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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Coming Up For Air in Books

Jan 23, 2018  
Coming Up For Air
Coming Up For Air
Miranda Kenneally | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quick, fun read
Maggie's entire life is swimming. Since she was a kid, her focus has been on the sport and hopefully qualifying for the Olympics one day. Her best friend, Levi, also swims, and the two spend most of their time together. As they enter their senior year, however, Maggie starts to realize how much of typical teen life she's missed out on because of swimming. In particular: relationships and being with a guy. So Maggie turns to Levi for help. After all, her best friend is well-versed in randomly hooking up with girls at swim meets, so she asks him to teach her to hook up. Maggie doesn't think anything will go wrong with this plan--and that the two can maintain their close friendship. But is that really the case? And can Maggie still focus on the most important year of her swimming career?

I've read a few other books in Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series and really enjoyed them: they are just fun, escapist YA novels. For me, this one wasn't quite up to the others I've read, though I enjoyed the second half more than the first. It took me a long time to get into the story and the characters. The "learn to hook up" premise for the plot was a shaky one, and I missed the main focus on sport and relationships than seem to be the hallmark of Kenneally's other novels. While this genre of book is often a bit predictable, the first half of this one was ridiculously so, and it was a little painful to read at times.

Luckily, I found the second half more in the usual Hundred Oaks style, and I did find myself getting into Maggie and Levi's story more. Maggie irritated me a bit from time to time, but she takes more control over her own life decisions in the second half of the story. I liked Levi a lot and the two's friendship. The second half also centers more on her competitive swimming career, which I enjoyed (the focus on different sports in this series is always a fun, added touch). You can't help but enjoy the romance aspect and get sucked in--it's just a strength of Kenneally's and she does it so well. Overall, while not my favorite of the Hundred Oaks novels, this was a cute book and a fun read, though not the usual quick escape that I was expecting.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
  
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Caitlin Ann Cherniak (85 KP) rated The Dragon Queen in Books

Oct 20, 2018  
The Dragon Queen
The Dragon Queen
William Andrews | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very strong and intelligent female protagonist (2 more)
The Korean history
Rich detail
Mr. Simon bits (1 more)
The king is so weak!
Taken from my review on Goodreads: I won this book during a Kindle giveaway, and I'm very happy I was one of the lucky winners of this book. For a book that almost has five stars on this forum, it definitely deserves its ranking. This book not only tells a legend to an ignorant American government official, it tells the story of how a shy girl became a queen that sparked a revolution between the Koreans and the Japanese in the late 1800's. Honestly, the present day parts didn't add much except for why Anna is telling the story in the first place, which I guess adds some relevance, but the core of the story is the story of Ja-young, who should count as a princess Disney will never write about considering how sexist and violent her situation got throughout the entire novel. My greatest advice for encountering this book is skip the beginning and go straight to Ja-young's story. Waaaaaaaaaaay more influential than listening to a white man ramble about North and South Korean issues any day of the week.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2186 KP) rated Murder by the Seashore in Books

Oct 19, 2023  
Murder by the Seashore
Murder by the Seashore
Samara Yew | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Under the Pier
Scarlett Gardner is living her dream. She’s moved to Oceanside, California, and she’s opened a bookshop right on the beach. She’s opened in time for tourist season, and business is beginning to pick up. Unfortunately, a pre-work walk on the beach ends when Scarlett finds a woman dead under the pier. She recognizes the woman as her last customer the day before, but she assumes after she gives a statement to the police that her involvement is done. The next day, she finds herself pulled back into the case in a surprising way. Can she figure out what is really going on?

The premise of this one called to me with the beach and bookstore setting. I felt at home right away with Scarlett and the rest of the regulars. The plot pulled me in. It is more event heavy rather than investigation heavy (I prefer a good mix), but there were still times the events kept me reading longer than I should have. And yes, the setting is fun since I have spent some time in Oceanside on a regular basis. I hope this series runs for a long time. If you are looking for a great new cozy series, look no further.