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Nothing Proved (Regina #1)
Book
Danger lined her path, but destiny led her to glory… Elizabeth Tudor learned resilience young....
Historical Tudor
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Line of Duty - Season 5 in TV
May 18, 2019
Gripping and thrilling
What can I say, Line of Duty have done it again with another hugely gripping series with twists, turns and a stellar cast. Again I won’t say too much at the risk of giving away any spoilers, but this series continues the investigation into the mysterious ‘H’ and they really do pack a lot of intrigue and twists and turns. It’s good to see the wonderful Stephen Graham in this, I couldn’t imagine anyone else more fitting for the role of Clayton and it’s also good to see a bit more of Adrian Dunbar who has been slightly sidelined in past series in favour of the characters of Arnott and Fleming. The plot itself is action packed with a lot of twists you just wouldn’t see coming. Of course unsurprisingly the series ends with a bit of a bang but also doesn’t quite wrap everything up neatly, leaving me screaming for another that I’ll now have to wait for. Damn you BBC.
My only criticism about this show, other than the fact that some plot lines have been left hanging until the ends series, is a bit of a back handed compliment. From working in a police environment I cannot stress to you how realistic a lot of aspects of this show are. Yes they’ve obviously made the storylines thrilling and action packed and made up, but the little nuances and parts of daily ordinary police life are very realistic. Whilst I really love they’ve made it this realistic, there’s one part I find very irritating and that’s mainly because it annoys me on a daily basis at work. I can’t stand the dated way police officers refer to those of a higher rank as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’, it seems very outdated in a world where we’re all meant to be equal, except when you’re a higher police rank then you can’t be called by your first name by a lower rank... Doesn’t seem right to me, and you certainly wouldn’t catch me doing that at work - calling someone by name doesn’t mean you don’t respect their position any less. So I do get a little irritated with this hierarchical nonsense sometimes on the show, especially with Kate and Steve. But very realistic to say the least! Rant over ?
My only criticism about this show, other than the fact that some plot lines have been left hanging until the ends series, is a bit of a back handed compliment. From working in a police environment I cannot stress to you how realistic a lot of aspects of this show are. Yes they’ve obviously made the storylines thrilling and action packed and made up, but the little nuances and parts of daily ordinary police life are very realistic. Whilst I really love they’ve made it this realistic, there’s one part I find very irritating and that’s mainly because it annoys me on a daily basis at work. I can’t stand the dated way police officers refer to those of a higher rank as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’, it seems very outdated in a world where we’re all meant to be equal, except when you’re a higher police rank then you can’t be called by your first name by a lower rank... Doesn’t seem right to me, and you certainly wouldn’t catch me doing that at work - calling someone by name doesn’t mean you don’t respect their position any less. So I do get a little irritated with this hierarchical nonsense sometimes on the show, especially with Kate and Steve. But very realistic to say the least! Rant over ?
A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby
Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY and THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZE FOR...
History
The Buried Girl
9.5
Rate It
Book
'Glittering and sharp, an ice pick of a novel. An astounding talent' AJ Finn, author of The Woman...
Crime Thriller Mystery Suspense Psychological
Larry Eisner (2082 KP) rated Logan (2017) in Movies
May 15, 2018
Gripping, tense and emotionally draining
This film is everything a superhero film aspires to be: gritty, action-packed, funny at times, believable, emotional, full of deep characterization and flawed characters...
Honestly, not much more can be said without giving away the plot.
Here’s what I can and will say:
Logan (Wolverine, as played by the forever perfect wolverine, Hugh Jackman) is older, but still mostly in his prime, but his adamantium skeleton had side effects over time.
Professor X, played by the always perfect (in even terribly flawed films) Jean Luc Pic- whoops! I mean, Patrick Stewart! Is fantastic and aged and is being cared for by Logan.
A child enters the scene. And she’s powered. And connected to Logan in ways he doesn’t want to admit. He reluctantly agrees to help her, and adventure, drama and true beautiful storytelling await.
I can not recommend this film enough. It’s not perfection. It’s not filmicly glorious. It’s simply the ultimate epitome of the genre and done flawlessly as such. Worth every penny to own and yes, you will cry. Oh yes, even you.
