Search
Search results
ClareR (5561 KP) rated Becoming Ted in Books
Jan 19, 2023
I absolutely loved reading Matt Cain’s latest book “Becoming Ted” on The Pigeonhole.
After Ted’s marriage to his husband Giles breaks down, he decides that it’s time to do what makes him happy - rather than what makes everyone else happy.
Ted’s parents expect him to take over the running of the family business : an ice cream parlour in the quiet Lancashire seaside town of St. Luke’s-on-Sea. But Ted doesn’t want to do that. What he wants to do is very different.
I loved the characters in this book, but special mentions for me must go to Ted’s best friend Denise and his new friend Stanley. Both are fully supportive of his new venture.
Ted’s new boyfriend, Oskar, is on his own voyage of discovery, too.
This is a thoroughly lovely book about following your dreams and living your truth. I loved it, and would recommend it!
After Ted’s marriage to his husband Giles breaks down, he decides that it’s time to do what makes him happy - rather than what makes everyone else happy.
Ted’s parents expect him to take over the running of the family business : an ice cream parlour in the quiet Lancashire seaside town of St. Luke’s-on-Sea. But Ted doesn’t want to do that. What he wants to do is very different.
I loved the characters in this book, but special mentions for me must go to Ted’s best friend Denise and his new friend Stanley. Both are fully supportive of his new venture.
Ted’s new boyfriend, Oskar, is on his own voyage of discovery, too.
This is a thoroughly lovely book about following your dreams and living your truth. I loved it, and would recommend it!
David McK (3185 KP) rated Carry on, Jeeves (Jeeves, #3) in Books
Oct 1, 2023
Rather than a novel in its own right, this is a loosely connected collection of Jeeves and Wooster short stories, all told ion the first person narrative (nearly all by Wooster except the very last) and largely split between the UK and the US.
In the collection I read, the stories included are as follows:
1) Jeeves Takes Charge (the first meeting of Jeeves and Wooster!)
2) The Artistic Career of Corky (New York)
3) Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest (New York again)
4) Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg (also in New York)
5) The Aunt and the Sluggard (still New York)
6) The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy (Paris)
7) Without the Option (London)
8) Fixing it for Freddie (English seaside)
9) Clustering Round Young Bingo (English countryside)
10) Bertie Changes His Mind (the one told from Jeeves point of view)
Whilst maybe not the best PG Wodehouse Jeeves books I've read, they are nice as a palate cleanser after something heavier!
In the collection I read, the stories included are as follows:
1) Jeeves Takes Charge (the first meeting of Jeeves and Wooster!)
2) The Artistic Career of Corky (New York)
3) Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest (New York again)
4) Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg (also in New York)
5) The Aunt and the Sluggard (still New York)
6) The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy (Paris)
7) Without the Option (London)
8) Fixing it for Freddie (English seaside)
9) Clustering Round Young Bingo (English countryside)
10) Bertie Changes His Mind (the one told from Jeeves point of view)
Whilst maybe not the best PG Wodehouse Jeeves books I've read, they are nice as a palate cleanser after something heavier!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Rumour in Books
Jan 28, 2019
A great debut
What a great debut and yet another author to keep my eyes on and a British one too ?
As the blurb says, Joanna hears a rumour and ends up passing it on even though she knows it's probably not the best decision she has ever made however, she feels the need to fit in and make friends since moving to a small seaside town from London ... what harm can it do? Well as most of us know, rumours can be extremely damaging and this book is a pretty good example of that.
Well written with great characters and setting, a gripping and relevant story line written at a good pace and with excellent twists, this book is definitely one for lovers of books that draw you in, spin you around and spit you out leaving you feeling like you're on a rollercoaster but not wanting it to end and when it does, you want to go back and have another go.
I wish to express my thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for my copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review and for, once again, introducing me to another new author to follow.
Having just clicked on the publisher website, it appears Lesley Kara has a new book coming out called "Who Did You Tell?"; the blurb sounds great and I am so looking forward to reading it especially if it's as well written as "The Rumour".
Blurb taken from the publisher website:
"It’s been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around.
Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery She's going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she's wronged.
But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be corrected.
Some mistakes, you have to pay for..."
BUT it's not out until December 2019!! Guess I'll just have to wait then ?
As the blurb says, Joanna hears a rumour and ends up passing it on even though she knows it's probably not the best decision she has ever made however, she feels the need to fit in and make friends since moving to a small seaside town from London ... what harm can it do? Well as most of us know, rumours can be extremely damaging and this book is a pretty good example of that.
Well written with great characters and setting, a gripping and relevant story line written at a good pace and with excellent twists, this book is definitely one for lovers of books that draw you in, spin you around and spit you out leaving you feeling like you're on a rollercoaster but not wanting it to end and when it does, you want to go back and have another go.
I wish to express my thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for my copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review and for, once again, introducing me to another new author to follow.
