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The Return: Nightfall (The Vampire Diaries, # 5)
7.5
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The Return: Nightfall is the fifth book in L.J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries...
Nightfall (The Vampire Diaries: The Return, #1)
5.6
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The Return: Nightfall is the fifth book in L.J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries...
No Ordinary Love Story: Sequel to the Diary of a Submissive
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Sophie Morgan bares all in her controversial sequel to Diary of a Submissive, No Ordinary Love...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2456 KP) rated Smothered in Books
Feb 24, 2021
This Sequel Was a Little Too Whipped
Alene Baron is finding herself irritated by Stanley Huff, who owns the gym next door to Arlene’s café. Not only is he an inconsiderate neighbor, but Alene questions some of the things he sells. Alene is shocked when she finds him dead one morning. When the police begin to look at one of Arlene’s employees as a suspect, she can’t help but try to learn what really happened. Can she uncover the truth?
This was definitely a mixed book for me. Most of my issues were things that could have been smoothed over with a strong edit – a few dropped plot threads, the dreaded timeline issues, and a few conversations that were summarized for us instead of including us in them. On the other hand, there were things I enjoyed. We have a large cast of characters. Since it had been a while since book one, I had to remember who every was again (the cast of characters at the beginning helped), but once I did that, I appreciate the growth in the characters we saw here. The heart of the mystery was good, and I especially appreciated how Alene figured it out, which lead to an entertaining climax. Alene’s café features vegan recipes, so the recipes we get at the end are vegan as well. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll want to pick this up and see what happens to the characters next.
This was definitely a mixed book for me. Most of my issues were things that could have been smoothed over with a strong edit – a few dropped plot threads, the dreaded timeline issues, and a few conversations that were summarized for us instead of including us in them. On the other hand, there were things I enjoyed. We have a large cast of characters. Since it had been a while since book one, I had to remember who every was again (the cast of characters at the beginning helped), but once I did that, I appreciate the growth in the characters we saw here. The heart of the mystery was good, and I especially appreciated how Alene figured it out, which lead to an entertaining climax. Alene’s café features vegan recipes, so the recipes we get at the end are vegan as well. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll want to pick this up and see what happens to the characters next.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Mark of Athena in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="The Mark of Athena" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-mark-of-athena-by-rick-riordan.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
I probably should have waited until it was about a month until The House of Hades was published in order to read The Mark of Athena.
The good thing? I don't need to do some major catching up. And I might end up dragging (not literally) my mom over to the book store when the fourth book finally does come out.
But where there's good, there's bad (boo). So, the bad thing? Considering what happened in The Mark of Athena and The Son of Sobek (I'm not even sure I spelled that right. Oh, and link leads to my Goodreads review), I really wished I could have waited. Because I now have to do the fancy little countdown... (is there even an official countdown?).
Unfortunately, I might decide to wait an entire year after all to finally read The House of Hades. (Sorry, but I'm one who keeps good things for last... sometimes. For reasons not to be told >;))
But I still want to know what happens next to Percy and Annabeth after what happens to them at the end (and definitely the rest of the demigod crew as well).
So! Overall thoughts on Riordan's most latest work in the Heroes of Olympus series: fast paced, lovable and humorous characters from the prior series returning along with the new ones, and a confession of mine: I'm a sucker for mythologies retold as I am with fairy tales retold.
Random Question: Anyone else excited for The House of Hades to come out later this year? :D
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
I probably should have waited until it was about a month until The House of Hades was published in order to read The Mark of Athena.
The good thing? I don't need to do some major catching up. And I might end up dragging (not literally) my mom over to the book store when the fourth book finally does come out.
But where there's good, there's bad (boo). So, the bad thing? Considering what happened in The Mark of Athena and The Son of Sobek (I'm not even sure I spelled that right. Oh, and link leads to my Goodreads review), I really wished I could have waited. Because I now have to do the fancy little countdown... (is there even an official countdown?).
Unfortunately, I might decide to wait an entire year after all to finally read The House of Hades. (Sorry, but I'm one who keeps good things for last... sometimes. For reasons not to be told >;))
But I still want to know what happens next to Percy and Annabeth after what happens to them at the end (and definitely the rest of the demigod crew as well).
So! Overall thoughts on Riordan's most latest work in the Heroes of Olympus series: fast paced, lovable and humorous characters from the prior series returning along with the new ones, and a confession of mine: I'm a sucker for mythologies retold as I am with fairy tales retold.
Random Question: Anyone else excited for The House of Hades to come out later this year? :D
Ok, so I have some thoughts about this book. From the title, I had different expectations from what actually happened in the novel, and more could possibly have been made of the ending, I feel. But perhaps I’ve just exposed my rather blood thirsty side (which I’ll be honest, I hadn’t recognised until I started to want more extreme things to happen in this!)
