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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Pricked in Books
Sep 3, 2019
This is my second book by the author, the other being P.S. I Hate You which I read a few months ago and, if I'm honest, I wasn't all that impressed with. I blame it on the written letters in the book. I do like to try an author more than once, though, as it could just be the storyline that I couldn't get into so here's my second try of Winter Renshaw.
So Madden is a tattoo artist who gives Brighton her first very discreet tattoo, hidden so her parents don't give her the third degree/make her get it laser removed for daring to do something like that to herself. They are very...controlling, the type who make it known when they disagree with something you've said or done. Buy clothes for you to wear to outings. Want to know where you are at all times, etc. Anyway, Brighton gets the tattoo and becomes fascinated with the inkless artist, Madden, while Madden becomes obsessed with the pretty rich girl. And so their story begins.
I really liked this book. They try the whole friends-with-benefits-while-pretending-to-be-together thing and it works really well with them. They are actually really great together. But of course, feelings grow and the guy who told her not to fall for him starts to pull away.
I liked these two characters. They have a connected past that makes itself known towards the end and it's a little sad but they make it work--just not without being apart for a while. I actually really liked the fact that her dad got his comeuppance in the end.
I like how he dubbed her "The Girl with the Butterfly Tattoo" in his phone, too. Another plus for Madden.
So it seems that this book hit a lot of the right notes for me and I will be looking out for more books by this author in the future.
So Madden is a tattoo artist who gives Brighton her first very discreet tattoo, hidden so her parents don't give her the third degree/make her get it laser removed for daring to do something like that to herself. They are very...controlling, the type who make it known when they disagree with something you've said or done. Buy clothes for you to wear to outings. Want to know where you are at all times, etc. Anyway, Brighton gets the tattoo and becomes fascinated with the inkless artist, Madden, while Madden becomes obsessed with the pretty rich girl. And so their story begins.
I really liked this book. They try the whole friends-with-benefits-while-pretending-to-be-together thing and it works really well with them. They are actually really great together. But of course, feelings grow and the guy who told her not to fall for him starts to pull away.
I liked these two characters. They have a connected past that makes itself known towards the end and it's a little sad but they make it work--just not without being apart for a while. I actually really liked the fact that her dad got his comeuppance in the end.
I like how he dubbed her "The Girl with the Butterfly Tattoo" in his phone, too. Another plus for Madden.
So it seems that this book hit a lot of the right notes for me and I will be looking out for more books by this author in the future.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Blackcoat's Daughter (February) (2015) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Joan is a lost girl that is trying to return home from a hospital which brings along a couple that want to help her to make up for the fact they lost their daughter, Kat is the emotionless quiet girl at the school who hasn’t heard from her parents before winter break and must stay there with Rose. Rose is the other girl that got left at the home, I feel she is older and expected to be the one to look after Kat.
Performance – The three girls Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton are all good through the film, they each create their own personality for their characters which does make us care what they are up to however confusing it all gets.
Story – The story here is very confusing, we follow two seemingly different story arcs about girls that find themselves becoming possessed by an evil spirit, we don’t get to focus on either of them enough and they don’t seem to meet up at any point to explain why we need to watch two different stories unfold. I do feel this does end up coming off attempting to be too smart for its own good leaving us with nothing important happening.
Horror – This tries to play into the psycological horror but ends up falling slightly short because it ends up being confusing.
Settings – The settings don’t help here either because we follow the two stories one is on the road while the other is around the middle of the home the girls are staying.
Special Effects – The effects are good without being overused and mostly used for gore effects.
Scene of the Movie – Stop here, because it is shocking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It was just too confusing.
Tagline – She Returns.
Final Thoughts – This film is just too confusing really, it makes everything hard to follow which didn’t make it enjoyable to follow.
Overall: Too Confusing.
Rating
Performance – The three girls Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton are all good through the film, they each create their own personality for their characters which does make us care what they are up to however confusing it all gets.
