Search
Search results
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Maidens in Books
Jun 24, 2021
A lackluster and dull thriller
Mariana Andros is a group therapist and Cambridge University graduate. She is mourning her late husband, Sebastian, when their niece, Zoe, calls, upset because a friend at Cambridge has been murdered. Mariana and Sebastian raised Zoe as a surrogate daughter, so Mariana heads to Cambridge and St. Christopher's College to be there for her. There, Mariana feels she can help her friend and fellow therapist, Julian Ashcroft, in looking into the murder. Mariana is convinced that Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is responsible. He is followed around by a group of female students, deemed The Maidens, who seem obsessed with Fosca and his teachings. When another girl, a Maiden, is found dead, Mariana vows she will do anything to stop him.
"Death was no stranger to Mariana; it had been her traveling companion since she was a child--keeping close behind her, hovering just over her shoulder. She sometimes felt she had been cursed, as if by some malevolent goddess in a Greek myth, to lose everyone she ever loved."
Unpopular opinion time... this book did not work for me. I did not find it engaging nor interesting. I had to force myself to keep reading, as I did not care for any of the characters, including Mariana and Zoe. Mariana is fixated on Edward Fosca from the beginning and seems convinced she should insert herself in a rather serious murder investigation despite not seeming one bit qualified. I'm not sure how her group therapist qualifications lend her any credentials and she lies constantly, much to the annoyance (justified) and detriment of the police. There are basically no sympathetic characters, and there seems to be no reason to care about the murdered women, as we're given no background on them. Some characters (e.g., Julian) seem inserted for no reason whatsoever.
There is a lot of Greek mythology tucked into the story and perhaps I was just over it, as I've read several books revolving around Greek myths lately. It was a lot, though, and sometimes did not seem relevant to our story.
This thriller is certainly atmospheric, with Cambridge playing a strong role in the setting. You definitely feel a part of the academic setting, and I learned a lot about the university while reading. It's dark and somewhat foreboding, but since I was not fully invested in the story, I could only feel so tense. There are some twists, but the big twist came too late and seemed too preposterous to be truly exciting. The author throws in so many red herrings that you find yourself almost rolling your eyes.
Still, this is a very popular thriller for many readers, so chances are it may work for you. For me, it just didn't hold my interest or seem all that, well, thrilling. 2 stars.
"Death was no stranger to Mariana; it had been her traveling companion since she was a child--keeping close behind her, hovering just over her shoulder. She sometimes felt she had been cursed, as if by some malevolent goddess in a Greek myth, to lose everyone she ever loved."
Unpopular opinion time... this book did not work for me. I did not find it engaging nor interesting. I had to force myself to keep reading, as I did not care for any of the characters, including Mariana and Zoe. Mariana is fixated on Edward Fosca from the beginning and seems convinced she should insert herself in a rather serious murder investigation despite not seeming one bit qualified. I'm not sure how her group therapist qualifications lend her any credentials and she lies constantly, much to the annoyance (justified) and detriment of the police. There are basically no sympathetic characters, and there seems to be no reason to care about the murdered women, as we're given no background on them. Some characters (e.g., Julian) seem inserted for no reason whatsoever.
There is a lot of Greek mythology tucked into the story and perhaps I was just over it, as I've read several books revolving around Greek myths lately. It was a lot, though, and sometimes did not seem relevant to our story.
This thriller is certainly atmospheric, with Cambridge playing a strong role in the setting. You definitely feel a part of the academic setting, and I learned a lot about the university while reading. It's dark and somewhat foreboding, but since I was not fully invested in the story, I could only feel so tense. There are some twists, but the big twist came too late and seemed too preposterous to be truly exciting. The author throws in so many red herrings that you find yourself almost rolling your eyes.
Still, this is a very popular thriller for many readers, so chances are it may work for you. For me, it just didn't hold my interest or seem all that, well, thrilling. 2 stars.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) in Movies
Aug 14, 2017
Slightly over dramatised
The original story behind Srinivasa Ramanujan is remarkable enough without resorting to such theatrics. These films, as much as they are historically important especially for those with a similar background, tend to be slightly over the top. Ramanujan is one of the most significant mathematicians of our time, even more extraordinary is that he achieved success as a fellow at Cambridge despite being an Indian during wartime. Dev Patel hasn't quite reached his peak acting phase in this film, not like he did in Lion. He seemed to be a replica of his role in Slumdog Millionaire, a weepy, mopey kind of character. It's a vital film, but they could have done it better.
Katarzyna Krasuska (81 KP) rated Dead Scared (Lacey Flint, #2) in Books
Aug 10, 2018 (Updated Aug 10, 2018)
Wow- I wasn't expecting that
What a brilliant story! I bought this book on Monday and by Wednesday evening I was sad, that it ended.
The story takes place in Cambridge University. There's been way too many suicides in one year for it to go unnoticed. DC Flint goes in undercover to investigate but due to her troubled past becomes the perfect victim herself.
Very gripping, kept me on edge from the beginning till the end.
How have I never come across Sharon Bolton before, I don't know. Need to get hold of 'Now you see me'- a bit backward, I know, but what can I do :-)
The story takes place in Cambridge University. There's been way too many suicides in one year for it to go unnoticed. DC Flint goes in undercover to investigate but due to her troubled past becomes the perfect victim herself.
Very gripping, kept me on edge from the beginning till the end.
How have I never come across Sharon Bolton before, I don't know. Need to get hold of 'Now you see me'- a bit backward, I know, but what can I do :-)
ClareR (5885 KP) rated One Ordinary Day at a Time in Books
Aug 21, 2023
One Ordinary Day at a time is an ultimately uplifting story and I loved it. It’s not all plain sailing though.
