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Merissa (12969 KP) rated All That Has Flown Beyond (Natural Magic #2) in Books
Dec 3, 2018
All That Has Flown Beyond (Natural Magic #2) by Marina Vivancos
All That Has Flown Beyond is the second book in the Natural Magic series, and it is a series I am thoroughly enjoying.
In this story, we meet Kaiyo and Ahmik. They are both young boys and the reader learns about their horrific loss, and what it like for them now. The story is very sad for a while, and you really get the feel for what is going on. The depression that Kaiyo suffers from is so well-written, it's scary! You can't help but empathise with him, and end up cheering him on as he makes small miracles every day. Seriously, this part was so incredibly written. Either the author has suffered this herself, or she knows someone who has, who can describe it in perfect detail.
Although this is book two in the series, you can actually read it as a standalone, as there are none of the same characters in it from the first one. I found this to be a bit of a shame, as I would have liked to have connected with Damian and Hakan again, if only to see how they are going. I thought when Kaiyo went travelling, this would happen, but I was wrong.
This is a second-chance romance, but primarily told from Kaiyo's perspective. This meant I felt a slight disconnect with Ahmik, and even though I got his reasons for why he did what he did, it didn't really give me much insight to him.
On the whole though, this was an amazing book. It is sitting firmly on my favourites shelf, even though it's not 5-stars. Excellently written, with no grammar or editing errors to disrupt my reading flow. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. An absolute stunner.
* I received a copy of this book 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!
In this story, we meet Kaiyo and Ahmik. They are both young boys and the reader learns about their horrific loss, and what it like for them now. The story is very sad for a while, and you really get the feel for what is going on. The depression that Kaiyo suffers from is so well-written, it's scary! You can't help but empathise with him, and end up cheering him on as he makes small miracles every day. Seriously, this part was so incredibly written. Either the author has suffered this herself, or she knows someone who has, who can describe it in perfect detail.
Although this is book two in the series, you can actually read it as a standalone, as there are none of the same characters in it from the first one. I found this to be a bit of a shame, as I would have liked to have connected with Damian and Hakan again, if only to see how they are going. I thought when Kaiyo went travelling, this would happen, but I was wrong.
This is a second-chance romance, but primarily told from Kaiyo's perspective. This meant I felt a slight disconnect with Ahmik, and even though I got his reasons for why he did what he did, it didn't really give me much insight to him.
On the whole though, this was an amazing book. It is sitting firmly on my favourites shelf, even though it's not 5-stars. Excellently written, with no grammar or editing errors to disrupt my reading flow. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. An absolute stunner.
* I received a copy of this book 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!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Westworld - Season 2 in TV
Jun 18, 2019
Very confused
The first series of Westworld was a bit of a head scratcher, but a good one. Admittedly I had to read up a bit afterwards to make sure I'd understood it correctly but i still really enjoyed it. It was a great new take on AI and consciousness. The second series however was a bit of a let down.
Firstly the cinematography and production values of this show are fantastic. It looks amazing, and has a truly stellar cast to boot. The problem for me is entirely down to the plot. This second series has gone completely off the rails in my eyes and become so confused and convoluted. Admittedly it isn't helped by the multiple timelines on offer, which feature different time periods straight after the events of the series 1 finale. To begin with I thought this was a great idea, but after a few episodes I started to get very confused. I think they've taken a very good base plot and tried to do too much to it (Lost anyone?). I'm all for plot twists but this takes it way too far. And what started off as a fun reveal of guess who is/isnt a host, has become very tired and old. By the end of this series I was getting a little sick of yet more people being revealed as hosts. And without revealing any spoilers, i think a reveal right at the end about a major character potentially being a host really made me annoyed.
I would say to take my review with a pinch of salt. I think a show like this needs a large amount of brainpower and attention, and this just isn't something I have right now. I think this may have pushed my already fried brain off the edge, but if I ever get chance to watch this when I'm a little less overloaded, I may have a different opinion!
