Search

Search only in certain items:

A Throne of Swans
A Throne of Swans
Katharine Corr, Elizabeth Corr | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this book is Aderyn, and the book is told from her perspective. I liked her naivety and inexperience in the politics of the court. It was quite cute to watch her struggle to make decisions, that could change not only her life but the life of her whole dominion as well. I really liked the romantic tension in this novel as well, it was interesting to see, which of the boys Aderyn will choose. I liked all the characters the authors picked for this book, they are all diverse and intriguing. That is why I would’ve liked more perspectives, especially Lucien’s, he is such a mysterious guy, and I would’ve loved to read all his secret endeavours.

The plot was pretty slow, at least for half of the book. I liked the twists and plots the authors brought to this book, but I don’t think it was enough. Until the end Aderyn was quite weak and helpless, only at the end, she has done some surprising changes, that I loved. I think for this book, the chapters were too long. The plot was not very eventful, and I was quite bored sometimes, counting the pages to the next chapter.

The writing style was easy to read, and I can see where the authors are steering the plot, I have very high expectations for the second part. The setting of this book doesn’t change much, but I liked the detailed descriptions of the places, I think they looked stunning. The ending was a true gem, I really loved Aderyn’s choices and the intrigue created. So, to conclude, it was quite a long introduction to the upcoming book. I liked the characters and the world it was set in, but I am expecting more perspectives, more action and deceit, as well as shorter chapters in the upcoming part.
  
Fitness Junkie
Fitness Junkie
Lucy Sykes | 2017 | Food & Drink, Humor & Comedy, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
More book reviews can be found at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com

Ohhhh, this blurb above gives out sooo much… Too much to be honest. But it is really accurate. Jane gets sucked into fitness world with her friend CJ and cousin Ivy, and the whole book was told from Jane and Ivy’s perspectives. I found all the characters really amusing in this book and a little bit weird. They all were very complex personalities, and the whole book has a great balance between elite and common worlds. There are a lot of strong, charismatic and interesting characters to choose from, and I couldn’t pick one.

The narrative of the book was ridiculously informative and funny. I had no idea, that there are so many different fitness trends around the world. Who in a world would eat clay and nothing else and think it is OK? No Hun, it’s not OK, and you need help. I really liked all the research that authors have done for this book, and the personal Lucy’s experience in fashion and business was very visible. I really enjoyed all the turns and twists, which were unexpected, and shocked me even more. I am happy that authors outlined, how some fashion standards affect women by making them insecure about their looks and especially weight.

The writing style was very light and easy to read, with decent length chapters, which made this novel very enjoyable for me. There is nothing traditional about this book, including the ending. I liked that authors chose realistic ending which might be a surprise to some people. But it worked for me. So, to conclude, I found this book really amusing and entertaining, filled with elite characters and a strong message. It is way far from anything traditional, and that’s why I strongly recommend it.
  
Fascinating
I don’t often choose to read non-fiction books, I’m not entirely sure why except for the fact that I prefer escaping the real world. However there are some real life topics that really grab me, and forensic pathology is definitely one of those areas.

This book is truly a fascinating read. It’s an interesting mixture detailing Richard Shepherd’s personal life and the many cases he’s had involvement in over the years. It balances these two aspects very well, and I found I was as interested in his personal life as I was in the cases. It is the cases though that take precedence in this book and Shepherd really has left no stone unturned. There is an immense amount of detail in this about the deaths, bodies, medical terms and outcomes of the cases, and by the end of the book you feel completely satisfied that nothing has been missed.

Shepherd has had a truly impressive career, spanning a number of decades and quite a lot of high profile cases and inquests; Stephen Lawrence, Princess Diana, 9/11, 7/7, Derrick Bird, Harold Shipman. His involvement in all of these cases is impressive and with some, I’ve learnt a fair amount that I’d never known previously (i.e. Diana’s cause of death and the pathology side of 9/11). Shepherd is obviously a very knowledgeable and respected pathologist and it shows from his experience and his writing.

I may be biased as forensics, crime and pathology have always been an interest of mine (I did my dissertation at university on alternatives to traditional post-mortems), but this book is engaging, intriguing and beyond fascinating. I’d liken it to This is Going to Hurt by Adam McKay, obviously this is a lot more serious without the funny anecdotes but if you enjoyed the medical side then you’d probably enjoy this too.
  
Show all 3 comments.
40x40

Sarah (7800 KP) Oct 18, 2020

Ooh thank you, I've never even heard of it so I'll give it a go 🙂

40x40

AJaneClark (3975 KP) Oct 18, 2020

I have been reading a lot of this style of book, and stumbled across Corrupt Bodies in the Works. Definitely an eye opener

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
1972 | Comedy
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The self confessed king of cinema surrealism, Luis Buñuel has 15 feature films listed as 7.5 or higher on IMDb, proving his life’s work is more loved and respected as you might think. This title was the only one I had really heard of being talked about by serious film folk that stuck in my mind, so it was as good a place as any to start with. It is an odd beast that I had a little trouble getting onboard with. It feels entirely 70s and kitsch, and on the surface feels at times little better than The Confessions of a Window Cleaner, or some such bawdy farce. To say it is a comedy is to take comedy to mean intellectual absurdism that pokes fun at the conventions and habits that lurk inside humanity, and the sophistication that masks our base instincts and flaws. I got the “joke”, it just all feels very dated now.

The cast have a lot of fun in the dreamlike landscape of manners and appetites, and the symbolism that abounds is indeed quite clever and arch if you want to analyse it. What I did like is how it feels increasingly like an actual dream, where things done and said begin to lose true meaning, and events and places merge into one flow of madness. You can definitely see a lot of ideas here that have been borrowed by other films since, and I appreciate what it tries to do, but ultimately this one left me a little cold. It has a pompous and smug air about it that is not for me, although I totally understand why it is held in high regard. I will probably never choose to watch it again.