Story – The story here is very confusing, we follow two seemingly different story arcs about girls that find themselves becoming possessed by an evil spirit, we don’t get to focus on either of them enough and they don’t seem to meet up at any point to explain why we need to watch two different stories unfold. I do feel this does end up coming off attempting to be too smart for its own good leaving us with nothing important happening.
Horror – This tries to play into the psycological horror but ends up falling slightly short because it ends up being confusing.
Settings – The settings don’t help here either because we follow the two stories one is on the road while the other is around the middle of the home the girls are staying.
Special Effects – The effects are good without being overused and mostly used for gore effects.
Scene of the Movie – Stop here, because it is shocking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It was just too confusing.
Tagline – She Returns.
Final Thoughts – This film is just too confusing really, it makes everything hard to follow which didn’t make it enjoyable to follow.
Overall: Too Confusing.
Rating
Merissa (11805 KP) rated A Voice at Midnight (Regency Rhapsody #4) in Books
Apr 10, 2023
Veronica Swift is given an ultimatum by her step-father - she must marry by the New Year or she will have to learn to live without her inheritance. After arguing against this as best she can in those times, she accepts the advice of her companion and goes to visit her friend for the holidays who is hosting a party.
When she gets there she meets two men who are also attending together and feels a strange sense of familiarity with them both. Then the atmosphere of the castle comes into play and people start acting strangely, shadows are cast by no one and music can be heard where there should be none.
The ghosts at Wyemont Castle are real and they are certainly not like Casper! There has been a curse placed on the castle and its inhabitants and the ghosts keep trying to make history repeat itself so that the curse won't be broken.
This is a wonderfully written novella with enough action going on to keep you intrigued as you turn the pages. It is written in a genteel style so completely appropriate for the times. This is not a bodice-ripper but is all proper and above board (unless you count a couple of kisses between Vero and Tristan before they announce their courtship/engagement). With this story, you could either read it on the build-up to Samhain/Halloween for the ghost story aspect or on the build-up to the Winter Solstice as this is when the story reaches its climax. Either way, I would recommend curling up with this book, a hot drink and relax.
I love Elizabeth Cole's writing style and have enjoyed more than one of her books. I can recommend her highly without hesitation.
* 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. *
August 11, 2016
When she gets there she meets two men who are also attending together and feels a strange sense of familiarity with them both. Then the atmosphere of the castle comes into play and people start acting strangely, shadows are cast by no one and music can be heard where there should be none.
The ghosts at Wyemont Castle are real and they are certainly not like Casper! There has been a curse placed on the castle and its inhabitants and the ghosts keep trying to make history repeat itself so that the curse won't be broken.
This is a wonderfully written novella with enough action going on to keep you intrigued as you turn the pages. It is written in a genteel style so completely appropriate for the times. This is not a bodice-ripper but is all proper and above board (unless you count a couple of kisses between Vero and Tristan before they announce their courtship/engagement). With this story, you could either read it on the build-up to Samhain/Halloween for the ghost story aspect or on the build-up to the Winter Solstice as this is when the story reaches its climax. Either way, I would recommend curling up with this book, a hot drink and relax.
I love Elizabeth Cole's writing style and have enjoyed more than one of her books. I can recommend her highly without hesitation.
* 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. *
August 11, 2016
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Figurine in Books
Nov 20, 2023
I do love Victoria Hislop books, and in The Figurine I was transported back to Greece in the 1960’s with dictators ruling and a young girl, Helena, visiting her affluent grandparents on her own. Her grandfather is authoritarian, aloof, and never really connects with his granddaughter, but her grandmother clearly adores her. Through these summer visits, Helena grows to love Greece, even if she never manages to form a relationship with her grandfather.
As she gets older, Helena goes to university, meets a man who convinces her to go on archaeological digs on Greek Islands, and she then discovers antiques in her grandparents flat after their deaths - antiques that should not be owned by a private collector at all. These antiques are not acquired under legitimate means, and just how they were acquired soon becomes very clear to Helena. With the help of some Greek friends she is able to start the process of returning the valuable antiques to their rightful owners - the Greek people.
