
Fortune's Wheel (The Meonbridge Chronicles #1)
Book
How do you recover from the havoc wrought by history's cruellest plague? It's June 1349. In...
Historical Fiction Historical Romance Medieval England

Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
The movie had a good plot to it but, everything else was poor. I didn't like the acting by most characters and I know it's the time but, the amount of racial prejudice that is shown is way too over the top for me.

The Great Transition: Climate, Disease and Society in the Late Medieval World
Book
In the fourteenth century the Old World witnessed a series of profound and abrupt changes in the...

Messina 1347
Tabletop Game
Messina 1347 takes place during the introduction of the plague epidemic (a.k.a. the "black death")...

Those Bones Are Not My Child
Book
Those Bones Are Not My Child is a staggering achievement: the novel that Toni Cade Bambara worked on...

Another Day in the Death of America
Book
Saturday, November 23rd, 2013. It was just another day in America; an unremarkable Saturday on which...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Illustrated Edition
Jim Kay and J.K. Rowling
Book
An extraordinary creative achievement by an extraordinary talent, Jim Kay's inspired reimagining of...

Becs (244 KP) rated Restorations in Books
May 22, 2019
I'm generally not a fan of Historical Fictions but my attention was gripped by this intriguing novel. Charles Strickler's writing style is very informative and it doesn't have that "boring history" tone to it. It was rather light and flowed like water. You can also tell that Charles Strickler did a ton of research prior to writing Restorations and it honestly shows.
Restorations follows Miles' journey in recovering a 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster he bought from an auction. There is a mysterious aura around the Black Hawk and Miles is set on getting answers. This journey he takes includes a pretty woman, a few near death experiences, the mafia, and surprisingly loads of action. You're not going to want to miss this!!
"Stop living in your father's shadow."
Characters:
Miles West - the main character who buys the Black Hawk. Nothing overall special that needs to be pointed out about him.
Bramley Ann Fairchild - the auctioneer who sold Miles the car. She ends up helping him figure out the mystery behind the Black Hawk.
Ms. Gardner - basically the mother figure for Miles and she is dead set on trying to get Miles and Bramley together.
Mr. Howe - the lawyer of Carlo Bello. He seems to be absolutely terrified of Bello.
Carlo Bello - a mob leader who will do anything to get what he wants. He's trying to get the Black Hawk from Miles.
Maximilian "Lefty" Webber - the original owner of the Black Hawk that Miles purchased, deceased.
Wil - the repair man.
Reasons why I rated it 4 stars:
1. The plot:
The plot flowed pretty smoothly, minus a few bumps and turns. I did notice a few spots where the plot jumped and there wasn't story/ character development. But overall, it wasn't the worst thing I've read.
2. My enjoyment:
I really enjoyed reading Restorations and would most defiantly reread. I actually sent the review copy I received to a good friend as she is a fan of the mafia and this style of books. (Fingers crossed she enjoys it as well)
3. Character and story development:
There were a few parts where the reader could have used a bit more character and story development/ background, as it lacked. But it really was a great debut novel, especially for it being in Historical Fiction!
4. Grammar and spelling:
Charles Strickler is a great writer and I did not notice any major grammatical or spelling errors. I did find a few that are usually overlooked but they didn't take away from the overall story.
5. The overall story:
I rather enjoyed reading Restorations and would reread. I just wish the parts that seemed to be lacking where able to be added too.
"Accidents happen all the time."

Hollywood Obscura: Death, Murder, and the Paranormal Aftermath
Book
Hollywood is no stranger to murder, and some of the murderers are the most vicious killers known to...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book
'Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out...