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Amelia's Tea (8 KP) rated Mistborn: The Final Empire in Books
Sep 30, 2019
Incredible world-building. A fascinating magic system, and great lore. (2 more)
Great characters, with believable backstories and motivations.
Female protagonist who feels real, flawed, and is relatable.
A Welcome Surprise
Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, as I bought it on a whim based on positive discussion around the author, Sanderson. I took this with me on a holiday, and spent 2 days pouring over the pages - it totally sucked me in!
Initially I found the book hard to get into, just for the sheer amount of information to take in, however when I got over this hump I was sucked in.
I loved the protagonist, Vin. I found her very believable and easy to root for. Without spoiling anything, her story is amazing to follow. She's not a Mary Sue, has her flaws and even failures.
In general, I loved the characters - even the hateable ones, I loved to hate them.
The world-building is incredibly extensive and enjoyable. The lore is fascinating, and this book left me dying to find out more. I ordered the follow-up book while I was still on my holiday, so that it would arrive once I landed home!
Overall I definitely recommend this book for fantasy fans.
Initially I found the book hard to get into, just for the sheer amount of information to take in, however when I got over this hump I was sucked in.
I loved the protagonist, Vin. I found her very believable and easy to root for. Without spoiling anything, her story is amazing to follow. She's not a Mary Sue, has her flaws and even failures.
In general, I loved the characters - even the hateable ones, I loved to hate them.
The world-building is incredibly extensive and enjoyable. The lore is fascinating, and this book left me dying to find out more. I ordered the follow-up book while I was still on my holiday, so that it would arrive once I landed home!
Overall I definitely recommend this book for fantasy fans.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Summer Flash Burn (Worthington Investigations, #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2021
This was an interesting story!
I love the cover of this book. It becomes more intriguing the longer I look at it. Summer Flash Burn is the second book in Erin Unger’s Worthington Agency series. The stories (so far) follow a group of friends in a detective agency, kind of reminds me of Charles Angels . I had not read the first book in the series before this one. I would definitely say this book can be read as a stand-alone, it does make reference to the first book but not in a way that makes you feel lost.
Based on the description I thought I knew what I was getting in to with this book. However, it took me on some unique twists and turns leading to an ending that was a good surprise. The main characters Christopher and Shauna deal with issues of self-worth, body image, grief, decision making, reliance on God… So many different emotions in this book. They all flow together quite seamlessly to make a good storyline. I loved Shauna’s military backround and her struggles with civilian life, they made her really come to life. I also liked how Christopher worked for the railroad! I have never met anyone who does that. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was that the characters seemed to be overdramatized in their reactions to the things that happen. Otherwise, it was a fun read and I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series. Thank you, Erin Unger, for being another new to me author .
I love the cover of this book. It becomes more intriguing the longer I look at it. Summer Flash Burn is the second book in Erin Unger’s Worthington Agency series. The stories (so far) follow a group of friends in a detective agency, kind of reminds me of Charles Angels . I had not read the first book in the series before this one. I would definitely say this book can be read as a stand-alone, it does make reference to the first book but not in a way that makes you feel lost.
Based on the description I thought I knew what I was getting in to with this book. However, it took me on some unique twists and turns leading to an ending that was a good surprise. The main characters Christopher and Shauna deal with issues of self-worth, body image, grief, decision making, reliance on God… So many different emotions in this book. They all flow together quite seamlessly to make a good storyline. I loved Shauna’s military backround and her struggles with civilian life, they made her really come to life. I also liked how Christopher worked for the railroad! I have never met anyone who does that. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was that the characters seemed to be overdramatized in their reactions to the things that happen. Otherwise, it was a fun read and I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series. Thank you, Erin Unger, for being another new to me author .
Communication Essentials for Financial Planners: Strategies and Techniques
John E. Grable and Joseph W. Goetz
Book
Exploring the Human Element of Financial Planning Communication Essentials for Financial Planners...
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Rise of the Hearts in Books
Mar 11, 2019
I am having a difficult time writing a review for Rise of the Hearts by Antoine Bonner. The premise of this book is not new but the summary was worded well enough that I was looking forward to reading it. The cover caught my eye and made me want to read it even more.
Unfortunately, it was a challenge to finish it.
I did not relate to or care about any of the characters. The story did not flow well. I had trouble following the story and was confused about what was going on. I reread sections to see if I could figure out the story. I was never able to follow the plot.
This is NOT a young adult (YA) book. Based on the description, I had mistakenly thought it was appropriate for younger readers. It is not and it is marketed as an adult book. There are several passages that are not appropriate for young adults.
The book was only 198 pages. I was not very far in when I was considering stopping. I continued and struggled through the entire book. On the last few pages I allowed myself to just skim it because I was so lost.
Unfortunately, it was a challenge to finish it.
I did not relate to or care about any of the characters. The story did not flow well. I had trouble following the story and was confused about what was going on. I reread sections to see if I could figure out the story. I was never able to follow the plot.
This is NOT a young adult (YA) book. Based on the description, I had mistakenly thought it was appropriate for younger readers. It is not and it is marketed as an adult book. There are several passages that are not appropriate for young adults.
The book was only 198 pages. I was not very far in when I was considering stopping. I continued and struggled through the entire book. On the last few pages I allowed myself to just skim it because I was so lost.