There is still the matter of a dodgy, antique smuggling boyfriend to deal with, and to do so involves the help of friends in London. So this story goes between London and Greece - and believe me when I say that Greece is painted in a much more favourable light than London. Everything seems grey and cold in London, and Greece is all sunshine and warmth. I know where I would rather be.
I love how Hislop writes about Greece: she’s clearly a Hellenophile, and why wouldn’t she be?! It’s a beautiful country. And when the matter of an ancient figurine comes up (that of the title of the book), we see how important even the smallest piece of Greece’s history is to the country as a whole.
Another gorgeous book from Victoria Hislop - a good one to read during the dull winter months that we have coming our way!
Read on The Pigeonhole.
As she gets older, Helena goes to university, meets a man who convinces her to go on archaeological digs on Greek Islands, and she then discovers antiques in her grandparents flat after their deaths - antiques that should not be owned by a private collector at all. These antiques are not acquired under legitimate means, and just how they were acquired soon becomes very clear to Helena. With the help of some Greek friends she is able to start the process of returning the valuable antiques to their rightful owners - the Greek people.
There is still the matter of a dodgy, antique smuggling boyfriend to deal with, and to do so involves the help of friends in London. So this story goes between London and Greece - and believe me when I say that Greece is painted in a much more favourable light than London. Everything seems grey and cold in London, and Greece is all sunshine and warmth. I know where I would rather be.
I love how Hislop writes about Greece: she’s clearly a Hellenophile, and why wouldn’t she be?! It’s a beautiful country. And when the matter of an ancient figurine comes up (that of the title of the book), we see how important even the smallest piece of Greece’s history is to the country as a whole.
Another gorgeous book from Victoria Hislop - a good one to read during the dull winter months that we have coming our way!
Read on The Pigeonhole.
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Shining in Books
Apr 6, 2019
Different from the movie (1 more)
Well written
Contains spoilers, click to show
In his most well-known horror story, 'The Shining,' which is either a ghost story or the collapse of a man's mental state, Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic who just lost his job teaching at a school, gets hired to be the Winter caretaker of the infamous Overlook Hotel. In this book, the readers follow Jack into a nervous breakdown, as well as his possession by the ghosts of this hotel.
While the Torrance's seem like every other family - a small boy and moving to a new town - we find out that their son, Danny, has special abilities that help him to see things that may or may not happen in the future.
Soon after the family arrives to take over the hotel for the Winter, Danny meets a man named Hallorann - a chef at the hotel - who has the same abilities as him, which he calls 'Shine:' "What you got son, I call it shinin' on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there's scientists that call it precognition. I've read up on it, son. I've studied on it. They all mean seeing the future. Do you understand that?" Hallorann tells Danny.
Why does Danny, or anyone for that matter, have the Shine? King doesn't explain this in the book, it just seems to be something specific people are born with, even Danny's parents take him to a doctor before the snowfall hits to figure out what is going on,but even the doctor believes it's just a child's overactive imagination. Even so, Danny continues to have visions: one is of the room 217 in the Overlook, which even Hallorann told him to never go inside, and the other is of a creature-like man swinging a roque mallet, yelling about someone needing to take their medicine,"Come out! Come out, you little shit! Take your medicine!" We,also,meet his imaginary friend, Tony, who is the one whom continues to show Danny these visions over and over.
Unlike the movie, 'The Shining' book stands on it's own as an almost completely different story, even having Jack wielding a roque mallet and not an axe. Also the infamous scene of the Grady twins showing up in a hallway, asking Danny to play with them, never happened in the book; Hallorann also survives Jack's attack, Wendy is nearly beaten to-death by the roque mallet, and the hedge maze doesn't even exist! Instead, King wrote about topiary animals that came to life to kill you, "The rabbit was down on all fours, cropping grass. Its belly was against the ground. But not ten minutes ago it had been up on its hind legs, of course it had been, he had trimmed its ears...and its belly."