Firstly the cinematography and production values of this show are fantastic. It looks amazing, and has a truly stellar cast to boot. The problem for me is entirely down to the plot. This second series has gone completely off the rails in my eyes and become so confused and convoluted. Admittedly it isn't helped by the multiple timelines on offer, which feature different time periods straight after the events of the series 1 finale. To begin with I thought this was a great idea, but after a few episodes I started to get very confused. I think they've taken a very good base plot and tried to do too much to it (Lost anyone?). I'm all for plot twists but this takes it way too far. And what started off as a fun reveal of guess who is/isnt a host, has become very tired and old. By the end of this series I was getting a little sick of yet more people being revealed as hosts. And without revealing any spoilers, i think a reveal right at the end about a major character potentially being a host really made me annoyed.
I would say to take my review with a pinch of salt. I think a show like this needs a large amount of brainpower and attention, and this just isn't something I have right now. I think this may have pushed my already fried brain off the edge, but if I ever get chance to watch this when I'm a little less overloaded, I may have a different opinion!
Speed Reading for Kids - Sight Words and grammar
Education and Games
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Teachers and parents all over the world use Speed Reading with Edi the giraffe as a funny and...
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Second Time Around in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ
Word Count: 8,140
Average Goodreads Rating: 2.67/5 stars
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Second Time Around is a story about mistaken identities. Jamie meets the man of his dreams, Matthew, at a party celebrating the opening of his new bakery. Better yet, Matthew seems to be into him. There’s just one problem: there’s a good chance Matthew is heterosexual and thinks Jamie is a girl.
You can read this book for free on Smashwords
Misunderstanding and mistaken identities can make for good stories. And Second Time Around isn’t an exception. The plot kept me intrigued throughout the whole story.
Jamie and his roommate John are both fantastic characters. I love John’s open-mindedness and his loyalty to his friend, and I love how Jamie is able to open up his own bakery and be himself instead of conforming to society’s rules.
I really wish I saw more of Matthew.
Unfortunately, I can’t get a read on his character because he’s barely in the story. You don’t actually see Matthew meeting Jamie at the party, it’s just talked about later.
Don’t get me wrong, Matthew seems all right. Aside from waiting two freaking weeks to talk to Jamie about the incident at the bakery. What the hell, dude? Yeah, you might have just met Jamie, and you need to talk to your brother about some things, but two weeks to check on somebody after that is excessive.
But that’s my only complaint about Matthew.
I really wish this story was longer and we got to see more of everyone, especially what happens to Matthew and Jamie, and what happens when Jamie meets Matthew’s brother. If it was longer, I might have gotten more attached to the characters and felt more about them. However, as is, it’s not a bad read, especially if you need a mood booster. So I only took off two stars for the length of the book and Matthew’s dick move.
Word Count: 8,140
Average Goodreads Rating: 2.67/5 stars
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Second Time Around is a story about mistaken identities. Jamie meets the man of his dreams, Matthew, at a party celebrating the opening of his new bakery. Better yet, Matthew seems to be into him. There’s just one problem: there’s a good chance Matthew is heterosexual and thinks Jamie is a girl.
You can read this book for free on Smashwords
Misunderstanding and mistaken identities can make for good stories. And Second Time Around isn’t an exception. The plot kept me intrigued throughout the whole story.
Jamie and his roommate John are both fantastic characters. I love John’s open-mindedness and his loyalty to his friend, and I love how Jamie is able to open up his own bakery and be himself instead of conforming to society’s rules.
I really wish I saw more of Matthew.
Unfortunately, I can’t get a read on his character because he’s barely in the story. You don’t actually see Matthew meeting Jamie at the party, it’s just talked about later.
Don’t get me wrong, Matthew seems all right. Aside from waiting two freaking weeks to talk to Jamie about the incident at the bakery. What the hell, dude? Yeah, you might have just met Jamie, and you need to talk to your brother about some things, but two weeks to check on somebody after that is excessive.
