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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet in Books
Jan 15, 2018
First off the title of this book is entirely fitting!! The end was a bittersweet pill to swallow... it was the perfect ending to the story and yet so frustrating to have it end so abruptly!!
The story itself took me awhile to really get in to, but it is a fascinating story. One that is not touched on much in any WWII fiction.... that of the Japanese internment camps in the US. It focuses on 2 elementary students who are supposedly on opposite sides of the war in the pacific despite being classmates & born in America.
It had all the components of hope and heartbreak, putting you in the story & making you feel like you were there. I just didn't like how slow moving the plot was but what redeemed it was the colorful characters & the fact that it was well written. Being realistic fiction it is hard to make it too fast paced & believable at the same time.
The story itself took me awhile to really get in to, but it is a fascinating story. One that is not touched on much in any WWII fiction.... that of the Japanese internment camps in the US. It focuses on 2 elementary students who are supposedly on opposite sides of the war in the pacific despite being classmates & born in America.
It had all the components of hope and heartbreak, putting you in the story & making you feel like you were there. I just didn't like how slow moving the plot was but what redeemed it was the colorful characters & the fact that it was well written. Being realistic fiction it is hard to make it too fast paced & believable at the same time.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Hidden in Books
Jan 15, 2018
Well you have to love it when you win a Goodreads giveaway, get sent the wrong book, read it, & are pleasantly surprised at your luck. That's just what happened to me with this book. I won another book called Hidden but was sent this 1 by mistake. It was better than the book I really won!
This book alternates between Egypt in the 1920s & Egypt at the turn of the century. It is told alternately from the perspective of Aimee & a journal written by Hezba a few decades before.
It wasn't hard to figure out the plot, but I am happy to say that it didn't make the book any less engaging even after I had its number. The story is very well written even though I wish I hadn't figured it out as soon as I did. The characters are fascinating & the plot moves along at a nice clip with just the right number of twists & turns. I hope Chumas continues writing like she did here.
This book alternates between Egypt in the 1920s & Egypt at the turn of the century. It is told alternately from the perspective of Aimee & a journal written by Hezba a few decades before.
It wasn't hard to figure out the plot, but I am happy to say that it didn't make the book any less engaging even after I had its number. The story is very well written even though I wish I hadn't figured it out as soon as I did. The characters are fascinating & the plot moves along at a nice clip with just the right number of twists & turns. I hope Chumas continues writing like she did here.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Iron House in Books
Jan 15, 2018
First off I have to admit that I wasn't at all sure whether or not to read this book. I read Hart's The Lost Child. I thought it was just okay, but not exactly my thing. A friend won Iron House on Goodreads & offered me the book when she'd finished it. I can now say that I am VERY glad she did!
This book was much more satisfying than The Lost Child! The characters were very well developed & seemed to me to be much deeper & less predictable. The plot was still very dark which seems to be a Hart trademark, but the story was engrossing. It tore at your heart, but managed to gross you out & keep you on the edge of you seat at the same time. All the hallmarks of a great book in my eyes.
I don't know what the future will bring, but for me I sure hope John Hart continues writing in the style of Iron House. It was a winner!!!
This book was much more satisfying than The Lost Child! The characters were very well developed & seemed to me to be much deeper & less predictable. The plot was still very dark which seems to be a Hart trademark, but the story was engrossing. It tore at your heart, but managed to gross you out & keep you on the edge of you seat at the same time. All the hallmarks of a great book in my eyes.
I don't know what the future will bring, but for me I sure hope John Hart continues writing in the style of Iron House. It was a winner!!!
Paige (428 KP) rated The Art Book in Books
Jul 28, 2017
Great for beginners and fledgling art history buffs.
So this book has artist in alphabetical order, one per page. On each page, there is an example of their work and a small snippet of biography and explanation of the piece.
Simple idea, brilliant entrance to art for someone who doesn't know where to begin.
This helped me study it in a general way as a teen. I got familiar with some of what I liked. It made me comfortable with art in a lot of ways. It expanded my horizons and made me less intimidated by the vastness of all I had to learn.
There is a series of these- The 20th Century Art Book, The Photography Book, and The American Art Book (for some reason they changed the format on this particular one and made it sort of useless)
Simple idea, brilliant entrance to art for someone who doesn't know where to begin.
This helped me study it in a general way as a teen. I got familiar with some of what I liked. It made me comfortable with art in a lot of ways. It expanded my horizons and made me less intimidated by the vastness of all I had to learn.