Jack begins to change when he finds a scrapbook in the basement that contains articles and such of things that happened at the Overlook. One such thing that sticks with Jack is about a Masked Ball that took place at the grand opening of the hotel. "Horace M. Derwent Requests The Pleasure of Your Company At a Masked Ball to Celebrate The Grand Opening of THE OVERLOOK HOTEL...Dinner Will Be Served At 8 P.M. Unmasking And Dancing At Midnight August 29,1945...RSVP"
Later on in the story, Jack, Wendy and Danny are awoken by the elevator going up and down by itself, but inside is a surprise,"Then she was up, her cheeks flushed, her forehead as pale and shining as a spirit lamp. 'What about this, Jack? Is this a short circuit?' She threw something and suddenly the hall was full of drifting confetti, red and white and blue and yellow. 'Is this?' A green party streamer, faded to a pale pastel color with age." Continuously, throughout the book,the past hotel guests make themselves known, either by showing up in rooms or leaving things for the family to find.
King shines (pun intended) with this book, he keeps things moving so that readers don't get bored. Known for his horror books, he doesn't disappoint in this one, which I personally think that this is his best work ever. He doesn't jump from scene to scene (like in many of his other books), he flawlessly keeps the timeline going even though he switches from character view points, between Jack, Danny, Wendy and Hallorann.
Although the film 'The Shining' is a classic in the horror movie genre, it is a huge step away from the book itself. "And the Red Death held sway over all." is a line that was never in the movie,but is quite frequent through the book. Even the most recognizable scene of "Here's Johnny!" is not in the book!
Also, Hallorann's character has a much bigger part in the story, the reader gets to see him living his Winter life in Florida, working as a chef in another hotel.. Hallorann even has a back story in the book that is wonderful to read about; we get to accompany him to a lawyer's office where he feels the need to get his Will made out for everything to be left to his sister when he is overcome with the feeling that his life may be about to end,"Hallorann had stepped in and told this McIver that he wanted to make a will,and could McIver help him out? Well, McIver asked,how soon do you want the document? Yesterday, said Hallorann, and threw his head back and laughed."
This 659- page book is well worth the read. You not only get a different take on 'The Shining' that is so well known,but you also get a different ending!'The Shining' will now always be a staple on my book shelf.
Even if you love the movie as much as I do (it is my favorite horror movie of all time), you will love the book just as much. King went above and beyond when he wrote 'The Shining.' Highly recommend!
While the Torrance's seem like every other family - a small boy and moving to a new town - we find out that their son, Danny, has special abilities that help him to see things that may or may not happen in the future.
Soon after the family arrives to take over the hotel for the Winter, Danny meets a man named Hallorann - a chef at the hotel - who has the same abilities as him, which he calls 'Shine:' "What you got son, I call it shinin' on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there's scientists that call it precognition. I've read up on it, son. I've studied on it. They all mean seeing the future. Do you understand that?" Hallorann tells Danny.
Why does Danny, or anyone for that matter, have the Shine? King doesn't explain this in the book, it just seems to be something specific people are born with, even Danny's parents take him to a doctor before the snowfall hits to figure out what is going on,but even the doctor believes it's just a child's overactive imagination. Even so, Danny continues to have visions: one is of the room 217 in the Overlook, which even Hallorann told him to never go inside, and the other is of a creature-like man swinging a roque mallet, yelling about someone needing to take their medicine,"Come out! Come out, you little shit! Take your medicine!" We,also,meet his imaginary friend, Tony, who is the one whom continues to show Danny these visions over and over.
Unlike the movie, 'The Shining' book stands on it's own as an almost completely different story, even having Jack wielding a roque mallet and not an axe. Also the infamous scene of the Grady twins showing up in a hallway, asking Danny to play with them, never happened in the book; Hallorann also survives Jack's attack, Wendy is nearly beaten to-death by the roque mallet, and the hedge maze doesn't even exist! Instead, King wrote about topiary animals that came to life to kill you, "The rabbit was down on all fours, cropping grass. Its belly was against the ground. But not ten minutes ago it had been up on its hind legs, of course it had been, he had trimmed its ears...and its belly."