Having just clicked on the publisher website, it appears Lesley Kara has a new book coming out called "Who Did You Tell?"; the blurb sounds great and I am so looking forward to reading it especially if it's as well written as "The Rumour".
Blurb taken from the publisher website:
"It’s been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around.
Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery She's going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she's wronged.
But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be corrected.
Some mistakes, you have to pay for..."
BUT it's not out until December 2019!! Guess I'll just have to wait then ?
Awix (3310 KP) rated Break of Dark in Books
Aug 2, 2019
I must have been 12 or 13 when I first read this, and back then part of the fun came from the sense that these actually felt like adult stories, for all the book is advertised as being basically YA fiction: quite apart from the substantial quantities of profanity and sex, many the characters aren't typical YA identification figures: middle-aged seaside policemen, earnest young vicars, suburban couples, and so on. These are still hugely readable and satisfying stories even now many decades later.
But what are they about? Well, there are two stories of ghosts (a haunted Wellington bomber during the second world war, and a rather stranger tale of an unwitting medium), two of very atypical alien visitations (a cautionary tale of a young hitch-hiker, and a blackly comic one concerning a spate of peculiar crimes in a small resort town), and one of an inner-city vicar who stumbles onto something very creepy in the crypt of his church. All of them are engagingly and skilfully written, and immaculately paced. Good reads for all ages.
But what are they about? Well, there are two stories of ghosts (a haunted Wellington bomber during the second world war, and a rather stranger tale of an unwitting medium), two of very atypical alien visitations (a cautionary tale of a young hitch-hiker, and a blackly comic one concerning a spate of peculiar crimes in a small resort town), and one of an inner-city vicar who stumbles onto something very creepy in the crypt of his church. All of them are engagingly and skilfully written, and immaculately paced. Good reads for all ages.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Covenant in Books
Apr 4, 2024
64 of 220
Book sirens arc
The Covenant
By Tom Lewis
⭐️⭐️
Capetown Maine is haunted. Everyone in the quiet seaside community knows it, but only Kenzie Walsh and her friends are willing to do something about it. So, when a mysterious, arcane chalice is found buried in a local cave, Kenzie delves into its origins. What she finds are its ties to a cursed, shadow-haunted city thought to only exist in legend, and its role in a terrifying end-times prophecy. A prophecy the chalice’s unearthing has set in motion; and which Kenzie and her friends may be the only hope of stopping.
I struggled with it if I’m honest it just wasn’t for me. I found it slightly long winded in places and in others that could have been interesting rushed past. A lot of over explanation.
Like I said it’s just not for me I hope that someo finds it for them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Book sirens arc
The Covenant
By Tom Lewis
⭐️⭐️
Capetown Maine is haunted. Everyone in the quiet seaside community knows it, but only Kenzie Walsh and her friends are willing to do something about it. So, when a mysterious, arcane chalice is found buried in a local cave, Kenzie delves into its origins. What she finds are its ties to a cursed, shadow-haunted city thought to only exist in legend, and its role in a terrifying end-times prophecy. A prophecy the chalice’s unearthing has set in motion; and which Kenzie and her friends may be the only hope of stopping.
I struggled with it if I’m honest it just wasn’t for me. I found it slightly long winded in places and in others that could have been interesting rushed past. A lot of over explanation.
Like I said it’s just not for me I hope that someo finds it for them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Cousins in Books
Mar 4, 2021
Easy-to-read twisty teen thriller
Cousins Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story barely know each other, and they don't know their grandmother, Mildred, at all. Wealthy Mildred disinherited their parents before the cousins were even born. But now Mildred has requested the cousins' presence at her seaside resort. All the parents want their children to go, hopeful that being inherited again is back on the table. But when the three arrive on the island, it's pretty apparent that Mildred isn't keen on meeting her grandchildren. It's also clear that there are a lot of secrets and lies swirling around the Story family and history.
This is a quick read and an easy thriller, if that makes sense. It's a fun story with some good twists and several crazy surprises. There's not a lot of character development or in-depth plotting, but the tale kept me guessing and engaged. I'm always a sucker for inheritance stories and giant houses filled with secrets perched on islands.
Overall, this is fast read and a twisty thriller. It would be a great starter mystery for teens. 3.75 stars.
This is a quick read and an easy thriller, if that makes sense. It's a fun story with some good twists and several crazy surprises. There's not a lot of character development or in-depth plotting, but the tale kept me guessing and engaged. I'm always a sucker for inheritance stories and giant houses filled with secrets perched on islands.
Overall, this is fast read and a twisty thriller. It would be a great starter mystery for teens. 3.75 stars.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Oct 31, 2020
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Guest Book in Books
May 30, 2021
This is the first time reading this author and likely won't be the last as this was an enjoyable and easy read.
Grace and Charles are on their way to St Ives to start their honeymoon when disaster strikes and they are stranded in the small seaside town of Saltwater; with there being few available rooms left, they have to book in to the run-down bed and breakfast, The Anchorage, and which is where the creepiness starts.
