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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Queene of Light (Lightworld/Darkworld, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
What could have been interesting, wasn't. What could have been unique, failed. What showed promise, wasn't there. Too bad.
Seeing as this is classified as paranormal romance (instead of what I originally thought was urban fantasy), it might be nice if the main two characters were at least a little likable. Nope, sorry to say, this ain't the case. Ayla is boring, unsympathetic, uninteresting, vapid, gullible, weak-willed, slow on the uptake, need I go on? Malachi is also boring, uninteresting, and slow, but he has the addition of sounding like a robot. Sounds like a winning match, eh? Clearly, these two wooden creatures are made for each other. The secondary characters served their purpose: Mabb, your typical baddie; Garret, Mabb's brother and hopeful usurper, he was almost interesting, but he suffered from the same thing his sister did, cliche; and Keller, who was the only character (or anything really) in the whole book that showed a spark of life.
The pace of the book was plodding. I lost interest every other page if I was lucky. The descriptions are seriously lacking and almost everything is boring, boring, boring. I never quite saw what the purpose of vampires and werewolves served in the book. Maybe they play a bigger role in the next two books, otherwise they're pointless and don't make sense in this world. Speaking of the universe, what the author created, while not altogether original, could have been awesome instead of vague and confusing. A real missed opportunity.
My advice: skip it. Read at your own risk of falling asleep.
Seeing as this is classified as paranormal romance (instead of what I originally thought was urban fantasy), it might be nice if the main two characters were at least a little likable. Nope, sorry to say, this ain't the case. Ayla is boring, unsympathetic, uninteresting, vapid, gullible, weak-willed, slow on the uptake, need I go on? Malachi is also boring, uninteresting, and slow, but he has the addition of sounding like a robot. Sounds like a winning match, eh? Clearly, these two wooden creatures are made for each other. The secondary characters served their purpose: Mabb, your typical baddie; Garret, Mabb's brother and hopeful usurper, he was almost interesting, but he suffered from the same thing his sister did, cliche; and Keller, who was the only character (or anything really) in the whole book that showed a spark of life.
The pace of the book was plodding. I lost interest every other page if I was lucky. The descriptions are seriously lacking and almost everything is boring, boring, boring. I never quite saw what the purpose of vampires and werewolves served in the book. Maybe they play a bigger role in the next two books, otherwise they're pointless and don't make sense in this world. Speaking of the universe, what the author created, while not altogether original, could have been awesome instead of vague and confusing. A real missed opportunity.
My advice: skip it. Read at your own risk of falling asleep.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Best Family Ever (Baxter Family Children, #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I was so excited for the release of this novel. Karen Kingsbury is one of my absolute favorite authors and her Baxter family has been my favorite for a long time now. This book is the start of books about her Baxter family characters as children. I've always wondered about the Baxter kids and what there life was like growing up, and with this book, we get just that and so much more!
This one focuses on Ashley Baxter. Ashley was one of my favorite characters in the Baxter series and her character as a child......let me tell you, she was full of mischief and I saw myself in her so much! The experiences of having to move and make new friends and adjust to life in a new way, was something that I could relate to, after my dad retired from the military and I had to leave my best friend. The faith, the hope, the love that the Baxter children had as young ones was inspiring, even for this adult!
Whether you have a child or grandchild, niece or nephew, who loves to read, this book is perfect for them! Every child, and adult needs to read this sweet book! I read it in one sitting. Mother and Son did a phenomenal job on this creation! If you're 8, or 98, this is a 5 star read that you will want on your shelf forever! Bravo and magnificently done, Mrs. Kingsbury and Mr. Russell. I can't wait to read the next one!
This one focuses on Ashley Baxter. Ashley was one of my favorite characters in the Baxter series and her character as a child......let me tell you, she was full of mischief and I saw myself in her so much! The experiences of having to move and make new friends and adjust to life in a new way, was something that I could relate to, after my dad retired from the military and I had to leave my best friend. The faith, the hope, the love that the Baxter children had as young ones was inspiring, even for this adult!