Jack begins to change when he finds a scrapbook in the basement that contains articles and such of things that happened at the Overlook. One such thing that sticks with Jack is about a Masked Ball that took place at the grand opening of the hotel. "Horace M. Derwent Requests The Pleasure of Your Company At a Masked Ball to Celebrate The Grand Opening of THE OVERLOOK HOTEL...Dinner Will Be Served At 8 P.M. Unmasking And Dancing At Midnight August 29,1945...RSVP"
Later on in the story, Jack, Wendy and Danny are awoken by the elevator going up and down by itself, but inside is a surprise,"Then she was up, her cheeks flushed, her forehead as pale and shining as a spirit lamp. 'What about this, Jack? Is this a short circuit?' She threw something and suddenly the hall was full of drifting confetti, red and white and blue and yellow. 'Is this?' A green party streamer, faded to a pale pastel color with age." Continuously, throughout the book,the past hotel guests make themselves known, either by showing up in rooms or leaving things for the family to find.
King shines (pun intended) with this book, he keeps things moving so that readers don't get bored. Known for his horror books, he doesn't disappoint in this one, which I personally think that this is his best work ever. He doesn't jump from scene to scene (like in many of his other books), he flawlessly keeps the timeline going even though he switches from character view points, between Jack, Danny, Wendy and Hallorann.
Although the film 'The Shining' is a classic in the horror movie genre, it is a huge step away from the book itself. "And the Red Death held sway over all." is a line that was never in the movie,but is quite frequent through the book. Even the most recognizable scene of "Here's Johnny!" is not in the book!
Also, Hallorann's character has a much bigger part in the story, the reader gets to see him living his Winter life in Florida, working as a chef in another hotel.. Hallorann even has a back story in the book that is wonderful to read about; we get to accompany him to a lawyer's office where he feels the need to get his Will made out for everything to be left to his sister when he is overcome with the feeling that his life may be about to end,"Hallorann had stepped in and told this McIver that he wanted to make a will,and could McIver help him out? Well, McIver asked,how soon do you want the document? Yesterday, said Hallorann, and threw his head back and laughed."
This 659- page book is well worth the read. You not only get a different take on 'The Shining' that is so well known,but you also get a different ending!'The Shining' will now always be a staple on my book shelf.
Even if you love the movie as much as I do (it is my favorite horror movie of all time), you will love the book just as much. King went above and beyond when he wrote 'The Shining.' Highly recommend!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Before They are Hanged: The First Law: Book Two in Books
Apr 27, 2018
First of all, these were some of the longest books I’ve listened to in a while. I’ve been plugging away on these suckers for over a month. some of the tracks are an hour or longer. So if you like long books, it’s worth the time investment! this is a great series for a long road trip, a summer (winter) vacation, or to play in the background while you attack a major knitting project.
All three books have a part 1 and a part 2. Part 1 of the first book was spent introducing a huge variety of characters that didn’t seem to have anything to do with each other; in fact they didn’t even feel like they were living in the same world. I did put the story down and move away from it a few times, because there wasn’t much plot or connection between them. Even though it was interesting, funny, and well written, that first part seemed very disconnected.
I told myself I’d listen to one more track. So I did, and that one track was the one where everything started falling together. Not only were they in the same world, they would be going on the same adventure and working together to save the world from an evil king, a crazy wizard, and magical zombies.
I love a good war story.
Each story left off with a stunning finish that begged for more. Even the last one; though it was open enough that anything could happen, you’re pretty sure you know. All the loose ends are tied up: bad guys die, people get their revenge, the king gets married, the deserving are promoted, and the drunks get… less drunk than normal.
If you’re into action, adventure, fantasy, or bloody thrillers, this series will keep you busy for a good long time!