Kash is originally from Bangladesh, and he puts this down to his love for meat in all its forms. He co-owns a restaurant in New York where they serve up exotic meat (think: Peacock or Greenland Shark). Due to the financial crash in 2010, Kash borrows a significant amount of money from a Russian loan shark and then realises that he’s not going to be able to pay it back in the way that the Russian would like (in large instalments). So he comes up with a plan with a new client, who happens to be a billionaire with a lot of billionaire friends, to make a lot of money quickly.
There’s a lot of build up in this novel, and we get to know a lot about Kash, his restaurant, his fellow investor and his girlfriend. It takes a while to actually get going, and then I felt that the dinner scene at the end was too rushed and over far too soon - and then what happens next?! Now, this surprises me, because I’m usually a fan of the build up. But I suppose I knew what was coming and I wanted more detail, maybe more than one incident, some follow up afterwards. Even the cover of the book offered more.
There are a fair few positive 4-5 star reviews on Goodreads, so I imagine that this is very much a marmite book - you love it or dislike it 🤷🏼♀️
Kash is originally from Bangladesh, and he puts this down to his love for meat in all its forms. He co-owns a restaurant in New York where they serve up exotic meat (think: Peacock or Greenland Shark). Due to the financial crash in 2010, Kash borrows a significant amount of money from a Russian loan shark and then realises that he’s not going to be able to pay it back in the way that the Russian would like (in large instalments). So he comes up with a plan with a new client, who happens to be a billionaire with a lot of billionaire friends, to make a lot of money quickly.
There’s a lot of build up in this novel, and we get to know a lot about Kash, his restaurant, his fellow investor and his girlfriend. It takes a while to actually get going, and then I felt that the dinner scene at the end was too rushed and over far too soon - and then what happens next?! Now, this surprises me, because I’m usually a fan of the build up. But I suppose I knew what was coming and I wanted more detail, maybe more than one incident, some follow up afterwards. Even the cover of the book offered more.
There are a fair few positive 4-5 star reviews on Goodreads, so I imagine that this is very much a marmite book - you love it or dislike it 🤷🏼♀️
The God Peak: A Novel
Book
"I can't wait to read what happens next."-James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author The...
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Where We Belong in Books
May 10, 2018
What happens when you give birth to a child and give her up for adoption? You never tell the father that you are even pregnant, in fact you don't tell anyone but your mother. Eighteen years later, this child shows up at your doorstep eager to find out about the parents who couldn't keep her How do you explain what happened so long ago and how do you go back and correct the wrongs?
Marion and Kirby tell the story from their own perspectives describing the emotions they go through in order to deal with their present circumstances. Kirby is at a pivotal point in her life. She is about to graduate high school and is unsure about what the next step should be. Her adoption allows her to contact her birth mother once she reaches eighteen and she doesn't hesitate to do just that. Marion, a show creator living in New York City is doing exactly what she dreamed. She's dating an amazing man and things in her life seem to be going just right, but when Kirby arrives at her doorstep her whole life is put into perspective and she is forced to analyze her world to see if it's really as great as it appears.
Throughout their journey, the two women will discover the true soul of themselves and find a more secure place in their own lives as well as in each others.
Marion and Kirby tell the story from their own perspectives describing the emotions they go through in order to deal with their present circumstances. Kirby is at a pivotal point in her life. She is about to graduate high school and is unsure about what the next step should be. Her adoption allows her to contact her birth mother once she reaches eighteen and she doesn't hesitate to do just that. Marion, a show creator living in New York City is doing exactly what she dreamed. She's dating an amazing man and things in her life seem to be going just right, but when Kirby arrives at her doorstep her whole life is put into perspective and she is forced to analyze her world to see if it's really as great as it appears.
Throughout their journey, the two women will discover the true soul of themselves and find a more secure place in their own lives as well as in each others.
Merissa (13555 KP) rated Marked (Populations Crumble: Resurgence #1) in Books
Mar 29, 2023
MARKED is the first book in a spin-off series called Populations Crumble: Resurgence. I haven't read the first series but now I really want to. Not because something is missing from this book - oh, no. I want to read that because this one was SO good!
Demy is a likeable character from the start, running from danger, looking for safety. She joins the program not really knowing what she's doing, just hoping she will be safe. What she gets is so much more than she expected.
I loved this world. Okay, there are parts of it that aren't so good, but on the whole, I was taken with Demy and saw what she saw. There is lots of action and it's also very emotional. The choice Demy has to make is incredibly tough. I know which way I'd go, as it stands right now, but I'm hedging my bets because I have no idea which way this story is going to go. And I love that!
The cliffhanger is a killer and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. An incredible story with amazing characters that I have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING.
** 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!
Demy is a likeable character from the start, running from danger, looking for safety. She joins the program not really knowing what she's doing, just hoping she will be safe. What she gets is so much more than she expected.