Jodie has been in numerous foster placements as a child and a disastrous adult relationship. The only good things to have come out of it are her son Zak, and her drive to succeed and get into Cambridge University. But Jodie is living in one room with Zak and working at Prince Burger whilst she finishes her college course - and life is hard.
She meets Simon Sparks at Prince Burger and once she finds out that he has been to Cambridge, she’s determined to convince him to tutor her for her entrance interview. But Simon has a lot of secrets and has endured hardships and abuse of his own.
The narrators on the audiobook really brought this to life for me. Jodie’s narrator (Ayesha Kala) was spot on, but I did struggle a little with Simon’s narrator (Victor Oshin), and found that I had to speed the narration up more on his chapters. I do realise that he was probably trying to show how disconnected from real life Simon was, but it did annoy me 🤷🏼♀️. I liked that the narrative swapped between Jodie and Simon, so I often saw the same things from both of their viewpoints.
This is a really heartwarming story of overcoming adversity and working hard to get what you want out of life. A story of what being a good friend is all about.
Jodie has been in numerous foster placements as a child and a disastrous adult relationship. The only good things to have come out of it are her son Zak, and her drive to succeed and get into Cambridge University. But Jodie is living in one room with Zak and working at Prince Burger whilst she finishes her college course - and life is hard.
She meets Simon Sparks at Prince Burger and once she finds out that he has been to Cambridge, she’s determined to convince him to tutor her for her entrance interview. But Simon has a lot of secrets and has endured hardships and abuse of his own.
The narrators on the audiobook really brought this to life for me. Jodie’s narrator (Ayesha Kala) was spot on, but I did struggle a little with Simon’s narrator (Victor Oshin), and found that I had to speed the narration up more on his chapters. I do realise that he was probably trying to show how disconnected from real life Simon was, but it did annoy me 🤷🏼♀️. I liked that the narrative swapped between Jodie and Simon, so I often saw the same things from both of their viewpoints.
This is a really heartwarming story of overcoming adversity and working hard to get what you want out of life. A story of what being a good friend is all about.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Educated in Books
Apr 5, 2018
Harrowing and inspiring
It seems almost impossible that Tara Westover is an academician from both Harvard and Cambridge given that she had never been to school. Her story is important, revealing how women are treated and subjugated in fundamentalist societies.
Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.
While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.
While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
Alexis Taylor recommended Duty Now for the Future by Devo in Music (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019
Umpty-tumpth Bond film rests on the laurels of GoldenEye perhaps just a bit too much. Evil media magnate Carver tries to orchestrate a war between the UK and China so he can sell more papers and grab a satellite TV franchise; British intelligence decides to disrupt his scheme by sending James Bond to have sex with his wife.
Well-mounted set pieces, and plenty of them, plus Michelle Yeoh gets an eye-catching role as the 'Oh, James!' character, but the problem is that the rest of it feels like karaoke Bond, without the self-awareness or attempts to move the franchise on that lifted GoldenEye somewhat - plus, it's just not as well written. The result is a mid-range entry in the series, assuming one overlooks the schoolboy error of Bond not being able to read Chinese (as any fule kno, he got a First in Oriental Languages at Cambridge). This still equates to an entertaining movie, just not an exceptional one.
Well-mounted set pieces, and plenty of them, plus Michelle Yeoh gets an eye-catching role as the 'Oh, James!' character, but the problem is that the rest of it feels like karaoke Bond, without the self-awareness or attempts to move the franchise on that lifted GoldenEye somewhat - plus, it's just not as well written. The result is a mid-range entry in the series, assuming one overlooks the schoolboy error of Bond not being able to read Chinese (as any fule kno, he got a First in Oriental Languages at Cambridge). This still equates to an entertaining movie, just not an exceptional one.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated The Final Tap (Living History Museum, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Kelsey Cambridge is getting ready for the first annual Maple Sugar Festival at Barton Farm, the living history museum she runs in Ohio. As part of that festival, she has invited Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach a class on harvesting maple sugar. However, while he is inspecting the trees on the farm, someone stabs him with a hand drill. With the police looking at one of Kelsey’s employees, can she find the real killer?
I was delighted to slip back into the world of this series. The setting is fantastic, and the characters are strong. Not all the returning characters get a lot of page time, but the ones that do get a good deal of development. The suspects are also strong, and the varying suspects and motives kept me guessing until the end.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-final-tap-by-amanda-flower.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I was delighted to slip back into the world of this series. The setting is fantastic, and the characters are strong. Not all the returning characters get a lot of page time, but the ones that do get a good deal of development. The suspects are also strong, and the varying suspects and motives kept me guessing until the end.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-final-tap-by-amanda-flower.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated The Final Reveille (Living History Museum, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Kelsey Cambridge enjoys her job running the Barton Farm Living History Museum. However, on the weekend that she’s added Civil War reenactors to the museum’s activities, she gets word from Maxwell that he is going to cut off the funds she’s been getting through a charitable foundation to help keep the place running. When Kelsey finds Maxwell murdered on the museum property the next morning, she becomes a suspect. Can she find the real killer?
I already enjoy history, but Kelsey’s love of the subject comes through loud and clear. The plot was a little slow to get going as the museum and characters were introduced, but it quickly gained speed and drew me in. Kelsey is a strong character, and the rest of the cast is great as well. I’m looking forward to reading more about them in the future.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-final-reveille-by-amanda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I already enjoy history, but Kelsey’s love of the subject comes through loud and clear. The plot was a little slow to get going as the museum and characters were introduced, but it quickly gained speed and drew me in. Kelsey is a strong character, and the rest of the cast is great as well. I’m looking forward to reading more about them in the future.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-final-reveille-by-amanda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
