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Lindsay (1760 KP) rated The Costume Contest (Mariana Books Rhyming #2) in Books
Oct 14, 2021
Are you shopping for Halloween theme books for your child or children? Well. “The Costume Contest” by Roger Carlson is a good one to have on your child’s bookshelves. It deals with Halloween, and it also helps with cooperation and conflict solution.
We meet Aaron and Ava for this story. The story behind this is sweet. Will Aaron help his little sister out with her costume and the contest? You will see that Aaron wants to be something different for Halloween? But did Aaron promise to be a cat with Ava or not?
Children will learn about conflict solutions and solving problems through cooperation. I like how the two kids figure out their trick-or-treating costumes between themselves, though with parents’ support. What does Aaron decide to do?
The author put this story on Halloween, focused on friendship, and saw what happens when they trick-treating. Who ends up willing to participate in the costume contest? The pictures are so colorful. Are the different costumes you see while Aaron and Ava are trick or treating? This book is a sweet story and has a few teaching lessons through the book.
Parents will enjoy having this book on their shelves. Children will want to read this book again and again. It is suitable for the Halloween season, along with some teachable lessons for children.
We meet Aaron and Ava for this story. The story behind this is sweet. Will Aaron help his little sister out with her costume and the contest? You will see that Aaron wants to be something different for Halloween? But did Aaron promise to be a cat with Ava or not?
Children will learn about conflict solutions and solving problems through cooperation. I like how the two kids figure out their trick-or-treating costumes between themselves, though with parents’ support. What does Aaron decide to do?
The author put this story on Halloween, focused on friendship, and saw what happens when they trick-treating. Who ends up willing to participate in the costume contest? The pictures are so colorful. Are the different costumes you see while Aaron and Ava are trick or treating? This book is a sweet story and has a few teaching lessons through the book.
Parents will enjoy having this book on their shelves. Children will want to read this book again and again. It is suitable for the Halloween season, along with some teachable lessons for children.
Adam Ant recommended What's Going On by Marvin Gaye in Music (curated)
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated I Couldn't Love You More in Books
Jul 1, 2021
A very confusing book. Timelines all over the place and changing between there different characters meant that I spent most of the first half of the book confused about what was happening and how old certain characters were at that point in the story.
The story follows three women Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are three generations of the same family. Throughout the book Aoife is wondering where her daughter has gone as she seems to have vanished without a trace after coming home one Christmas and then never to be heard from again. Rosaleen has her own secret, that she is pregnant with a married man’s baby and finds herself going to a convent to have her baby, and this book sheds some light on the horrors that unmarried mothers had to suffer before and after giving birth and having their babies taken from them. Kate was adopted and is trying to find out information about her birth mother whilst also trying to cope with her husband who spends most of his time “with the band” and coming back drunk most nights.
The story was an interesting look at how the Catholic Church dealt with expectant mothers who weren’t married, and although you’d think going to a convent for help they would be well looked after, it didn’t work out that way at all. But I did find that it was unnecessarily confusing and jumped around with the timelines quite a lot.
I found myself not wanting to sit down and carry on with the book, but I did persevere with it because I wanted to know how it turned out. The writing was beautiful and some of the descriptions really did make you feel like you were there. The ending seemed quite rushed and after 95% of the book being emotional and there not seeming like there would be a happy ending, the last few pages of the book seemed to solve everything quickly. It would have been nice to have a few more pages around that and questions answered around whether Aoife ever found out what happened to her daughter.
Thank you to Esther and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
The story follows three women Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are three generations of the same family. Throughout the book Aoife is wondering where her daughter has gone as she seems to have vanished without a trace after coming home one Christmas and then never to be heard from again. Rosaleen has her own secret, that she is pregnant with a married man’s baby and finds herself going to a convent to have her baby, and this book sheds some light on the horrors that unmarried mothers had to suffer before and after giving birth and having their babies taken from them. Kate was adopted and is trying to find out information about her birth mother whilst also trying to cope with her husband who spends most of his time “with the band” and coming back drunk most nights.
The story was an interesting look at how the Catholic Church dealt with expectant mothers who weren’t married, and although you’d think going to a convent for help they would be well looked after, it didn’t work out that way at all. But I did find that it was unnecessarily confusing and jumped around with the timelines quite a lot.