Content and Recommendation: Ages 18+. Some sex (I’ll tell you know it’s awkward not great, even worse when you’re listening to it, not reading it). Plenty of language. Lots of violence; war scenes, murder, and cutting off body parts. One of the main characters is a torturer, okay? This one isn’t for the faint of heart. And don’t listen to it while you’re eating.
All three books have a part 1 and a part 2. Part 1 of the first book was spent introducing a huge variety of characters that didn’t seem to have anything to do with each other; in fact they didn’t even feel like they were living in the same world. I did put the story down and move away from it a few times, because there wasn’t much plot or connection between them. Even though it was interesting, funny, and well written, that first part seemed very disconnected.
I told myself I’d listen to one more track. So I did, and that one track was the one where everything started falling together. Not only were they in the same world, they would be going on the same adventure and working together to save the world from an evil king, a crazy wizard, and magical zombies.
I love a good war story.
Each story left off with a stunning finish that begged for more. Even the last one; though it was open enough that anything could happen, you’re pretty sure you know. All the loose ends are tied up: bad guys die, people get their revenge, the king gets married, the deserving are promoted, and the drunks get… less drunk than normal.
If you’re into action, adventure, fantasy, or bloody thrillers, this series will keep you busy for a good long time!
Content and Recommendation: Ages 18+. Some sex (I’ll tell you know it’s awkward not great, even worse when you’re listening to it, not reading it). Plenty of language. Lots of violence; war scenes, murder, and cutting off body parts. One of the main characters is a torturer, okay? This one isn’t for the faint of heart. And don’t listen to it while you’re eating.
Katie Burrows (1 KP) rated A Court of Frost and Starlight: Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
May 21, 2018
More time with beloved characters (2 more)
Got to find out more about side character backstories
The development of Feyre's sisters and their post-Cauldron struggles felt realistic and honest
No real point or feeling to the plot (4 more)
3/4 of the way through the book, still not sure what the point is
The sudden decision to write from multiple perspectives in this book (as opposed to just Feyre's) felt cheap
It's a Christmas story that was released May 1st, which was a strange publishing choice
After all the excitement in the precious book, the pace of this one was too slow
Not as exciting as previous installments
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the third book in the series, but it just wasn't as good. It felt as though the author was maybe forced to publish the next installment of the series even though she didn't have a fully fleshed-out story yet.
While I enjoyed learning the characters' backstories, I was not a fan of how the author switched character perspectives each chapter. It was tedious to keep up with at times, and felt like a forced way to introduce the backstories. In the last installment, the backstories we heard were drawn out by plot and circumstance, which helped drive the story as we learned relevant info at relevant times. In this book it felt as though the revealing of character info was gratuitous, almost an excuse to avoid developing an actual plot.
Speaking of plot, the story was slow (in part because of continually switching between so many character perspectives during the same stretches of time), and because for most of the book nothing important or exciting happens.
The cover art was gorgeous. The dust jacket is absolutely beautiful. But, this is largely a Christmas or winter solstice story, and might have been more aptly published in late fall or closer to the holiday season, rather than the beginning of May.
I would still love to see more books in this series, but only if future installments see a return to the action and intrigue of the first 3 stories.
While I enjoyed learning the characters' backstories, I was not a fan of how the author switched character perspectives each chapter. It was tedious to keep up with at times, and felt like a forced way to introduce the backstories. In the last installment, the backstories we heard were drawn out by plot and circumstance, which helped drive the story as we learned relevant info at relevant times. In this book it felt as though the revealing of character info was gratuitous, almost an excuse to avoid developing an actual plot.
Speaking of plot, the story was slow (in part because of continually switching between so many character perspectives during the same stretches of time), and because for most of the book nothing important or exciting happens.
The cover art was gorgeous. The dust jacket is absolutely beautiful. But, this is largely a Christmas or winter solstice story, and might have been more aptly published in late fall or closer to the holiday season, rather than the beginning of May.
