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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Private Life of Elder Things in Books
Aug 18, 2019 (Updated Aug 18, 2019)
Short story collection consisting of various riffs on elements from HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos; you probably have to be fairly familiar with Lovecraft and his acolytes to get the full effect, as this does almost turn into a game of Spot-the-Yithian in places. All the usual suspects appear, along with excursions into more obscure areas (there's some excellent Hastur-related wordplay in the story featuring that part of the mythos).
Of the three authors, Tchaikovsky is probably the best stylist, McDonald manages to find some humanity and depth in fairly unlikely places, while Gauntlett is the pulpiest. None of them attempt to actually copy Lovecraft's idiosyncratic prose style, which is probably a blessing. None of the stories are genuinely inspired, but they're usually very readable even if they sometimes get a touch bizarre.
Of the three authors, Tchaikovsky is probably the best stylist, McDonald manages to find some humanity and depth in fairly unlikely places, while Gauntlett is the pulpiest. None of them attempt to actually copy Lovecraft's idiosyncratic prose style, which is probably a blessing. None of the stories are genuinely inspired, but they're usually very readable even if they sometimes get a touch bizarre.
The Red Garden
9.5
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In a town called Bearsville, strong women take you on amazing journeys that are beautifully woven...
Historical fiction fantasy
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Short Cuts in Books
Aug 23, 2021
Learning Lessons with Ricky Kidd
This book collects eleven short stories starring Ricky Kidd and the rest of the Accidental Detectives. While they don’t all feature mysteries to solve, they do include plenty of action and fun. Ricky has a bully or two to deal with. He and Mike take a dangerous canoe ride. And a new classmate’s sculpted replica of a hand leads to a crisis of faith.
Adding to the book, after each story author Sigmund Brouwer shares some thoughts on the theme of the story and the inspiration behind it. These are just as fun as the stories themselves and could almost work as a devotional if they included scriptures. The stories themselves are quick adventures with the characters we love, and fans will be very happy with them.
Adding to the book, after each story author Sigmund Brouwer shares some thoughts on the theme of the story and the inspiration behind it. These are just as fun as the stories themselves and could almost work as a devotional if they included scriptures. The stories themselves are quick adventures with the characters we love, and fans will be very happy with them.
Merissa (11935 KP) rated One to Die For (Les Petites Morts) in Books
Jun 2, 2023
In this short erotic paranormal story, we meet Russell; he's a self-published author with enough money to pay for a clever marketing campaign and to donate to his favourite causes. He lives in a mansion with his childhood friend and makes use of the stories told about him to get what he wants!
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Apr 16, 2016
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Apr 16, 2016
TerraBlizzard (18 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey in Video Games
May 24, 2019
Little buggy for such a big game. (2 more)
Depth of character customization.
Replay value is high. Multiple endings that can be hard to achieve for certain ones.
The game that brought the franchise back into good light.
A beautifull addition to the AC collection, taking the parts that worked in previous titles and combining them to a solid core story.
If you haven't played this yet, do. But bare in mind the story can take abit of getting into the first 3 hours of gameplay can be tedious to get through but once you put on the "mask" that's when the story starts to grip you so keep playing.
The story of these games have been the key to their success and this game keeps it going but love it or hate it the game is based 95% in history more than present day. With short bits of modern day play which I personally would of like to seen more of building upon the modern day creed and it's standing against the Templars. With that said Odysseus breaks the one main story line up into parts of 4 each driving you to a different goal.
Graphics are great on HD, so this gives me hope for those with 4k screens and High spec consoles/PC set ups to enjoy a beautifully crafted world.
If you haven't played this yet, do. But bare in mind the story can take abit of getting into the first 3 hours of gameplay can be tedious to get through but once you put on the "mask" that's when the story starts to grip you so keep playing.
The story of these games have been the key to their success and this game keeps it going but love it or hate it the game is based 95% in history more than present day. With short bits of modern day play which I personally would of like to seen more of building upon the modern day creed and it's standing against the Templars. With that said Odysseus breaks the one main story line up into parts of 4 each driving you to a different goal.
Graphics are great on HD, so this gives me hope for those with 4k screens and High spec consoles/PC set ups to enjoy a beautifully crafted world.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Unwritten in Books
Nov 30, 2018
Charming novel
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Unwritten is about Gracie Freeman and her family. Gracie is a normal twelve year old who discovers she is really a character from an unpublished fairy tale. When her parents discovered she was supposed to die in the story, they took her out of the story, and brought her into the outside world. Gracie is desperate to know what the story says about her and, because of a magic book, is pulled back into the story.
Tara Gilboy offers a charming fantasy in which Gracie desires to find out about herself and what the story's author wrote about her. Is she a hero, the villain, or a minor character? Is she supposed to be good or bad? Can she change or is it predetermined?
Unwritten is a short novel with 198 pages, according to Goodreads, but has a lot of depth to it. Authors meeting their characters or characters coming to life is not a new idea but it's unique in the way the author handles the situation. You'll have to trust me. I do not want to spoil anything.
I would enjoy reading a sequel or from a different character's point of view. Unwritten is Tara GIlboy's debut novel.
Unwritten is about Gracie Freeman and her family. Gracie is a normal twelve year old who discovers she is really a character from an unpublished fairy tale. When her parents discovered she was supposed to die in the story, they took her out of the story, and brought her into the outside world. Gracie is desperate to know what the story says about her and, because of a magic book, is pulled back into the story.
Tara Gilboy offers a charming fantasy in which Gracie desires to find out about herself and what the story's author wrote about her. Is she a hero, the villain, or a minor character? Is she supposed to be good or bad? Can she change or is it predetermined?
