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Merissa (11953 KP) rated Wounded Soul in Books
May 10, 2019
Wounded Soul by Annabelle Jacobs
Wounded Soul involves a human unaware of vampires, and a vampire smitten with insta-lust for said human. Of course, if it was left like that, it would be too easy, so throw into the a mix a psychotic vampire, a best friend working for the human/vampire police, another best friend terrified of the thought of vampires, and a coven leader you respect and don't want to insult. Sounding good yet?
This book a really good read, from the first steamy hot meeting, to the intensity of the psychotic, to the nerve-jangling will he/won't he live (and that's not the 'he' you're thinking of!) Annabelle Jacobs is one of my favourite paranormal romance writers, if only for the fact they are not automatically based in America. I loved her Regent's Park series, and I loved this one just as much. I would love to read more about the characters mentioned in this story, but I have no idea if there is a sequel or series planned.
Either way, this was really well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The pacing was good, and the connection between the characters was intense. And don't forget the bad guy you love to hate. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me 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!
This book a really good read, from the first steamy hot meeting, to the intensity of the psychotic, to the nerve-jangling will he/won't he live (and that's not the 'he' you're thinking of!) Annabelle Jacobs is one of my favourite paranormal romance writers, if only for the fact they are not automatically based in America. I loved her Regent's Park series, and I loved this one just as much. I would love to read more about the characters mentioned in this story, but I have no idea if there is a sequel or series planned.
Either way, this was really well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The pacing was good, and the connection between the characters was intense. And don't forget the bad guy you love to hate. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me 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!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) in Movies
May 20, 2019
A sequel on par with the first two, making for a fine trilogy
The original John Wick was a bit of a sleeper hit. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and grabbed people's attention immediately with it's revenge story, brutal action scenes, and undercuts of humour.
John Wick Chapter 2 was more of the same, and certainly in a good way.
John Wick Chapter 3, you guessed it, is more of the same, and the thing is, it's still not remotely boring.
The films opening action sequences hit you in the face from the get go (it opens immediately after the events of Chapter 2) and it's pretty relentless from there.
The action scenes themselves are frantic, but the lack of constant quick cuts means you can see what is happening. They are suitably violent, and keeps the John Wick tradition of ammo counting, which sets it apart from most gun orientated action films.
The martial arts stunt work is solid and slick and just all round thrilling to watch.
Keanu Reeves, as before, is great as the mostly-silent protagonist, and Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Halle Berry, all compliment the story pretty well.
The only problem I had with the cast was the completely over the top Adjudicator character. The constant crazy eyes were just a little too comical for me.
John Wick Chapter 3 is a great addition to this trilogy and thankfully leaves it open for another story down the line. I'm certainly ready to see what happens next.
John Wick Chapter 2 was more of the same, and certainly in a good way.
John Wick Chapter 3, you guessed it, is more of the same, and the thing is, it's still not remotely boring.
The films opening action sequences hit you in the face from the get go (it opens immediately after the events of Chapter 2) and it's pretty relentless from there.
The action scenes themselves are frantic, but the lack of constant quick cuts means you can see what is happening. They are suitably violent, and keeps the John Wick tradition of ammo counting, which sets it apart from most gun orientated action films.
The martial arts stunt work is solid and slick and just all round thrilling to watch.
Keanu Reeves, as before, is great as the mostly-silent protagonist, and Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Halle Berry, all compliment the story pretty well.
The only problem I had with the cast was the completely over the top Adjudicator character. The constant crazy eyes were just a little too comical for me.
John Wick Chapter 3 is a great addition to this trilogy and thankfully leaves it open for another story down the line. I'm certainly ready to see what happens next.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Cold Winter Sun in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Cold Winter Sun by Tony J. Forder is as loosely connected sequel to Scream Blue Murder, easily read as a stand-alone. I know, because I’ve not read any of his other books, but boy, oh boy, will I do now! From the first page readers will be thrown into an fast-paced, eye-opening scene, which foreshadows the exact style of writing and plot you’re going to encounter throughout.
The storyline begins with a man being tortured; who he is, and why he is there is the beginning of an adventure that will quickly throw you into the deep and hold you down until you finish and can breathe again.
When main character, Mike, gets a phone call from his ex-wife, about her new husband’s missing nephew, Vern, he and his friend Terry, decide to track him down, but it soon becomes clear there’s more to this case than they bargained. But what secrets are being hidden? Why is this happening? Who is really the guilty party in all of this?
With hostage situations, crossfires and lives at risk, Mike must do his best to save his nephew, ex-wife and daughter from danger before it’s too late.
Cold Winter Sun is a crime thriller bursting with action, and there’s many twists and turns to keep readers guessing right up until the end. If you like crime thrillers, packed with great characterisation and gut-punching shocks, you’ll enjoy this. It hit me like a bullet that won’t dislodge. Loved it!
