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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Diva (Breathing Underwater, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Realistic, with a very likeable protagonist. It touched on deep subjects without being over-the-top and melancholy, yet it could be amusing and you really got a sense for the characters and how they would act/react/relate/talk. Other than that I can't really describe why I liked this book so much, except that it was enjoyable and I would definitely love to read more with Caitlin!
I did notice a lot of quotation marks where there shouldn't be and none where there should be. Sometimes I was a little confused about what the author was trying to say because of misspellings or left out words or letters, especially during the "blog speak" where it had internet spelling.
I did notice a lot of quotation marks where there shouldn't be and none where there should be. Sometimes I was a little confused about what the author was trying to say because of misspellings or left out words or letters, especially during the "blog speak" where it had internet spelling.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated The Baker Street Letters (Baker Street Letters #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Reggie Heath has rented the offices that would be Sherlock Holmes address if he'd been, you know, real. Part of his lease involves answering the letters, a job he's assigned to younger brother Nigel. But one letter sends Nigel on a trip to Los Angeles with Reggie close behind. What has Nigel stumbled into?
I'm not a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, but I was intrigued by this book. Turned out to be a fun twisty read with good characters. It took a little bit to feel like I was part of the story, but once I got going, I couldn't put it down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-baker-street-letters.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I'm not a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, but I was intrigued by this book. Turned out to be a fun twisty read with good characters. It took a little bit to feel like I was part of the story, but once I got going, I couldn't put it down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-baker-street-letters.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Daisy in Chains in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Since the first time I took S.J. Bolton’s book in my hand I cannot stop admiring her. Read all of her books and gladly continue doing so. They mesmerise me.It is extremely intriguing from the first pages of the book. The way it is written never gets you bored. I loved the different approach to telling the story via letters and news paper articles. It is perfectly blended together with the story of the book. The best thing about this book is that it is easy to read because chapters are short. The characters are very charismatic and interesting personalities. The story has great twists in it. Once you start reading it captivates you because every chapter invites you to find out “what next?”.
Kristina (502 KP) rated Regretting You in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
I went into Regretting You blind, as I do with most of Colleen's books - I definitely don't regret it. While I confess to being super nosy and curious about the letters and what questions they could have answered, I have read Colleen's explanation, I can say I respect her reasoning. I also want to say that I loved how she explored the relationship between mother and daughter, I don't think that's a typical topic. I loved Jonah and Miller, they were both so great in their own ways! I was afraid of this book being a cliché, but Colleen is too good at her job, because none of it felt like any other storyline I've ever read. What a great way to start out 2020!
Luc Horvathova (60 KP) rated Dracula in Books
Oct 22, 2019
Gripping, entertaining well written master piece
Contains spoilers, click to show
The book is written in form of letters and diaries. It starts in Dracula's castle in Transylvania as Harker, the estate agent is going through the sale of some properties over in England. His good relationship with count starts to crumble as some weird things start happening and the place he's staying gets really scary. After the transaction is over and Harker is free to go home, he collapses on the way and gets submitted into the hospital. Meanwhile story starts explaining the relationship of his fiancé Mina and her best friend Lucy. Lucy is choosing her future husband while getting really sick for an unknown reason. Her sleep walking and getting pale and lifeless worries Mina. Lucy's future husband seeks help at his friend psychiatrist who calls his old friend Van Helsing. Meanwhile in psychiatric institute one of the patients behaves very strangely, specially at night time. Lucy's condition gets really bad and eventually she dies, breaking everyone's heart. In the same time Mina meets her sick fiance and get married moving into their new home. After Lucy's death she meets Van Helsing And others and together they figure out that count Dracula is behind this all. As much as vampires are scary, the group is determined to kill count under any circumstances. One of the last losses is Mina getting into Dracula's hands and slowly turning into vampire herself. The hunt begins to be very serious and our friends are getting very desperate...how does the story ends, it's up to you to find out by reading this masterpiece.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Raiders of the Lost Bark in Books
Dec 4, 2019
Glamping with Dogs…and a Killer
Over the last few months, Mel has been the victim of Addison Rae. Addison is trying to become the premier gourmet pet chef in Laguna Beach, and she is using old letters from Mel’s mother to get Mel to make introductions. Addison’s latest gig is as the chef at a camping trip for dog owners and their pets, and Mel intends to get the letters over the course of the trip. However, before she can, Addison turns up dead. Mel knows she makes a great suspect, but can she find the really killer before her mother’s secret, and her motive, is exposed?
The books in this series are always fun, and this book is no exception. The mystery starts well and moves quickly as we get more suspects and motives to sort through before Mel finally figures things out. The dogs’ antics are always entertaining. The people can tend to be more caricature than full character here, but it works for the series and provides us with some laughs. Mel is real and helps ground things. Mel’s assistant Betty is also along for the ride in this book. She’s a hoot, but we get a bit too much of her here, and I grew tired of some of her antics at times. The brooch that Mel is feuding over with her cousin Caro continues to make things challenging here, and I’m anxious to find out what happens next in that saga. Readers who have pets will be interested in the two recipes at the end of the book. Pack your bags because this is a glamping trip not to miss.
The books in this series are always fun, and this book is no exception. The mystery starts well and moves quickly as we get more suspects and motives to sort through before Mel finally figures things out. The dogs’ antics are always entertaining. The people can tend to be more caricature than full character here, but it works for the series and provides us with some laughs. Mel is real and helps ground things. Mel’s assistant Betty is also along for the ride in this book. She’s a hoot, but we get a bit too much of her here, and I grew tired of some of her antics at times. The brooch that Mel is feuding over with her cousin Caro continues to make things challenging here, and I’m anxious to find out what happens next in that saga. Readers who have pets will be interested in the two recipes at the end of the book. Pack your bags because this is a glamping trip not to miss.
