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Tom Turner (388 KP) rated Assassin's Apprentice in Books

Jun 11, 2021  
Assassin's Apprentice
Assassin's Apprentice
Robin Hobb | 1995 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.9 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is about 20 years in the reading. I first started reading Assassin's Apprentice in 2001 when on holiday with my parents. But for whatever reason I only got a few chapters in. Since then this book, asking with its various sequels has become one of the corner stones of Fantasy. It's just one of those books that any self respecting Fantasy fan has to have read or at least had on their TBR for forever and a day. Obviously it's been on my TBR (to at least try again) for 20 years, and I've finally got around to it!

Am I disappointed? Did the wait diminish my enjoyment? Does it live up to the hype? To the first two of these questions, the answer is an easy, Heck No! To the last one, the answer is a assured Heck Yes!

This book feels like it spans the gap between traditional fantasy and some of the modern fantasy we see published today, while at in your faux-medieval civilization, it brings different things to the table then what you might expect. It doesn't say away from putting your protagonist through hell, and I think its only a shame that the tension is slightly lessened because you know he might survive, as there are at least two future books featuring the character. Whether he keeps all his senses by book three however is highly debatable!
  
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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Keridan's Journey in Books

Feb 11, 2019  
KJ
Keridan's Journey
Michelle Peterson | 2011
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I stopped reading this book at page 88. I just could not stand the blatant lack of proper grammar and punctuation so prevalent on every page. Since I could not understand how something so bad could actually get published, I looked up the "book imprint" and realized that this is self-publishing at its worst. Michelle Peterson runs an art website and teaches art, then conceives of the idea to write her own book and create her own Imprint so that the book can be considered published. Really??
There are so many examples of bad grammar in this book, I don't know where to begin. Commas are so lacking, I want to cry. Specifically, when using prepositions or preposition-like modifiers, commas are needed. Also, compound sentences require the use of a comma. You would be surprised at how much a simple comma allows the reader to garner the true meaning of a sentence. Another example that illustrates how badly this book needed an editor is found on page 86: "I was left to wonder wear my tough skin went." Yes, you read that correctly.
Another huge problem I had with the book is the author's complete disregard for the writer's tool of "show, don't tell." While I understand that sometimes the rule can be disregarded, this book lacks in "showing" so much that I have no connection to any of the characters, and none of the events transpiring can compel any interest or emotional response in me. For example, on page 13, Keridan is thrust into a dream to speak with her mother. It reads "The smells, the colors are only this vibrant in a dream." That's it. No description, no picture painted with words, nothing is detailed, except in the most basic of words, such as "forest grove with flowers", "fairy dress", etc. I don't know what any of the characters look like, nor can I tell the difference between any of them.
I usually love fantasy, especially because of the imaginative descriptions that defy reality and convention, but (see? Comma!) even with a great concept of using the Greek myths of Sirens to build a world, this book is too disappointing and frustrating to be worth my time and energy. In all honesty, this book reads like a first draft of a novel after NanoWrimo -- messy, disorderly, and badly in need of a rewrite.
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension in Books

Mar 13, 2019 (Updated Mar 13, 2019)  
Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension
Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension
Rachel Beider | 2019 | Health & Fitness, Reference
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Colorful illustrations (1 more)
Shows proper technique
Informative book on how to give a massage to others and to yourself
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension by Rachel Beider is an informative book on how to give a massage to others and to yourself. It provides clear instructions on how to massage different parts of the body. It also includes sections for specific issues that may need special attention. Also shown are the proper techniques and strokes to use. It is full of colorful and detailed illustrations that show the basics of a massage.

I found the book informative and well written but two sections stand out to me. The first is on how to give yourself a massage. Beider shows how to use either your hand or a tennis ball to self massage. The other is a section on how to treat headaches and sinus congestion. As a sufferer of chronic sinus problems this was the most useful.

One thing I had never considered was you need to take care and look after your own body before you massage someone. Stretches are shown on how to prepare your hands so you do not damage them.

The book is easily labeled to find the exact section on which you want to focus.

Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/13/19.