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Gone but Not Forgotten
8.0
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An elderly mother with dementia - and dark secrets. A daughter who's desperate to know the truth -...
Not Another Soldier
7.0
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"I’ve just buried my husband. I was going to divorce him and now he’s dead." After five years...
Contemporary Romance Military Romantic Suspense
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Divergent in Books
May 29, 2023
I will admit to being late to this party - not only are all three books out (and have been for a while) but the films are also out too. Not only that, but I have seen the first film, so I was unsure of what I would be reading. Would the book have more information than the book? Would it be vastly different? Would I enjoy it as much?
First off, this is a fantastic debut book! Full of action, suspense, loyalty, terror, and love, it had everything I could have wanted. Well written, with a smooth pace and excellent build-up, this flowed from page to page, keeping me gripped and wanting to know more. The characters are charismatic and you either love or hate them. The Factions seem real, both the good sides and the bad.
For anyone even later to the party than I was, I can highly recommend this book, and I am left wanting to read the next in the series immediately!
* 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!
Mar 13, 2016
First off, this is a fantastic debut book! Full of action, suspense, loyalty, terror, and love, it had everything I could have wanted. Well written, with a smooth pace and excellent build-up, this flowed from page to page, keeping me gripped and wanting to know more. The characters are charismatic and you either love or hate them. The Factions seem real, both the good sides and the bad.
For anyone even later to the party than I was, I can highly recommend this book, and I am left wanting to read the next in the series immediately!
* 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!
Mar 13, 2016
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Hot StepDad Summer (Stepdad Summer #1) in Books
Mar 3, 2022 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)
HOT STEPDAD SUMMER is the first book in the Stepdad Summer series and we are introduced to Dillon and Steven. Dillon's mum had him when she was only twenty and they got on great until Dillon came out. Steven is only eight years older than Dillon and walks a fine line between the two of them as the peacemaker.
Told from both Steven and Dillon's perspectives, this is a fast-paced story that brushes over some of the darker themes mentioned (mafia, suspense,). The issues between Steven and Dillon being together are quickly worked out, helped along by cheating (not the MC's). Also, the nicknames and how they spoke to each other, especially during sex, made me laugh out loud, and I'm not sure that was the intention!
This was an entertaining read where problems are dealt with without too much hassle, a hint of possible trouble, and love wins overall. If that's what you want, then you'll enjoy this book.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Mar 3, 2022
Told from both Steven and Dillon's perspectives, this is a fast-paced story that brushes over some of the darker themes mentioned (mafia, suspense,). The issues between Steven and Dillon being together are quickly worked out, helped along by cheating (not the MC's). Also, the nicknames and how they spoke to each other, especially during sex, made me laugh out loud, and I'm not sure that was the intention!
This was an entertaining read where problems are dealt with without too much hassle, a hint of possible trouble, and love wins overall. If that's what you want, then you'll enjoy this book.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Mar 3, 2022
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
Apr 11, 2018
Not a "horror" movie, but a tense, taught, suspense film
There are many things the new film A QUIET PLACE is. What it is NOT is a "horror" film (as it is being promoted). What this film is is tense, suspenseful, well written, acted & directed, and quite good.
Co-written and Directed by John Krasinski (THE OFFICE) and starring Krasinski and his real-life wife, Emily Blunt (LIVE, DIE, REPEAT, the upcoming MARY POPPINS RETURNS), A QUIET PLACE tells the story of an Earth that has been overrun by aliens who hunt humans as food. These creatures are blind and have limited olfactory senses, but what they do have is extremely good hearing, so to stay alive, you must stay quiet.
We are introduced to this world by a family of 5 that have, thus far, survived. It consists of a Mother (Blunt) and Father (Kasinski) and their 3 children, one of whom is deaf. They have learned how to live in this world and we watch them struggle to stay alive - and stay together as a family unit.
This is the Directorial debut of Kasinski and he acquits himself quite well. This film is strongly paced with a sure eye for what this film should look and feel like. His handling of the actors is strong and he is smart enough to realize that this film could wear it's welcome out, so he keeps things short and to the point.
The acting of the children are good and Krasinski is very good in his role, but it is the work of Emily Blunt that really pulls this film along. As the matriarch of the family, you can see the care and concern on her face, her futility in trying to hold things together. Someone get this actress an Oscar already! Maybe not for this film...but...she is an Oscar-caliber actress showing off her abilities.
But...it is the silence that is the differentiating factor of this cinematic experience.
Because of the nature of the premise, this film - by necessity - is (in essence) a silent film. Because of this, an interesting thing happened in the movie theater I was in. At the beginning of the film, I could hear wrappers being handled and popcorn being eaten and drinks being drunk. But...after about 10 minutes, the theater became just as silent as the screen and you were pulled into the silent world of the film.
All in all, a fantastic, unique time at the cinema. As I said, I would not classify this as a "horror" film, but rather a taught, tense, suspense film that had me jumping out of my seat on more than one occasion.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Co-written and Directed by John Krasinski (THE OFFICE) and starring Krasinski and his real-life wife, Emily Blunt (LIVE, DIE, REPEAT, the upcoming MARY POPPINS RETURNS), A QUIET PLACE tells the story of an Earth that has been overrun by aliens who hunt humans as food. These creatures are blind and have limited olfactory senses, but what they do have is extremely good hearing, so to stay alive, you must stay quiet.
We are introduced to this world by a family of 5 that have, thus far, survived. It consists of a Mother (Blunt) and Father (Kasinski) and their 3 children, one of whom is deaf. They have learned how to live in this world and we watch them struggle to stay alive - and stay together as a family unit.
This is the Directorial debut of Kasinski and he acquits himself quite well. This film is strongly paced with a sure eye for what this film should look and feel like. His handling of the actors is strong and he is smart enough to realize that this film could wear it's welcome out, so he keeps things short and to the point.
The acting of the children are good and Krasinski is very good in his role, but it is the work of Emily Blunt that really pulls this film along. As the matriarch of the family, you can see the care and concern on her face, her futility in trying to hold things together. Someone get this actress an Oscar already! Maybe not for this film...but...she is an Oscar-caliber actress showing off her abilities.
But...it is the silence that is the differentiating factor of this cinematic experience.
Because of the nature of the premise, this film - by necessity - is (in essence) a silent film. Because of this, an interesting thing happened in the movie theater I was in. At the beginning of the film, I could hear wrappers being handled and popcorn being eaten and drinks being drunk. But...after about 10 minutes, the theater became just as silent as the screen and you were pulled into the silent world of the film.
All in all, a fantastic, unique time at the cinema. As I said, I would not classify this as a "horror" film, but rather a taught, tense, suspense film that had me jumping out of my seat on more than one occasion.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Kaz (232 KP) rated Salem's Lot in Books
May 16, 2019
A Creepy Read
I was challenged to read ‘Salem’s Lot’ as part of a reading challenge last year’. Although, it wouldn’t have taken much persuading, for me to read this book. Stephen King has been one of my favourite authors, since I was about 15 and that is quite a few years now!
One of the things that drew me into this book, was the suspense that was created from the very first chapter. There was a sense of great foreboding in the small town of Jerusalem’s Lot.
Having read the majority of ‘The Dark Tower’ series, I already had an inkling as to what was going to happen, as one of the characters in ‘The Dark Tower’ series, featured in ‘Salem’s Lot’. However, you don’t necessarily have to have read any of ‘The Dark Tower’ series to enjoy this and vice versa. So when the mystery of the town was revealed, I wasn’t as surprised as I should have been.
I also like the play on the horror genre within this book. At one point during the story, one of the characters was going to do something very stupid and the character even jokes about it, to one of the other characters.
Two reasons I love Stephen King’s writing, are that he is a great story teller and he is able to create fully formed characters, without having to rely on large paragraphs of description. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ had a very good plot, I was disappointed at how indistinguishable, some of the main characters in ‘Salem’s Lot’ were.
A lot of the main characters were male and several times during the book, I had to go back to previous chapters to clarify who was who, before continuing the story. Whilst reading other King’s novels, I have never had to remind myself who each characters was, even when reading some of King’s lengthier stories. So it was a surprise to me, how similar some of the characters were in this book. There were also a lot of secondary characters within the story and sometimes, it was also difficult to keep up with them all.
Another problem I had with this novel, was that the suspense kept building in the novel and I was expecting a dramatic climax to this novel. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ has a reasonable ending, I felt it went a little flat at the end.
That being said, I really enjoyed ‘Salem’s Lot’. It was a fun read, with plenty of atmosphere. So if you enjoy a good scare, you may enjoy ‘Salem’s Lot’.
One of the things that drew me into this book, was the suspense that was created from the very first chapter. There was a sense of great foreboding in the small town of Jerusalem’s Lot.
Having read the majority of ‘The Dark Tower’ series, I already had an inkling as to what was going to happen, as one of the characters in ‘The Dark Tower’ series, featured in ‘Salem’s Lot’. However, you don’t necessarily have to have read any of ‘The Dark Tower’ series to enjoy this and vice versa. So when the mystery of the town was revealed, I wasn’t as surprised as I should have been.
I also like the play on the horror genre within this book. At one point during the story, one of the characters was going to do something very stupid and the character even jokes about it, to one of the other characters.
Two reasons I love Stephen King’s writing, are that he is a great story teller and he is able to create fully formed characters, without having to rely on large paragraphs of description. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ had a very good plot, I was disappointed at how indistinguishable, some of the main characters in ‘Salem’s Lot’ were.