The storyline begins with a man being tortured; who he is, and why he is there is the beginning of an adventure that will quickly throw you into the deep and hold you down until you finish and can breathe again.
When main character, Mike, gets a phone call from his ex-wife, about her new husband’s missing nephew, Vern, he and his friend Terry, decide to track him down, but it soon becomes clear there’s more to this case than they bargained. But what secrets are being hidden? Why is this happening? Who is really the guilty party in all of this?
With hostage situations, crossfires and lives at risk, Mike must do his best to save his nephew, ex-wife and daughter from danger before it’s too late.
Cold Winter Sun is a crime thriller bursting with action, and there’s many twists and turns to keep readers guessing right up until the end. If you like crime thrillers, packed with great characterisation and gut-punching shocks, you’ll enjoy this. It hit me like a bullet that won’t dislodge. Loved it!
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Soldier Girl in Books
Jun 16, 2019
Refreshingly different
This was my first Annie Murray and it made me love her storytelling. I found it was so different from what is usually written about women around the time of the war.
I didn't find out until after I had finished it that it was part of a series. I just had to know if there was a sequel as the ending was so abrupt, so many questions still unanswered, I was so relieved to see it was part of a series. I was surprised that it was the second as it was easy to fall into, you don't need to read the previous book to understand this one.
The main character isn't your usual woman in the early 1900's which makes you want to keep reading, to see how she is received in this world that is so strict, a world which anyone who was different were ostracized and frowned upon.
The way Annie Murray writes this story really does make you root for the characters, for me I felt I was there with them, not an easy thing to portray but Annie Murray does it well.
I am still on the look out for book 1 and 3 and hope I find them soon! I'd like to think others will read this (as I definitely think they should) and will fall in love with Annie Murray's books.
I didn't find out until after I had finished it that it was part of a series. I just had to know if there was a sequel as the ending was so abrupt, so many questions still unanswered, I was so relieved to see it was part of a series. I was surprised that it was the second as it was easy to fall into, you don't need to read the previous book to understand this one.
The main character isn't your usual woman in the early 1900's which makes you want to keep reading, to see how she is received in this world that is so strict, a world which anyone who was different were ostracized and frowned upon.
The way Annie Murray writes this story really does make you root for the characters, for me I felt I was there with them, not an easy thing to portray but Annie Murray does it well.
I am still on the look out for book 1 and 3 and hope I find them soon! I'd like to think others will read this (as I definitely think they should) and will fall in love with Annie Murray's books.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Alien: Out Of The Shadows in Books
Jun 16, 2019
So, Alien: Out of the Shadows.
Or, more precisely, the audiobook version of it, since that's the one I read (listened to?), picking it up as part of an audible trial where it was presented as, essentially, a series of podcasts.
Set between the events of the original Alien and it's sequel Aliens (the one with a 'S' at the end) and starring Ellen Ripley (or her sound-alike), you might wonder how Ripley never once mentioned the events of this at all in any of the later films.
You might wonder it, but it is explained away towards the end of this.
The story starts with her escape pod being picked up by the mining vessel Marion, a mining vessel orbiting the planet LV178 but which - just prior to picking Ripley up - has been knocked out of its orbit and had its communications array damaged by a shuttle coming up from the planet: a shuttle crewed by miners from that planet, and that has picked up some unwelcome guests.
What follows is a series of events and encounters, with the surviving members of the crew being picked off one by one as they attempt to find a way out of their predicament.
And, I have to say, the actress voicing Ripley sound amazingly like her, while Rutger Hauer is also suitably menacing in his role, while the background beeps and whirrs and hisses etc all add to the atmosphere.
It's also no surprise that this won an 'Audie award for excellence in production' in 2017.
Or, more precisely, the audiobook version of it, since that's the one I read (listened to?), picking it up as part of an audible trial where it was presented as, essentially, a series of podcasts.
Set between the events of the original Alien and it's sequel Aliens (the one with a 'S' at the end) and starring Ellen Ripley (or her sound-alike), you might wonder how Ripley never once mentioned the events of this at all in any of the later films.
You might wonder it, but it is explained away towards the end of this.
The story starts with her escape pod being picked up by the mining vessel Marion, a mining vessel orbiting the planet LV178 but which - just prior to picking Ripley up - has been knocked out of its orbit and had its communications array damaged by a shuttle coming up from the planet: a shuttle crewed by miners from that planet, and that has picked up some unwelcome guests.
What follows is a series of events and encounters, with the surviving members of the crew being picked off one by one as they attempt to find a way out of their predicament.
And, I have to say, the actress voicing Ripley sound amazingly like her, while Rutger Hauer is also suitably menacing in his role, while the background beeps and whirrs and hisses etc all add to the atmosphere.
