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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Ice House in Books

Mar 7, 2019 (Updated Mar 7, 2019)  
The Ice House
The Ice House
Laura Lee Smith | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A story of forgiveness and redemption.
A thoroughly enjoyable, gentle story, of a couple who own an ice factory in Florida. Johnny MacKinnon emigrated to the US years ago, found a job in an ice factory, where he met the owners daughter, fell in love and married her. Years later Johnny and Pauline are running the factory. Johnny had left his son and ex-wife in Glasgow, and he and his son have become estranged. Corran, Johnny's son, has a heroin addition. He has been clean for a while at the time of the story.
After Johnny collapses at the factory and receives bad news from the doctor, he decides to return to Scotland and visit his son and his new granddaughter.
This is such a lovely story. The characters are so well written and such likeable people. You can see that Johnny is really trying to deal (or ignore!) his medical condition and to mend fences with his son. Whilst Pauline his wife, left behind in Florida to deal with a huge problem at the factory alone, is struggling with the decisions she made as a younger woman - and who can blame her for making them? Corran is trying so hard to be a good father and clearly struggling.
This is such an emotional book that made me both laugh and cry. It's well worth reading.
Many thanks to Readers First for my copy of this book.
  
Killer in the Band
Killer in the Band
Lauren Carr | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Killer in the Band is like another Halloween set up for the setting. Lauren Carr once again does it again with her book. You get pulled into this book from the beginning. There seem to be more murderers than the eye can see.

We learn about the Band that Suellen is the leader to. She gets a phone call from a friend in the band named “Cat.” Who could be the Killer of Dylan Matthews and Wendy Mathews? We fall for more mysteries and cold cases. Could all the cold cases be connected?

We also have JJ Thornton and his dad and siblings involved with Cameron Gates. Who would want to kill JJ and his family? His family helps him out along with getting a horse trainer to help with the horses. We also meet Izzy once again and her personally.

We meet Noah and a few others. Who killed Clyde’s wife? There are quite a few twists and turns as you turn the pages. I would suggest that if you have children you are okay with them reading about deaths for this as a lot of it. It is the decent clean book for children that are 13 and up.
If you enjoy one of Lauren Carr’s book. You will enjoy this one as well. I know for this another one that I enjoyed and wished to know more. You will be surprised at how it ends.
  
CT
Close to You
Kara Isaac | 2016
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kara Isaac took my breath away with such a beautiful story. I can't wait to get my hands on her next release coming out in just a few weeks! Filled with so many dynamics, I was biting my nails, laughing out loud, sighing with relief, and at times, even yelling at the book. I have always been a fan of Tolkien and so I found the setting both brilliant and intriguing. This story hit close to home in the fact that I know what it is to be hurt and have a fear of trusting people. It was so encouraging though to watch Allie and Jackson's journey. Cheering them on and hoping they find their healing in Lord along the way. Filled with quotes from Tolkien and random #NerdGirl knowledge, I had so much fun reading Close to You. This is THE book that I chose to read on my way home from Nashville. I think the people on my flights thought I was crazy for the giggling that commenced a couple of times. If you enjoy a good, clean romance, Lord of the Rings, and New Zealand, you will fall head over teakettle for Kara Isaac and Close to You!

I received a free copy of Close to You in my "Swag Bag" from Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, Nashville, 2016. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic
V.E. Schwab, Victoria Schwab | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.2 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Super engaging and well rounded characters (2 more)
Great world building
Crisp readable writing
Nothing (0 more)
WONDERFUL Fantasy book!
Gotta recommend this one! It was SO GOOD. The writing is clean and addictive, the characters are unique and engaging, the magic is... well... magically magical and unlike most of the generic magic floating around out there.

A cross-dressing pick pocket pirate, a promiscuous prince, a moody magician with a forgotten past,
a pair of twin villains who make the Lannister twins look like snowflakes, and a vicious blood-enslaved magician. How's that for a cast? Side note -- even the bit players in this book are well drawn and stir emotions when they die. Yes. People actually die in this one...I've read several books lately where SOMEONE obviously should have died SOMEWHERE along the journey and no one did. I was SO ready for some "let's get real and kill people so the stakes are high" reading.

Four different versions of London exist on different planes... each magical in varying degrees, all in danger of destruction from a magical artifact that accidentally smuggled between the veils. This is the scene for the grand adventure.

I was really struggling to get over my book hangover after finishing Queen of Nothing and this was like the nectar that healed me. I can't wait to dive into book 2!

Also, Kell is my new fictitious boyfriend. Move over Rhysand from ACOTAR, we're starting a reverse harem.
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Pharmacist in Books

Jul 24, 2022  
The Pharmacist
The Pharmacist
Rachelle Atalla | 2022 | Contemporary, Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Pharmacist is the kind of book that I find I have to ration. I love it, but frankly the concept is terrifying. I read a lot of books about End Of Times, apocalypse, dystopia - I’m addicted, but I find I can’t stop thinking about them, and I even dreamt about The Pharmacist!