This is a story that is full of atmosphere which is excellently captured from start to finish. You can feel the weird vibe jumping out of the pages from not only the strange owners of The Anchorage but from the town itself and its inhabitants. You know something's not quite right but you struggle to put your finger on it and this builds the tension however, and it's a big however, it didn't really end as good as it started; it just seemed to fizzle out unfortunately and I didn't get that sense of satisfaction or pleasure when the "twist" was revealed.
Despite the disappointing conclusion, I did enjoy reading it and will seek out more of C.L. Pattison's work in the future.
Many thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Grace and Charles are on their way to St Ives to start their honeymoon when disaster strikes and they are stranded in the small seaside town of Saltwater; with there being few available rooms left, they have to book in to the run-down bed and breakfast, The Anchorage, and which is where the creepiness starts.
This is a story that is full of atmosphere which is excellently captured from start to finish. You can feel the weird vibe jumping out of the pages from not only the strange owners of The Anchorage but from the town itself and its inhabitants. You know something's not quite right but you struggle to put your finger on it and this builds the tension however, and it's a big however, it didn't really end as good as it started; it just seemed to fizzle out unfortunately and I didn't get that sense of satisfaction or pleasure when the "twist" was revealed.
Despite the disappointing conclusion, I did enjoy reading it and will seek out more of C.L. Pattison's work in the future.
Many thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Jaws (1975) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The movie which heralded the summer blockbuster has never looked so good. At 44, this is a well but gently paced slow-burn thriller, with a mix of easy on eye thrills and gritty human discourse. Robert Shaw may well have made this his film, but he was far from alone. Almost all the lead cast were more than worthy, and it was Spielberg’s young direction along with John William’s iconic score which propelled this from just another thriller into a timeless tale.
Though in many ways it looks dated, it doesn’t feel it. It has a very general sense of a seaside resort, without the gratuitous Baywatch glamour, nor the dinge of the horror genre. The people and locations feel very real and even though the shark itself is a bit of a let down, it is not a total loss and has taken nothing away from the film.
But for my money, the defining moment is the ‘Indianapolis’ anecdote as told be Shaw. The entire scene is played and shot so well and its placement within the film is perfect. This was a real story about an almost fantastical threat, but like he would go onto do later with Jurassic Park, taking you out of every day life without taking you into space is what Spielberg does best.
This is a must see and always will be. This is one of the best films of the 70’s and beyond…
Though in many ways it looks dated, it doesn’t feel it. It has a very general sense of a seaside resort, without the gratuitous Baywatch glamour, nor the dinge of the horror genre. The people and locations feel very real and even though the shark itself is a bit of a let down, it is not a total loss and has taken nothing away from the film.
But for my money, the defining moment is the ‘Indianapolis’ anecdote as told be Shaw. The entire scene is played and shot so well and its placement within the film is perfect. This was a real story about an almost fantastical threat, but like he would go onto do later with Jurassic Park, taking you out of every day life without taking you into space is what Spielberg does best.
This is a must see and always will be. This is one of the best films of the 70’s and beyond…
ClareR (5561 KP) rated The Rain Heron in Books
Aug 23, 2021
The Rain Heron has a dreamlike, fairytale quality to it that I loved. In fact, the first part of the novel is exactly like a fairytale: an unlucky farmer is rewarded by becoming more prosperous, but in remembering the hard times that they had, the farmer shares their wealth. However, a jealous neighbour soon makes their feelings felt, and no one comes out of the situation well.
Further away, near the sea, another mans jealousy of nature has terrible consequences, causing poverty and abandonment of a seaside village.
These threads of story are interwoven with that of a woman who lives alone in the mountains in order to escape the effects of a military coup. But the soldiers come looking for her - and for the Rain Heron.
This is a book about mans need to control nature and their inability to. The more man tries to control it, the more damage is done.
I loved the feel of this novel. It’s a fable of our modern times, about how our actions are having a lasting and devastating effect on our climate and nature.
I would most definitely recommend this book, and Arnott’s previous book as well, Flames, if you haven’t read it. Both are masterpieces in magical realism. Rain Heron is a timely book as we come to realise just what an impact climate change is having on our world, and comes highly recommended from me!
Further away, near the sea, another mans jealousy of nature has terrible consequences, causing poverty and abandonment of a seaside village.
These threads of story are interwoven with that of a woman who lives alone in the mountains in order to escape the effects of a military coup. But the soldiers come looking for her - and for the Rain Heron.
This is a book about mans need to control nature and their inability to. The more man tries to control it, the more damage is done.
I loved the feel of this novel. It’s a fable of our modern times, about how our actions are having a lasting and devastating effect on our climate and nature.
I would most definitely recommend this book, and Arnott’s previous book as well, Flames, if you haven’t read it. Both are masterpieces in magical realism. Rain Heron is a timely book as we come to realise just what an impact climate change is having on our world, and comes highly recommended from me!