Unwritten is a short novel with 198 pages, according to Goodreads, but has a lot of depth to it. Authors meeting their characters or characters coming to life is not a new idea but it's unique in the way the author handles the situation. You'll have to trust me. I do not want to spoil anything.
I would enjoy reading a sequel or from a different character's point of view. Unwritten is Tara GIlboy's debut novel.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales (The Snuggle Series #1) in Books
Jul 28, 2021
I usually try to stay away from books featuring short stories because usually they aren't that great. However, there was something about Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter that jumped out at me. I felt compelled to read it, and I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the short stories.
I didn't really know what to expect with Snuggle with the Strange except that the stories would be a bit out there. The first two stories gave me Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz vibes but for adults. These stories were more paranormal/supernatural in nature, and I really enjoyed them. The next six stories were more realistic in the fact that they could actually happen to anyone (which is a scary thought!). The last story returned to being supernatural again. I loved each and every story, and I thought the pacing and world building for each was done very well. Each story has an original feel and isn't like any of the other stories in the book. Even though this is a fairly short book, all the suspense makes it seem as if time has stood still. My favorite stories in Snuggle with the Strange were "Life in the Shed" and "He Looked Like My First Mistake." Although all the stories are written very well, I just loved those a little extra. Oh, and something else I loved was that the cover of the book links each of the nine stories. I thought that was very cool!
All of the characters are well fleshed out in each story. There's just enough information on each character so you can love them or love to hate them. At times, I felt like I was the main character in the story!
As this is an adult horror book, there are quite a few trigger warnings for Snuggle with the Strange which include demons, underage drug use (a few mentions of marijuana), implied rape, implied child rape, attempted rape, death, murder, violence, attempted murder, domestic abuse, child abuse, and profanity.
Overall, Snuggle with the Strange is a breath of fresh air for those who love the genre horror. With it's interesting cast of characters and original short stories, this is one book that every horror lover should read. I would definitely recommend Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter for those aged 16+ who like their horror with a flair of originality instead of rehashed fiction. If that sounds like you, this is your kind of book!
--
(A special thank you to Liane Carter and Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback of Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I didn't really know what to expect with Snuggle with the Strange except that the stories would be a bit out there. The first two stories gave me Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz vibes but for adults. These stories were more paranormal/supernatural in nature, and I really enjoyed them. The next six stories were more realistic in the fact that they could actually happen to anyone (which is a scary thought!). The last story returned to being supernatural again. I loved each and every story, and I thought the pacing and world building for each was done very well. Each story has an original feel and isn't like any of the other stories in the book. Even though this is a fairly short book, all the suspense makes it seem as if time has stood still. My favorite stories in Snuggle with the Strange were "Life in the Shed" and "He Looked Like My First Mistake." Although all the stories are written very well, I just loved those a little extra. Oh, and something else I loved was that the cover of the book links each of the nine stories. I thought that was very cool!
All of the characters are well fleshed out in each story. There's just enough information on each character so you can love them or love to hate them. At times, I felt like I was the main character in the story!
As this is an adult horror book, there are quite a few trigger warnings for Snuggle with the Strange which include demons, underage drug use (a few mentions of marijuana), implied rape, implied child rape, attempted rape, death, murder, violence, attempted murder, domestic abuse, child abuse, and profanity.
Overall, Snuggle with the Strange is a breath of fresh air for those who love the genre horror. With it's interesting cast of characters and original short stories, this is one book that every horror lover should read. I would definitely recommend Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter for those aged 16+ who like their horror with a flair of originality instead of rehashed fiction. If that sounds like you, this is your kind of book!
--
(A special thank you to Liane Carter and Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback of Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Robotics: A Very Short Introduction
Book
Robotics is a key technology in the modern world. Robots are a well-established part of...
Work: A Very Short Introduction
Book
The image of a job captures our imagination from an early age, usually prompted by the question...
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Shifter Woods: Growl (Esposito County Shifters #3) in Books
Jan 18, 2023
its only short but packs quite the punch!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is a short, slotting into the series after book 3, I think. (I'm a little puzzled by the listings on some sites about the order!) I've not read those, and I'll come back to that shortly. I didn't think I missed anything by not reading them, though, and so I would say this can be read as a stand alone.
I liked this, a lot. It gives you an insight into Esposito County, and the people who live in it.
It;s steamy and smexy. It's dark and dangerous. It's only short but packs a punch! I loved the twist with the magic spell that was shielding Marco, and what that was doing just a tad too well!
Going back to not reading the other books. I didn't feel I missed anything, and you know I'm all about sharing my book feelings, but what I am left with is a NEED to read those books. Not because I missed anything, but because I want to read everyone else's story!
So, my KU shelf needs clearing for those books 🙂
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is a short, slotting into the series after book 3, I think. (I'm a little puzzled by the listings on some sites about the order!) I've not read those, and I'll come back to that shortly. I didn't think I missed anything by not reading them, though, and so I would say this can be read as a stand alone.
I liked this, a lot. It gives you an insight into Esposito County, and the people who live in it.
It;s steamy and smexy. It's dark and dangerous. It's only short but packs a punch! I loved the twist with the magic spell that was shielding Marco, and what that was doing just a tad too well!
Going back to not reading the other books. I didn't feel I missed anything, and you know I'm all about sharing my book feelings, but what I am left with is a NEED to read those books. Not because I missed anything, but because I want to read everyone else's story!
So, my KU shelf needs clearing for those books 🙂
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere