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Amy Christmas (170 KP) rated Norma in Books
Nov 4, 2017
I had an unexpected love for this book
To be honest I actually found myself liking this book which from the first reviews makes me odd. It isn't a book that will leave you squealing or gasping with the plot twists or have you smirking as you mutter 'called it'. In my opinion that makes the book great, because unlike other books of this genre where the reader is often lead along guessing for a while before being told exactly what's going on Norma doesn't explicitly tell the reader much meaning you actually have to price a lot of it together yourself, meaning that this book definitely has multiple reads in it. However I do think that sometimes the author should have given larger hints or explained the workings of this world in more depth.
Throughout the book we are introduced to giant handfuls of minors 2 dimensional characters that you see once and never hear of again which I felt left in some cases realism to the scenario in which norma or Marion found themselves in, But other times it completely broke the entire immersion. There are some fantastic 3 dimensional characters throughout as well that were developed early on and created good flow of interaction between characters, however, again, I feel there could have been more depth into characters like Alvar and Lambert. What were their motives? Being the biggest question, and I suppose it is assumed that money is the main motive for Lambert and acceptance for Alvar but it makes them feel flatter when they needn't be.
In saying all of that I still give it a high rating because I enjoyed it, despite some flaws in characters and a lack of depth in some areas Norma still, once it really got going, really immersed me and made me want to work out the little mystery going on. The only thing I really wish for this book is that it were longer to allow for more depth into everything, because the book was just too short for such a large world. Despite this Sofi has still done a marvellous job with Norma, and the cover is fabulous.
I would recommend and that's coming from someone who usually dislikes these kinds of books.
Throughout the book we are introduced to giant handfuls of minors 2 dimensional characters that you see once and never hear of again which I felt left in some cases realism to the scenario in which norma or Marion found themselves in, But other times it completely broke the entire immersion. There are some fantastic 3 dimensional characters throughout as well that were developed early on and created good flow of interaction between characters, however, again, I feel there could have been more depth into characters like Alvar and Lambert. What were their motives? Being the biggest question, and I suppose it is assumed that money is the main motive for Lambert and acceptance for Alvar but it makes them feel flatter when they needn't be.
In saying all of that I still give it a high rating because I enjoyed it, despite some flaws in characters and a lack of depth in some areas Norma still, once it really got going, really immersed me and made me want to work out the little mystery going on. The only thing I really wish for this book is that it were longer to allow for more depth into everything, because the book was just too short for such a large world. Despite this Sofi has still done a marvellous job with Norma, and the cover is fabulous.
I would recommend and that's coming from someone who usually dislikes these kinds of books.
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Chloe (778 KP) rated The Midnight Library in Books
Mar 8, 2021
Clever concept (3 more)
Interesting
Philosophy
Good characters
Obvious storyline (2 more)
Lots of philosophy
Descriptions lacking/over done
Obvious but ok
I saw a lot of reviews rating this book quite highly so perhaps that is why I feel it was lacking. The main character is believable and I do love all the various storylines. I like the description of the library, I felt like th cover on my copy left less to the imagination though.
Perhaps this was the point but the story was very obvious. I'm not a philosophy fan so maybe it was supposed to shadow a philosopher?!
Some parts I felt were over described and frankly quite boring. Whereas other parts were lacking in description. Plus I don't think the final couple of chapters were neccessary, certainly the penultimate one.
The copy I have was the perfect hard back with good sized text and spacing.
Perhaps this was the point but the story was very obvious. I'm not a philosophy fan so maybe it was supposed to shadow a philosopher?!
Some parts I felt were over described and frankly quite boring. Whereas other parts were lacking in description. Plus I don't think the final couple of chapters were neccessary, certainly the penultimate one.
The copy I have was the perfect hard back with good sized text and spacing.
Ok... so I feel kind of bad giving this one a rating when I didn't read the whole book, however I believe it's justified in the sense that I didn't read it all because I didn't like it...therefore, a one star rating from me. Now, I must admit that I have never read the original Pride and Prejudice novel and I have never had any interest in doing so, it just doesn't appeal to me. When I saw there had been an addition of Zombies I was sold, I love a bit of Zombie mayhem...plus I was getting to read one of the 'classics' at the same time. Well...at about 50 to 60 pages in I am sadly bored stiff, the language is such an effort to decipher sometimes, I often don't know what's going on or why and really...why Zombies? I'm not complaining that there's Zombies but there's nothing to them. It's the original story with some random Zombies and martial arts thrown in, unexplained and lacking. They are slain so easily and with haste in order to get back on with the original story. I was, at least, hoping for equal measures of Zombie action and original story but unfortunately it just didn't deliver, more zombie action please! Maybe I will pick this up again in the future to give it another go but as it stands I just can't bring myself to struggle through something I'm not enjoying. Back to the library you go!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Cold Calling in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Even from the description, it was visible, that this book will contain tons of strong language, and it did. I believe all of us had to deal with a “cold call” at least once in our lifetime, and it is really annoying, to be honest. This book is an insight into behind the scenes of “cold calling” companies, and I found it incredibly interesting to read. After reading this novel, I promised myself not to be rude to people who work in this industry, because as it showed, their life is already not the best.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Leah on the Offbeat in Books
Jan 30, 2019
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
Actual rating: 1.5 -- I have the unpopular opinion.
I was super excited to read this book when it came out especially after I read and loved Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. A lot of people read this and were sharing their love of it on Bookstagram and Booktube. With all the hype I decided to put off reading it a bit so that it would be fresh and new for me and I could form my own opinion and not be swayed by the masses. I'm glad I did but at the same time kind of wish I hadn't waited.
Honestly, I didn't like this book. I loved Simon vs. the Homosapien's Agenda, and I gave that book 5 stars. I loved Leah in that book and I really related with her (the little bit we had of her), and I was super pumped when I found out she was getting her own book. To be honest, I didn't like Leah in this book. I thought she was bitchy and bratty. I didn't like the way she treated people and I especially didn't like the fact that this book was just sooooooo predictable.
Lets first start with her love interest Garrett. I thought he was great! He obviously liked Leah and I thought their interactions were wonderful. I know Leah was trying to figure out her feelings and where she stood with her sexuality, but honestly, I would have been happier if she'd ended up with Garrett, the relationship seemed more real to me and less forced.
Her second love interest and ultimately who Leah chose to be with... Abby Suso. Don't like her... at all. Disliked her completely in Simon's book and couldn't stand her in this book. If we're keeping score I called this relationship back when initially reading Simon vs. I thought about how Abby and Leah interacted and about how "straight" Abby was and I just knew these two would be forced together. I don't like Abby. She doesn't seem genuine her interactions seemed forced and she just doesn't fit with the other characters. Most importantly I feel like this was an insta-love relationship. It was like one minute Abby was straight and in love with Nick and then when she realized that her and Nick would have to do the long distance thing or break up due to going to different colleges; Leah was suddenly an option and she was suddenly good enough. This whole relationship just infuriated me.
All in all, I am extremely disappointed in this book. I love Becky Albertalli and her writing, but this book was a big miss for me. It seemed rushed and almost like she threw it together because she needed a sequel to Simon. I will read her future books but I just can't side with the masses on this one.
Actual rating: 1.5 -- I have the unpopular opinion.
I was super excited to read this book when it came out especially after I read and loved Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. A lot of people read this and were sharing their love of it on Bookstagram and Booktube. With all the hype I decided to put off reading it a bit so that it would be fresh and new for me and I could form my own opinion and not be swayed by the masses. I'm glad I did but at the same time kind of wish I hadn't waited.
Honestly, I didn't like this book. I loved Simon vs. the Homosapien's Agenda, and I gave that book 5 stars. I loved Leah in that book and I really related with her (the little bit we had of her), and I was super pumped when I found out she was getting her own book. To be honest, I didn't like Leah in this book. I thought she was bitchy and bratty. I didn't like the way she treated people and I especially didn't like the fact that this book was just sooooooo predictable.
Lets first start with her love interest Garrett. I thought he was great! He obviously liked Leah and I thought their interactions were wonderful. I know Leah was trying to figure out her feelings and where she stood with her sexuality, but honestly, I would have been happier if she'd ended up with Garrett, the relationship seemed more real to me and less forced.