Honestly, not much more can be said without giving away the plot.
Here’s what I can and will say:
Logan (Wolverine, as played by the forever perfect wolverine, Hugh Jackman) is older, but still mostly in his prime, but his adamantium skeleton had side effects over time.
Professor X, played by the always perfect (in even terribly flawed films) Jean Luc Pic- whoops! I mean, Patrick Stewart! Is fantastic and aged and is being cared for by Logan.
A child enters the scene. And she’s powered. And connected to Logan in ways he doesn’t want to admit. He reluctantly agrees to help her, and adventure, drama and true beautiful storytelling await.
I can not recommend this film enough. It’s not perfection. It’s not filmicly glorious. It’s simply the ultimate epitome of the genre and done flawlessly as such. Worth every penny to own and yes, you will cry. Oh yes, even you.
Ross (3284 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why - Season 1 in TV
Feb 28, 2019
Deep personal story, gripping drama
On the surface this series looks to be all angsty teen drama. However from fairly early on, we see how a few instances of a nice sensitive person being slighted by the wrong people, or by those she trusts, can start to snowball.
Some of the "reasons" may seem fairly small and on their own not a reason for someone to take their own life. However, as the series tries to say, we never know what someone else is thinking or feeling. Without knowing that, and without true care over our own actions and interactions, small things can easily build up.
Small actions can have larger consequences and can make other people do things they wouldn't otherwise have done.
The cast are superb with all the main sterotypes of school personae covered (the rich kid, the poor but gifted kid, the nerd, the bookish girl, the talented jock etc). However, these aren't cartoon versions of those and are portrayed in a more human way than I've seen before. They all have their failings and in one way or another let someone down and resulted in them killing themselves.
Some of the "reasons" may seem fairly small and on their own not a reason for someone to take their own life. However, as the series tries to say, we never know what someone else is thinking or feeling. Without knowing that, and without true care over our own actions and interactions, small things can easily build up.
Small actions can have larger consequences and can make other people do things they wouldn't otherwise have done.
The cast are superb with all the main sterotypes of school personae covered (the rich kid, the poor but gifted kid, the nerd, the bookish girl, the talented jock etc). However, these aren't cartoon versions of those and are portrayed in a more human way than I've seen before. They all have their failings and in one way or another let someone down and resulted in them killing themselves.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated A Stranger on the Beach in Books
Mar 21, 2019
This book was EXCELLENT. I was hooked from the very first line and I could not stop reading. Fun, fast-paced, and completely intriguing - Michele Campbell has done it again!
There is a stranger outside Caroline's house.
Or is he?
This story was so well-written. It's told from two perspectives: Aiden's and Caroline's. Neither is a particularly reliable narrator, and you will find yourself questioning SO MANY THINGS. There were quite a few scenes which seemed to happen one way when Caroline was narrating, but then seemed to happen a completely different way when Aiden was narrating. Who's telling the truth? What actually happened? How do Caroline's husband, Jason, or her sister, Lynn, figure in to the story? Discovering all of this is half the fun, and I'm being very mindful of spoilers so as not to take that fun away from prospective readers! ?
A Stranger on the Beach is a twisted (and twisty), gripping, page-turner releasing July 23rd - just in time to take it to the beach. Add it to your TBR list now!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to preview this title early in exchange for an honest review.
There is a stranger outside Caroline's house.
Or is he?
This story was so well-written. It's told from two perspectives: Aiden's and Caroline's. Neither is a particularly reliable narrator, and you will find yourself questioning SO MANY THINGS. There were quite a few scenes which seemed to happen one way when Caroline was narrating, but then seemed to happen a completely different way when Aiden was narrating. Who's telling the truth? What actually happened? How do Caroline's husband, Jason, or her sister, Lynn, figure in to the story? Discovering all of this is half the fun, and I'm being very mindful of spoilers so as not to take that fun away from prospective readers! ?
A Stranger on the Beach is a twisted (and twisty), gripping, page-turner releasing July 23rd - just in time to take it to the beach. Add it to your TBR list now!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to preview this title early in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended gritty read
What a roller-coaster of a ride that was! I'm sure I experienced all the emotions known to man whilst reading this book - joy, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, anticipation and fear to name but a few.
