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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Second Sister in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Lucy Toomey is busy working on a Presidential campaign. Her days and nights are consumed by work and punctuated only by late night calls from her sister, Alice, who still lives in Lucy's hometown of Nilson's Bay, Wisconsin. We learn that Alice suffered an accident at 18, which left her mentally disabled, and for which Lucy still feels guilty, many years later. However, not even her guilt can convince her to return to Nilson's Bay. Until she receives a call that Alice has passed away.
As the campaign winds down, Lucy finds herself once again in her hometown, settling Alice's affairs, living in her old home, and trying to figure out her life.
Overall, this is a fairly easy read, though I found the beginning a bit slow. Lucy is not the most likeable of characters, though she did grow on me as she herself grows. The plot is rather predictable, though you don't find yourself fighting the ending much. Once I got through about the first third, the book went quickly and was a pleasant read, but nothing amazing. (It did make me want to visit Door County, Wisconsin, however! Well-done on that front.)
Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
As the campaign winds down, Lucy finds herself once again in her hometown, settling Alice's affairs, living in her old home, and trying to figure out her life.
Overall, this is a fairly easy read, though I found the beginning a bit slow. Lucy is not the most likeable of characters, though she did grow on me as she herself grows. The plot is rather predictable, though you don't find yourself fighting the ending much. Once I got through about the first third, the book went quickly and was a pleasant read, but nothing amazing. (It did make me want to visit Door County, Wisconsin, however! Well-done on that front.)
Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels, #5.5) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I'm fairly sure that I missed a Kate Daniels book, because I don't recall some of the events referred to in this book. That annoys me, and I'll have to go back and read whatever the last one was out of order now. It'll be worth it, though, because Ilona Andrews' writing is always fun. Gunmetal Magic is no exception.
This is the first novel to focus on Andrea Nash, Kate Daniels' best friend. Exposed as a shapeshifter, she's been kicked out of the Order. She had just chosen to obey orders from a superior officer instead of fighting with the Pack, which led to a breakup with her lover Raphael. Now she has to rebuild her life from a shattered ruin.
Andrea is a fascinating character, abused repeatedly in her terrible childhood and raised to be ashamed of and hide her shapeshifting nature. Her relationship with Raphael is informed by their bouda nature, but her human side isn't left out by any means.
I particularly enjoy the part that Atlanta plays in Andrews' books, but as a near-native Atlanta I'm bound to be biased in that respect.
This volume and the bonus novella "Magic Gifts" are definitely worthwhile reading for any fan of the Kate Daniels series.
This is the first novel to focus on Andrea Nash, Kate Daniels' best friend. Exposed as a shapeshifter, she's been kicked out of the Order. She had just chosen to obey orders from a superior officer instead of fighting with the Pack, which led to a breakup with her lover Raphael. Now she has to rebuild her life from a shattered ruin.
Andrea is a fascinating character, abused repeatedly in her terrible childhood and raised to be ashamed of and hide her shapeshifting nature. Her relationship with Raphael is informed by their bouda nature, but her human side isn't left out by any means.
I particularly enjoy the part that Atlanta plays in Andrews' books, but as a near-native Atlanta I'm bound to be biased in that respect.
This volume and the bonus novella "Magic Gifts" are definitely worthwhile reading for any fan of the Kate Daniels series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Spy School Secret Service (Spy School, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The evil organization SPYDER is back, and they are planning to assassinate the President. Because of Ben Ripley’s success fighting them in the past, he is sent under cover into the White House to try to find the sleeper agent. However, with the large number of people in the White House each day, Ben soon realizes just how mammoth the task is. Can he figure out what is going on in time to save the President?
This premise sets us off on another wonderful wild ride into the world of espionage. Oh, the fact that Ben is only twelve-years-old might be unrealistic, but it is so much fun and author Stuart Gibbs makes it work here. There are lots of twists leading up to the wonderful climax. The characters are good, although they could be a little stronger. That’s probably just the adult in me talking, however because it certainly wasn’t on my mind when I was busy turning pages. The book also packs a fair number of laughs that caught me off guard and truly made me laugh out loud. Kids of all ages will love this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-spy-school-secret-service.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This premise sets us off on another wonderful wild ride into the world of espionage. Oh, the fact that Ben is only twelve-years-old might be unrealistic, but it is so much fun and author Stuart Gibbs makes it work here. There are lots of twists leading up to the wonderful climax. The characters are good, although they could be a little stronger. That’s probably just the adult in me talking, however because it certainly wasn’t on my mind when I was busy turning pages. The book also packs a fair number of laughs that caught me off guard and truly made me laugh out loud. Kids of all ages will love this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-spy-school-secret-service.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017) in Movies
Feb 13, 2018 (Updated Mar 7, 2018)
Now, there's nothing wrong in principle with doing an animated Godzilla movie; most of the problems with this one arise from the fact it is largely unrecognisable as such.