I found myself not wanting to sit down and carry on with the book, but I did persevere with it because I wanted to know how it turned out. The writing was beautiful and some of the descriptions really did make you feel like you were there. The ending seemed quite rushed and after 95% of the book being emotional and there not seeming like there would be a happy ending, the last few pages of the book seemed to solve everything quickly. It would have been nice to have a few more pages around that and questions answered around whether Aoife ever found out what happened to her daughter.
Thank you to Esther and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Our House in Books
Jul 9, 2018
Started great - fell flat quick.
What sh*tshow these people's lives are!! I cannot even start to fathom the choices some of these characters made, but hey - it makes for a great story! What would you do if you came home one day and people were moving into your house? All your stuff is gone (including your estranged husband - totally missing) and the moving truck is backed up to your front door and unloading someone else's stuff??? Bonkers. Totally bonkers.
Safe to sat Fiona Lawson is about to lose her mind. Who are these strangers and how on Earth did they find, purchase, and move into her house when she was just away for the weekend! And um... where the F are her kids?!?! Her missing husband may or may not have something to do with it. And the secrets! They just come spewing out from every side, every angle, and everyone!
SUCH an interesting way to tell a story, too! I really enjoyed the back and forth, and different mediums used - though normal narrative - past and present, podcasts (with listener comments and hashtags too!) and even a suicide note... so crazy! This was shaping up to be a definite 5 star read for sure.. but meh. The end was SO abrupt. I was like, "um... did someone remove some pages in the back of my book? Did the printer run out of ink?" OK, OK I get that it's one of those, 'whats gonna happen?' type endings maybe? But too much unanswered for me, too much left up in the air, that I almost felt like there was no direction or solution to things so let's just STOP. Eh, no. I was all-in until the last few chapters - and then totally bummed.
Overall, a really cool story, great narrative, clever twists - but the abruptness of that ending just made feel like someone got a bit lazy.
Safe to sat Fiona Lawson is about to lose her mind. Who are these strangers and how on Earth did they find, purchase, and move into her house when she was just away for the weekend! And um... where the F are her kids?!?! Her missing husband may or may not have something to do with it. And the secrets! They just come spewing out from every side, every angle, and everyone!
SUCH an interesting way to tell a story, too! I really enjoyed the back and forth, and different mediums used - though normal narrative - past and present, podcasts (with listener comments and hashtags too!) and even a suicide note... so crazy! This was shaping up to be a definite 5 star read for sure.. but meh. The end was SO abrupt. I was like, "um... did someone remove some pages in the back of my book? Did the printer run out of ink?" OK, OK I get that it's one of those, 'whats gonna happen?' type endings maybe? But too much unanswered for me, too much left up in the air, that I almost felt like there was no direction or solution to things so let's just STOP. Eh, no. I was all-in until the last few chapters - and then totally bummed.
Overall, a really cool story, great narrative, clever twists - but the abruptness of that ending just made feel like someone got a bit lazy.
Merissa (12906 KP) rated Shadow Fall (Shadow #2) in Books
Dec 8, 2023
SHADOW FALL is the second book in the Shadow series, continuing two years after Shadow Bound. While it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend you read it as part of a series.
In the last book, Custo died to give his best friend and Talia time to escape. During the torture that preceded his death, he found out that there was a traitor in the midst. It remains on his mind once he gets to heaven, and he finds himself desperate to return to Earth.
Annabella is a ballet dancer who is about to have her first time as a Prima, dancing the role of Giselle. She becomes so focused on her role, she opens a pathway to Earth from the Otherworld. A wolf has her in his sights and wants her for his mate. On his way back to Earth, Custo spots Annabella and the wolf and wants to save her, as well as Adam and Talia.
This was a twisted tale with some amazing descriptions, especially the Giselle parts. There were some parts I found a little confusing though, such as Annabella eating in the Otherworld. Consequences to someone else were mentioned once but never again, and I have no idea what would happen to her because of what she did.
Although I enjoyed the story, it didn't quite hit the same mark as Shadow Bound did, and I can't really tell you why. If I did half-stars, this would be a 3.5-star read. I am still looking forward to continuing with the series though, and finding out where Kathleen has gone to!
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 4, 2023
In the last book, Custo died to give his best friend and Talia time to escape. During the torture that preceded his death, he found out that there was a traitor in the midst. It remains on his mind once he gets to heaven, and he finds himself desperate to return to Earth.