The characters are believable and brilliant although not all of them are particularly likeable. The story is gripping and had me hooked from start to finish and although I anticipated the end, it didn't disappoint or spoil it for me. The only complaint I have is the epilogue ... what the heck?!?! I found it cheesy and, in my humble opinion, totally unnecessary apart from tying up a couple of loose ends which could have been put elsewhere in the book however, this didn't ruin it for me it just made me "tut" and roll my eyes.
Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a gritty story that's not all about violence and hate.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The characters are believable and brilliant although not all of them are particularly likeable. The story is gripping and had me hooked from start to finish and although I anticipated the end, it didn't disappoint or spoil it for me. The only complaint I have is the epilogue ... what the heck?!?! I found it cheesy and, in my humble opinion, totally unnecessary apart from tying up a couple of loose ends which could have been put elsewhere in the book however, this didn't ruin it for me it just made me "tut" and roll my eyes.
Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a gritty story that's not all about violence and hate.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Leah (: (569 KP) rated Pennies (Dollar book 1) in Books
Jul 27, 2018
This book is very dark but very gripping.
It starts with Tasmin being held captive and prepared to be sold. Due to this some of the story is told through letters that she writes, these are used to fill in the backstory of how she came to be at this point. As well as helping to keep the storyline fast paced.
Once Elder Prest is introduced we get a split perspective, I enjoy split perspective as I like to know what both characters are thinking. However both characters still like to keep secrets so even at the end of a book much of Elder is a mystery.
This is the first book in the series so it definitely finishes with a lot of unanswered questions. I really enjoyed this book, so I have purchased the second one as I was that curious about what would happen next that I couldn’t leave it unfinished.
The full series is available, so if that normally puts you off don’t let it. Although the book has some very dark themes there are not very graphic scenes, most of it is mentioned afterwards and not described.
It starts with Tasmin being held captive and prepared to be sold. Due to this some of the story is told through letters that she writes, these are used to fill in the backstory of how she came to be at this point. As well as helping to keep the storyline fast paced.
Once Elder Prest is introduced we get a split perspective, I enjoy split perspective as I like to know what both characters are thinking. However both characters still like to keep secrets so even at the end of a book much of Elder is a mystery.
This is the first book in the series so it definitely finishes with a lot of unanswered questions. I really enjoyed this book, so I have purchased the second one as I was that curious about what would happen next that I couldn’t leave it unfinished.
The full series is available, so if that normally puts you off don’t let it. Although the book has some very dark themes there are not very graphic scenes, most of it is mentioned afterwards and not described.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated The Other Sister in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary highly recommends “The Other Sister” by Dianne Dixon as an exceptionally engaging 5 star read.
“The Other Sister” is an incredibly complex novel and a must read for book lovers. This was my first Dianne Dixon book and wishing I had found this awesome author earlier.
I was intrigued by the cover – an old brown suitcase on an old wooden chair – and the synopsis. I found the plot to be gripping and fast moving, at times confusing, but totally thrilling. The novel tells the story of twins, Ali and Morgan, and the bond they share through good and bad times. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I read throughout the night, finishing early this morning and just sat there thinking for so long afterwards… glad I am not a twin!
The author has created engaging unforgettable characters which had me hooked from the very beginning. There are so many twists and I rate it highly as a top suspense novel of 2016.
I would like to thank Dianne Dixon, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
This review is also published on my book blog www.momobookdiary.com, netgalley, goodreads and bookbridgr
“The Other Sister” is an incredibly complex novel and a must read for book lovers. This was my first Dianne Dixon book and wishing I had found this awesome author earlier.
I was intrigued by the cover – an old brown suitcase on an old wooden chair – and the synopsis. I found the plot to be gripping and fast moving, at times confusing, but totally thrilling. The novel tells the story of twins, Ali and Morgan, and the bond they share through good and bad times. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I read throughout the night, finishing early this morning and just sat there thinking for so long afterwards… glad I am not a twin!
The author has created engaging unforgettable characters which had me hooked from the very beginning. There are so many twists and I rate it highly as a top suspense novel of 2016.
I would like to thank Dianne Dixon, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
This review is also published on my book blog www.momobookdiary.com, netgalley, goodreads and bookbridgr