Earth is abandoned due to excessive growth in the giant monster population; timey-wimey plot device means the survivors return twenty years later and find thousands of years have gone past and the place has reverted to a primeval state; the ecology is now distinctly Godzillaesque. Has their technology improved to the point where they can stand a chance against the Big G himself?
Reasonable, if somewhat convoluted premise is torpedoed by a persistent mood of nihilistic misery and absence of likeable human characters; Godzilla is largely absent, and mostly passive when he does appear. You want to see Godzilla demolishing Tokyo and fighting other monsters, not mooching about in a jungle, anyway. A good way of catching up on recent tropes in mainstream SF (this is just a nice way of saying the film is rather derivative), some interesting designs, but on the whole this is hard work to watch. English subtitles seem to have been written using Google Translate, which only adds to the essentially frustrating nature of the experience.
Earth is abandoned due to excessive growth in the giant monster population; timey-wimey plot device means the survivors return twenty years later and find thousands of years have gone past and the place has reverted to a primeval state; the ecology is now distinctly Godzillaesque. Has their technology improved to the point where they can stand a chance against the Big G himself?
Reasonable, if somewhat convoluted premise is torpedoed by a persistent mood of nihilistic misery and absence of likeable human characters; Godzilla is largely absent, and mostly passive when he does appear. You want to see Godzilla demolishing Tokyo and fighting other monsters, not mooching about in a jungle, anyway. A good way of catching up on recent tropes in mainstream SF (this is just a nice way of saying the film is rather derivative), some interesting designs, but on the whole this is hard work to watch. English subtitles seem to have been written using Google Translate, which only adds to the essentially frustrating nature of the experience.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Hair-Pocalypse in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Hair-pocalypse by Geoff Herbach is a wonderful, funny picture book of a boy named Aiden who has wild. Aiden is a little boy with hair that has a mind of its own. This story takes us through a day in Aiden’s life with his wild hair and how he was able to deal with it. The overall message of the book is about compromise and understanding.
Aidan has wild and crazy hair. Aidan’s also a bit on the “grubby” side, as young boys are inclined to be. The book opens with Aidan’s hair in full on rebellion. With what appears to be a mind of its own the mop of hair undertakes to make Aidan’s life embarrassing and difficult.After yelling and screaming and fighting with his hair Aidan finally has a calm conversation with the unruly mop and works out an accommodation.
The illustrations are wonderful and help enhance the story. The pictures depict the personality of the hair and show its rebellion, and then it’s eventual abandon. The pictures show the support and energize the story, which helps the reader with getting into the story.
Thank you to Capstone and Capstone Young Readers via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Aidan has wild and crazy hair. Aidan’s also a bit on the “grubby” side, as young boys are inclined to be. The book opens with Aidan’s hair in full on rebellion. With what appears to be a mind of its own the mop of hair undertakes to make Aidan’s life embarrassing and difficult.After yelling and screaming and fighting with his hair Aidan finally has a calm conversation with the unruly mop and works out an accommodation.
The illustrations are wonderful and help enhance the story. The pictures depict the personality of the hair and show its rebellion, and then it’s eventual abandon. The pictures show the support and energize the story, which helps the reader with getting into the story.
Thank you to Capstone and Capstone Young Readers via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kristin (149 KP) rated The Slayer and the Sphinx (The Slayer and the Sphinx, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Porter is a Slayer. He kills the mythological creatures of the world, aka Mythics, and he's good at his job. On the flipside, there's Sarah, a Sphinx, just minding her own business when her house is attacked by a trio of Slayers, Porter included. When she tries to escape by teleporting, she unknowingly brings Porter along for the ride, and she doesn't know what will happen when he wakes up. However, he's damaged goods, and doesn't remember who or what he is. Cue adventure!
I'll admit, when I first glanced at the cover for this book, I thought it might be slightly childish, maybe a middle-grade book. Boy, was I wrong!! It completely pulled me in from the very beginning, and all I could picture was Porter fighting alongside Buffy. Once the pair teleports and Porter loses his memory, I was so engrossed in the story, trying to guess what would happen around the next corner, how he would remember himself and what he would think. I'm definitely going to read Book 2 in the series, because I need more of these two (and Tick!) and their struggle to deal with the world around them!
5 stars
Porter is a Slayer. He kills the mythological creatures of the world, aka Mythics, and he's good at his job. On the flipside, there's Sarah, a Sphinx, just minding her own business when her house is attacked by a trio of Slayers, Porter included. When she tries to escape by teleporting, she unknowingly brings Porter along for the ride, and she doesn't know what will happen when he wakes up. However, he's damaged goods, and doesn't remember who or what he is. Cue adventure!
