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From one of the most original new voices in modern fiction comes a startling vision of a world where...
Literary Fiction
Merissa (13840 KP) rated Trapped (Blood Rose Tales #1) in Books
Apr 12, 2023
Alesia has suffered a personal tragedy and because of that feels that Invictus pairs should be caught and rehabilitated. Zephyr firmly believes in "kill on sight" and although he knows that Alesia is completely against his viewpoint, after all, this is why they split up in the first place, he doesn't know why.
Things change when they are attacked though and sometimes it takes the confusion of battle for you to see clearly.
A quick read but a thoroughly enjoyable one. I love the Blood Rose Tales and will be reading more.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2015
Things change when they are attacked though and sometimes it takes the confusion of battle for you to see clearly.
A quick read but a thoroughly enjoyable one. I love the Blood Rose Tales and will be reading more.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2015
Charlotte (184 KP) rated imPerfect Magic (The imPerfect Cathar #1) in Books
May 11, 2023
Magic and mayhem
A great start to this series and I can't wait to read the next installment. The transition between past and present is pretty good. You know exactly when it's happening with a cheeky side note to go with each chapter. I don't feel the weirdness that you sometimes get with going back and forth and I love that. The characters are well written with their own personalities that go well together considering backgrounds, age differences etc.
One character that gets me is Franc, (spoiler bad guy) the only way I can describe the way he speaks is gobbledegook.....it hurts my brain but it really makes him stand out.
Definitely a young adult read with some of the descriptiveness and combines magic and religion which is something different and intriguing.
A great start to this series and I can't wait to read the next installment. The transition between past and present is pretty good. You know exactly when it's happening with a cheeky side note to go with each chapter. I don't feel the weirdness that you sometimes get with going back and forth and I love that. The characters are well written with their own personalities that go well together considering backgrounds, age differences etc.
One character that gets me is Franc, (spoiler bad guy) the only way I can describe the way he speaks is gobbledegook.....it hurts my brain but it really makes him stand out.
Definitely a young adult read with some of the descriptiveness and combines magic and religion which is something different and intriguing.
Sara Dippity
Book
Sometimes the answers we’re looking for can be found right in our backyard. A heartwarming...
children's book
Justice Denied: Extraordinary Miscarriages of Justice
Book
An incisive examination by the bestselling author of The Mammoth Book of Gangs of some of the many...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Golden House in Books
Jan 1, 2018
Insightful and readable
This novel by Salman Rushdie is a present day commentary on modern day America in the build up to Trump and how fact and fiction as well as art and reality collapse into one other. There have been a number of books written in the wake of the shock of Trump (this desperate need to make sense of things) and Rushdie’s novel definitely helps shed light (or explain the darkness) upon the situation.
Narrated by René, an aspiring filmmaker, this account feels very similar to the likes of The Great Gatsby, in which everything is rather hyperbolic because it is written from the perspective of an outsider. Following the exceedingly wealthy Golden family, René attempts to figure out the mysterious circumstances of their arrival from India, and the subsequent, often cataclysmic events surrounding them, in which the narrator plays a part. The slow emergence of a dark history of corruption and evil is paralleled by Rushdie's perception of the rise of ignorance, untruth, bigotry and hatred, and of "The Joker" (i.e. Trump, although he is never named).
The writing is brilliant. It is discursive, sometimes addresses the reader directly, even sometimes adopts the form of a screenplay and has a wonderful voice of its own. The context surrounding the Mumbai bombings is intriguing as much of it is based on factual information. The truth is, after all, stranger than fiction.
While the style is not flawless, as the postmodern blurring between supposedly objective narrative and things René has "made up" for his screenplay did get a little haphazard, however, this may be Rushdie's attempt to reflect how "post-truths" are disseminated in a similar fashion. Nonetheless, I thought The Golden House was enjoyable. Even after all these years, Rushdie is able to adapt his writing to suit a modern generation.
Narrated by René, an aspiring filmmaker, this account feels very similar to the likes of The Great Gatsby, in which everything is rather hyperbolic because it is written from the perspective of an outsider. Following the exceedingly wealthy Golden family, René attempts to figure out the mysterious circumstances of their arrival from India, and the subsequent, often cataclysmic events surrounding them, in which the narrator plays a part. The slow emergence of a dark history of corruption and evil is paralleled by Rushdie's perception of the rise of ignorance, untruth, bigotry and hatred, and of "The Joker" (i.e. Trump, although he is never named).
