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Merissa (11950 KP) rated Hidden (Fire and Iceland #1) in Books
Dec 15, 2018
Hidden (Fire and Iceland #1) by Megan Morgan
Hidden is the first book in the Fire and Ice series, and we start off with Vanessa as she wakes up outside, wondering what on earth has happened to her. She is found by two Icelandic men, who she can understand even though she knows they are speaking their own language. Not only that, but Vanessa senses she is being watched, and has no idea what has gone on, or why.
This is a long book that is a slow burner. The first half of the book I thoroughly enjoyed, as Vanessa learnt more about the Icelandic mythology, and just how pertinent to her situation it may be. Then, I'm afraid, I got a bit bored. There is a lot of repetition, with Vanessa telling the world how unfair life is. And then we have an attraction thrown into the mix, where his ghostly wife may or may not be involved. And then the ending... of which I won't say anything because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
There were lots of aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but I was left feeling vaguely unsatisfied. I have given it a 3-star rating though, because it WAS good! It just didn't hold me engrossed like I love to be in a book. There were no editing or grammatical errors that ruined my reading, which is another reason for 3-stars.
If you fancy something a bit different, and like the idea of Iceland, then I would recommend this book.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a long book that is a slow burner. The first half of the book I thoroughly enjoyed, as Vanessa learnt more about the Icelandic mythology, and just how pertinent to her situation it may be. Then, I'm afraid, I got a bit bored. There is a lot of repetition, with Vanessa telling the world how unfair life is. And then we have an attraction thrown into the mix, where his ghostly wife may or may not be involved. And then the ending... of which I won't say anything because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
There were lots of aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but I was left feeling vaguely unsatisfied. I have given it a 3-star rating though, because it WAS good! It just didn't hold me engrossed like I love to be in a book. There were no editing or grammatical errors that ruined my reading, which is another reason for 3-stars.
If you fancy something a bit different, and like the idea of Iceland, then I would recommend this book.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
David McK (3372 KP) rated Zulu Hart (George Hart #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
"The first in a series of books about the Zulu War, this is also the first fictional book that Saul David has written. While he may be a good historian (never having read his works, I don't know), I have to say: I'm not so sure about his ability to write good fiction.
Not that there's anything wrong with his knowledge of the battle(s) of Islandwhana and Rorke's Drift (there isn't, and I'm sure he knows more about it than me) - that part of the book isn't actually too bad - rather, that he seemed to be too clumsy in how he manoeuvred his characters into position to be involved in those battles. I've never been too fond of the use of the amazing coincidence device! I also wasn't keen on the fact that the characters seemed to feel the need to explain to each other things that they should already know, even if the reader doesn't. You know, like one military officer describing to another how to perform a fighting retreat by ranks (one rank firing while the other covers them)?
There's two main love interests in the book, but only one of them seems fully realised or in place properly: the other added almost as an afterthought, and the conclusion of that one seems pretty weak.
Like another reviewer, I'd have to say that while this certainly wasn't the worse book I'v ever read, it's a long way from being the best, or even the best 'new' book I've read this year (that would have to be Angus Donald's "Outlaw"). Quite glad that I got it as part of a 1/2 price offer: would be less impressed if I'd had to pay full price for it!"
Not that there's anything wrong with his knowledge of the battle(s) of Islandwhana and Rorke's Drift (there isn't, and I'm sure he knows more about it than me) - that part of the book isn't actually too bad - rather, that he seemed to be too clumsy in how he manoeuvred his characters into position to be involved in those battles. I've never been too fond of the use of the amazing coincidence device! I also wasn't keen on the fact that the characters seemed to feel the need to explain to each other things that they should already know, even if the reader doesn't. You know, like one military officer describing to another how to perform a fighting retreat by ranks (one rank firing while the other covers them)?
There's two main love interests in the book, but only one of them seems fully realised or in place properly: the other added almost as an afterthought, and the conclusion of that one seems pretty weak.
Like another reviewer, I'd have to say that while this certainly wasn't the worse book I'v ever read, it's a long way from being the best, or even the best 'new' book I've read this year (that would have to be Angus Donald's "Outlaw"). Quite glad that I got it as part of a 1/2 price offer: would be less impressed if I'd had to pay full price for it!"
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Fruits Basket Another Vol. 1 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Fruits Basket was my first Manga I read and I decided to try it because of Hannah over at The Rainy Reader. The Fruits Basket story is super fun and cute. I read the first volume of the Collectors Edition and although it took me a bit to get used to the way you read a manga. Read right to left and you flip the pages from back to front.
