![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/88a/ec659838-b58f-443a-9e9d-82e0c9edc88a.jpg?m=1579718839)
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Bookishly Ever After (Ever After, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Bookishly Ever After basically proves that my life sucks and the main characters life is better thus fictional lives are better. (Technically, fictional boys are better.)
Ill agree with some of the reviewers on Goodreads that Bandeiras debut novel doesnt actually have a plot because it doesnt. Bookishly Ever After is an extremely light read that a plot isnt really necessary to enjoy the book if you enjoy a really cute book with adorable main characters to boot. Phoebe, le fabulous main character, is quite literally everything that I am fictionalized aside from looks, and I am so not saying that Im cute because Im not that confident. However, it is highly unadvised for guys to tell Sophia that she is cute or pretty because she will very happily kick you (or throw a GIF at you).
It is, however, totally worth the read if anyone is looking for something cute and light.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-part-1-emily-skrutskie-marie-lu-and-others/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/f42/0ff22ace-89b6-45c1-a040-81416c3b1f42.jpg?m=1543438296)
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Doll Factory in Books
Feb 7, 2020
The Doll Factory is the debut novel of Elizabeth Macneal. It is not a children's book. Before reading it, some reviewers thought it could be because of the cover. Afterward, they realized they were mistaken.
It is a historical fiction novel set in 1850 London. It revolves around Iris, a doll maker, who dreams of a better life. Iris knows her life drastically changes when she meets Louis Frost, a painter, who agrees to teach her to paint in exchange for sitting as his model. What she does not know is it also drastically changes with a brief exchange with Silas, a strange collector who is entranced and quickly becomes obsessed with Iris.
The story is a slow burn and took a while for me to really get into it. It was because of this, the story felt longer than 336 pages. Macneal's description of Silas's increasing obsession with Iris is creepy, dark, and extremely believable. What made it creepier is that Iris does not even remember meeting Silas. Yet, he believes Iris is as infatuated with him as he is with her. This theme has been done before but the 1850 London setting helps make the obsession even darker.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/6/2020.
I’m not about to write a synopsis of the whole book, but these characters are really put through the wringer, keeping closely to the ethos of the original Russian author! It’s a really bittersweet ending too.
I should add that whilst it’s a YA book, it’s definitely for the more mature end of the age range. There’s a lot of alcohol, drugs and sex involved.
Many thanks to Readers First for my copy of this book.
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/0a7/1a16271f-2229-41e1-8992-647ffe04e0a7.jpg?m=1522328231)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2145 KP) rated Murder at the Mena House in Books
Apr 2, 2020
This book is fun, and it captured me from the first couple of sentences. Jane, Redvers, and the rest are a delight to spend time around. I definitely laughed at some of Jane and Redvers’s scenes together. Yet the characters do have layers, and I enjoyed seeing those emerge as the book progressed. I was having so much fun, it took me a while to see the plot was a little weak. While there are clues and twists, it felt like we could have used a few more of them. Still, the writing kept the pages turning, and the climax was suspenseful. I enjoyed this debut, and I’m very curious to find out where Jane goes next.
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/f42/0ff22ace-89b6-45c1-a040-81416c3b1f42.jpg?m=1543438296)
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Rumour in Books
Feb 22, 2020
I try to write my review soon after reading each book. Because it took so long for me to finish reading The Rumor by Lesley Kara, I needed time to process my thoughts before writing this review.
In The Rumor, a mom hears a rumor outside her son's school. Her casual comment repeating the rumor was not intended to be a big deal. However, once something is said, it is impossible to take it back. Words run faster than people ever could. Words travel faster than the speed of light.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but reached a point where I kept having to put it down. I do not know why because I liked the writing style and the story. I think it might be because I felt the middle was too long.
I am glad I finished it because I did enjoy the last few chapters. Many reviews thoroughly liked the novel and I did not have to invoke the "50-page rule" so it is worth reading.
This was Lesley Kara's debut novel. Her next one, Who Did You Tell, is due out in 2020 and I have added it to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/21/20.
![Sarah Millican: The Biography of the Funniest Woman in Britain](/uploads/profile_image/e50/ed111791-22c4-4b34-b8b6-966ed1dabe50.jpg?m=1522358982)
Sarah Millican: The Biography of the Funniest Woman in Britain
Book
Cake baker, cat lover, agony aunt - she's one of the country's brightest new comedy talents. But who...
![Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life & Career of Warwick Davis](/uploads/profile_image/6bc/e4445d6e-151b-41fa-9356-7426bcc9f6bc.jpg?m=1522334444)
Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life & Career of Warwick Davis
Warwick A. Davis and George Lucas
Book
Published to coincide with his highly anticipated new sitcom - a mockumentary follow-up to Extras...
![Someone Like Adele](/uploads/profile_image/018/0510c2d4-7bf4-4d6d-96f6-5473174c9018.jpg?m=1522357406)
Someone Like Adele
Book
Read the full, enthralling story of the 20-something London girl who took the music world by storm....
![The Impossible Has Happened: The Life and Work of Gene Roddenberry, Creator of Star Trek](/uploads/profile_image/0f4/d62bd42b-00f0-4637-b94a-3483367fe0f4.jpg?m=1522360326)
The Impossible Has Happened: The Life and Work of Gene Roddenberry, Creator of Star Trek
Book
8 September 2016 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the debut of the world's most successful...
![Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir](/uploads/profile_image/ae7/567e8a18-2356-4454-ba76-ec440bf0aae7.jpg?m=1522322863)
Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir
Book
Legendary and iconic singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey that...