The writing is brilliant. It is discursive, sometimes addresses the reader directly, even sometimes adopts the form of a screenplay and has a wonderful voice of its own. The context surrounding the Mumbai bombings is intriguing as much of it is based on factual information. The truth is, after all, stranger than fiction.
While the style is not flawless, as the postmodern blurring between supposedly objective narrative and things René has "made up" for his screenplay did get a little haphazard, however, this may be Rushdie's attempt to reflect how "post-truths" are disseminated in a similar fashion. Nonetheless, I thought The Golden House was enjoyable. Even after all these years, Rushdie is able to adapt his writing to suit a modern generation.
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Grave Tender in Books
Jul 30, 2017
A haunting southern gothic
The Grave Tender is a haunting and beautifully woven southern gothic about a broken family and the love that binds them together. The story starts slow as the story introduces Hadley, her friends, family, and their small town which on the surface seems idyllic. It’s the sort of town where everyone knows each other over generations, but the smiling town hides many secrets.
What I loved most about this book was how it dealt with matters of appearance. It’s easy to point fingers and blame those that look the most guilty, who are the most eccentric. It’s the folly of letting appearances dictate our perception of the people around us. Evil is committed every day by seemingly normal people, and true monsters masquerade under the guise of banality.
The book deals with some of the most horrible situations a person can go through with extreme delicacy. Not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes there are crimes that go unpunished, sometimes victims never receive justice, some wounds heal but many more never do. I cried so much while reading this book because of how close to home it hit for me, I was honestly touched.
I can’t say much more about the book because it’s really the sort of story that needs to be experienced without spoilers. I will however note that the content in this book is difficult to stomach. For a survivor of abuse it can be either cathartic or utterly horrifying, which is why I’ve added a trigger warning in the list of warnings below. I cautiously recommend this book for those ready for a poignant and unflinchingly honest exploration of domestic abuse.
What I loved most about this book was how it dealt with matters of appearance. It’s easy to point fingers and blame those that look the most guilty, who are the most eccentric. It’s the folly of letting appearances dictate our perception of the people around us. Evil is committed every day by seemingly normal people, and true monsters masquerade under the guise of banality.
The book deals with some of the most horrible situations a person can go through with extreme delicacy. Not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes there are crimes that go unpunished, sometimes victims never receive justice, some wounds heal but many more never do. I cried so much while reading this book because of how close to home it hit for me, I was honestly touched.
I can’t say much more about the book because it’s really the sort of story that needs to be experienced without spoilers. I will however note that the content in this book is difficult to stomach. For a survivor of abuse it can be either cathartic or utterly horrifying, which is why I’ve added a trigger warning in the list of warnings below. I cautiously recommend this book for those ready for a poignant and unflinchingly honest exploration of domestic abuse.
As a mom of two teenaged boys, I find it hard, sometimes, to find time to do anything. It's a hectic, crazy time being a mom! It's hard to make sure they are taken care of, go to work, come home, cook dinner, spend time with them and my husband, and still find God time. It really is hard sometimes. But, my mom said something once, and this book kind of reminds of it. She told me "Jesus came to you, why can't you go to Him?" That's so true. Why can't I make the time to seek Him out no matter what whirlwind parenthood throws at me?
Ms. Synder takes the hustle, bustle hectic life of being a working mom, wife, and child of God, and tells us how she found the strength to deal with it all. She creates this book in a way that is never boring, always leaving me with a chuckle. Learning to put God in the center of all and realizing that this crazy thing we parents call life is not that hard if we put Him at the front of all we do.
I definitely enjoyed this fast, interesting read. Ms. Synder did an incredible job and has really given me lots to ponder on as a mom. My life as a parent is a blessing not a burden no matter how crazy wild it can get. This is worth 4 stars for sure and I highly recommend this to all parents, new and seasoned! You'll find grace and peace in the middle of what may be an overwhelming experience and it will really help! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/?p=13613"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Ms. Synder takes the hustle, bustle hectic life of being a working mom, wife, and child of God, and tells us how she found the strength to deal with it all. She creates this book in a way that is never boring, always leaving me with a chuckle. Learning to put God in the center of all and realizing that this crazy thing we parents call life is not that hard if we put Him at the front of all we do.
