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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Force of Habit (Falcone & Driscoll Investigation #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Giulia Falcone is 10 months out of the convent and struggling to make her way in the world. She’s landed a job working for PI Frank Driscoll, and their current case involves a stalker. Someone is leaving notes for Blake from Song of Solomon and for his fiancée from the prophets. When Giulia also finds herself a target of the stalker, she and Frank have a personal motive to find out what is happening.
Having read another book with these characters, I was interested in seeing where it all began. Giulia is a fascinating character, and I really identified with her even though I’ve never gone through what she’s facing here. That’s great writing. One thing she is dealing with in her personal life and this case is sex, and I felt the book went too far in the second half, but the book was worth reading. The banter between Giulia and Frank helped lighten things at times. The pacing was a bit off a time or two. It’s a first mystery, and I know the author’s plotting gets better.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-force-of-habit-by-alice.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Having read another book with these characters, I was interested in seeing where it all began. Giulia is a fascinating character, and I really identified with her even though I’ve never gone through what she’s facing here. That’s great writing. One thing she is dealing with in her personal life and this case is sex, and I felt the book went too far in the second half, but the book was worth reading. The banter between Giulia and Frank helped lighten things at times. The pacing was a bit off a time or two. It’s a first mystery, and I know the author’s plotting gets better.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-force-of-habit-by-alice.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Defining Pearl...a precious difference in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Other than recognizing the name Mugabe, I will admit to a severe ignorance of anything regarding Zimbabwe, and I feel a great portion of the world could echo that confession. Because of this, I was very excited to read this memoir, not only to learn about what has happened (and is still happening) over there, but also to learn of what this one brave woman endured to keep her family safe while also trying to help her fellow citizens and improve her nation.
Pearl Matibe is a role model for everyone, no matter their sex, race, social status, etc. She looked around at all she had, yet still she and her husband wanted to do more for those around them. Because of their generosity and selflessness, they were forced from their home, lost everything they'd worked so hard for, and she ultimately had to flee the country to which they'd given so much.
I am so blessed to have been given the chance to read this book, and I urge everyone to take the time to read it, as well, It will definitely open your eyes and make you truly grateful for all you have.
5 stars
Other than recognizing the name Mugabe, I will admit to a severe ignorance of anything regarding Zimbabwe, and I feel a great portion of the world could echo that confession. Because of this, I was very excited to read this memoir, not only to learn about what has happened (and is still happening) over there, but also to learn of what this one brave woman endured to keep her family safe while also trying to help her fellow citizens and improve her nation.
Pearl Matibe is a role model for everyone, no matter their sex, race, social status, etc. She looked around at all she had, yet still she and her husband wanted to do more for those around them. Because of their generosity and selflessness, they were forced from their home, lost everything they'd worked so hard for, and she ultimately had to flee the country to which they'd given so much.
I am so blessed to have been given the chance to read this book, and I urge everyone to take the time to read it, as well, It will definitely open your eyes and make you truly grateful for all you have.
5 stars
Manda (5 KP) rated Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) in Books
Jul 11, 2018 (Updated Jul 11, 2018)
Omg omg omg
Ok ok, so it’s been a few years since I devoured this series, yes I said devoured. Charlaine Harris became one of my favorite authors upon reading this book and the next thing I knew the series had been read and my life was never the same.
Say hello to Sookie, a good hearted, beautiful blonde belle that can hear the thoughts of others. The world she lives in is one where vampires are real and omg walk amount us “normal” folk! This first novel introduces us to Sookie and her family, her grandmother who we all end up loving and her brother who is a dumbass but a cute one, so I guess that equals out. Things get crazy for Sookie and her life and friends when their small little town gets their first vampire. Bill. Ahh Bill. Bill frustrated me but whatever. In attempts to not contain spoilers I’m just going say, if you enjoy crazy supernatural reads with gore and lust and magic with a dash of murder mystery and crazy turns this book (this series) is for you.
Say hello to Sookie, a good hearted, beautiful blonde belle that can hear the thoughts of others. The world she lives in is one where vampires are real and omg walk amount us “normal” folk! This first novel introduces us to Sookie and her family, her grandmother who we all end up loving and her brother who is a dumbass but a cute one, so I guess that equals out. Things get crazy for Sookie and her life and friends when their small little town gets their first vampire. Bill. Ahh Bill. Bill frustrated me but whatever. In attempts to not contain spoilers I’m just going say, if you enjoy crazy supernatural reads with gore and lust and magic with a dash of murder mystery and crazy turns this book (this series) is for you.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Lost Luggage in Books
Aug 28, 2018
Cyd’s Dream Vacation Turns Into a Nightmare
Despite working as a travel agent, Cyd Redondo has barely traveled herself. That’s why she is so excited to finally win a promotional trip that sends her to Africa. And if she can check in with some of her clients while she is there, so much the better. At least, that’s what she thinks until she lands and discovers that one couple has been arrest. And there seems to be a rash of lost luggage. What is really going on?