But that’s my only complaint about Matthew.
I really wish this story was longer and we got to see more of everyone, especially what happens to Matthew and Jamie, and what happens when Jamie meets Matthew’s brother. If it was longer, I might have gotten more attached to the characters and felt more about them. However, as is, it’s not a bad read, especially if you need a mood booster. So I only took off two stars for the length of the book and Matthew’s dick move.
John Company: Second Edition
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In John Company, players assume the roles of ambitious families attempting to use the British East...
Carma (21 KP) rated For Their Child's Sake in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Sam and Tara have fought the good fight to keep their marriage together. Over a year ago Tara had enough and told Sam he couldnt come home anymore. His addiction had destroyed their family and she had to protect their child. Sam walked away and into rehab and now wants his family back.
Tara never stopped loving Sam but that doesnt mean she is ready to just give in and let him back home again. When a playground accident forces them back together again, as a family, will she be able to hold strong to her convictions?
Sam has been waiting for an opportunity to prove to Tara that he is a changed man. Moving back into the house with his 2 favorite girls is just that moment. He will do whatever it takes to prove he is now able to take care of his family the way he should have been all along.
Sam, Tara and Marley navigate their new normal, while trying to put all the pieces of their family back together again. Return to Stonerock in this powerful story that addresses current day situations like addiction and amnesia. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy, all opinions expressed are my own. Return to Stonerock with this family working on their second chance.
Tara never stopped loving Sam but that doesnt mean she is ready to just give in and let him back home again. When a playground accident forces them back together again, as a family, will she be able to hold strong to her convictions?
Sam has been waiting for an opportunity to prove to Tara that he is a changed man. Moving back into the house with his 2 favorite girls is just that moment. He will do whatever it takes to prove he is now able to take care of his family the way he should have been all along.
Sam, Tara and Marley navigate their new normal, while trying to put all the pieces of their family back together again. Return to Stonerock in this powerful story that addresses current day situations like addiction and amnesia. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy, all opinions expressed are my own. Return to Stonerock with this family working on their second chance.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The second entry in [a:Chuck Wendig|17152|Chuck Wendig|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1294919586p2/17152.jpg]'s Star Wars: Aftermath series (trilogy) - a series in which the author was given the unenviable task of rebooting the whole Star Wars continuity, after Disney threw the old EU (Expanded Universe) out the window while reserving the rights to cherry-pick the best aspects (Grand Admiral Thrawn, anyone?) from that EU.
I was completely unaware while reading the first entry ([b:Aftermath|25131600|Aftermath (Star Wars Aftermath, #1)|Chuck Wendig|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426620007s/25131600.jpg|44828548] that the author was also actually a screen writer, only finding this out by chance later.
That, perhaps, explains why I found the first book so choppy.
While I did find this better than that earlier entry, I'm not sure whether that is because I'm now coming at it with that fresh knowledge, or because (perhaps) the author had picked up on some oif the criticism aimed at that earlier work. There's also the fact, now, that the groundwork has been laid and the fuss died down somewhat: no longer do we have to worry about the sometimes vitriolic accusations aimed at the work.
With all that in mind, I have to say: I still prefer the Heir to the Empire series.
I was completely unaware while reading the first entry ([b:Aftermath|25131600|Aftermath (Star Wars Aftermath, #1)|Chuck Wendig|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426620007s/25131600.jpg|44828548] that the author was also actually a screen writer, only finding this out by chance later.
That, perhaps, explains why I found the first book so choppy.
While I did find this better than that earlier entry, I'm not sure whether that is because I'm now coming at it with that fresh knowledge, or because (perhaps) the author had picked up on some oif the criticism aimed at that earlier work. There's also the fact, now, that the groundwork has been laid and the fuss died down somewhat: no longer do we have to worry about the sometimes vitriolic accusations aimed at the work.
With all that in mind, I have to say: I still prefer the Heir to the Empire series.
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