Search
Search results
Maddie (37 KP) rated The Mortal Instruments 2: City of Ashes in Books
Dec 5, 2017
Relatable Characters (1 more)
Colorful Prose
Slower Pace (1 more)
Obvious Love Triangles
Second Installment of Solid YA Series
I just recently re-read the entire Mortal Instruments series and thoroughly enjoyed it (maybe even more so than the first time around). This book is a solid sequel to the first one, and continues to develop Claire's creative world and characters.
The action is fun, the romance is hot (although sometimes a little too distracting from the plot), and the writing is good. Claire does a great job mixing in humor and emotion with her story, so the characters are engaging - even when they are unreasonable, selfish, and childish.
Give the series a chance if you like YA. It's a fantastic source of entertainment.
The action is fun, the romance is hot (although sometimes a little too distracting from the plot), and the writing is good. Claire does a great job mixing in humor and emotion with her story, so the characters are engaging - even when they are unreasonable, selfish, and childish.
Give the series a chance if you like YA. It's a fantastic source of entertainment.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Storyteller in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult for awhile but I have to say she's outdone herself with this book. I couldn't put it down!! It is one of those books you should start on a day you have nothing else to do because you will want to finish it immediately! The characters draw you in & are so realistic they could be your best friend or grandmother or your next door neighbor.
Even the story itself is engaging & mysterious. You don't even know the real story until the very last page & it is quite the bombshell even then. You don't want it to end there but at the same time it is a satisfying end to a wonderful story.
Even the story itself is engaging & mysterious. You don't even know the real story until the very last page & it is quite the bombshell even then. You don't want it to end there but at the same time it is a satisfying end to a wonderful story.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Battlefield 1 in Video Games
Jul 27, 2017
Graphics (2 more)
WWI setting
Character stories
Through the mud and the blood
Disclaimer: I am not an online gamer, so when I play through Battlefield or COD, I am simply reviewing the campaign.
Battlefield 1 is set during the first world war, which isn't a setting that we have seen much before in video games. The campaign is broke up into several different soldier's stories and each of them is engaging and entertaining in their own right. The weapons and mechanics are fun to experiment with as well, even if some liberties are taken with the level of weaponry available at the time. If you like FPS games and are looking for an alternative to futuristic sci fi shooters, then this is one for you.
Battlefield 1 is set during the first world war, which isn't a setting that we have seen much before in video games. The campaign is broke up into several different soldier's stories and each of them is engaging and entertaining in their own right. The weapons and mechanics are fun to experiment with as well, even if some liberties are taken with the level of weaponry available at the time. If you like FPS games and are looking for an alternative to futuristic sci fi shooters, then this is one for you.
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.
Ruth Frampton (577 KP) rated Santa's Countdown to Christmas: 24 Days of Stories in Books
Apr 10, 2018
Advent calendars have changed a great deal over the past 40 years, they've been the traditional Christian images depicting the story of the season, to ones containing sweet and then even to have candles, beer and a range of consumerisms finest. More recently, a trend of giving a book a day for advent has been doing the rounds, a great, if expensive, idea. This book put that all in one book with a story a day for advent. The language used in the book is engaging and supportive of good reading. It promotes the good things about the holiday season and encourages youngsters to give without thought of receiving. A real book to be read with and to the whole family, a book for all ages.
ALilLacey (2 KP) rated Frankie Dupont And The High Seas Heist in Books
Mar 4, 2019
Such a fun read for young readers. The age range of 8-12 is perfect for this book, boy or girl. Frankie Dupont is just like a young modern day Sherlock Holmes trying to solve a mystery along with his dad, a few friends and his trusty sidekick dog. This was a fun mystery as it involved two mysteries that end up being surprisingly related. The book is a simple but a fun engaging read. I was trying to figure out the clues and who-dun-it as i read along. I love how Frankie's mind works and his fun gadgets and scientific knowledge he uses to solve the mystery. Sure made me want some chocolate too. A recommended read!
David McK (3562 KP) rated The Day of the Jackal (40th anniversary edition) in Books
Apr 23, 2019
I think I first read this book in the mid 90s when I was in my mid teens, pre-GCSEs.
Flash forward about 20 years, and I think I picked it up again when it was on offer on Kindle. As I didn't really remember all that much about it - save that it detailed a plot to kill Charles de Gaulle, and that there's a film starring Bruce Willis based on it - I thought I would give it a re-read.
While there's no doubting the technical proficiency in it, and the (almost) insane amount of detail, if I'm honest I actually found this to be rather plodding; rather pedestrian. I get it: most police work is such, but (IMO) that doesn't really make an engaging read.
Flash forward about 20 years, and I think I picked it up again when it was on offer on Kindle. As I didn't really remember all that much about it - save that it detailed a plot to kill Charles de Gaulle, and that there's a film starring Bruce Willis based on it - I thought I would give it a re-read.
While there's no doubting the technical proficiency in it, and the (almost) insane amount of detail, if I'm honest I actually found this to be rather plodding; rather pedestrian. I get it: most police work is such, but (IMO) that doesn't really make an engaging read.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse, #3) in Books
May 30, 2019
I've said it before, I'll say it again. The Expanse is hands down the best SF series this side of Frank Herbert. The story is so tight, the characters so real, and the plot threads so engaging, it blows my mind that the show adaptation was hanging by a thread. Not that the show should have any bearing on the books. The Expanse is <i>exactly</i> what I've been wanting out of a science fiction universe for years. It hits all the buttons for me and hits them hard.
In this installment, every conflict seems dire. The villains are sinister and competent, the protomolecule is apathetically devastating, and humanity is unsurprisingly shortsighted and self-centered. What could go wrong?
All hail JSAC.
In this installment, every conflict seems dire. The villains are sinister and competent, the protomolecule is apathetically devastating, and humanity is unsurprisingly shortsighted and self-centered. What could go wrong?
All hail JSAC.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Transcription in Books
Jun 6, 2019
Good but not memorable
I really struggle with books like this. It's well written with a fairly engaging plot, but is just ultimately unforgettable. It probably doesn't help that it's a book about spies which has been done better by someone like John Le Carre. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad spy novel, it just doesn't build any real intrigue or tension. Juliet is a likeable main character if not as fully developed as she should be, and overall I did enjoy reading this book. But for me it's a sign of how unremarkable it is that I wouldn't ever go out of my way to recommend it to someone, and will likely have forgotten all about it by next week.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Off Limits (Aces Hockey, #1.5) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
The second work I read by this author, and I honestly enjoyed it more. That may have more to do with the fact that I love friends to lovers stories. While I understand the male leads hesitation, I feel that its less realistic in adults especially since his torture is self-induced. I was also annoyed that the female lead was crushing on him even though she brought a date with her. I find that tasteless and childish.
Ignoring all that, it was a cute quick read with enough heat between the leads to make it feel real and the author is great at writing engaging dialogue.
The second work I read by this author, and I honestly enjoyed it more. That may have more to do with the fact that I love friends to lovers stories. While I understand the male leads hesitation, I feel that its less realistic in adults especially since his torture is self-induced. I was also annoyed that the female lead was crushing on him even though she brought a date with her. I find that tasteless and childish.
Ignoring all that, it was a cute quick read with enough heat between the leads to make it feel real and the author is great at writing engaging dialogue.