Whether you have a child or grandchild, niece or nephew, who loves to read, this book is perfect for them! Every child, and adult needs to read this sweet book! I read it in one sitting. Mother and Son did a phenomenal job on this creation! If you're 8, or 98, this is a 5 star read that you will want on your shelf forever! Bravo and magnificently done, Mrs. Kingsbury and Mr. Russell. I can't wait to read the next one!
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Teacher's Bride (Amish Brides of Birch Creek #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class=" wp-image-15770 aligncenter" src="https://covertocovercafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ReviewBanner.png"; alt="" width="498" height="176" />It was so good to get back to a Kathleen Fuller novel. I haven't read one in a bit, and this was a refreshing jump back to her work. This is the first in a what's sure to be a wonderful series, and every minute of this book had me hooked.
From the start, I loved Ruby's character. I saw a lot of myself in her, and I really felt connected with her. Watching her, following her story, seeing how hard she tries to do good, but something always fails, it all really had me turning the pages long into the night.
When Christian enters the picture, the story just gets that much better! The quirks of the story really shine through him, making this a story that had me laughing out loud, cheering for him and Ruby and praying that they get what they want.
This book is definitely a 4 star book. If you want a quick, fast paced read and one that will instantly hook you, look no further. Ms. Fuller's books are filled with hope, laughter, beautifully chiseled characters and a tender message that will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to see the next book in the series! Well done, Ms. Fuller! Well done!</p>
I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Fiction Guild and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.
From the start, I loved Ruby's character. I saw a lot of myself in her, and I really felt connected with her. Watching her, following her story, seeing how hard she tries to do good, but something always fails, it all really had me turning the pages long into the night.
When Christian enters the picture, the story just gets that much better! The quirks of the story really shine through him, making this a story that had me laughing out loud, cheering for him and Ruby and praying that they get what they want.
This book is definitely a 4 star book. If you want a quick, fast paced read and one that will instantly hook you, look no further. Ms. Fuller's books are filled with hope, laughter, beautifully chiseled characters and a tender message that will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to see the next book in the series! Well done, Ms. Fuller! Well done!</p>
I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Fiction Guild and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Secret Ingredient in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I’m fairly new to Nancy Naigle’s work, having only read one other book by her. But, that said, let me tell you this: she is amazing! Having the chance to read this delicious novel was so fun! I loved her writing style, the hope and the characters that are woven together, all of it! It was a phenomenal read!
Andrew and Kelly’s characters were awesome. I loved the way they were chiseled, and seeing them interact together really played out like it was a movie on the Hallmark channel. I truly love when a book can do that!
Andrew’s character was my favorite. I loved how he developed throughout the story, and seeing how things were when he returned home. Though I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what to think of his breaking their engagement and traveling away. I wanted to shake him! But, I also saw how it needed to be like that to full feel the emotions of these awesome characters, to fully understand that it needed to be done so he could understand his true feelings.
This is most definitely a 4 star novel that I should high praises to. Andrew and Kelly needed just one thing from Naigle for this book……just one secret ingredient……..and she did it beautifully! Well done, Naigle. This is a keeper book on my shelf and I can’t wait to read more of your work!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Andrew and Kelly’s characters were awesome. I loved the way they were chiseled, and seeing them interact together really played out like it was a movie on the Hallmark channel. I truly love when a book can do that!
Andrew’s character was my favorite. I loved how he developed throughout the story, and seeing how things were when he returned home. Though I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what to think of his breaking their engagement and traveling away. I wanted to shake him! But, I also saw how it needed to be like that to full feel the emotions of these awesome characters, to fully understand that it needed to be done so he could understand his true feelings.