Annabella is a ballet dancer who is about to have her first time as a Prima, dancing the role of Giselle. She becomes so focused on her role, she opens a pathway to Earth from the Otherworld. A wolf has her in his sights and wants her for his mate. On his way back to Earth, Custo spots Annabella and the wolf and wants to save her, as well as Adam and Talia.
This was a twisted tale with some amazing descriptions, especially the Giselle parts. There were some parts I found a little confusing though, such as Annabella eating in the Otherworld. Consequences to someone else were mentioned once but never again, and I have no idea what would happen to her because of what she did.
Although I enjoyed the story, it didn't quite hit the same mark as Shadow Bound did, and I can't really tell you why. If I did half-stars, this would be a 3.5-star read. I am still looking forward to continuing with the series though, and finding out where Kathleen has gone to!
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 4, 2023
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Forsaken in Books
Jan 8, 2018
Great Horror Elements, Plot needs more
The horror aspects of this book was really good. It was creepy enough to give you the heebie jeebies and anything to do with strange looking paintings and children always make things more creepier than they should be. (The Shining, anyone?)
I can’t really say I like Daniel as a character. He had it coming to him. It was an awful cruel thing he did and he deserved every last bit of it. None of the characters really stood out here since Daniel was really the center of the plot, but wow Karina. You’re just some kind of special aren’t you? She played on Daniel’s sympathy until he realized she’s completely bat crazy and well, you walked into that one didn’t you? This is what happens when you want the cake and the cherry on top. Just don’t do it. However tempting that is.
Plot wise, it’s pretty entertaining and good stuff for a horror book. It does come off as reading a horror movie in print which is pretty good and frankly, if this ever was a movie, I’d probably watch it and enjoy it better. The ending was great and is everything you would expect in a horror movie or book. There’s mystery elements into the book which does not affect the story that much and adds more intrigue.
Although the horror elements were good, the execution of the story could be better. I thought certain aspects of the plot were just there for convenience. There could have been more to the Mabel plot arc. It was just planted there with no real explanation except it was given about 2-3 pages but no real contribution. I wish there was more to it. It would have helped, and could have made the story much better.
Despite some of the shortcomings of the book, it was an enjoyable read. It was creepy enough to give you the chills and the ending was what you would expect in this genre. Recommended to horror lovers!
I can’t really say I like Daniel as a character. He had it coming to him. It was an awful cruel thing he did and he deserved every last bit of it. None of the characters really stood out here since Daniel was really the center of the plot, but wow Karina. You’re just some kind of special aren’t you? She played on Daniel’s sympathy until he realized she’s completely bat crazy and well, you walked into that one didn’t you? This is what happens when you want the cake and the cherry on top. Just don’t do it. However tempting that is.
Plot wise, it’s pretty entertaining and good stuff for a horror book. It does come off as reading a horror movie in print which is pretty good and frankly, if this ever was a movie, I’d probably watch it and enjoy it better. The ending was great and is everything you would expect in a horror movie or book. There’s mystery elements into the book which does not affect the story that much and adds more intrigue.
Although the horror elements were good, the execution of the story could be better. I thought certain aspects of the plot were just there for convenience. There could have been more to the Mabel plot arc. It was just planted there with no real explanation except it was given about 2-3 pages but no real contribution. I wish there was more to it. It would have helped, and could have made the story much better.
Despite some of the shortcomings of the book, it was an enjoyable read. It was creepy enough to give you the chills and the ending was what you would expect in this genre. Recommended to horror lovers!
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Stranger Inside in Books
May 22, 2019
Kimber Hannon's belief that she has complete control over her life is shattered the night that she comes home from a trip to find her key no longer opens her front door. There is a stranger living in her house. A stranger who claims he has every right to be there, with the paperwork to prove it. When she confronts the man, he lets her get close enough to whisper, "I was there. I saw what you did."
She doesn't know how he knows her, but with those words Kimber knows this stranger isn't after anything as simple as her money or artwork or charming Craftsman bungalow. She has to find out exactly what he wants and get him out of her carefully orchestrated life before he ruins it.
