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Leah Lopez (7 KP) rated Buster: The Military Dog Who Saved a Thousand Lives in Books
Nov 6, 2019
I have to be honest and say I am not one for reading books based on animals/pets.
However, with my current research on British/American forces I thought it would be a good idea; given the fact I have/had no knowledge of dog/handler in the forces. It was such a great read. After reading heavy books based on Afghanistan/Iraq about Soldiers being shot at, severely wounded, and sometimes being blown up, it was good to read an easy-reading book. The chemistry between Will and Buster was well addressed; Will's narration on Buster's emotions was both funny and warm. I was actually falling in love with a dog I hadn't met. But, this journey, although it was based on Buster, wouldn't have succeeded had the chemistry and understanding not have being as blunt. Will Barrow is clearly a dog lover and to work alongside a dog with as much as energy is a bonus. I am glad they made it back to England without neither been injured.
I did notice that quite a lot of the reviews claim this book to be "boring" without "much happening (action)."
Well, I can assure you, it is much more of a pleasure in reading this book, having a happy journey and ending, than reading those whose lives have changed drastically and/or ended.
However, with my current research on British/American forces I thought it would be a good idea; given the fact I have/had no knowledge of dog/handler in the forces. It was such a great read. After reading heavy books based on Afghanistan/Iraq about Soldiers being shot at, severely wounded, and sometimes being blown up, it was good to read an easy-reading book. The chemistry between Will and Buster was well addressed; Will's narration on Buster's emotions was both funny and warm. I was actually falling in love with a dog I hadn't met. But, this journey, although it was based on Buster, wouldn't have succeeded had the chemistry and understanding not have being as blunt. Will Barrow is clearly a dog lover and to work alongside a dog with as much as energy is a bonus. I am glad they made it back to England without neither been injured.
I did notice that quite a lot of the reviews claim this book to be "boring" without "much happening (action)."
Well, I can assure you, it is much more of a pleasure in reading this book, having a happy journey and ending, than reading those whose lives have changed drastically and/or ended.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated IA: Invincible Assassin (IA #2.5) in Books
Nov 15, 2019
Following on from the events in IA: B.O.S.S. and it's shattering ending, this book sees the world of Naz and the Exclave through the eyes of Harvis Young. A friend of Naz who has his own mysteries, Harvis sees how broken Naz is and resolves to protect him - or protect the world from him.
Naz is bent on revenge and with his superhuman powers could do more harm than good. Harvis must act as Naz's conscience but is also sympathetic to his cause.
Billed as an 'IA Origin' story, this provides a lot of background on Harvis whilst also filling in the gap before IA: Union. This isn't really a stand-alone piece as very little of who Naz is and what he can do is explained and reading of at least the first two books of the IA series first is recommended.
Whereas the other books have been told from Naz's point of view, here we see him through the eyes of his friend as a conflicted and sometimes unpredictable young man, someone who needs to tame his nature.
It is hard to provide any more information without spoiling the plot. But as with the other IA books this is an outstanding and very different 'young adult' read and an essential part of the series.
Naz is bent on revenge and with his superhuman powers could do more harm than good. Harvis must act as Naz's conscience but is also sympathetic to his cause.
Billed as an 'IA Origin' story, this provides a lot of background on Harvis whilst also filling in the gap before IA: Union. This isn't really a stand-alone piece as very little of who Naz is and what he can do is explained and reading of at least the first two books of the IA series first is recommended.
Whereas the other books have been told from Naz's point of view, here we see him through the eyes of his friend as a conflicted and sometimes unpredictable young man, someone who needs to tame his nature.
It is hard to provide any more information without spoiling the plot. But as with the other IA books this is an outstanding and very different 'young adult' read and an essential part of the series.
Doesn't tax the brain too much
This book is a pretty successful debut and follows the struggles for both Allison, who miraculously survived a plane crash, and her mum Maggie, who, along with everyone else, thinks she didn't. Told from both the perspectives of Allison and Maggie, covering the past and the present, the story is not only of survival but one of the sometimes difficult relationship between a mother and her daughter.
Written at good pace, I raced through this book helped by short chapters. I admit it wasn't the most unpredictable of endings however, the drip-drip of suspense and gradual revealing of secrets makes this a compelling read.