This isn’t a light read, and the dread isn’t even underlying: it’s constantly there, glowering in every paragraph, every sentence. The reader doesn’t know why these specially chosen people are all holed up in a bunker together, but something terrible, world changing, has happened.

And the claustrophobia! I could imagine the close living quarters, the smell of the not-quite-clean inhabitants, the fear of doing something to incur the wrath of the bunkers leader. Now, he’s quite some character: power mad and more than happy to use anyone to get what he wants. And although the pharmacist, Wolfe, is supplying him with ever greater supplies of drugs, she is the one who is at his mercy.

Whatever is outside the bunker is worse than what’s inside (I debate this, and would be much happier taking my chances on the outside!). And the tasks that the leader demands that Wolfe undertakes, get worse and worse.

This is an unrelentingly grim read, and I’m sure it says a whole lot about me when I say that I loved it. I looked forward - with trepidation - to reading every one of the ten instalments on The Pigeonhole.
  
The Last Song
The Last Song
Nicholas Sparks | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
My Summary: Ronnie does not want to spend the summer with her dad. Her dad left them three years ago, and she hasn’t really forgiven him for it. She hated him for it so much, that she refused to take his calls, quit playing the piano, and never read the letters he sent her. What is she going to do all summer stuck with a dad she hates in a small town with nothing but sand on every side of her, no clubs, no friends…

When she finds Will, the cutest volley-ball players slash aquarium volunteer in her back yard helping her protect un-hatched sea turtles from being eaten by raccoons, she judged him as not-her-type. She doesn’t expect to find a friend in a jock-rich-perfect-family boy, nor does she expect that this will be the best—most exciting, most scary, most fun, most painful—summer of her lifetime.

My Review: I’m not really sure where to start here, other than I am so utterly pleased with The Last Song, I cannot begin to find words to describe it.

Ronnie, Jonah (her brother), Her dad Steve, Will… all the characters really, were such real characters. I felt everything they felt, I laughed when they laughed, and I (nearly) cried when they cried.

I hate it when books suffer from "happy-land syndrome—" where everything works out just too perfectly that it seems silly. The Last Song seemed to work perfectly, but it didn’t have that plot-manipulated feel to it. It didn’t feel like Sparks was just trying to move the story along and causing things to line up too perfectly to be realistic—it felt like the story was writing itself, and it was perfect. The pacing didn’t feel rushed or slow. It was not a thriller, but I did find myself sitting on the edge of my seat dying to find out what happens. I read it through in two or three days (which is fast for me right now, what with school the way it is!). There are twists, there are surprises—some beautiful, some painful, but all wonderful.

The writing was contemporary. It was easy reading and it wasn’t Dostoevsky, but it wasn’t bad either. The humor was light and witty and sarcastic, sometimes laugh out loud, and more times than I can count my sister would look up from her homework and say “Haley. What is so funny?” The perspective alternated between several different characters, but it wasn’t disorientating. It was all from third person perspective, but I still felt like I could get inside the character’s head.

The end was perfect. That’s all I can really say about it because any information would totally ruin the story. All the loose ends were tied, all the questions were answered, and the ending was open to the future but closed in a wonderful conclusion. Suffice to say I grinned so wide I couldn’t see, and my cheeks are still sore.
 
Audio Review: Let’s just say that I almost gave up reading The Last Song when I started listening to the audio. Pepper Binkley read Ronnie’s perspective and had a high pitched voice, she read a little too fast (which is rare. Most of the time readers are way too slow), there was no differentiating between voices of characters so you couldn’t tell who was talking, and she seemed up tight and nervous. Scott Sowers read the various men’s perspectives, and he read alright. He was a little slow and his voice took some getting used to but he was otherwise ok. I did get too frustrated to get far in the audio book though. I ended up quitting and reading the paperback. I recommend reading The Last Song over listening to it.

Content: blissfully clean. There was romance between Will and Ronnie, but no sex. It wasn’t needed, either. I feel like the fact that they didn’t sleep together added to the book rather than took away from it. It was also clean of foul language. There was some mention of God and the Bible, but never did it feel like Sparks was preaching.

Recommendation: Ages 14+
  
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Spells (Wings, #2)
Aprilynne Pike | 2010 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rating: 4.5

(Spells is the sequel to Wings, so I’m not going to include a summary to keep it spoiler free.)

I’m going to try really hard not to say anything to spoil this book for you. Let’s just say this—read it.

Spells was better than Wings. Though both were equally addictive (what? no! I can’t sweep, I’m in the middle of chapter twenty-one!) Spells just had more meat to it: more complications, more plot, more drama, and more romance. There are twists and unexpected surprises that spring out of nowhere and have you sitting on the edge of your seat forgetting to breathe. There is heart pounding and heart shredding romance that makes you grin and cry. And like every good book, there is a surprise at the end that leaves you saying, “Wait… what?”