This is most definitely a 4 star novel that I should high praises to. Andrew and Kelly needed just one thing from Naigle for this book……just one secret ingredient……..and she did it beautifully! Well done, Naigle. This is a keeper book on my shelf and I can’t wait to read more of your work!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Simple Art Of Flying in Books
Mar 4, 2019
Characters (2 more)
Messages
Writing Style
First, can we just take a minute to talk about this cover? It’s absolutely adorable! I love the birds, and the books, and the colors. That alone would pull me into the book. Second, can I just tell you that I wish we had books like this when I was a kid! Don’t get me wrong, Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, The Baby Sitters Club, and a few others were awesome. But, books like TSAOF would have been happily devoured then, too!
I absolutely adored Alastair. I’m not a fan of birds, but it they were all like Alastair I would have a dozen! I loved his curmudgeon quirkiness, and his ability to pull you into the story, along with his sister Aggie. His poetry was awesome and captivating! And, Fritz. Let me tell you what. I saw a lot of my own kiddos in Fritz. He was just lovable. And, Bertie! The perfect “grandma” for the story. I loved her laugh-out-loud moments in the story.
This debut novel by the amazingly talented Cory Leonardo is one that should be on every young reader’s shelves. It’s filled with life lessons, lots of laughter, characters who will become friends, and lots of fun. If you have a younger reader, age 8 and up, I would definitely recommend you get this for them. It’s worthy of 4 stars, for sure! Great job on your debut, Leonardo!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aladdin and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
I absolutely adored Alastair. I’m not a fan of birds, but it they were all like Alastair I would have a dozen! I loved his curmudgeon quirkiness, and his ability to pull you into the story, along with his sister Aggie. His poetry was awesome and captivating! And, Fritz. Let me tell you what. I saw a lot of my own kiddos in Fritz. He was just lovable. And, Bertie! The perfect “grandma” for the story. I loved her laugh-out-loud moments in the story.
This debut novel by the amazingly talented Cory Leonardo is one that should be on every young reader’s shelves. It’s filled with life lessons, lots of laughter, characters who will become friends, and lots of fun. If you have a younger reader, age 8 and up, I would definitely recommend you get this for them. It’s worthy of 4 stars, for sure! Great job on your debut, Leonardo!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aladdin and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Equalizer 2 (2018) in Movies
Mar 10, 2019
Revenge not as sweet the 2nd time...
When we left Robert McCall, he had just vanquished a set of Russian baddies and went back to trying to enjoy a normal life. When we meet him again, he is up to his old tactics trying to help those who cannot help themselves. After some initial carnage, the film takes a different turn striking McCall where it hurts with someone close to him. The situation is challenging McCall gets drawn in as he tries to figure out who is responsible.
Meanwhile, he befriends a young man who lives near him and tries to give him advice and steer him along the right course in life avoiding the temptation to fall in with the wrong crowd.
After the true nature of the crimes is discovered and the perpetrators reveal themselves, McCall falls into his old ways of doing whatever it takes and using whatever means necessary to attempt to prevail.
Although I thought the idea to strike closer to home for McCall was an interesting one, and took him out of his comfort zone, the screenplay was not good enough and I saw the twist coming almost immediately. These characters didn't seem to be very smart and made the film more cumbersome and not nearly as fun.
The climax scene was kind of cool I guess, but seemed very forced and something the writer thought would be cooler than what it was.
Kind of disappointed.
Meanwhile, he befriends a young man who lives near him and tries to give him advice and steer him along the right course in life avoiding the temptation to fall in with the wrong crowd.
After the true nature of the crimes is discovered and the perpetrators reveal themselves, McCall falls into his old ways of doing whatever it takes and using whatever means necessary to attempt to prevail.
Although I thought the idea to strike closer to home for McCall was an interesting one, and took him out of his comfort zone, the screenplay was not good enough and I saw the twist coming almost immediately. These characters didn't seem to be very smart and made the film more cumbersome and not nearly as fun.
The climax scene was kind of cool I guess, but seemed very forced and something the writer thought would be cooler than what it was.