I would still love to see more books in this series, but only if future installments see a return to the action and intrigue of the first 3 stories.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Emma in the Night in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Cass and Emma are sisters. And like most sisters, some days they are best friends and some days they just aren't. But one thing that keeps them tethered to each other is their shared love/hate relationship with their mother. She is a narcissist and only praise of the utmost will allow her to bring her children any joy. Then the girls disappear and three years later Cass shows up at her mother's doorstep, demanding that they find Emma. Cass describes the place they had been living for the past three years and hopes that the FBI and investigators are able to find this mysterious island and Emma.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book started off a little slow for me. Hearing the background information about what happened before the disappearance, intertwined with what was going on now to describe the place the girls were being held, took up the first half of the book. Told from the perspective of Cass, the youngest daughter and Dr. Winter the FBI Psychiatrist who did the initial investigation. After that, the reading went by much faster when the twists and turns started to take place.
Cass and Emma have a mother who constantly needs to be told how beautiful she is and how good of a mother she is. The only problem is that she's not. But hearing these things make her feel good about herself and keep her children on her good side. When things don't go the way she wants, she punishes the girls in unspeakable manners. Buying one a gift the other wanted, favoring one child and ignoring the other. This is a family that has a lot of issues going on inside of their home. They way things are handled are completely out of spite for another member of the family. Although this book had a slow start, it really had a great ending. So stick with it if you have to and it will be well worth it.
Wendy Walker also wrote, All is Not Forgotten which was also a great book released last year. I look forward to what else Ms. Walker has in store.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book started off a little slow for me. Hearing the background information about what happened before the disappearance, intertwined with what was going on now to describe the place the girls were being held, took up the first half of the book. Told from the perspective of Cass, the youngest daughter and Dr. Winter the FBI Psychiatrist who did the initial investigation. After that, the reading went by much faster when the twists and turns started to take place.
Cass and Emma have a mother who constantly needs to be told how beautiful she is and how good of a mother she is. The only problem is that she's not. But hearing these things make her feel good about herself and keep her children on her good side. When things don't go the way she wants, she punishes the girls in unspeakable manners. Buying one a gift the other wanted, favoring one child and ignoring the other. This is a family that has a lot of issues going on inside of their home. They way things are handled are completely out of spite for another member of the family. Although this book had a slow start, it really had a great ending. So stick with it if you have to and it will be well worth it.
Wendy Walker also wrote, All is Not Forgotten which was also a great book released last year. I look forward to what else Ms. Walker has in store.
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Stone The Crows (Wolf Winter #2) in Books
May 29, 2018
much better read than book one!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Wolf Winter series, and you probably should read book one, Dog Days, before you read this one. I didn't much care for that book, though.
This one, however, is a whole different matter!
I said in my review for Dog Days that I was left with so many questions about the Wolves, and the Prophets and what was going on. I'm STILL left with questions about what's going on, but I'm feeling better about being left waiting, you know? Does that make sense?? I still have questions, but I'm not left hanging, right? Sorta, kinda!
Nothing is settled here. The Prophets are still doing despicable things to the people and indeed to Jack and Gregor. They took Gregor's Wolf and Jack's skin. The Prophets are still trying to get the upper hand on the Gods, but it's HOW they are doing it: preying on ordinary folk, in extraordinary situations, that gives this book the horror tag I've given it.
Nick is human, but Gregor takes a shine to Nick after he saves him. I wasn't sure about Gregor, not in the beginning. we heard such horrible things about him from jack in Dog Days, and I did NOT want to like him, but he grows on you! He has that "Mine" moment you get with werewolves, and I loved that, even though he refused to admit what was going on, even to himself, it was NICK he wanted to save first, not his brother Jack.
Who the Prophet turned out to be was a bit of a shocker, and what she did to Nick was no picnic, and she's STILL out there. So there is more to come. Or at least I HOPE there is! Because you know, I still have questions!
I found this a much better read than Dog Days, and I read it in two sittings, cos that darn dayjob got in the way.
Thank you to Ms Moore for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Wolf Winter series, and you probably should read book one, Dog Days, before you read this one. I didn't much care for that book, though.