ClareR (5667 KP) rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Books
Jan 14, 2018
This will stay on my bookshelf!!
I normally give books away after I've read them unless I love them, and this book, well, I really did love it. Such a touching, funny, sad story. I loved how the story's told through a series of letters from the main character, Juliet, and some of the inhabitants of Guernsey. We get a glimpse of what life had been like under German occupation during World War II, and how the people of Guernsey rebuilt their lives after the end of the war. There's a tiny bit of romance too, but not too much. It's such a shame that this was the only book that Mary Ann Shaffer wrote, but I suppose it does prove the point that most people have a book in them to write!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Books
May 2, 2018
Far too lighthearted & frilly
Considering this is centred around the German occupation of Guernsey and deals with details of prison/work camps, it's far too lighthearted a read.
It takes serious topics and although parts of the book do highlight the serious and disturbing topics of the war, it sandwiches them in between massive sections of saccharine sweet fluffy happiness. Its a bit much. Juliet and her friends are fairly endearing characters for the most part (except for the aforementioned fluffiness), and I did enjoy the way the book is written entirely in letters. Its just a shame it doesn't concentrate more on taking the story a little more seriously.
Although I haven't seen the film yet, I'd be surprised if it isn't slightly better than the book. And it's not often I say this!
It takes serious topics and although parts of the book do highlight the serious and disturbing topics of the war, it sandwiches them in between massive sections of saccharine sweet fluffy happiness. Its a bit much. Juliet and her friends are fairly endearing characters for the most part (except for the aforementioned fluffiness), and I did enjoy the way the book is written entirely in letters. Its just a shame it doesn't concentrate more on taking the story a little more seriously.
Although I haven't seen the film yet, I'd be surprised if it isn't slightly better than the book. And it's not often I say this!
Deborah (162 KP) rated Wars Of The Roses in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I think the title of the book is rather misleading - it's not really about the Wars of the Roses per se. The blurb on the inside of the dust jacket tells me it's a book looking more at the impact of this civil strife and the political, social and military situation. It does, as it claims, include many primary sources; 'English and European writings, diplomatic correspondence, personal letters and propoganda', but it is the promised 'detailed interpretation based on modern research' that I must have missed while reading this! To me this was a series of unconnected original documents linked with short paragraphs of text by Lander. In many places the book is so bogged down with inumerable footnotes that the flow of the text is completely lost.
Nice idea, but it doesn't work here.
Nice idea, but it doesn't work here.
There's plenty of letters and journals preserved regarding royalty, aristocrats and other rich and famous people but less about more ordinary people. OK, so most of ancestors would have been peasants/yeomen who would have been unlikely to be able to read, but every so often something does turn up which throws some light on our understanding of what we might consider to be more ordinary people. The Paston letters are one famous example and the story presented in the book is another discovery along the same sort of lines.
Our story begins in India, with William Jackson, who will be the father of our 'profligate son'. It is while in India that he meets his future wife and several other influential connections. A major incident here also has an impact on this William's future. The Profligate Son of the title is the son of this William Jackson, also called William Jackson, just to confuse the issue! Jackson senior had returned to England and was a reasonably wealthy man of the new middle classes. He had, however, made his fortune in trade and was keen for his only son to receive a good education and go into the law - one of the gentlemanly occupations at this time.
Unfortunately, William was not particularly interested in a good education, but far more interested in pursuing what he considered 'gentlemanly' pursuits - being idle and frivolous, drinking conspicuous amounts and consorting with women of easy virtue! In spite of the admonitions of his father and the pleadings of his affectionate mother, William continued into a downward spiral - resorting to forgery and deception to gain what it really seems he believes he was entitled to. The Georgian world, in some ways not dissimilar to modern days, was largely built upon trades-persons extending credit, which allowed William to get away with so much. We follow our anti-hero through various prisons and courts until he is finally transported to Australia. I find it most amazing that he never seems to repent of what he has done and really seems to believe that there has been a miscarriage of justice against him!
This story has been preserved through the writings of Mr Jackson, the father, and the letters between various family members which have been preserved for all this time. an interesting insight into the seamier side of Georgian life - and perhaps a lesson for people in these times who are too apt to live upon credit!
Our story begins in India, with William Jackson, who will be the father of our 'profligate son'. It is while in India that he meets his future wife and several other influential connections. A major incident here also has an impact on this William's future. The Profligate Son of the title is the son of this William Jackson, also called William Jackson, just to confuse the issue! Jackson senior had returned to England and was a reasonably wealthy man of the new middle classes. He had, however, made his fortune in trade and was keen for his only son to receive a good education and go into the law - one of the gentlemanly occupations at this time.
Unfortunately, William was not particularly interested in a good education, but far more interested in pursuing what he considered 'gentlemanly' pursuits - being idle and frivolous, drinking conspicuous amounts and consorting with women of easy virtue! In spite of the admonitions of his father and the pleadings of his affectionate mother, William continued into a downward spiral - resorting to forgery and deception to gain what it really seems he believes he was entitled to. The Georgian world, in some ways not dissimilar to modern days, was largely built upon trades-persons extending credit, which allowed William to get away with so much. We follow our anti-hero through various prisons and courts until he is finally transported to Australia. I find it most amazing that he never seems to repent of what he has done and really seems to believe that there has been a miscarriage of justice against him!
This story has been preserved through the writings of Mr Jackson, the father, and the letters between various family members which have been preserved for all this time. an interesting insight into the seamier side of Georgian life - and perhaps a lesson for people in these times who are too apt to live upon credit!