Search

Search only in certain items:

Sharpe's Revenge
Sharpe's Revenge
Bernard Cornwell | 1989 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For the last couple of years or so, I've been (slowly) making my way through the Sharpe books, in chronological order by setting and in between my various other reading activities i.e. maybe one Richard Sharpe book every couple of months or so

I'm approaching the end of that project, with (currently) only two more novels to go: [book:Sharpe's Waterloo|328986], and [book:Sharpe's Devil|615225].

This particular entry is set during the latter days of the Napoleonic Wars: during the Peace of Amiens in 1814, to be precise, with Sharpe's personal and professional life falling apart after he is framed by wily French spymaster Pierre Ducos. This novel also sees the fall-out from certain events in the previous entries ([book:Sharpe's Siege|564536]), starting with an - illegal - duel between Sharpe and the naval commander who was responsible for abandoning him and his men behind enemy lines, moving on to his cuckolding by his wife Jane by a former friend, and even expanding on the family of the commander of that French fort with one family member, in particular, playing a very important role in Sharpe's future life!
  
Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
406. Parasite. We meet Kim Ki-woo, as he's getting recruited to help tutor a high school girl in English, of course all his past experience is a lie, but he's good at the job at hand so why not go for it! And once he's in the door, he manages to weasel the rest of his family jobs within the same household. It's not that they are bad at the jobs, they just stole them from others. For instance, when Kim Ki-woo gets mom, Moon-gwang the maid job. However the former maid has a secret and when she shows up a few days later on the front steps, this could be the end for the family! Movie really makes you feel uncomfortable, and for me I just wanted something really bad to happen. :) Filmbufftim on FB
  
Around the World in 80 Days
Around the World in 80 Days
Jules Verne, Henry C. Kiefer | 2016 | Children
5
7.0 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Original Race Around the World
Phileas Fogg, a wealthy gentleman of the 1870’s, is a man of exacting routine until one day, when he makes a wager with some acquaintances at his club. With his bet that he can travel around the world in 80 days, he is off, shocking his new man servant, Passepartout, who was looking for a quiet job. Things get even trickier when they catch the attention of Detective Fix, who thinks Fogg might be the bank robber everyone is on the alert for. Will Fogg win his bet?

I’d heard about this book for years and was finally inspired to read it. I found it mixed, at least to what I am used to these days. The journey itself is uneven, with some areas more prominently featured than others, like the time spent in America. My biggest problem was the characters, who are paper thin. As a result, it took me a while to really get invested. Unfortunately, the thinnest of the lot is the sole woman in the book. There are a couple of complications that today’s readers will view as dated stereotypes, but they were real issues the world was dealing with at the time (or at least one of them was something that happened consistently, unfortunately). I did get caught up in the story at times, and I appreciated how the climax was set up early on. I’m glad I’ve finally read it, but the end result was only average.
  
    Meng AFV Modeller

    Meng AFV Modeller

    Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    The longest established and globally renowned quality publication showcasing the World’s very best...

The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.9 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a ride! Wow. I'm stumped as to how to even explain how detailed and twisty and turny and clever this book is! I read somewhere that Stuart Turton had to map out an 8-day timeline with post-its marking every 2 minutes so he could keep track of everything - and wow! Just wow. I cannot even imagine the thought and preparation that went into arranging this story!

There is such creativity to this mystery - reminiscent of the best Agatha Christie novels, the book is set at Blackheath, a sprawling ancient estate, which has seen better days. But back in it's glory, almost two decades ago, there was a murder of a little boy. Now, coming up on the 20th anniversary, a whole slew of characters is gathered at the crumbling estate by the matriarch of the family, and yet another murder occurs.

Evelyn Hardcastle is the sister of that little boy, and she will die every single day until Adrian Bishop can solve the murder. He's stuck in an 8-day loop, and needs to figure out the killer and break the cycle. Oh and did I mention that every time her falls asleep, or goes unconscious, he wakes up in the body (and mind!) of a different guest?!

I loved how this all played out - Imagine waking up in an obese body that stinks and can't even get out of a bathtub without assistance! And then in that of a constable with a sharp clever mind and gorgeous fiancé, and then a drug dealer! What a ride this was! I dove right into it not knowing what to expect and breezed through the first 1/3 of it. By 2/3 in I started getting a little bit mixed up. The timeline jumps across and back the span of 8 days and you never know where in the past or future you will end up - or in whose (of 8 guests) mind/body. But by the last 1/3 - I was ravenously flipping pages to find out who killed Evelyn and the end does NOT disappoint! Wow! Again - wow!

What really cool and clever idea. I've never read anything like this and it was seriously one of the most inventive and creative murder mysteries I've ever read.
  
    Creative Knitting

    Creative Knitting

    Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL - Download and read the current issue for FREE for 30 days. Cancel within...

    Crochet World

    Crochet World

    Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL - Download and read the current issue for FREE for 30 days. Cancel within...

    Just CrossStitch

    Just CrossStitch

    Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL - Download and read the current issue for FREE for 30 days. Cancel within...