This one, however, is a whole different matter!
I said in my review for Dog Days that I was left with so many questions about the Wolves, and the Prophets and what was going on. I'm STILL left with questions about what's going on, but I'm feeling better about being left waiting, you know? Does that make sense?? I still have questions, but I'm not left hanging, right? Sorta, kinda!
Nothing is settled here. The Prophets are still doing despicable things to the people and indeed to Jack and Gregor. They took Gregor's Wolf and Jack's skin. The Prophets are still trying to get the upper hand on the Gods, but it's HOW they are doing it: preying on ordinary folk, in extraordinary situations, that gives this book the horror tag I've given it.
Nick is human, but Gregor takes a shine to Nick after he saves him. I wasn't sure about Gregor, not in the beginning. we heard such horrible things about him from jack in Dog Days, and I did NOT want to like him, but he grows on you! He has that "Mine" moment you get with werewolves, and I loved that, even though he refused to admit what was going on, even to himself, it was NICK he wanted to save first, not his brother Jack.
Who the Prophet turned out to be was a bit of a shocker, and what she did to Nick was no picnic, and she's STILL out there. So there is more to come. Or at least I HOPE there is! Because you know, I still have questions!
I found this a much better read than Dog Days, and I read it in two sittings, cos that darn dayjob got in the way.
Thank you to Ms Moore for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Sarah (126 KP) rated Nest Learning Thermostat in Tech
Jul 30, 2018
Control via app when at or away from home (2 more)
Compatible with Alexa/Echo
Ease of operation and reading temperatures
Excellent Product
We've had a Nest Learning Thermostat for almost 18 months now, and it's been a really good investment. It was installed along with a new boiler, when our just out of warranty, 10 year old boiler gave up the ghost.
Since the installation of the new boiler and Nest thermostat, our heating bills have decreased significantly - and the time that the thermostat was installed coincided with the time that I began working from home and so, one would assume, our heating demands would have also increased.
The ability to connect the thermostat to an app controlled with our mobile phones means that it recognises when no one is home and so the house does not need to be kept warm, and instead is kept at the minimum temperature we set, and also when we are returning home and can begin to warm the house up. Similarly, I can also turn the heating up when I'm away from home so that it's nice and toasty when I get in during the winter months, or can increase the minimum temperature if I want to keep it a bit warmer for the pets while we're all out.
The device can also be paired with Amazon's Echo devices and so controlled with Alexa - great when I'm working and want to crank up the heat in the room without breaking from what I'm working on.
It's so easy to read and operate, even our 5-year old can use it (and could almost as soon as it was installed) to increase or decrease the heat to a specific temperature. Probably my only criticism is that the input of things like the WiFi password could be a bit more straightforward - I accidently put it in wrong first time, and even the electrician who installed it had to jump through hoops to go back and change it.
Overall, I would buy it again and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking to get a smart thermostat.
Since the installation of the new boiler and Nest thermostat, our heating bills have decreased significantly - and the time that the thermostat was installed coincided with the time that I began working from home and so, one would assume, our heating demands would have also increased.
The ability to connect the thermostat to an app controlled with our mobile phones means that it recognises when no one is home and so the house does not need to be kept warm, and instead is kept at the minimum temperature we set, and also when we are returning home and can begin to warm the house up. Similarly, I can also turn the heating up when I'm away from home so that it's nice and toasty when I get in during the winter months, or can increase the minimum temperature if I want to keep it a bit warmer for the pets while we're all out.
The device can also be paired with Amazon's Echo devices and so controlled with Alexa - great when I'm working and want to crank up the heat in the room without breaking from what I'm working on.
It's so easy to read and operate, even our 5-year old can use it (and could almost as soon as it was installed) to increase or decrease the heat to a specific temperature. Probably my only criticism is that the input of things like the WiFi password could be a bit more straightforward - I accidently put it in wrong first time, and even the electrician who installed it had to jump through hoops to go back and change it.
Overall, I would buy it again and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking to get a smart thermostat.