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated City of Bones (Harry Bosch, #8; Harry Bosch Universe, #10) in Books
Oct 21, 2018
Can Bosch Solve a Cold Case?
Harry Bosch doesn’t take the call about a human bone serious at first, but this time it turns out that a bone from a human skeleton has been found in a Hollywood neighborhood. The skeleton is that of an abused pre-teen boy, and he’s been buried for 20 years. Can Bosch figure out who he was and bring the killer to justice?
I was looking forward to seeing Harry tackle a cold case, figuring we’d get some interesting twists along the way. Sadly, I was disappointed by the plot, which often gets overshadowed by the various sub-plots going on at the same time. The mystery’s still okay, but it’s not one of the better books by Michael Connelly. The characters are still strong, however, and much of what happens is working on Bosch, although I didn’t realize just how much character development we were getting until I reached the end of the book. The book has the usual levels of foul language, sex, and violence that fans of the series would expect, although it is more than my usual reading choices. Average Michael Connelly is still enjoyable, and I’m definitely anxious to find out what happens to Bosch next.
I was looking forward to seeing Harry tackle a cold case, figuring we’d get some interesting twists along the way. Sadly, I was disappointed by the plot, which often gets overshadowed by the various sub-plots going on at the same time. The mystery’s still okay, but it’s not one of the better books by Michael Connelly. The characters are still strong, however, and much of what happens is working on Bosch, although I didn’t realize just how much character development we were getting until I reached the end of the book. The book has the usual levels of foul language, sex, and violence that fans of the series would expect, although it is more than my usual reading choices. Average Michael Connelly is still enjoyable, and I’m definitely anxious to find out what happens to Bosch next.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners in Books
Oct 31, 2018 (Updated Oct 31, 2018)
Such glorious fun!
I love this author's writing style. It isn't a recitation of dry facts as some historical nonfiction books can be. She really takes you into the daily rituals associated with fashion, hygiene, sex, marriage, and manners by immersing you in the culture as a virtual time traveler visiting the Victorian era. It brushes away the romance of the time period and gets you into the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty history but in a fun and frivolous way as she takes you into her confidence and shares the secrets of the past. It's a delightful romp written with light sarcasm that brought tears from laughter into my eyes. I highly recommend this book and this author. She has written another book on the history of child-rearing called Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children (Hardcover), which will be available April 16, 2019. Though I don't have children, I'm tempted to buy this book because the other was so much fun.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Samantha Reece (16 KP) rated Wordless (Age of Blood, #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2018
4.5 Stars!!
May Sage is such a fabulous author! She knows just how to pull the reader right into the story from the first sentence. Wordless is a start to a whole new series. It is about a world ran by vampires, and it is hot and everything a vampire novel should be!
Fay is the protagonist of the story. She is being used as a sex slave by the vampires, but this all changes when William shows up. She is a smart and kind woman who wants to break free of her chains and love her own life. William is a sexy vampire who is also kind and treats Fay like an actual person. There are quite a few side characters who are all equally lovable and have the potential for their own books!
Sage has really built up a wonderful new world. My only complaint would be the story felt just a tiny bit rushed, but maybe it is just because I wanted to read more!
All in all, I cannot wait to read the next book to the series, Worthless! May Sage is definitely going places with her work. :)
*I received a free copy from the amazing author for an honest review.*
May Sage is such a fabulous author! She knows just how to pull the reader right into the story from the first sentence. Wordless is a start to a whole new series. It is about a world ran by vampires, and it is hot and everything a vampire novel should be!
Fay is the protagonist of the story. She is being used as a sex slave by the vampires, but this all changes when William shows up. She is a smart and kind woman who wants to break free of her chains and love her own life. William is a sexy vampire who is also kind and treats Fay like an actual person. There are quite a few side characters who are all equally lovable and have the potential for their own books!
Sage has really built up a wonderful new world. My only complaint would be the story felt just a tiny bit rushed, but maybe it is just because I wanted to read more!
All in all, I cannot wait to read the next book to the series, Worthless! May Sage is definitely going places with her work. :)
*I received a free copy from the amazing author for an honest review.*
Duh-dum. Duh-dum. Duh-duh-duh-duh ...
"We're going to need a bigger boat ... "
So says nobody, ever, at any stage during this novel.
The inspiration behind the movie that is often credited as being the first summer blockbuster movie, I actually have a confession to make - I've never seen that film.
Oh, sure, I know the basic plot outline, know some of the dialogue and have seen snippets of the movie, but actually sitting down to watch it from start to finish? It never really appealed to me all that much.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying you might wonder why I decided to read this book. The answer, I feel, is more out of curiosity than anything else - I wanted to see just what was so special about this (and have read at least one other by Peter Benchley).
The answer, I now feel, is nothing much.