The story was what initially intrigued me to try reading it. The story is based around a young girl name Tohru Honda. Her mother has recently died and as a result she ends up living in a tent on the private land of the Sohma clan. The owners of the land discover her and Tohru quickly realizes the most popular guy in her school, Yuki Sohma, lives in a house on this land. The family decides to take Tohru in and she discovers their secret… Anytime a member of the Sohma clan is hugged by someone of the opposite gender they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
I love all the characters Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are my favorites so far. Toward the end of this volume you start to meet other members of the clan, and I’m super excited for that! The characters are easy to relate to and I find myself so engrossed in the story that I’m often turning pages without enjoying the art work so I often must go back and check it out. The art work in this story is stunning, the way the emotions jump off the page is brilliant.
My goal this year was to start reading different types of books and break out of my comfort zone a bit. Fruits Basket allowed me to do that! I hope you’ll give it a try.
The story was what initially intrigued me to try reading it. The story is based around a young girl name Tohru Honda. Her mother has recently died and as a result she ends up living in a tent on the private land of the Sohma clan. The owners of the land discover her and Tohru quickly realizes the most popular guy in her school, Yuki Sohma, lives in a house on this land. The family decides to take Tohru in and she discovers their secret… Anytime a member of the Sohma clan is hugged by someone of the opposite gender they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
I love all the characters Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are my favorites so far. Toward the end of this volume you start to meet other members of the clan, and I’m super excited for that! The characters are easy to relate to and I find myself so engrossed in the story that I’m often turning pages without enjoying the art work so I often must go back and check it out. The art work in this story is stunning, the way the emotions jump off the page is brilliant.
My goal this year was to start reading different types of books and break out of my comfort zone a bit. Fruits Basket allowed me to do that! I hope you’ll give it a try.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Ki's Redemption (An Alien Exchange Trilogy #3) in Books
Jul 17, 2019
Ki's Redemption (An Alien Exchange Trilogy #3) by Keri Kruspe
Ki's Redemption is the third book in the An Alien Exchange Trilogy, BUT it is the first one I have read. Did this impact me in any way? Only by making me want to read the first two immediately!!! For the story itself though, it was all good. The characters are clearly defined and well established. Enough of a back-story is given so you understand all about things that have happened in the past, without it overshadowing the current story.
I love a good science fiction romp, and this book had it all. Sassy and strong females. Alpha males who need taking down a peg or two at times by said females. Artificial Intelligence. Androids. Robots. Bad dudes. Seriously, it's all here. Even better than a good science fiction romp, is a good science fiction romp that has DRAGONS!!!! And boy was I not disappointed by the two shown in this book! The descriptions of them are vivid, making it so very easy to see them in my mind. Can I just say, I thought Cleithe was amazing! Her grief broke my heart!
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, this book was a delight from start to finish. The story is gripping and full of action without being too much. Absolutely recommended by me, with the proviso that you simply must read books one and two too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get my grubby mitts on said books!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I love a good science fiction romp, and this book had it all. Sassy and strong females. Alpha males who need taking down a peg or two at times by said females. Artificial Intelligence. Androids. Robots. Bad dudes. Seriously, it's all here. Even better than a good science fiction romp, is a good science fiction romp that has DRAGONS!!!! And boy was I not disappointed by the two shown in this book! The descriptions of them are vivid, making it so very easy to see them in my mind. Can I just say, I thought Cleithe was amazing! Her grief broke my heart!
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, this book was a delight from start to finish. The story is gripping and full of action without being too much. Absolutely recommended by me, with the proviso that you simply must read books one and two too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get my grubby mitts on said books!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Scoop to Kill in Books
Jul 6, 2019
Here’s the Scoop – This is a Tasty Mystery
A reception to honor outstanding achievement at the local college turns tragic when Tally Jones’s niece, Alice, finds the body of grad student Bryan. Bryan was another local attending the college, although he had clearly been making some enemies along the way. With Alice in the thick of things, Tally starts spending a little less time at her ice cream shop, Remember the A-La-Mode, and more time at the college looking for clues. Will she find the killer?