A lot of the main characters were male and several times during the book, I had to go back to previous chapters to clarify who was who, before continuing the story. Whilst reading other King’s novels, I have never had to remind myself who each characters was, even when reading some of King’s lengthier stories. So it was a surprise to me, how similar some of the characters were in this book. There were also a lot of secondary characters within the story and sometimes, it was also difficult to keep up with them all.
Another problem I had with this novel, was that the suspense kept building in the novel and I was expecting a dramatic climax to this novel. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ has a reasonable ending, I felt it went a little flat at the end.
That being said, I really enjoyed ‘Salem’s Lot’. It was a fun read, with plenty of atmosphere. So if you enjoy a good scare, you may enjoy ‘Salem’s Lot’.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Before I Let Go in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<strong>Sometimes when I read a book, I forget why I wanted to read the book in the first place.</strong> <em>Before I Let Go</em> is, unfortunately, one of those books I forgot <em>why</em> I even bothered. It seemed interesting? Maybe last semester I read a different synopsis (probably not)?
Was I asleep? (It's possible - I'm a tired college kid who appears to have enough sleep.)
<em>Before I Let Go</em> is set in the present with Corey returning home to Lost Creek, only to find out her best friend Kyra is dead and the town that once ostracized Kyra is suddenly mourning her. And for some reason whatsoever, the role is reversed and Corey is looked upon as an outsider who moved into the wrong city.
<strong>I was expecting a lot more suspense and build up but I got none of it.</strong> Nada. Zip. I got a lot of this:
<blockquote>Lost doesn't take well to change, but we learned to understand her. She was <em>happy</em>.</blockquote>
And this.
<blockquote>She spread happiness. Kyra finding a place here was a sign to all of us that Lost can change - and change for the better. After all those years, she'd finally come home to us, and we to her. She was at peace.</blockquote>
And this.
<blockquote>With her art, she showed us the future. And once you understand that, you'll find Kyra's truth.</blockquote>
Same message, all a different variation.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4490" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/11/Rapunzel-Sad-Sigh-Reaction-Gif.gif"; alt="" width="320" height="180" />
No suspense whatsoever aside from a mild curiosity. 🤷
<strong>Eventually, all of it felt repetitive </strong>and there didn't seem to be any progress aside from finding out what kind of person Kyra was before she died (even that felt a little confusing sometimes).
<strong>The writing is readable though.</strong> I went through <em>Before I Let Go</em> relatively quickly, at least the small progress that I chose to go through before my attention got taken away by <em>The Heart Forger</em>.
<strong>I still don't know why I wanted to read this book.</strong> I expected more, I got virtually nothing but an early DNF in the year. 😪
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/before-i-let-go-by-marieke-nijkamp-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<strong>Sometimes when I read a book, I forget why I wanted to read the book in the first place.</strong> <em>Before I Let Go</em> is, unfortunately, one of those books I forgot <em>why</em> I even bothered. It seemed interesting? Maybe last semester I read a different synopsis (probably not)?
Was I asleep? (It's possible - I'm a tired college kid who appears to have enough sleep.)
<em>Before I Let Go</em> is set in the present with Corey returning home to Lost Creek, only to find out her best friend Kyra is dead and the town that once ostracized Kyra is suddenly mourning her. And for some reason whatsoever, the role is reversed and Corey is looked upon as an outsider who moved into the wrong city.
<strong>I was expecting a lot more suspense and build up but I got none of it.</strong> Nada. Zip. I got a lot of this:
<blockquote>Lost doesn't take well to change, but we learned to understand her. She was <em>happy</em>.</blockquote>
And this.
<blockquote>She spread happiness. Kyra finding a place here was a sign to all of us that Lost can change - and change for the better. After all those years, she'd finally come home to us, and we to her. She was at peace.</blockquote>
And this.
<blockquote>With her art, she showed us the future. And once you understand that, you'll find Kyra's truth.</blockquote>
Same message, all a different variation.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4490" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/11/Rapunzel-Sad-Sigh-Reaction-Gif.gif"; alt="" width="320" height="180" />
No suspense whatsoever aside from a mild curiosity. 🤷
<strong>Eventually, all of it felt repetitive </strong>and there didn't seem to be any progress aside from finding out what kind of person Kyra was before she died (even that felt a little confusing sometimes).
<strong>The writing is readable though.</strong> I went through <em>Before I Let Go</em> relatively quickly, at least the small progress that I chose to go through before my attention got taken away by <em>The Heart Forger</em>.
<strong>I still don't know why I wanted to read this book.</strong> I expected more, I got virtually nothing but an early DNF in the year. 😪
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/before-i-let-go-by-marieke-nijkamp-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Lying in Wait
7.7
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Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller! Featured in the Richard and Judy Spring 2017 Book Club 'Gone Girl...