Kind of disappointed.
Rodney Barnes (472 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Mar 22, 2019 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)
Very Disappointed
Contains spoilers, click to show
I am one of the biggest Star Wars fans you would meet. I have been to theaters to see all movies. As a kid I saw A New Hope in the theater. The Last Jedi however was an abomination. What you have in this movie was a director that did whatever he wanted and hardly addressed anything in The Force Awakens; which now in my opinion is irrelevant.
In the old canon Luke was such an awesome powerful character and leader. Instead of that we get some crazy old guy who has lost connection with the force because his nephew has turned to the dark side (Hmmm A gifted force user turning to the dark side never heard this type of storyline before). The Knights of Ren was not addressed. Luke confining himself to an island and force projecting himself was just plain dumb to me (Hmmm a Jedi Master exiling himself...never heard that storyline before either). The revelation of Rey's parents was anti climatic. The Canto Byte scene was unnecessary. The the thing I was most disappointed in was when Snoke was killed. He was a character I was really interested in. I have heard the people that like this movie say most are mad because this movie was not a "fan service". That is inane reasoning because without fans you have nothing. If this was just another type of Sci fi movie it would have worked. As a Star Wars movie.....just plain bad
In the old canon Luke was such an awesome powerful character and leader. Instead of that we get some crazy old guy who has lost connection with the force because his nephew has turned to the dark side (Hmmm A gifted force user turning to the dark side never heard this type of storyline before). The Knights of Ren was not addressed. Luke confining himself to an island and force projecting himself was just plain dumb to me (Hmmm a Jedi Master exiling himself...never heard that storyline before either). The revelation of Rey's parents was anti climatic. The Canto Byte scene was unnecessary. The the thing I was most disappointed in was when Snoke was killed. He was a character I was really interested in. I have heard the people that like this movie say most are mad because this movie was not a "fan service". That is inane reasoning because without fans you have nothing. If this was just another type of Sci fi movie it would have worked. As a Star Wars movie.....just plain bad
Sam (74 KP) rated More Than This in Books
Mar 27, 2019
However, I never managed to get into it. I didn’t realise it would be quite as sci-fi as it seemed to begin with and struggled to relate to the protagonist.
I thought this was going to stay as a DNF forever, as I had a tendency to never try to pick a book up again after I have DNF’d it. However, just before I was going on holiday I saw a review for it over on another blog and decided that I should try it again. My tastes have changed a lot in a few years, so I was hoping I would find it easier to read this time around.
And I was right! I wasn’t hooked right at the beginning so it took some commitment to carry on reading. But now I really enjoyed the concept of aliens used in this and all of the mystery.
I actually got hooked on this! It’s almost like reading an episode of Black Mirror, which is another thing I’m addicted to.
Fair enough, I wasn’t completely sure I liked the characters, but you don’t have to love the characters in order to enjoy a novel.
I have an obsession with urban explorers going into abandoned places, and I love their videos. More Than This is set in a completely abandoned world, and I found Ness’s description of how nature took over a familiar place was really fascinating. This made me really like his writing and now I’m considering reading more of his books!
I thought this was going to stay as a DNF forever, as I had a tendency to never try to pick a book up again after I have DNF’d it. However, just before I was going on holiday I saw a review for it over on another blog and decided that I should try it again. My tastes have changed a lot in a few years, so I was hoping I would find it easier to read this time around.
And I was right! I wasn’t hooked right at the beginning so it took some commitment to carry on reading. But now I really enjoyed the concept of aliens used in this and all of the mystery.
I actually got hooked on this! It’s almost like reading an episode of Black Mirror, which is another thing I’m addicted to.
Fair enough, I wasn’t completely sure I liked the characters, but you don’t have to love the characters in order to enjoy a novel.
I have an obsession with urban explorers going into abandoned places, and I love their videos. More Than This is set in a completely abandoned world, and I found Ness’s description of how nature took over a familiar place was really fascinating. This made me really like his writing and now I’m considering reading more of his books!