The two main characters of Allison and Maggie are very well developed with Maggie being a particular favourite of mine. The story captures both of their strengths and weaknesses extremely well together with their determination and resilience.
There are a few flaws with the plot that have been mentioned in other reviews but although these were a little annoying, they didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of this book.
Overall, I would recommend this to people who enjoy an easy and quick mystery that doesn't tax the brain too much.
Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Written at good pace, I raced through this book helped by short chapters. I admit it wasn't the most unpredictable of endings however, the drip-drip of suspense and gradual revealing of secrets makes this a compelling read.
The two main characters of Allison and Maggie are very well developed with Maggie being a particular favourite of mine. The story captures both of their strengths and weaknesses extremely well together with their determination and resilience.
There are a few flaws with the plot that have been mentioned in other reviews but although these were a little annoying, they didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of this book.
Overall, I would recommend this to people who enjoy an easy and quick mystery that doesn't tax the brain too much.
Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Kate (493 KP) rated The Career Killer in Books
Jan 22, 2020
I enjoyed this book. When I read it it sounded like it was the 2nd book in a series as they mentioned a previous murder but when I read further I realised that wasn't the case so am glad I continued reading and didn't give up.
I read crime books all the time and I enjoyed this one. It had a good story and it all made sense. I didn't guess who the murderer was and why he chose his victims.
As previous mentioned I was close to giving up as I thought it was a follow book and also within the first few chapters I struggled to get into the book which is never a good sign. I wasn't as compelled to pick up the book and continue reading as much as I usually am with books. I didn't really connect with the characters in the book either and sometimes I felt like rolling my eyes at some of the things the characters did. I didn't think they were very professional at all.
I was definitely the intended audience in that I read a crime novels and I understood the book. Age could be anywhere from 25 up.
I'm not excited to read the other books in the set so possibly won't.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I read crime books all the time and I enjoyed this one. It had a good story and it all made sense. I didn't guess who the murderer was and why he chose his victims.
As previous mentioned I was close to giving up as I thought it was a follow book and also within the first few chapters I struggled to get into the book which is never a good sign. I wasn't as compelled to pick up the book and continue reading as much as I usually am with books. I didn't really connect with the characters in the book either and sometimes I felt like rolling my eyes at some of the things the characters did. I didn't think they were very professional at all.
I was definitely the intended audience in that I read a crime novels and I understood the book. Age could be anywhere from 25 up.
I'm not excited to read the other books in the set so possibly won't.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Teleport in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Kindle Scout in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I've never actually read a book based solely on making a teleportation device as the main plot, so this was a ride inside a new experience. But there are huge loads of information that I personally felt were information dumps, and it went all over my head every time a character explained what was going on to another character. Nearly half the book is focused on creating the teleportation device or testing (and more testing) - those looking for a fast-paced book will find Teleport to be slow at first, but things do pick up later on as the book progresses.
Sometimes I come across books that have unnecessary romance (a lot of them have it as a nice touch), but Teleport felt really unnecessary and forced. I felt like Berry was trying to get a romance angle into the story when the story was doing fine without that angle.
Teleport was interesting and all, but there were some things that just didn't work out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-flooding-by-sean-hancock-and-teleport-kevin-berry/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I've never actually read a book based solely on making a teleportation device as the main plot, so this was a ride inside a new experience. But there are huge loads of information that I personally felt were information dumps, and it went all over my head every time a character explained what was going on to another character. Nearly half the book is focused on creating the teleportation device or testing (and more testing) - those looking for a fast-paced book will find Teleport to be slow at first, but things do pick up later on as the book progresses.
Sometimes I come across books that have unnecessary romance (a lot of them have it as a nice touch), but Teleport felt really unnecessary and forced. I felt like Berry was trying to get a romance angle into the story when the story was doing fine without that angle.
Teleport was interesting and all, but there were some things that just didn't work out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-flooding-by-sean-hancock-and-teleport-kevin-berry/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) in Movies
Jan 17, 2020
Starting To Get Intresting
Paranormal Activity 1- hated it
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
This one- its starting to get intresting/good.
Let me explain- this one goes way back in time to 1988, and you watch young kate and her sister. I like this because it explains the beginning, were it all started from. Yes its still found footage, and people holding cameras and sometimes all of nothing, but i can say this one is good.
