theme of family which seems to be one of Joe's fatal flaws. Which leads me on to the character Joe whom I love, hate and support, the character development of Joe is remarkably controlled and really well done. At first, I really loved and sympathised with the man trying to keep his family afloat, then his downwards spiral left me hating him yet supporting him, wanting him to do well and wanting him to win the fight with not only himself but his opponents.
Personally, the fight scenes were my favourite due to the descriptive manner of which they were told, I felt like I was in the crowd onlooking the entire scene feeling the tension and fear in the atmosphere. Although it may not seem like it due to the boxing element the novel is very relatable considering family loyalty, the struggle for money and even the determination Joe has to prove himself. I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the comments Joe made.
Overall, this is truly an amazing book and I couldn't recommend it more.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated A Killer Carol in Books
Sep 25, 2019
A Killing at Christmas is Anything but Heavenly for Claire
Christmas is approaching in Heavenly, Pennsylvania, and Claire Weatherly has her hands full. Not only does she have the normal tourists coming into her shop, Heavenly Treasures, but she is organizing the first annual One Heavenly Night event designed as a chance for residence and tourists to enjoy the town at Christmas. However, murder rears its ugly head once again one night. Annie, the Amish teen who works for Claire, is out Christmas caroling with some friends, and when they stop at the Eschâs farm, they find both of the them dead. Detective Jakob Fisher is quick to realize it was murder. Unfortunately, the last people to visit the victims were Claireâs Amish friend Ruth and her new husband Samuel. Even worse, the couple appear to have a motive for committing the crime. Claire doesnât believe they could have done it, but Jakob has to follow the evidence wherever it leads, even if it ruins the unofficial inroads he has made in building relationships with the people who used to be his family before he left the Amish community. Can Claire help him solve the case before that happens?
This series works best when the characters are driving a strong mystery, and thatâs definitely the case here. Iâve felt like I knew the series regulars from their first appearances in the series, so it was fantastic to spend time with them again. They are still just as strong as ever, and the new character are just as compelling. Since Heavenly sits on the edge of an Amish community, life is a bit slower, and that is reflected in the plot. This isnât a twist a page type of book, but that faster pace wouldnât feel right. Donât get me wrong, we do have twists and surprises, but the impact on the characters is just as important, and the two combined keep me glued to the book. I had to fight to keep from peaking ahead and making sure everyone was going to be okay. Honestly, just reading about Heavenly refreshes my soul, so picking up this book was great. The Christmas setting was an added bonus since I love that season so much. There are a couple of niggles with the book, but they are minor. This is a fantastic addition to a favorite series.
This series works best when the characters are driving a strong mystery, and thatâs definitely the case here. Iâve felt like I knew the series regulars from their first appearances in the series, so it was fantastic to spend time with them again. They are still just as strong as ever, and the new character are just as compelling. Since Heavenly sits on the edge of an Amish community, life is a bit slower, and that is reflected in the plot. This isnât a twist a page type of book, but that faster pace wouldnât feel right. Donât get me wrong, we do have twists and surprises, but the impact on the characters is just as important, and the two combined keep me glued to the book. I had to fight to keep from peaking ahead and making sure everyone was going to be okay. Honestly, just reading about Heavenly refreshes my soul, so picking up this book was great. The Christmas setting was an added bonus since I love that season so much. There are a couple of niggles with the book, but they are minor. This is a fantastic addition to a favorite series.
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