NOT one for the kiddies, with death, dismemberment, swearing and even an adulterous sex scene, I actually found myself rooting for the shark more so than any of the main characters!
It doesn't help that the book just ... ends, with (pretty much) zero resolution to most of the plot-lines.
"We're going to need a bigger boat ... "
So says nobody, ever, at any stage during this novel.
The inspiration behind the movie that is often credited as being the first summer blockbuster movie, I actually have a confession to make - I've never seen that film.
Oh, sure, I know the basic plot outline, know some of the dialogue and have seen snippets of the movie, but actually sitting down to watch it from start to finish? It never really appealed to me all that much.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying you might wonder why I decided to read this book. The answer, I feel, is more out of curiosity than anything else - I wanted to see just what was so special about this (and have read at least one other by Peter Benchley).
The answer, I now feel, is nothing much.
NOT one for the kiddies, with death, dismemberment, swearing and even an adulterous sex scene, I actually found myself rooting for the shark more so than any of the main characters!
It doesn't help that the book just ... ends, with (pretty much) zero resolution to most of the plot-lines.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018 (Updated Dec 22, 2018)
I was expecting this movie to be a clusterf*** if I'm being honest. the trailers made it look really hokey. BUT, this movie was super entertaining. Of course, it was predictable, as most mainstream films are, but I wasn't super annoyed by it. It was a big, slightly dumb, fun film.
The action was good. The VFX/CGI made this entire film, and... cough, cough, Marvel take note because the CGI in the last 3rd of Black Panther and last battle scene in IW were a cluster from a VFX standpoint.
Do you want fighting underwater? Some dude in a weird helmet with daddy issues? A slight Indiana Jones vibe for around 30 minutes? Some big d*** energy from Aquaman? Then, this is the film for you.
I don't even like Amber Heard, but she was one of my favorite characters. I don't think Aquaman really had to save her throughout the movie. Jason Momoa was definitely the right person to pull off Aquaman without making him super weird.
The only weird casting decision was Patrick Wilson... Anytime I see him in films, I think of that super weird/awkward sex scene in Watchmen, which forever scarred me...I will gladly go see this at least one more time before it leaves theaters.
The action was good. The VFX/CGI made this entire film, and... cough, cough, Marvel take note because the CGI in the last 3rd of Black Panther and last battle scene in IW were a cluster from a VFX standpoint.
Do you want fighting underwater? Some dude in a weird helmet with daddy issues? A slight Indiana Jones vibe for around 30 minutes? Some big d*** energy from Aquaman? Then, this is the film for you.
I don't even like Amber Heard, but she was one of my favorite characters. I don't think Aquaman really had to save her throughout the movie. Jason Momoa was definitely the right person to pull off Aquaman without making him super weird.
The only weird casting decision was Patrick Wilson... Anytime I see him in films, I think of that super weird/awkward sex scene in Watchmen, which forever scarred me...I will gladly go see this at least one more time before it leaves theaters.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated At Deaths Door (Deadman's Cross) in Books
Oct 20, 2019
Another fab book
Welcome to the latest Deadmen's Quest....
Valynda Moore was born cursed. So when she dies as the result of a spell gone wrong and is trapped in the body of a voodoo doll, she expects nothing else from her messed-up life. Until Thorn, leader of the Hellchasers, offers her a chance at redemption and a new life.
But nothing has ever gone her way, for the Malachai, the very beast she and her crew of Deadmen have sworn to keep locked away, has risen. And this time he's taken prisoners. Valynda must keep her wits about her or be denied her salvation and forced to watch as the entire world falls into the hands of absolute evil.
It's a demon-eat-demon world where the stakes have never been higher and either redemption or the ultimate betrayal waits for her At Death's Door
This is the end of this trilogy and I'm sad to see it finish. I love her books and the little touches she brings from her Dark hunter and Nick chronicles. Always a joy to see Simi make an appearance as well as Ash.
So this is ram packed with demon fights and well written sex scenes.
Highly recommended

Valynda Moore was born cursed. So when she dies as the result of a spell gone wrong and is trapped in the body of a voodoo doll, she expects nothing else from her messed-up life. Until Thorn, leader of the Hellchasers, offers her a chance at redemption and a new life.
But nothing has ever gone her way, for the Malachai, the very beast she and her crew of Deadmen have sworn to keep locked away, has risen. And this time he's taken prisoners. Valynda must keep her wits about her or be denied her salvation and forced to watch as the entire world falls into the hands of absolute evil.
It's a demon-eat-demon world where the stakes have never been higher and either redemption or the ultimate betrayal waits for her At Death's Door
This is the end of this trilogy and I'm sad to see it finish. I love her books and the little touches she brings from her Dark hunter and Nick chronicles. Always a joy to see Simi make an appearance as well as Ash.
So this is ram packed with demon fights and well written sex scenes.
Highly recommended