There is a series of these- The 20th Century Art Book, The Photography Book, and The American Art Book (for some reason they changed the format on this particular one and made it sort of useless)
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism in Books
Aug 25, 2017
Pioneering incredible book about autism written by a young boy
This book is both controversial, yet pioneering. Pioneering because a 13-year-old boy with autism has found a way of communicating coherently through a computer. Controversial, because many claim it could be fraudulent and other so-called experts have debunked the severity of his autism. I am no expert, but I hope that it is real, because it's moving and wonderful to hear how helpless the condition can be from his perspective. And it's true that he probably shouldn't have used the royal 'We' to describe people with autism to all have the same reasons for symptoms. But he is just a young boy trying to help if that's the case. The translation from Japanese has been very much westernised using English colloquialisms, but it helps gauge western audiences. However it's incredible to hear how disconnected senses can become with autism, no sense of linear time, touch or taste, even words. Remarkable book.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Cross My Heart in Books
Aug 12, 2017
A very easy read, you can't put it down (2 more)
Lots of twists and turns
The tension builds and builds
Another thrilling Cross story
I'm not a huge book reader, as my many film reviews give away. I do like the Alex Cross stories with @Along Came a Spider (2001) one of my favourite Thrillers. This is actually the 21st Alex Cross novel of 25 so far. Hopefully more will be made into films.
This was so easy to get into and before you know it you are a few chapters in. The characters and the various plotlines are all neatly interwoven. This story switches between Cross and his antagonist's perspectives. There as always are a few great twists along the way. It does feel like a story in its own right but it does continue with Hope to die. So best to know that from the start, make sure you have both.
This was so easy to get into and before you know it you are a few chapters in. The characters and the various plotlines are all neatly interwoven. This story switches between Cross and his antagonist's perspectives. There as always are a few great twists along the way. It does feel like a story in its own right but it does continue with Hope to die. So best to know that from the start, make sure you have both.
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Clara (Stories of Lorst #1) in Books
May 15, 2018
Clara (Stories of Lorst #1) by Suzanna J. Linton
Clara is a young girl of ten when we first meet her, enjoying her last day of freedom although she doesn't realise that. Her life is about to change for the worst, but there is also a spark of hope in the form of Emmerich, a gypsy boy she meets. Clara loses many things, including her voice, during her trials and tribulations but it looks like her life is changing for the better when she meets Emmerich again. Is everything as it seems, or has Emmerich changed in ways too many to be ignored?
This is a well-written historical fantasy with a hint of romance. With good guys doing bad things, bad guys turning over new leaves (possibly), plus evil dudes without any form of redemption, this story captured my imagination as I read through.
Well-written and smoothly paced, this was a good, solid book. Definitely recommended.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a well-written historical fantasy with a hint of romance. With good guys doing bad things, bad guys turning over new leaves (possibly), plus evil dudes without any form of redemption, this story captured my imagination as I read through.
Well-written and smoothly paced, this was a good, solid book. Definitely recommended.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated Fallout: Lois Lane in Books
May 25, 2018
I LOVE this book.
I absolutely loved this book. I read an uncorrected proof copy, so there were a few errors, but I am sure those will be fixed before actual publication. But the book was AMAZING. Lois Lane is and always has been one of my greatest heroes. And this book definitely did the teenage Lois justice. In fact, she is pretty perfect. I also love how the author incorporates Clark Kent into the story in such a way that he is important to the story, but he is still secondary to Lane's character. A lot of times, trying to write a story told from the point of view of another character from a story as popular as the Superman mythos, the central character being written about loses her voice in favor of the more well-known hero. Not the case in this novel. I loved it. It was perfect. I hope DESPERATELY that the author continues to write more Lois Lane books in this fashion.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated One Night for Love (Bedwyn Prequels, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>One Night for Love</i> was a lovely book, with a touching love story. Yes, I'll admit the story is a little heavy-handed, but Ms. Balogh did a nice job of anchoring it with believable, and likable, characters. I especially liked how she let the heroine be her own person, had her find herself, and had the hero accept her the way she was before any of it! That in itself is unique in the romance genre, in particular in historical (Regency) romances. I felt for everyone - Lily and Lauren, mostly. I'm not sure how I feel going into <i>A Summer to Remember</i> right after this, but hope Mary Balogh can work her magic and I'll grow to love Lauren as I do Lily...just in a different way. :) I know how Lily felt, never feeling like she was home, so I'm glad she was able to become a whole person with a new and extended family.
Mo (66 KP) rated Scythe in Tabletop Games
Feb 20, 2019
Different mechanics each game (1 more)
Many different means to win
It is a good game over all
This was an interesting game. I had heard a lot of good stuff about it and had to try it. In the beginning I can say I hated it, there was nothing to really do and the game seemed overly complex. Later in the game I still looked at it unfavorably, winning combat was difficult and most of the game you are shepherded by the person who first manages to get to the main bit of land on the map. In the end I started to enjoy it, with the strategies which could come into play, actually sneaking in the points, and the multipliers for being a liked person in the game. This game has a lot of potential and I hope future expansions find a way to improve the experience