There are plenty of people in her life who might help, but should Kimber trust any of them? Her lawyer, Gabriel, is also her ex-lover; Diana, her best friend, doesn't know Kimber slept with her husband; her ex-husband has a new, happier life since leaving her; and her co-workers know she'll do anything to get her next sale. And no one can know the real reason this man is in her house. Without trust, everyone's a stranger....
This is a psychological thriller that has plenty of twists and secrets. This book manages to grip you from the very start and doesn't let you go. There are plenty of plots and twists to keep you guessing all the way to the end.
The story is fast paced and well developed characters. The ending of the story will blow your mind.
The plot switches between the two timelines of the past and present and as it does you will learn of secrets and lies.
If you are looking for a suspenseful read then this is the one for you.
Highly Recommend!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author for my free digital ARC.
She doesn't know how he knows her, but with those words Kimber knows this stranger isn't after anything as simple as her money or artwork or charming Craftsman bungalow. She has to find out exactly what he wants and get him out of her carefully orchestrated life before he ruins it.
There are plenty of people in her life who might help, but should Kimber trust any of them? Her lawyer, Gabriel, is also her ex-lover; Diana, her best friend, doesn't know Kimber slept with her husband; her ex-husband has a new, happier life since leaving her; and her co-workers know she'll do anything to get her next sale. And no one can know the real reason this man is in her house. Without trust, everyone's a stranger....
This is a psychological thriller that has plenty of twists and secrets. This book manages to grip you from the very start and doesn't let you go. There are plenty of plots and twists to keep you guessing all the way to the end.
The story is fast paced and well developed characters. The ending of the story will blow your mind.
The plot switches between the two timelines of the past and present and as it does you will learn of secrets and lies.
If you are looking for a suspenseful read then this is the one for you.
Highly Recommend!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author for my free digital ARC.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated In Bloom (Sweetpea, #2) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This time Rhiannon takes us on an exclusive journey through her pregnancy, and it is absolutely hilarious. My inner psycho really missed this foul-mouthed but brutally honest character. (Don’t pretend you don’t have one!) It is so amusing to read about all her actions, pretending and manipulations and at the same time to hear what she is truly thinking about everybody in this book. She is a very original and absorbing character, that is why a single perspective in this book works very well.
This book is a continuation of the previous part, so if you would like to understand what is going on, you have to read Sweetpea first. The author takes us through Rhiannon’s pregnancy and the ugly stuff that pregnancy brings you. Yes, all the vomiting, backache, bloating and non stop eating etc., not the bliss, joy and other unicorn poop. SHE KEEPS IT REAL! 😀 The police are on Rhiannon’s back, and her baby is TRYING to stop her from the murdering, that is why our main character has to take it a bit easier in this book. For this reason, I found it a bit slow in some places, as not many things were happening, but the author threw in some unexpected twists in this story as well.
I really enjoyed C.J. Skuse’s writing style, which is not suitable for young readers, this book is filled with swear words, murders, and everything that you trying to protect your young ones from. 😀 The short chapters made the whole reading experience even more pleasurable. The ending of this novel was very unexpected but I really liked it, and I can not wait for another book in the series.
So, to conclude, if you like books about psychopaths, served with a huge portion of humour, foul language, and dark, but honest thoughts, these series are definitely for you! I hope you will give this book a try and will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂
This book is a continuation of the previous part, so if you would like to understand what is going on, you have to read Sweetpea first. The author takes us through Rhiannon’s pregnancy and the ugly stuff that pregnancy brings you. Yes, all the vomiting, backache, bloating and non stop eating etc., not the bliss, joy and other unicorn poop. SHE KEEPS IT REAL! 😀 The police are on Rhiannon’s back, and her baby is TRYING to stop her from the murdering, that is why our main character has to take it a bit easier in this book. For this reason, I found it a bit slow in some places, as not many things were happening, but the author threw in some unexpected twists in this story as well.
I really enjoyed C.J. Skuse’s writing style, which is not suitable for young readers, this book is filled with swear words, murders, and everything that you trying to protect your young ones from. 😀 The short chapters made the whole reading experience even more pleasurable. The ending of this novel was very unexpected but I really liked it, and I can not wait for another book in the series.
So, to conclude, if you like books about psychopaths, served with a huge portion of humour, foul language, and dark, but honest thoughts, these series are definitely for you! I hope you will give this book a try and will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂
Diamonds
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Diamonds is a trick-taking card game in which players collect Diamonds — not cards bearing that...
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