I loved this world. Okay, there are parts of it that aren't so good, but on the whole, I was taken with Demy and saw what she saw. There is lots of action and it's also very emotional. The choice Demy has to make is incredibly tough. I know which way I'd go, as it stands right now, but I'm hedging my bets because I have no idea which way this story is going to go. And I love that!
The cliffhanger is a killer and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. An incredible story with amazing characters that I have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING.
** 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!
Darren (1599 KP) rated Killing Ground (2016) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Story: Killing Ground starts when couple Ian (Meadows) and Samantha (Dyer) head off for a romantic camping trip, learning they are not the only couple on the grounds they look to stay out of the others way, only to never see them return to their grounds. Scotty (Pedersen) and Tood (Glenane) are two locals of the area that come off shady, also have had run ins with the law.
We know something happened to the family in the camp next door and when Ian and Samantha find their baby wandering around the area. Soon they will be fighting for their lives against the criminal psychopaths that enjoy hunting.
Thoughts on Killing Ground
Characters – Ian is a doctor who along with his girlfriend goes on the camping trip, he knows how to survive any injuries which makes him the one that could help survive the attack because o his logical decision making process. Samantha is the girlfriend that is using the trip for a big moment only to find herself needing to fight to survive. Scotty is the one of the two which seems to be the mastermind, well leader of the two who knows how to control the situation and Tood. Tood is the loose cannon, who comes off simple minded at times and other times he comes off like the psychopath he is meant to be.
Performances – The performances in this film do come off real, we believe the couple Ian Meadows & Harriet Dyer with each decision they must make, we also get scared of both the Aaron’s who gives us uneasy performances through the whole film.
Story – The story here follows three lines to start with, we have the couple heading of to their romantic camping trip, the family on their camping trip, that we know something happens to and the two men who will be committing the crime. To start with this felt annoying, I won’t lie, but soon this just builds the tension through the film as we just want to know what happens, with each twist that connection the stories becoming unsettling. We see the aftermath of what has happened over just putting us through the events, which only continues to make everything extra disturbing. This is a type of story we have seen before, though the fresh approach to this only makes this more interesting to watch even if you want to look away.
Horror – This is easily one of the most disturbing horror films you will see, when you stop to think about anything that happens, what you end up feeling is just uneasy because of what happens off camera, with the tension only making this harder to get through.
Settings – The film takes place in a remote camping ground which gives us the feeling of isolation, with have no phone signal and the humans might not be the only danger here, this is a perfect use of setting.
Special Effects – The effects are used to make each moment look more horrific, they are subtle and effective.
Scene of the Movie – When the couple plan to leave, we have a wonderful shot of Samantha walking away with somebody desperately needing help behind her.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I didn’t like the opening moments of the three stories, it does work once we are get going.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most disturbing non-graphic films I have seen, being left to imagine just what happens is even worse than watching it.
Overall: Unsettling and disturbing.
We know something happened to the family in the camp next door and when Ian and Samantha find their baby wandering around the area. Soon they will be fighting for their lives against the criminal psychopaths that enjoy hunting.
Thoughts on Killing Ground
Characters – Ian is a doctor who along with his girlfriend goes on the camping trip, he knows how to survive any injuries which makes him the one that could help survive the attack because o his logical decision making process. Samantha is the girlfriend that is using the trip for a big moment only to find herself needing to fight to survive. Scotty is the one of the two which seems to be the mastermind, well leader of the two who knows how to control the situation and Tood. Tood is the loose cannon, who comes off simple minded at times and other times he comes off like the psychopath he is meant to be.
Performances – The performances in this film do come off real, we believe the couple Ian Meadows & Harriet Dyer with each decision they must make, we also get scared of both the Aaron’s who gives us uneasy performances through the whole film.
Story – The story here follows three lines to start with, we have the couple heading of to their romantic camping trip, the family on their camping trip, that we know something happens to and the two men who will be committing the crime. To start with this felt annoying, I won’t lie, but soon this just builds the tension through the film as we just want to know what happens, with each twist that connection the stories becoming unsettling. We see the aftermath of what has happened over just putting us through the events, which only continues to make everything extra disturbing. This is a type of story we have seen before, though the fresh approach to this only makes this more interesting to watch even if you want to look away.
Horror – This is easily one of the most disturbing horror films you will see, when you stop to think about anything that happens, what you end up feeling is just uneasy because of what happens off camera, with the tension only making this harder to get through.
Settings – The film takes place in a remote camping ground which gives us the feeling of isolation, with have no phone signal and the humans might not be the only danger here, this is a perfect use of setting.
Special Effects – The effects are used to make each moment look more horrific, they are subtle and effective.
Scene of the Movie – When the couple plan to leave, we have a wonderful shot of Samantha walking away with somebody desperately needing help behind her.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I didn’t like the opening moments of the three stories, it does work once we are get going.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most disturbing non-graphic films I have seen, being left to imagine just what happens is even worse than watching it.
Overall: Unsettling and disturbing.