It's also no surprise that this won an 'Audie award for excellence in production' in 2017.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Bear and the Nightingale in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Beautiful descriptions (1 more)
Nice worldbuilding
Good but overhyped
So I finally got around to reading this one - people have been raving about it all year long. And honestly - I don't see what the fuss is about. It's good, sure. But it's not Girls Made of Snow and Glass, or The Crown's Game, or Uprooted. It's not The Golem and the Jinni. I enjoyed it, but I think the hype is a little undeserved. I am, however, always a sucker for Russian-themed fairytales. (Probably why I liked The Crown's Game and The Crown's Fate so much.) And I am looking forward to the sequel, The Girl in the Tower, which just came out. (I have a hold requested on it from my library.) The third book in the Winternight Trilogy appears to be The Winter of the Witch, and is scheduled to be published in August.
The Bear and the Nightingale is set in Rus - a Russia-like country, but with magic, of course. Vasilisa/Vasya is a granddaughter of a witch, and has some abilities herself. Mostly just the ability to see things that other can't, and to talk to them. Through the course of the book, she avoids an arranged marriage, saves a priest, fights a priest, and tries like hell to save her village from the demons of winter. I loved her tenacity, and her love for the old spirits. The description of The Winter King and his home was absolutely enchanting. Overall a good book, but a bit overhyped.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The Bear and the Nightingale is set in Rus - a Russia-like country, but with magic, of course. Vasilisa/Vasya is a granddaughter of a witch, and has some abilities herself. Mostly just the ability to see things that other can't, and to talk to them. Through the course of the book, she avoids an arranged marriage, saves a priest, fights a priest, and tries like hell to save her village from the demons of winter. I loved her tenacity, and her love for the old spirits. The description of The Winter King and his home was absolutely enchanting. Overall a good book, but a bit overhyped.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Louise (64 KP) rated After Alice in Books
Jul 2, 2018
After Alice by Gregory Maguire is told from two alternating point of views, we hear from Ada who is briefly mentioned in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll as one of Alice’s friends and from her older sister Lydia. Ada is setting off to deliver a package to her neighbours when she manages to escape the clutches of her housekeeper and accidentally falls into the world of Wonderland, and so, begins her mission to find Alice.
I thought this was going to be more of a retelling when I requested it, but it’s more of a sequel from other perspectives. Lydia’s point of view gives more of a background into their family life and the Victorian society, with even some famous names added into the mix.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and was hoping this would have a bit of a spin on it. The writing is very ‘Wordy’ so be prepared to get a dictionary out and the world building was a bit wishy washy, some bits were good and others I just couldn’t imagine. As well as the normal characters like the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat there were additional characters added, which was interesting and they felt right in the world of Wonderland.
I was very bored reading this book and it seemed all a bit pointless,I was expecting so much more from the man who created Wicked!
I rated this 2 out of 5 stars
I thought this was going to be more of a retelling when I requested it, but it’s more of a sequel from other perspectives. Lydia’s point of view gives more of a background into their family life and the Victorian society, with even some famous names added into the mix.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and was hoping this would have a bit of a spin on it. The writing is very ‘Wordy’ so be prepared to get a dictionary out and the world building was a bit wishy washy, some bits were good and others I just couldn’t imagine. As well as the normal characters like the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat there were additional characters added, which was interesting and they felt right in the world of Wonderland.
I was very bored reading this book and it seemed all a bit pointless,I was expecting so much more from the man who created Wicked!
I rated this 2 out of 5 stars
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) in Movies
Aug 31, 2018 (Updated Aug 31, 2018)
An unnecessary and shoddy sequel
The first Pitch Perfect was great, funny and a breath of fresh air. Whilst the second one wasn't as good, it was still vaguely enjoyable. Unfortunately the third one goes on a steep downward spiral and isn't even slightly entertaining.
The antics of the Bellas are getting a little old now. All of the films follow the same basic plot: Bellas enter a competition, come up against some clearly superior teams but then against all odds they still come out on top. This is getting boring. And clearly the makers of this film realised that as that's why they've thrown in some completely nonsense subplot to try and mix it up a bit. Sadly it doesn't work.
There's also the issue with the soundtrack. In the previous films the soundtracks were almost the best part, but in this third instalment there's nothing at all that stands out. No memorable songs whatsoever. Then there's the cast and the acting - everything just seems a bit cringey and almost verging on bad acting. Fat Amy has finally outstayed her welcome and become beyond irritating, and there's a notably wide gaping hole that was the treblemakers. Even John Lithgow puts in a poor performance. The only saving grace to this film are Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. They are fortunately still very funny, it's just a shame they've been sidelined to even smaller roles than the previous films.
I love musicals, but I really don't think I d ever care to see this again.