The Plot: In 1988 sisters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) seem to be enjoying a normal, happy childhood at home. But when strange things start going bump in the night, their father, a wedding videographer, decides to use his cameras to discover the source, especially since Kristi appears to having conversations with an imaginary friend. While the cameras do indeed reveal a flurry of supernatural occurrences, the family is unprepared for the terror that awaits.
It is the third (chronologically, the first) installment of the Paranormal Activity series and serves as a prequel, mostly set 18 years prior to the events of the first two films. So basically watch this one first, than the second one than the first one, than the fourth one, than etc.
So it toke to third one of this franchise to actuallu get intresting/good.
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
This one- its starting to get intresting/good.
Let me explain- this one goes way back in time to 1988, and you watch young kate and her sister. I like this because it explains the beginning, were it all started from. Yes its still found footage, and people holding cameras and sometimes all of nothing, but i can say this one is good.
The Plot: In 1988 sisters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) seem to be enjoying a normal, happy childhood at home. But when strange things start going bump in the night, their father, a wedding videographer, decides to use his cameras to discover the source, especially since Kristi appears to having conversations with an imaginary friend. While the cameras do indeed reveal a flurry of supernatural occurrences, the family is unprepared for the terror that awaits.
It is the third (chronologically, the first) installment of the Paranormal Activity series and serves as a prequel, mostly set 18 years prior to the events of the first two films. So basically watch this one first, than the second one than the first one, than the fourth one, than etc.
So it toke to third one of this franchise to actuallu get intresting/good.
JT (287 KP) rated The Highwaymen (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
The legend of Bonnie and Clyde is cemented in criminal folklore. The murderous couple were idolised by the public for their robin hood style capers. They left a trail of destruction during their crime spree that was eventually ended in a spectacular ambush.
That ambush was orchestrated by former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), who were coaxed out of retirement by Texas Governor Miriam ‘Ma’ Ferguson (Kathy Bates) as the only ones capable of taking down the two outlaws.
The onscreen chemistry between Costner and Harrelson is great and the grumpy old men regail each other with tales of the past and how things have changed – not always for the better. It is this chemistry which holds the film together.
Their road trip takes them through quiet and sometimes picturesque Southern American landscapes and towns, as they retrace the bloodshed that Bonnie and Clyde leave behind. Bonnie (Emily Brobst) and Clyde (Edward Bossert) are seen but never heard and only glimpsed now and again, this subtle approach leaves the light to shine firmly on the long arm of the law.
The project itself was earmarked for a Paul Newman and Robert Redford pairing, something that I would have love to have seen given their previous work. As it was it fell to the hands of Costner and Harrelson who both do an admirable job.
That ambush was orchestrated by former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), who were coaxed out of retirement by Texas Governor Miriam ‘Ma’ Ferguson (Kathy Bates) as the only ones capable of taking down the two outlaws.
The onscreen chemistry between Costner and Harrelson is great and the grumpy old men regail each other with tales of the past and how things have changed – not always for the better. It is this chemistry which holds the film together.
Their road trip takes them through quiet and sometimes picturesque Southern American landscapes and towns, as they retrace the bloodshed that Bonnie and Clyde leave behind. Bonnie (Emily Brobst) and Clyde (Edward Bossert) are seen but never heard and only glimpsed now and again, this subtle approach leaves the light to shine firmly on the long arm of the law.
The project itself was earmarked for a Paul Newman and Robert Redford pairing, something that I would have love to have seen given their previous work. As it was it fell to the hands of Costner and Harrelson who both do an admirable job.
EasterBunnyKiller (31 KP) rated The Resistance in Tabletop Games
Jul 31, 2019
Quick Gameplay (1 more)
Simple
Hit or Miss
I was introduced to this game by a friend, and completely forgot about it until it appeared on Wil Wheaton's Tabletop.
The first time I played it, it didn't leave much of an impression. Felt like a more lightweight version of Werewolf.
After watching the Tabletop episode, I gave it another chance and had a much better time. Like a lot of lightweight party-style games, The Resistance lives and dies on the specific people playing it. If you have even just one or two players that have a little bit of buy-in, or what to really get into the scheming and accusations, it can be immensely fun.
However, sometimes you end up with a group of players that eschew the seat-of-the-pants gameplay implied by the quickness and lightweightedness of the game, and by the third mission, the game has become less about being sneaky and playing against people, and turns into a kind of logic puzzle.