Sam (74 KP) rated Attachments in Books
Mar 27, 2019
I’ve wanted to read Attachments for the past few years, but I’ve always managed to find a book I wanted to read more, and it got forgotten about until I was looking to see what books I wanted for Christmas. I’m so glad I did finally get around to reading it.
Attachments follows the life of Lincoln, a man who works in IT at a newspaper office in 1999. Lincoln is a loner who works night shifts mainly monitoring ‘WebFence’, checking that employees emails aren’t inappropriate. This is where he discovers Beth and Jennifer – two best friends whose emails are constantly being flagged up. Lincoln finds himself reading these emails and falling for one of them.
I never expected this novel to be very deep, after all, it’s about a man who stalks the emails of two women. However, it goes into the issues both Beth and Jennifer have in their lives such as their relationships and happiness.
Lincoln is such a lovable character. He’s nerdy, rubbish at making friends and still lives with his mum.
I was shocked when I saw that the Goodreads rating for this one is only 3.9 because I actually preferred it to any of her other books I’ve read. I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve only ever read her YA before but I just thought this was so much better. In some places, it did feel a little bit slow, but it soon picked up again. It’s definitely better than Rainbow Rowell’s YA novels.
Attachments follows the life of Lincoln, a man who works in IT at a newspaper office in 1999. Lincoln is a loner who works night shifts mainly monitoring ‘WebFence’, checking that employees emails aren’t inappropriate. This is where he discovers Beth and Jennifer – two best friends whose emails are constantly being flagged up. Lincoln finds himself reading these emails and falling for one of them.
I never expected this novel to be very deep, after all, it’s about a man who stalks the emails of two women. However, it goes into the issues both Beth and Jennifer have in their lives such as their relationships and happiness.
Lincoln is such a lovable character. He’s nerdy, rubbish at making friends and still lives with his mum.
I was shocked when I saw that the Goodreads rating for this one is only 3.9 because I actually preferred it to any of her other books I’ve read. I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve only ever read her YA before but I just thought this was so much better. In some places, it did feel a little bit slow, but it soon picked up again. It’s definitely better than Rainbow Rowell’s YA novels.
Fred (860 KP) rated Stan & Ollie (2018) in Movies
Apr 2, 2019
Like two peas in a pod-duh
I'm a super-fan of The Boys. In fact, they're one of my favorite things in life. I've watched their films & shorts dozens of times, hundreds of times for some & I laugh just as hard now, as the first time I saw them. Let me say that Reilly & Coogan are unbelievable as Stan & Ollie. Every mannerism, their speech, their singing voices, everything, perfect! The movie begins in their Hal Roach days, while they are filming their classic "Way Out West". This is the end of the duo's time together at the studio. It then moves ahead 16 years, where their movies are done & they're on tour in Europe doing some shows. So, we get a look at some stuff we may not have known & what went on.
The movie features many of their recreations of their skits & songs from their films, as they are acted out in their shows. There were many times I laughed out loud. But, the movie has drama as well & I found myself getting worried for them, even though I knew what happened. Unlike most other bio-films like Bohemian Rhapsody or The Dirt, this film seems to be true to the real story. Since I'm such a fan, I may be biased towards liking the film. As for people who aren't fans, which would probably mean they've never seen a L&H film, I think they should watch it anyway. I'm sure you'll like it too.
The movie features many of their recreations of their skits & songs from their films, as they are acted out in their shows. There were many times I laughed out loud. But, the movie has drama as well & I found myself getting worried for them, even though I knew what happened. Unlike most other bio-films like Bohemian Rhapsody or The Dirt, this film seems to be true to the real story. Since I'm such a fan, I may be biased towards liking the film. As for people who aren't fans, which would probably mean they've never seen a L&H film, I think they should watch it anyway. I'm sure you'll like it too.