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Leah (: (569 KP) rated Pennies (Dollar book 1) in Books

Jul 27, 2018

Pennies (Dollar book 1)

Pepper Winters | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

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.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! in Books

Aug 14, 2019

Is Pigeon Ready for a New Experience?

Pigeon has just learned that he has to start attending school. Surely, he doesn’t have to do that. After all, he already knows everything. Will there be math? There are too many letters! And Pigeon is not a morning bird. Will anything be able to change his mind?

Author Mo Willems continues to find ways to tell stories using only pictures and dialogue that keep us engaged. This is another fast yet entertaining read. Most kids are excited about getting to go to school, but this book should help those who might be more reluctant and will entertain all kids. While Pigeon presents some reasons to not go to school that kids might not have thought of, by the end he is very excited about the prospect. (Personally, I still understand Pigeon’s concern about not being a morning bird.) I appreciated the nod to one of Pigeon’s earlier books. The stylized illustrations are a delight as always and really do help tell the story. Whether you have a kid starting school soon or not, you and your kid will enjoy this book.

Kudos

Deborah (162 KP) rated The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London in Books

Dec 21, 2018

Greig's book takes a look at the Beau Monde - the fashionable elite - ranging from the 'Glorious Revolution' up to the early part of the 19th century. The Beau Monde and The Season were instigated by the more important role of parliament following the deposition of James II by his daughter and her husband - William III & Mary II. The peerage would spend a good deal of their time in London attending parliament, and so so social 'Season' was born. It was interesting to see the extent to which politics permeated the fashionable society and the importance of 'gossip' and 'chit chat' which letters from wives to husbands can be full of. The book covers jewellery and dress, exile from the Beau Monde and fraudulent claims to membership, court attendance and much more. Particularly with the clothing and jewellery, I think this would really have been enhanced with coloured plates, but sadly all the illustrations are black and white.

In her introduction, Greig states that this book has grown out of her doctoral thesis on the subject. It is a quite a scholarly read, but not completely inaccessible to the general reader.