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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2605 KP) rated Murder at Blackwater Bend in Books
May 13, 2022 (Updated May 13, 2022)
Fishing for Bodies
August 1905 finds American heiress Stella Kendrick and Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst planning their wedding as they get to know each other better. Things hit a snag when they find a dead body in a nearby river one morning while fly fishing. The victim was their neighbor, Lord Fairbrother. He wasn’t a nice man and seemed to have multiple enemies. However, suspicion falls on the local snake catcher, someone that Stella has befriended. Can she and Lyndy figure out what really happened?
I enjoyed the first in the series, but I found this one even better. The story is tight with lots to keep us hooked. I was impressed with how it all came together at the end. I do find Stella’s father horrible at times, which is my only negative. Lyndy’s mother, while still annoying, is more on the amusing side. The rest of the cast is charming, and Lyndy and Stella are wonderful leads. You can’t help but root for them. We get the story from multiple viewpoints, but it is always clear when we are switching things up. I’m already looking forward to finding out what happens to these characters next.
I enjoyed the first in the series, but I found this one even better. The story is tight with lots to keep us hooked. I was impressed with how it all came together at the end. I do find Stella’s father horrible at times, which is my only negative. Lyndy’s mother, while still annoying, is more on the amusing side. The rest of the cast is charming, and Lyndy and Stella are wonderful leads. You can’t help but root for them. We get the story from multiple viewpoints, but it is always clear when we are switching things up. I’m already looking forward to finding out what happens to these characters next.
Fire Witch (Witches of Westwood Academy #3)
Book
Can Westwood Academy handle the blazing inferno that erupts when these two touch? Tana McKenna...
Paranormal Romance
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Rooster Bar in Books
Jan 1, 2018
Slow-moving (1 more)
Not interesting
Not one of Grisham's best
Mark, Todd, and Zola all had big aspirations when they signed up for Foggy Bottom law school. They also dreamed of the big paychecks that would follow after graduation. Those paychecks would help pay off the student loans required to attend Foggy Bottom--a less than well-respected for-profit law school that has left each of the trio with an average of $200K in debt. Even worse, Foggy Bottom is such a terrible school that they are receiving a mediocre education from sub-par professors; they may not even pass the bar exam. And if they do, they have little chance of gaining one of the coveted, well-paying law positions that can pay off those loans. So when one of their close friends, Gordy, alerts them that their school is owned by a shady financial operative who also has ties to a bank that profits off their loans, they are outraged. When tragedy besets the group, Mark, Todd, and Zola decide to take matters into their own hands, no matter what it takes. Even if that means quitting school a few months shy of graduation...
Oh man, I wanted to like this one, but it just didn't work for me. It took me eleven days to read--unheard of for basically any book, let alone a Grisham, and I practically had to force myself to finish it. It seemed like a really good premise: the novel combines the timely issues of student loan debt and immigration, but nothing meshes together well.
I never warmed to the protagonists. It's really hard to like or empathize with Mark, Todd, or even Zola, who is dealing with her family being deported. What's being done to the three law students is certainly not great, but their response just never seemed fully justified to me. I could not root for them like I could a Darby Shaw, a Gray Grantham, a Reggie Love. It's a shame, because the bad guy is fairly despicable, but we don't get enough development on either side to feel fully invested. As for our trio, for instance, they basically blow a huge case for someone and never do anything to make amends--nor ever really seem to show any real remorse. How is that any better than the people they are going up against?
Without anyone to really root for or a plot to quickly move forward, this one just dragged on. For me, it was slow-moving and not-interesting. Definitely a letdown. 2.5 stars.
Oh man, I wanted to like this one, but it just didn't work for me. It took me eleven days to read--unheard of for basically any book, let alone a Grisham, and I practically had to force myself to finish it. It seemed like a really good premise: the novel combines the timely issues of student loan debt and immigration, but nothing meshes together well.
I never warmed to the protagonists. It's really hard to like or empathize with Mark, Todd, or even Zola, who is dealing with her family being deported. What's being done to the three law students is certainly not great, but their response just never seemed fully justified to me. I could not root for them like I could a Darby Shaw, a Gray Grantham, a Reggie Love. It's a shame, because the bad guy is fairly despicable, but we don't get enough development on either side to feel fully invested. As for our trio, for instance, they basically blow a huge case for someone and never do anything to make amends--nor ever really seem to show any real remorse. How is that any better than the people they are going up against?