Her second love interest and ultimately who Leah chose to be with... Abby Suso. Don't like her... at all. Disliked her completely in Simon's book and couldn't stand her in this book. If we're keeping score I called this relationship back when initially reading Simon vs. I thought about how Abby and Leah interacted and about how "straight" Abby was and I just knew these two would be forced together. I don't like Abby. She doesn't seem genuine her interactions seemed forced and she just doesn't fit with the other characters. Most importantly I feel like this was an insta-love relationship. It was like one minute Abby was straight and in love with Nick and then when she realized that her and Nick would have to do the long distance thing or break up due to going to different colleges; Leah was suddenly an option and she was suddenly good enough. This whole relationship just infuriated me.
All in all, I am extremely disappointed in this book. I love Becky Albertalli and her writing, but this book was a big miss for me. It seemed rushed and almost like she threw it together because she needed a sequel to Simon. I will read her future books but I just can't side with the masses on this one.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Boy Caught in the Starlight in Books
Feb 29, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Boy Caught In The Starlight by Michael J H Taylor is a wonderful adventure where the heroes never go any farther than a cabin a little ways from home. This tale is expected to be the first in a series.
Jake lives with his mother who loves bragging about him a little too much. He is smothered by her overwhelming pressure to be perfect and longs for adventure. However, there really is not much in the lines of adventure for a young teenager these days. So being board Jake asks his mother if he can spend the weekend with his father, mostly for a change. Jake goes with his father to pick up an old Bubble Car that his father recently purchased from Professor Septimus Kneebone, self-proclaimed genius. It is this trip that sets Jake on the course for the dangerous adventure that he so longs for.
It turns out that the Bubble Car is no longer a car but a very special machine. This machine has the unique ability to show images of things past to those who know how to work it. Although no one can interact with the images in anyway they can show wondrous things, such as the location of treasure. As luck would have it a gang of thieves know about the machine and have been using it to find long lost treasurer to get rich. Yet what would such a gang do when they discover the Professor has decided to dismantle the machine forever.
This book was surprisingly unique. It offered multiple turns that I did not expect. The story brought me to many different theories along the way to discovering the truth. I hope the promised second book is just as entertaining as the first. What I did not like was that at first, I pegged this book to be much like back to the future. As it turns out I was wrong. This is a problem because the description of the book comes off differently. I just don’t want anyone to go into this book with the wrong expectations.
Young adults and children alike will enjoy this tale. Though a little on the long side for very young children a tale of adventure such as this would be good spread out over multiple days as a wonderful bedtime story. I rate this book 3 out of 4. I was very happy with this book. The slightly misleading description lost a rating point for me, but other than that I found no major complaint. I believe this book to be a good story for all who pick it up.
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Jake lives with his mother who loves bragging about him a little too much. He is smothered by her overwhelming pressure to be perfect and longs for adventure. However, there really is not much in the lines of adventure for a young teenager these days. So being board Jake asks his mother if he can spend the weekend with his father, mostly for a change. Jake goes with his father to pick up an old Bubble Car that his father recently purchased from Professor Septimus Kneebone, self-proclaimed genius. It is this trip that sets Jake on the course for the dangerous adventure that he so longs for.
It turns out that the Bubble Car is no longer a car but a very special machine. This machine has the unique ability to show images of things past to those who know how to work it. Although no one can interact with the images in anyway they can show wondrous things, such as the location of treasure. As luck would have it a gang of thieves know about the machine and have been using it to find long lost treasurer to get rich. Yet what would such a gang do when they discover the Professor has decided to dismantle the machine forever.
This book was surprisingly unique. It offered multiple turns that I did not expect. The story brought me to many different theories along the way to discovering the truth. I hope the promised second book is just as entertaining as the first. What I did not like was that at first, I pegged this book to be much like back to the future. As it turns out I was wrong. This is a problem because the description of the book comes off differently. I just don’t want anyone to go into this book with the wrong expectations.
Young adults and children alike will enjoy this tale. Though a little on the long side for very young children a tale of adventure such as this would be good spread out over multiple days as a wonderful bedtime story. I rate this book 3 out of 4. I was very happy with this book. The slightly misleading description lost a rating point for me, but other than that I found no major complaint. I believe this book to be a good story for all who pick it up.
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Readers should not be fooled by the title The Geek Who Came From The Cold: Surviving The Post-USSR Era On A Hollywood Diet by Leon Kaminsky has nothing to do with food or dieting at all. The “Hollywood Diet” mentioned in the title is movies, mainly those from the US. A little bit of knowledge about Russia and their policies would be helpful when reading this book but is not required.
Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
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Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
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