While the mystery starts strongly with the discovery of Bryan’s body just a few pages in, the book still seems to wander a bit. We are gathering clues and information on the suspects, but it isn’t until the second half that it feels like Tally is truly investigating and we are beginning to find clues and disregard the red herrings. Once this happens, the book gets very good, and I was fully hooked. Tally and her immediate circle are a fun group, and I enjoyed spending time with them. I also enjoyed the cameos by some of the supporting cast from the first book. The suspects were strong enough to help us tell them apart, but they could have spent a little more time on the page to be fully developed. I had forgotten that there is a love triangle in this series, although it looks like that is coming to a head, which I appreciated. There is more language scattered throughout this book than is typical for a cozy, but this is still a light, fun cozy sure to keep you cool on a warm summer day. You might want to make sure you have some ice cream on hand first, however, to satisfy any cravings.
While the mystery starts strongly with the discovery of Bryan’s body just a few pages in, the book still seems to wander a bit. We are gathering clues and information on the suspects, but it isn’t until the second half that it feels like Tally is truly investigating and we are beginning to find clues and disregard the red herrings. Once this happens, the book gets very good, and I was fully hooked. Tally and her immediate circle are a fun group, and I enjoyed spending time with them. I also enjoyed the cameos by some of the supporting cast from the first book. The suspects were strong enough to help us tell them apart, but they could have spent a little more time on the page to be fully developed. I had forgotten that there is a love triangle in this series, although it looks like that is coming to a head, which I appreciated. There is more language scattered throughout this book than is typical for a cozy, but this is still a light, fun cozy sure to keep you cool on a warm summer day. You might want to make sure you have some ice cream on hand first, however, to satisfy any cravings.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Tigger Movie (2000) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
Decent Movie Carried By Characters We All Know and Love
In The Tigger Movie, the bouncing tiger Tigger is on a quest to find his family. While pretty predictable overall, it’s still endearing enough to be enjoyable.
Acting: 10
The Winnie the Pooh voiceover cast is always a treat to listen to. I’ve always loved that they really embody the personalities of their characters. You can feel how timid Piglet is while Tigger’s voice gives you the feeling that he is going to bounce straight through a wall. They are all extremely original.
Beginning: 5
A bit of a slow start. It’s almost like Disney is trying to justify why Tigger needs his own movie in the first place. The movie isn’t a long one, however, and things quickly pick up not too long after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 5
It’s a cute movie with a touching message, but nothing to write home about. It’s something I would want my kids to see, but not something I would watch on my own multiple times like Up. There are some strong moments here and there like Tigger’s montage song of his family. I also like the concept of what family really means.
Pace: 10
Plot: 9
Interesting story with enough meat to carry a movie. It is pretty linear and you can see the ending coming a mile away, but it was creative enough to hold my attention. I rather enjoyed the small adventure.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 75
The Tigger Movie is decent overall with fun familiar characters and an endearing story. It’s not the best of the Disney bunch, but I would say it’s worth a watch. It’s little gems like these that make Disney+ all the more worth it.
Acting: 10
The Winnie the Pooh voiceover cast is always a treat to listen to. I’ve always loved that they really embody the personalities of their characters. You can feel how timid Piglet is while Tigger’s voice gives you the feeling that he is going to bounce straight through a wall. They are all extremely original.
Beginning: 5
A bit of a slow start. It’s almost like Disney is trying to justify why Tigger needs his own movie in the first place. The movie isn’t a long one, however, and things quickly pick up not too long after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 5
It’s a cute movie with a touching message, but nothing to write home about. It’s something I would want my kids to see, but not something I would watch on my own multiple times like Up. There are some strong moments here and there like Tigger’s montage song of his family. I also like the concept of what family really means.
Pace: 10
Plot: 9
Interesting story with enough meat to carry a movie. It is pretty linear and you can see the ending coming a mile away, but it was creative enough to hold my attention. I rather enjoyed the small adventure.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 75
The Tigger Movie is decent overall with fun familiar characters and an endearing story. It’s not the best of the Disney bunch, but I would say it’s worth a watch. It’s little gems like these that make Disney+ all the more worth it.
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated Suburbia in Tabletop Games
Feb 5, 2020 (Updated Feb 5, 2020)
Replayability (2 more)
Multiple strategies
Easy to play
Seems complex (1 more)
Very similar to Castles of the Madking Ludwig
More simple than it seems
I've been wanted this game for years, however after being terrible at the app versiom, I was worried it'd be too complex. However, I got it as part of BGG's secret santa and finally got around to playing it.
At first I was overwhelmed by just how many components there are, and how complex the rules were, but once I got playing and saw how it was just Castles of the Madking Ludwig and even had similarities to the house favorite Terraforming Mars, it became extremely simple. This is definitely a play to learn game, as we played it got easier and easier. My partner and I adopted different strategies and it's the first time I've seen him be such a poor loser (I did destroy him).