Without anyone to really root for or a plot to quickly move forward, this one just dragged on. For me, it was slow-moving and not-interesting. Definitely a letdown. 2.5 stars.
Respiratory Anatomy Atlas: Essential Reference for Students and Healthcare Professionals
Medical and Education
App
Respiratory Anatomy Atlas is a quick visual reference on respiratory anatomy, physiology, and common...
SJ
Shonishin: Japanese Pediatric Acupuncture: A Text and Video Guide
Book
In a concise manner, Birch manages to capture the essence of meridian therapy-no mean feat. --...
Mel Rodriguez recommended GoodFellas (1990) in Movies (curated)
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Logan Lucky (2017) in Movies
Dec 7, 2017
Sleeper
If you are looking for a movie that checks all the boxes, Logan Lucky is the one. I LOVE finding gems like these. Sleepers. Sure you can see movies like Logan and War For the Planet of the Apes coming from a mile away. You expect them to be great It's films like Logan Lucky, however, that keep the movie calendar refreshing.
Just fired from his job and trying to make enough money to take care of his daughter, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) devises a plan to rob the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tatum is awesome in his role, but has a great deal of help from a star-studded the cast the likes of Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, and Katie Holmes. With too many hilarious moments to count and an overly lovable protagonist who you can't help but root for, Logan Lucky is one of the year's best.
In 2007, I saw a movie called Stardust that surprised the heck out of me by how good it was. I mean, the film just came out of nowhere but I couldn't have been happier that I saw it. Logan Lucky gives me the exact same vibe. I give it a very solid 97.
Just fired from his job and trying to make enough money to take care of his daughter, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) devises a plan to rob the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tatum is awesome in his role, but has a great deal of help from a star-studded the cast the likes of Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, and Katie Holmes. With too many hilarious moments to count and an overly lovable protagonist who you can't help but root for, Logan Lucky is one of the year's best.
In 2007, I saw a movie called Stardust that surprised the heck out of me by how good it was. I mean, the film just came out of nowhere but I couldn't have been happier that I saw it. Logan Lucky gives me the exact same vibe. I give it a very solid 97.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2605 KP) rated Lost Luggage in Books
Aug 28, 2018
Cyd’s Dream Vacation Turns Into a Nightmare
Despite working as a travel agent, Cyd Redondo has barely traveled herself. That’s why she is so excited to finally win a promotional trip that sends her to Africa. And if she can check in with some of her clients while she is there, so much the better. At least, that’s what she thinks until she lands and discovers that one couple has been arrest. And there seems to be a rash of lost luggage. What is really going on?
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The New Husband in Books
Apr 23, 2020
I will give it to this novel--it's a page-turner. I might not have really liked any of the characters (Daisy the dog exempted), but I certainly flew through the book. The narrative style wasn't exactly my favorite; it just felt off to me.
"There was, however, one truth Nina took from the terrible ordeal, an abstract notion that with time and rumination calcified into a harsh new understanding: just because you love someone doesn't mean you know them."
There is no one in this book that I felt the desire to root for, beyond Daisy and poor Maggie, Nina's thirteen-year-old daughter, who is bullied and neglected thanks to all that's going on. I'm sorry, but her clueless mom makes some terrible decisions. I wanted to shake her multiple times.
This book is crazy and honestly, a little too far-fetched for me at times. I love a book filled with twists and turns, but this one might take the cake. Especially since some of them seemed to lack any motivation or backup.
Still, it's a page-turner and a fast read. If you can suspend your disbelief more than I did, you'll probably really enjoy it.
"There was, however, one truth Nina took from the terrible ordeal, an abstract notion that with time and rumination calcified into a harsh new understanding: just because you love someone doesn't mean you know them."
There is no one in this book that I felt the desire to root for, beyond Daisy and poor Maggie, Nina's thirteen-year-old daughter, who is bullied and neglected thanks to all that's going on. I'm sorry, but her clueless mom makes some terrible decisions. I wanted to shake her multiple times.
This book is crazy and honestly, a little too far-fetched for me at times. I love a book filled with twists and turns, but this one might take the cake. Especially since some of them seemed to lack any motivation or backup.
Still, it's a page-turner and a fast read. If you can suspend your disbelief more than I did, you'll probably really enjoy it.
Modeling and Analysis of Stochastic Systems
Book
Building on the author's more than 35 years of teaching experience, Modeling and Analysis of...






