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All the Beloved Ghosts
Book
An acutely observed, evocative collection of short stories blending fiction, biography, and...
literary fiction
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Finding Grace in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Yesterday I finished Finding Grace, a short historical fiction book I was given the chance to read thanks to NetGalley. It follows Grace, a thirteen-year-old girl living in a Belgian convent in 1975. She was left on the steps as a baby, along with her disabled sister, Dotty. But Dotty recently died, and everything is changing.
Grace is moved to the girls' boarding school dorm. She soon becomes close with Fran, but also has a few run-ins with the stuck up Deirdra. While helping Fran with a history project Grace discovers an old journal kept by one of the nuns at the convent during the war. It tells her horrific story of abandonment, rape and loss.
All the while, the girls are trying to find out more about Grace's past, and avoid the wrath of the horrible Sister Francis. Eventually Grace does get some anwswers, but they were certainly not the ones she was looking for.
I'm not usually very interested in historical fiction but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was short, the characters were well developed and the plot was exciting and intriguing. I felt immersed in the setting, and felt empathetic for Grace. I actually felt quite invested in her and her search for knowledge.
There were a few typos and such, but as this is only a review copy I can't be sure whether the final publication will include them. It was a quick, interesting read, a good introduction to historical fiction. 4 stars!
Grace is moved to the girls' boarding school dorm. She soon becomes close with Fran, but also has a few run-ins with the stuck up Deirdra. While helping Fran with a history project Grace discovers an old journal kept by one of the nuns at the convent during the war. It tells her horrific story of abandonment, rape and loss.
All the while, the girls are trying to find out more about Grace's past, and avoid the wrath of the horrible Sister Francis. Eventually Grace does get some anwswers, but they were certainly not the ones she was looking for.
I'm not usually very interested in historical fiction but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was short, the characters were well developed and the plot was exciting and intriguing. I felt immersed in the setting, and felt empathetic for Grace. I actually felt quite invested in her and her search for knowledge.
There were a few typos and such, but as this is only a review copy I can't be sure whether the final publication will include them. It was a quick, interesting read, a good introduction to historical fiction. 4 stars!
FATE: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic
Debbie Young, Marian L Thorpe, Helen Hollick, Anna Belfrage, Alison Morton, Annie Whitehead, Elizabeth St. John, Jean Gill, R. Marsden and J.P. Reedman
Book
If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you...
Historical Magic Mystery Short Story Collection
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Die Last in Books
Nov 19, 2017
Tony Parsons deals with another tough topic
This is wonderful story telling. London, its smells, noises and people emerge, gloriously, from the page.
The story itself surrounds the murky, brutal world of human trafficking, an enterprise that is ever expanding. Parsons humanises the victims, ranging from trafficked sex slaves to servitude.
They are a bit far fetched however - as is all crime fiction, nevertheless, I've enjoyed all of these as they race along and keep you engaged.
The story itself surrounds the murky, brutal world of human trafficking, an enterprise that is ever expanding. Parsons humanises the victims, ranging from trafficked sex slaves to servitude.
They are a bit far fetched however - as is all crime fiction, nevertheless, I've enjoyed all of these as they race along and keep you engaged.
Tigs85 (21 KP) rated The Girl on the Train in Books
Jun 5, 2017
Took me out of my comfort zone
As an ardent crime-fiction reader, I was surprised how much I loved this psychological thriller. I read it with a friend and we were gripped with the characters. Although it was a bit confusing at the start, after a few chapters it became a plausible read. Definitely took me away from my reading-comfort-zone. I even enjoyed the film....though that should definitely be viewed after reading the book.
LibrarianBeth (6 KP) rated Fangirl in Books
Jul 19, 2017
Cath is relatable. (2 more)
Draws in young adult readers but also allows "older" adults to relate.
Made me fangirl Rainbow!
Fantastic Teen Fiction
Rainbow Rowell knows how to relate to young adult readers and how to get "older" adults to reflect back and see themselves in the characters' situations. This book made me fangirl Rainbow so bad! Cath and Wren are twins trying to create their own paths as they step into adulthood. Cath struggles along that path
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Demon's Lexicon (The Demon's Lexicon, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Where to start.
This book grabbed me from the first chapter. every chapter left you hanging (sign of a good author!) and brought a new question or a new mystery. although not all of the questions were answered in the first book of this exciting new trilogy, most of them were--but they were all answered in amazing, unforgettable, unexpected ways. drop your classic ideas about "demonic" novels--this book belongs on any fiction-loving adventurous reader's bookshelf!
This book grabbed me from the first chapter. every chapter left you hanging (sign of a good author!) and brought a new question or a new mystery. although not all of the questions were answered in the first book of this exciting new trilogy, most of them were--but they were all answered in amazing, unforgettable, unexpected ways. drop your classic ideas about "demonic" novels--this book belongs on any fiction-loving adventurous reader's bookshelf!
Erika (17789 KP) rated Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation in Books
May 17, 2018
So, this was billed as the 'behind-the-scenes' look at the war between Sega and Nintendo. Now, I'm not sure where all of the invented conversations came from, but they struck me as odd. I imagine they were made up... Which you can't really do for something billed as non-fiction.
It was an interesting story, and shows very much why Sega is non-existent, why Nintendo keeps hanging on, and Sony that surpassed them.
It was an interesting story, and shows very much why Sega is non-existent, why Nintendo keeps hanging on, and Sony that surpassed them.
Emma (519 KP) rated The Fateful Year England 1914 in Books
Jun 5, 2019
This was picked for my book club, I really really tried my hardest to enjoy reading it, but for all my best efforts I had to give up. I aren't a great lover of non fiction books anyway unless it is something I really enjoy learning about. But the way he has written it was far too textbookish for me and I found it too hard to keep my concentration on it.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Girl at the End of the World in Books
Feb 24, 2018
It was a good dystopian fiction. I like how the female was a very strong protagonist. Most fifteen year olds I know would not survive so it seemed a bit unrealistic in that was because she was not a prepper family. That did not distract from the story though. It was well paced and had a good flow. It was a stand alone novel not part of a series and sometimes we need those in our reading lives.