The antics of the Bellas are getting a little old now. All of the films follow the same basic plot: Bellas enter a competition, come up against some clearly superior teams but then against all odds they still come out on top. This is getting boring. And clearly the makers of this film realised that as that's why they've thrown in some completely nonsense subplot to try and mix it up a bit. Sadly it doesn't work.
There's also the issue with the soundtrack. In the previous films the soundtracks were almost the best part, but in this third instalment there's nothing at all that stands out. No memorable songs whatsoever. Then there's the cast and the acting - everything just seems a bit cringey and almost verging on bad acting. Fat Amy has finally outstayed her welcome and become beyond irritating, and there's a notably wide gaping hole that was the treblemakers. Even John Lithgow puts in a poor performance. The only saving grace to this film are Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. They are fortunately still very funny, it's just a shame they've been sidelined to even smaller roles than the previous films.
I love musicals, but I really don't think I d ever care to see this again.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Before They are Hanged: The First Law: Book Two in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Second book in [a: Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg]'s 'The First Law' series (so after [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], this - again - weighs in on the heavier end of the spectrum: it's not a light read by any means, either in size or scope!
This is also a true sequel to the previous, in that if you hadn't read the earlier you wouldn't have a clue what was going on/who was who. As before, this pretty much jumps between characters chapter by chapter, while the novel is also split into two distinct sections, with the split coming roughly at around the halfway mark with the fall of Dagoska after the torturer Superior Glotka is recalled.
Of them all, I have to say, I found 'his' chapters to be the most interesting, in particular his continued snarkiness to any and all around him.
I also found this to be very much a bridge novel - after being introduced to the characters in [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], a lot of this seemed to be setting the scene for what-I-imagine-will-be the events in [b: The Last Argument of Kings|944076|Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302062699s/944076.jpg|929012].
However, I need a break from all the darkness now for a while!
This is also a true sequel to the previous, in that if you hadn't read the earlier you wouldn't have a clue what was going on/who was who. As before, this pretty much jumps between characters chapter by chapter, while the novel is also split into two distinct sections, with the split coming roughly at around the halfway mark with the fall of Dagoska after the torturer Superior Glotka is recalled.
Of them all, I have to say, I found 'his' chapters to be the most interesting, in particular his continued snarkiness to any and all around him.
I also found this to be very much a bridge novel - after being introduced to the characters in [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], a lot of this seemed to be setting the scene for what-I-imagine-will-be the events in [b: The Last Argument of Kings|944076|Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302062699s/944076.jpg|929012].
However, I need a break from all the darkness now for a while!
I'm calling my chimp Clarence.
Not that long ago, I picked up the sequel (for want of a better word) of this on Audible, as part of their 30 day trial. That was The Silent Guides, and largely wasn't really all the relevant to me. However, it did have a short section in which the author summarised his previous work (this), enough to arouse my curiosity.
After finishing it, I still had some credit left, so thought I would pick that earlier work.
So, what is the Chimp Paradox? Basically, it's a metaphor: Dr Steve Peters has us imagining our minds as (largely) split into 3: The 'Computer' where we store experiences and information, the Chimp (who always acts first and is the emotional part of our mind) and the Human (or us, the more logical part).
This work then provides more details on each of these, and on how they affect our day-to-day life along with theories and suggestions on how to improve said day-to-day life through (and I quote) 'managing our chimp'.
This, I felt, was more relevant to me and my circumstances than the later work (which I picked up first): there were elements in this where I could find myself going "oh, that's an idea … maybe I'll do that …" or "oh, right, I see what he's getting at here …".
Maybe not life changing or the be-all-to-end-all, but it does have some useful suggestions, yes (it's just a pity that Steve Peter's voice is a bit monotone!)
Not that long ago, I picked up the sequel (for want of a better word) of this on Audible, as part of their 30 day trial. That was The Silent Guides, and largely wasn't really all the relevant to me. However, it did have a short section in which the author summarised his previous work (this), enough to arouse my curiosity.
After finishing it, I still had some credit left, so thought I would pick that earlier work.
So, what is the Chimp Paradox? Basically, it's a metaphor: Dr Steve Peters has us imagining our minds as (largely) split into 3: The 'Computer' where we store experiences and information, the Chimp (who always acts first and is the emotional part of our mind) and the Human (or us, the more logical part).
This work then provides more details on each of these, and on how they affect our day-to-day life along with theories and suggestions on how to improve said day-to-day life through (and I quote) 'managing our chimp'.
This, I felt, was more relevant to me and my circumstances than the later work (which I picked up first): there were elements in this where I could find myself going "oh, that's an idea … maybe I'll do that …" or "oh, right, I see what he's getting at here …".
Maybe not life changing or the be-all-to-end-all, but it does have some useful suggestions, yes (it's just a pity that Steve Peter's voice is a bit monotone!)