I definitely enjoyed this fast, interesting read. Ms. Synder did an incredible job and has really given me lots to ponder on as a mom. My life as a parent is a blessing not a burden no matter how crazy wild it can get. This is worth 4 stars for sure and I highly recommend this to all parents, new and seasoned! You'll find grace and peace in the middle of what may be an overwhelming experience and it will really help! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/?p=13613"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The Star-Touched Queen is a little slow to start, but once it finds a groove the story will draw you in and you won't want to put it down. The writing style is very poetic and descriptive, which is absolutely gorgeous but can sometimes slow down the story. Those pacing issues continue throughout the story. Sometimes the book flows well and you find yourself reading through chapters in no time, while other times the writing or plot trips you up and slows down the story.
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story, as not only does it include elements of Indian folklore but it is a re-telling of the Hades and Persephone myth. As a huge fan of Greek mythology, that was the aspect of the story that I was most excited to experience. Amar and Maya are our Hades and Persephone, although it is a unique story and you don't feel like you're reading a re-telling.
As strange as it seems, my favourite character was actually the demon horse Kamala. Although she could be really creepy when she salivated over eating people, she could be funny and made some of the scenes for me. Although I liked Amar, Maya and the other supporting characters I didn't relate strongly to any of them so it made me less invested in the book. I wish I did like them more because I would have loved to have stronger feelings about this gorgeous book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it - but it didn't make any strong or lasting impact on me. Readers who are fans of flowery prose and very descriptive writing will enjoy Roshani Chokshi's writing style, but if you are a fan of more simple sentences you might have difficultly getting through this book.
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story, as not only does it include elements of Indian folklore but it is a re-telling of the Hades and Persephone myth. As a huge fan of Greek mythology, that was the aspect of the story that I was most excited to experience. Amar and Maya are our Hades and Persephone, although it is a unique story and you don't feel like you're reading a re-telling.
As strange as it seems, my favourite character was actually the demon horse Kamala. Although she could be really creepy when she salivated over eating people, she could be funny and made some of the scenes for me. Although I liked Amar, Maya and the other supporting characters I didn't relate strongly to any of them so it made me less invested in the book. I wish I did like them more because I would have loved to have stronger feelings about this gorgeous book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it - but it didn't make any strong or lasting impact on me. Readers who are fans of flowery prose and very descriptive writing will enjoy Roshani Chokshi's writing style, but if you are a fan of more simple sentences you might have difficultly getting through this book.
Easy to use (3 more)
Has spoken activities
Gets creative when making sentences
Has a competitive scoreboard
I have been using Duolingo for years, and I find the app to be both fun and informative. I love the way it is set up, though sometimes I have a hard time switching back and forth between languages.
I appreciate the ability to skip sections of content via taking a test--this allowed me to save tremendous time when refreshing my Spanish. I was able to skip a series of lessons quickly and movw on to more challenging content, and even content I have never had the opportunity to learn!
I also appreciate that there is a spoken component with this app. Not only do you need to be able to type what you hear, you need to be able to speak what you see with a reasonable accent. I can't roll my tongue, but I can still pass any of the tests and hear corrections.
I also enjoy the opportunity to "compete" with my friends. We regularly check in with each other and it's a lot of fun to try and stay at the top of the heap. I would love to see the inclusion of challenges, where you could compete directly instead of just in overall points.
One thing I don't care for much is that the sentences, while creative, certainly don't always make sense. A cat eating an elephant or my aunt being faster than a dog doeisn't make much sense to me. Additionally, I sometimes see the same sentence 6 times in a lesson, which means there isn't enough content.
All in all, though, I appreciate Duolingo and plan to keep using it for some time to come!
I appreciate the ability to skip sections of content via taking a test--this allowed me to save tremendous time when refreshing my Spanish. I was able to skip a series of lessons quickly and movw on to more challenging content, and even content I have never had the opportunity to learn!
I also appreciate that there is a spoken component with this app. Not only do you need to be able to type what you hear, you need to be able to speak what you see with a reasonable accent. I can't roll my tongue, but I can still pass any of the tests and hear corrections.
I also enjoy the opportunity to "compete" with my friends. We regularly check in with each other and it's a lot of fun to try and stay at the top of the heap. I would love to see the inclusion of challenges, where you could compete directly instead of just in overall points.
One thing I don't care for much is that the sentences, while creative, certainly don't always make sense. A cat eating an elephant or my aunt being faster than a dog doeisn't make much sense to me. Additionally, I sometimes see the same sentence 6 times in a lesson, which means there isn't enough content.
All in all, though, I appreciate Duolingo and plan to keep using it for some time to come!