Unlike Castles, the players are building a town buying properties from the board (each property rejected gets cheaper each round) and creating combos that benifet the plauers end goals and the boards end goals. The players try and raise (or lower) their reputation and towns population while generating enough income for growth. It really tickled my management game itch, as I love those silly kairosoft games and played SimTower like it was noones business back in the day. Striving to not just reach my goals but create a realistic town. My partner and I found ourselves roleplaying a little, making jokes as he placed his trailer park by the city dump, or how he sectioned his wealthy side off from the unsavory side with a series of lakes. We really got into it and I look forward to playing it again! Also, I promise, it's not nearly as complex as it looks!
At first I was overwhelmed by just how many components there are, and how complex the rules were, but once I got playing and saw how it was just Castles of the Madking Ludwig and even had similarities to the house favorite Terraforming Mars, it became extremely simple. This is definitely a play to learn game, as we played it got easier and easier. My partner and I adopted different strategies and it's the first time I've seen him be such a poor loser (I did destroy him).
Unlike Castles, the players are building a town buying properties from the board (each property rejected gets cheaper each round) and creating combos that benifet the plauers end goals and the boards end goals. The players try and raise (or lower) their reputation and towns population while generating enough income for growth. It really tickled my management game itch, as I love those silly kairosoft games and played SimTower like it was noones business back in the day. Striving to not just reach my goals but create a realistic town. My partner and I found ourselves roleplaying a little, making jokes as he placed his trailer park by the city dump, or how he sectioned his wealthy side off from the unsavory side with a series of lakes. We really got into it and I look forward to playing it again! Also, I promise, it's not nearly as complex as it looks!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Winter Stroll in Books
Mar 19, 2020
I read this ages ago, it seems, back in April while on vacation in snowy Vermont. I've been on an Elin Hilderbrand kick all year. Even though this series actually takes place in Nantucket, somehow reading this Christmas-themed novel in snow-covered Vermont seemed appropriate.
In book two (don't keep reading if you don't want spoilers!), Kelley Quinn is still running the Winter Street Inn in Nantucket. He's now single and actually on better terms with his first wife, Margaret, the mother of his first three children. One of them, Kevin, has a new baby, Genevieve, with his girlfriend, Isabelle. More worrisome is the fact that Kelley's youngest son--with his second ex-wife, Mitzi--is still deployed.
This is typical enjoyable fare from Elin Hilderbrand--I love this entire series. In this book, we hear from Mitzi's point of view, as well as Drake, Margaret's boyfriend. Each book is told from various viewpoints (usually just the Quinn family), so it was nice to expand whom we hear from. Ava, Kelley's only daughter, is her usual mess, even though she's dating someone supposedly more stable. And Kelley's son Patrick, is in jail, causing much turmoil for his wife, Jennifer (whom we also get to hear from) and the entire family.
I found this to be an easy read--I read it in a day on vacation and it's really fun. What isn't delightful about the messed up lives of other, fictional people? Even better is that Hilderbrand writes these as a series, so you really get to know the family and their issues. I can get lost in their lives. This was the perfect Vermont vacation read. 3.5 stars.
In book two (don't keep reading if you don't want spoilers!), Kelley Quinn is still running the Winter Street Inn in Nantucket. He's now single and actually on better terms with his first wife, Margaret, the mother of his first three children. One of them, Kevin, has a new baby, Genevieve, with his girlfriend, Isabelle. More worrisome is the fact that Kelley's youngest son--with his second ex-wife, Mitzi--is still deployed.
This is typical enjoyable fare from Elin Hilderbrand--I love this entire series. In this book, we hear from Mitzi's point of view, as well as Drake, Margaret's boyfriend. Each book is told from various viewpoints (usually just the Quinn family), so it was nice to expand whom we hear from. Ava, Kelley's only daughter, is her usual mess, even though she's dating someone supposedly more stable. And Kelley's son Patrick, is in jail, causing much turmoil for his wife, Jennifer (whom we also get to hear from) and the entire family.
I found this to be an easy read--I read it in a day on vacation and it's really fun. What isn't delightful about the messed up lives of other, fictional people? Even better is that Hilderbrand writes these as a series, so you really get to know the family and their issues. I can get lost in their lives. This was the perfect Vermont vacation read. 3.5 stars.
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