Have had some real fun games, have had a few dull ones. Definitely worth a play if you're looking for something light and fast while you're waiting for the one guy in your gaming group to make heads or tails of the rulebook of the big box game he just bought.
The first time I played it, it didn't leave much of an impression. Felt like a more lightweight version of Werewolf.
After watching the Tabletop episode, I gave it another chance and had a much better time. Like a lot of lightweight party-style games, The Resistance lives and dies on the specific people playing it. If you have even just one or two players that have a little bit of buy-in, or what to really get into the scheming and accusations, it can be immensely fun.
However, sometimes you end up with a group of players that eschew the seat-of-the-pants gameplay implied by the quickness and lightweightedness of the game, and by the third mission, the game has become less about being sneaky and playing against people, and turns into a kind of logic puzzle.
Have had some real fun games, have had a few dull ones. Definitely worth a play if you're looking for something light and fast while you're waiting for the one guy in your gaming group to make heads or tails of the rulebook of the big box game he just bought.
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated The Prison Doctor in Books
Apr 19, 2020
A quick and interesting read
From the back of the book: Dr Amanda Brown treats inmates in the U.K.’s most infamous prisons. From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking attacks of self harm, she has witnessed it all from her patients. In this eye-opening, inspirational memoir, Amanda reveal stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career spent helping those in need. Despite their crimes, she is still their doctor.
I am not a regular non-fiction reader, but reading Adam Kay’s: This is Going to Hurt, inspired me to find and read further uniquely real life stories.
Dr Amanda Brown does not disappoint when recalling her departure from medicine in a general practice to handling very different and sometimes scary situations working as a doctor in prisons. We follow the doc on her journey from a boys youth prison, through Wormwood Scrubs and finally HMP Bronzfield. Dr Amanda Brown shares with the readers some of the highs and lows she faced when working with prisoners and briefly recounts the battles she faced with herself and with the politics of working in an institute with rules and regulations. For anyone that likes this genre I would definitely suggest giving this one a read.
I am not a regular non-fiction reader, but reading Adam Kay’s: This is Going to Hurt, inspired me to find and read further uniquely real life stories.
Dr Amanda Brown does not disappoint when recalling her departure from medicine in a general practice to handling very different and sometimes scary situations working as a doctor in prisons. We follow the doc on her journey from a boys youth prison, through Wormwood Scrubs and finally HMP Bronzfield. Dr Amanda Brown shares with the readers some of the highs and lows she faced when working with prisoners and briefly recounts the battles she faced with herself and with the politics of working in an institute with rules and regulations. For anyone that likes this genre I would definitely suggest giving this one a read.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Room Upstairs in Books
Feb 16, 2020
Entertaining
This book takes me back to my teenage and early twenties reading years when I couldn't get enough of horror books and would read anything and everything ... most of it was utter rubbish if I'm honest however, I can't same the same about this which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Considering this is quite a short book, the characters are well developed and likeable. The main character is a young lad and soon-to-be-teen, Martin; the book is written from his perspective and although this works well overall, he sometimes comes across as a little older than portrayed ... either that or he's a damn site braver than I am now let alone when I was his age!
The story starts off with a run-of-the-mill visit to a car boot sale where seemingly innocuous items are bought however, it soon turns into a mystery when a door appears that really shouldn't be there and then to horror when what is lurking inside is revealed. The pace is fast and the writing crisp with excellent tension and the odd graphic scene which are not for the faint hearted!
Once again, Mr Wright hits the mark with this highly entertaining horror book and I am ever thankful to him for sending me an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Considering this is quite a short book, the characters are well developed and likeable. The main character is a young lad and soon-to-be-teen, Martin; the book is written from his perspective and although this works well overall, he sometimes comes across as a little older than portrayed ... either that or he's a damn site braver than I am now let alone when I was his age!
The story starts off with a run-of-the-mill visit to a car boot sale where seemingly innocuous items are bought however, it soon turns into a mystery when a door appears that really shouldn't be there and then to horror when what is lurking inside is revealed. The pace is fast and the writing crisp with excellent tension and the odd graphic scene which are not for the faint hearted!
Once again, Mr Wright hits the mark with this highly entertaining horror book and I am ever thankful to him for sending me an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.