I'll admit, when I first glanced at the cover for this book, I thought it might be slightly childish, maybe a middle-grade book. Boy, was I wrong!! It completely pulled me in from the very beginning, and all I could picture was Porter fighting alongside Buffy. Once the pair teleports and Porter loses his memory, I was so engrossed in the story, trying to guess what would happen around the next corner, how he would remember himself and what he would think. I'm definitely going to read Book 2 in the series, because I need more of these two (and Tick!) and their struggle to deal with the world around them!
5 stars
Sue (5 KP) rated Gone to Green (Green #1) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.
When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
Merissa (12854 KP) rated Desires of a Mage (Mages of the Nether, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Desires of a Mage follows Marcus as he becomes bored with being a bodyguard for Daniel and Aiden. He wants more, but doesn't appear to be able to get it. Edmond is from a scholarly house, more suited to teaching than fighting. These two have a history but Marcus broke it off for reasons unknown. All does become clear as the story progresses though, I promise you.
With meddling families, traitors in the mix, unrequited love, there is plenty of action going on. I was very pleased when things were cleared up with Tullia, but a bit disappointed when left with a hint that things still weren't in the clear regarding Camelia. There is plenty in here to move this story along, as well as laying the groundwork for future stories, full of intrigue.
This is well written, with a smooth and easy flow to it. I would recommend that you read it as part of a series, rather than a standalone, but have no hesitation at all in recommending it completely.
*A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
With meddling families, traitors in the mix, unrequited love, there is plenty of action going on. I was very pleased when things were cleared up with Tullia, but a bit disappointed when left with a hint that things still weren't in the clear regarding Camelia. There is plenty in here to move this story along, as well as laying the groundwork for future stories, full of intrigue.
This is well written, with a smooth and easy flow to it. I would recommend that you read it as part of a series, rather than a standalone, but have no hesitation at all in recommending it completely.
*A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
David McK (3557 KP) rated Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Unlike some of the more famous Batman stories ([b:the Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], say, or {book: The Killing Joke], The Court of Owls is not one that I was previously familiar with - or, for that matter, had even heard of - prior to this graphic novel.
Unlike those previously two mentioned, this is a more contemporary tale, with Batman at the height of his crime-fighting powers, unlike the aging Batman of [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], or the still-relatively-green of the majority of [b:The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787], and also has the wider Bat-family (that sounds awful, doesn't it?) of Nightwing, Robin and Red Robin all in it.
The Court of Owls itself is an urban legend from Gotham of a secret society that lives in the shadows and watches/judges all: like Batman, an urban legend that soon proves not to be such after all.
While I may read volume 2 in the future, it's also not one that I'd be hunting out for.
Unlike those previously two mentioned, this is a more contemporary tale, with Batman at the height of his crime-fighting powers, unlike the aging Batman of [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], or the still-relatively-green of the majority of [b:The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787], and also has the wider Bat-family (that sounds awful, doesn't it?) of Nightwing, Robin and Red Robin all in it.
The Court of Owls itself is an urban legend from Gotham of a secret society that lives in the shadows and watches/judges all: like Batman, an urban legend that soon proves not to be such after all.
While I may read volume 2 in the future, it's also not one that I'd be hunting out for.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018 (Updated Dec 22, 2018)
I was expecting this movie to be a clusterf*** if I'm being honest. the trailers made it look really hokey. BUT, this movie was super entertaining. Of course, it was predictable, as most mainstream films are, but I wasn't super annoyed by it. It was a big, slightly dumb, fun film.
The action was good. The VFX/CGI made this entire film, and... cough, cough, Marvel take note because the CGI in the last 3rd of Black Panther and last battle scene in IW were a cluster from a VFX standpoint.
Do you want fighting underwater? Some dude in a weird helmet with daddy issues? A slight Indiana Jones vibe for around 30 minutes? Some big d*** energy from Aquaman? Then, this is the film for you.
I don't even like Amber Heard, but she was one of my favorite characters. I don't think Aquaman really had to save her throughout the movie. Jason Momoa was definitely the right person to pull off Aquaman without making him super weird.
The only weird casting decision was Patrick Wilson... Anytime I see him in films, I think of that super weird/awkward sex scene in Watchmen, which forever scarred me...I will gladly go see this at least one more time before it leaves theaters.
The action was good. The VFX/CGI made this entire film, and... cough, cough, Marvel take note because the CGI in the last 3rd of Black Panther and last battle scene in IW were a cluster from a VFX standpoint.
Do you want fighting underwater? Some dude in a weird helmet with daddy issues? A slight Indiana Jones vibe for around 30 minutes? Some big d*** energy from Aquaman? Then, this is the film for you.
I don't even like Amber Heard, but she was one of my favorite characters. I don't think Aquaman really had to save her throughout the movie. Jason Momoa was definitely the right person to pull off Aquaman without making him super weird.
The only weird casting decision was Patrick Wilson... Anytime I see him in films, I think of that super weird/awkward sex scene in Watchmen, which forever scarred me...I will gladly go see this at least one more time before it leaves theaters.