Spells is a fantastic sequel to Wings. I’m anxiously awaiting the third book in the series, and I hope to one day have the whole collection sitting on my bookshelf where it belongs.

Content: clean romance, mention of sex, no language

Recommendation: Ages 12+. I would recommend reading it soon after Wings, since for the first chapter or so I was a little lost (I read Wings almost as soon as the ARC was sent out for review, some time last May or June) and even throughout the book I kept thinking “wait, who is that?” and “wait what happened again?”

This book was part of the Borrow My ARC Tour from Bloody Bad. Check out the other tour stops for more reviews.
  
The Girl Who Saved Christmas
The Girl Who Saved Christmas
Matt Haig, Chris Mould | 2017 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig is a very charming story that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is the story of Amelia Wishart, who is the first child ever to receive a gift from Father Christmas. She never loses hope throughout the misery she encounters in her very young life and however much she would like to stop believing in magic and goodness, she never fully does. Her hope made that first visit possible, and, just a couple of years later, her hope might just save Christmas itself. 

The story takes place in two locations that couldn't be more different: Elfhelm, where it is clean and only ever gets as cold as you want it to be, and in 1841 London, where it is dirty, cold and unfriendly place to orphans.

The characters in the story are quite fun. Amelia and Father Christmas both have strong personalities with a firm determination to get things done. Mr. Creeper is just as his name predicts, he is creepy and not a nice man at all. The guest appearances of a ruling head of state and a famous author are perfect. One passage was hilarious and it took me several minutes to sop laughing before I could continue reading. I was amused.

I recommend this book for read-a-loud's to children and for middle grade readers. 

I received this book from NetGalley via Random House Children's Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
  
Living the life of nobility can be oppressive and demanding. There are restrictions for every aspect of life. Lady Miranda longs to be free of the expectations placed on her, but will she have the courage to stand up to her mother and her "lady lessons"?

"A lady never posted letters to an unrelated male. But the very writing of his name made her feel dangerous."

Lady Miranda Hawthorne has been raised to be the epitome of poise and grace, but everything inside of her screams to rebel. She pours her heart out on paper, in letters she never sends, to her brother's childhood friend, the Duke of Marshington. She is approaching her fourth London season when Marlow, the handsome new valet to Lady Miranda's brother, accidentally mails one of these letters. She is mortified, until she receives a reply. Conflicted with her growing attraction for two men, her life is quickly changing in ways she never thought possible. She soon realises however, that there is more at stake than her heart. Miranda has had to hide behind the mask she have been expected to wear for so long. Hiding her true personality and identity. But the time has come for her to become the person she was created to be.

"'A Lady never sits on the floor.' A lady probably wasn't supposed to crawl on her belly through the dirt either."

A Noble Masquerade is a fabulous story from beginning to end! Kristi Ann Hunter has done a marvelous job with her debut novel! I was completely captivated by the intrigue and espionage. I was surprised more than once when the story line went in a different direction than I anticipated. The faith was natural and the romance genuine and clean. Kidnappings, traitors, witty humour and masquerades will keep you turning the pages of this remarkable story. This is a book that I will enjoy reading over and over again. I can not wait for Mrs. Hunter's next book!

I received a free advanced reading copy of A Noble Masquerade from Bethany House Publishers through Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.
  
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Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated Kilimanjaro My Story in Books

Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)  
KM
Kilimanjaro My Story
Rod Wood | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Review | Kilimanjaro My Story by Rod Wood
Review

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I love I had this opportunity to read this non-fiction book usually I don't read non-fiction I more read fiction books. But when I was given from the author I read the blurb (I always do this) the story grabbed me. The story is about Rod Wood (author) he had the dream to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It wasn't easy for him as personal events affected him and the dream was pushed to the back of his mind.
While reading the story I felt for Rod as he struggled with his personal meltdown but I loved that he got support from his parents and his friends to push him to do this dream.
I am happy that he plucked up the courage and achieved this amazing experience. I loved he added the photos as this made it personal and heartwarming as it made you feel that you have gone on the journey with Rod.

It's amazing that through the book you can see Rod's confidence grown and how he bonded with the other team members and porters. It, not just the story of his achievement what grabbed its that the three volcanoes, Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi, and Meru are changing due to the climate change and the global warming, as we had periods of warmth, and periods of extreme cold so this helped the glaciers to grow and cover the summit. It also how people who visit these volcanoes treat them by leaving litter behind and not clean up after their selves.
..This book makes me what to write my own bucket list and achieve some goals what have been on my mind what I have pushed aside.
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It is worth the read and I would recommend to you if you into traveling and what to climb Mount Kilimanjaro yourself.
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*Thanks, Rod Wood for sending me the book to read and everything I have written is my honest review and opinion.
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Thanks for reading.
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 Q. What non-fiction book have you read this year and would like to share with me? Comment below please x