Ethics Management in the Public Service: A Sensory-Based Strategy
Liza Ireni-Saban and Galit Berdugo
Book
Ethics Management in the Public Service offers a new perspective for ethics management in the Public...
Ross (3284 KP) rated Malice: Book One of the Faithful and the Fallen in Books
Dec 1, 2017
The action (1 more)
The hints of the epic story still to come
The number of characters and places to try and remember (1 more)
A little long and derivative
This book, the first in a series of four, chronicles the beginning hints at the coming God-War, a time when the forces of good and evil will battle for the world (pretty standard fantasy fayre), with prophecies unfolding and battles for thrones.
The book moves between different character PoVs, which is fairly common these days, but I found some of the characters to be indistinguishable. For the first third of the book, if the PoV was Camlin, Kastell or Veradis I struggled to remember who he was or what he had been doing. This did start to improve around the halfway mark, but it is quite a slog at times to remember the events preceding this chapter.
The bulk of the book, however, follows Corban, a young blacksmith's son hoping to become a warrior some day, but is stuck working his da's forge, helping stablemaster Gar or apprenticing to healer Brina. His development over the book is well told, he doesn't suddenly become a master swordsman but at the same time we don't have to sit through chapter after chapter of him learning sword forms (Rand al Thor could learn a lot from Corban!).
Along the way, Corban has also become friends with a wild wolven (giant wolves hunted near extinction), whom he raised from a pup. Yes, exactly like the Stark children in GoT. Leave it.
The political intrigue and manoeuvring throughout the book is great as events seeming to be based on one king/queen's ambitions actually turn out to be based on another's treachery.
The battle scenes are well told and believable without the main characters always escaping unscathed.
The book finished with a number of deceptions uncovered and the main group of characters fleeing for their lives, with more secrets to be uncovered.
The book moves between different character PoVs, which is fairly common these days, but I found some of the characters to be indistinguishable. For the first third of the book, if the PoV was Camlin, Kastell or Veradis I struggled to remember who he was or what he had been doing. This did start to improve around the halfway mark, but it is quite a slog at times to remember the events preceding this chapter.
The bulk of the book, however, follows Corban, a young blacksmith's son hoping to become a warrior some day, but is stuck working his da's forge, helping stablemaster Gar or apprenticing to healer Brina. His development over the book is well told, he doesn't suddenly become a master swordsman but at the same time we don't have to sit through chapter after chapter of him learning sword forms (Rand al Thor could learn a lot from Corban!).
Along the way, Corban has also become friends with a wild wolven (giant wolves hunted near extinction), whom he raised from a pup. Yes, exactly like the Stark children in GoT. Leave it.
The political intrigue and manoeuvring throughout the book is great as events seeming to be based on one king/queen's ambitions actually turn out to be based on another's treachery.
The battle scenes are well told and believable without the main characters always escaping unscathed.
The book finished with a number of deceptions uncovered and the main group of characters fleeing for their lives, with more secrets to be uncovered.
I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz is a must read for all teachers. The book is a set of essays based from student responses to the question "I wish my teacher knew___________." The teacher asked her questions the above question and the information she gathered from the assignment shocked her but helped to gain necessary information from her students about them.
The book begins by explaining the project that the teacher/author created in order to get to know her students better. The author describes what students said that the teacher needed to know in how to properly teach/engage the students.
Beyond knowing how to effectively teach students a teacher needs to be aware of issues that students may be experiences. The book states that it is important to know how to deal with these issues because if the issue of death, homelessness, family issues are causing issues for a student it will be difficult for a student to focus on their studies. These issues are just as important at learning in the classroom. As a teacher I found this very true. In addition to knowing how to effectively engage student based on their learning styles, the book also states that as a teacher it is important to know the students hobbies/ interests.
The book is thoroughly researched which is valuable to any person who is going into the field of teaching or has been in the field for many years. As a 2nd year teacher I found the book very interesting. I plan to do this as a first activity with my students to learn about them. The activity is a way to get to know your students without pre-judging their personalities. It is a stress free way for students to share important information.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in response for an honest review.
The book begins by explaining the project that the teacher/author created in order to get to know her students better. The author describes what students said that the teacher needed to know in how to properly teach/engage the students.
Beyond knowing how to effectively teach students a teacher needs to be aware of issues that students may be experiences. The book states that it is important to know how to deal with these issues because if the issue of death, homelessness, family issues are causing issues for a student it will be difficult for a student to focus on their studies. These issues are just as important at learning in the classroom. As a teacher I found this very true. In addition to knowing how to effectively engage student based on their learning styles, the book also states that as a teacher it is important to know the students hobbies/ interests.
The book is thoroughly researched which is valuable to any person who is going into the field of teaching or has been in the field for many years. As a 2nd year teacher I found the book very interesting. I plan to do this as a first activity with my students to learn about them. The activity is a way to get to know your students without pre-judging their personalities. It is a stress free way for students to share important information.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in response for an honest review.
The Lion King
9.5
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The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film of...
A Sardinian Cookbook
Giovanni Pilu and Roberta Muir
Book
Born in Sardinia, Giovanni Pilu moved to Australia in 1992 full of enthusiasm and passion for the...