Search
Search results
ClareR (6062 KP) rated The Bass Rock in Books
May 29, 2020 (Updated May 29, 2020)
The Bass Rock is based around three different women: Sarah, Ruth and Viviane - and of course, the Bass Rock seems to be a constant. It really exists, I've googled it, and it's off the coast of North Berwick in Scotland. This is where the story is set.
The novel looks at a lot of themes over the years: the role of women, both their expected role and what they actually want to do; relationships between men and women, and those relationships between women as well; cruelty and abuse; and mental health is an important theme, and indeed is central to a great many of the characters.
It's just the kind of book that I enjoy reading, both in style and thematic content. Sometimes you just need a book that ticks along, one that's in no rush to get where it's going. If that makes you think that this is a boring book, it really isn't. There's a lot going on in these timelines, the characters have a lot of things to deal with in their relationships and lives in general, but I never felt rushed. It's a book that I wanted to last. In fact, I really do think that this has been an ideal book to read during this coronavirus lockdown. I think that it will also be a book that I gift to other people.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me my ebook copy.
The novel looks at a lot of themes over the years: the role of women, both their expected role and what they actually want to do; relationships between men and women, and those relationships between women as well; cruelty and abuse; and mental health is an important theme, and indeed is central to a great many of the characters.
It's just the kind of book that I enjoy reading, both in style and thematic content. Sometimes you just need a book that ticks along, one that's in no rush to get where it's going. If that makes you think that this is a boring book, it really isn't. There's a lot going on in these timelines, the characters have a lot of things to deal with in their relationships and lives in general, but I never felt rushed. It's a book that I wanted to last. In fact, I really do think that this has been an ideal book to read during this coronavirus lockdown. I think that it will also be a book that I gift to other people.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me my ebook copy.
Merissa (13730 KP) rated Broken (Reflections, #1) in Books
Apr 4, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
Adri is dealing with a lot at the moment. She has lost half of her family and really her mum isn't really there either, except sporadically - VERY sporadically. They have moved to a new town which is a lot smaller than were they have come from and she knows that she will be focus of attention for a while. She is befriended by another 'new' girl, Brittany, who has only been there for a year. Somehow, she manages to draw the attention of the two hottest guys at the school and is drawn into the middle of something she doesn't understand.
There are already a lot of comments saying that this is like Twilight so I won't bother with any of that. All I will say is that although there are similarities, there are also big differences. This book actually made me shout out (much to my husband's delight and confusion) as Adri thought her mysterious benefactor was one person and I was shouting that it wasn't, it was someone else.
I really enjoyed this book and will be getting Torn which is the next book in the series. This is definitely one for me to continue reading but I definitely need to know Alec's side in this! If you like YA, Twilight, shapeshifters, then give this one a go. Recommended.
* Verified Purchase - February 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 10, 2016
There are already a lot of comments saying that this is like Twilight so I won't bother with any of that. All I will say is that although there are similarities, there are also big differences. This book actually made me shout out (much to my husband's delight and confusion) as Adri thought her mysterious benefactor was one person and I was shouting that it wasn't, it was someone else.
I really enjoyed this book and will be getting Torn which is the next book in the series. This is definitely one for me to continue reading but I definitely need to know Alec's side in this! If you like YA, Twilight, shapeshifters, then give this one a go. Recommended.
* Verified Purchase - February 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 10, 2016
Debbiereadsbook (1647 KP) rated Tangled In Tinsel in Books
Dec 11, 2021
the letter made me cry!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Taken straight from the blurb, this best describes this book! This gay, Hallmark-influenced romance is a heart-warming, hilarious, steamy mug of Christmas cocoa.
And it really is a wonderful read! I have a lot of holiday stories in my review list this year and this is the most fun read, I think, of the lot.
Dean is chasing that elusive find, the one that would save his business and make his name in the antiques world. Finding it is Tinsel, and meeting Levi again, was fate. Then the snow comes, Dean's nemesis also arrives and Dean is faced with making the decision of his life.
There follows an hilarious tale of two men falling in love, over a cradle; a lot of interruptions to their moments and a horse ride from hell and I really can't go into too much more, save for spoilers!
But it really is a wonderful read. And I loved the connection that Levi had to the cradle, and just what else Levi has to give to Dean.
The letter though, made me cry!
Oh, and the epilogue did too!
I can't see that I've read anything else by this author, and I think I need to correct that, right quick (just as soon as my review list lets me!)
4 wonderful stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Taken straight from the blurb, this best describes this book! This gay, Hallmark-influenced romance is a heart-warming, hilarious, steamy mug of Christmas cocoa.
And it really is a wonderful read! I have a lot of holiday stories in my review list this year and this is the most fun read, I think, of the lot.
Dean is chasing that elusive find, the one that would save his business and make his name in the antiques world. Finding it is Tinsel, and meeting Levi again, was fate. Then the snow comes, Dean's nemesis also arrives and Dean is faced with making the decision of his life.
There follows an hilarious tale of two men falling in love, over a cradle; a lot of interruptions to their moments and a horse ride from hell and I really can't go into too much more, save for spoilers!
But it really is a wonderful read. And I loved the connection that Levi had to the cradle, and just what else Levi has to give to Dean.
The letter though, made me cry!
Oh, and the epilogue did too!
I can't see that I've read anything else by this author, and I think I need to correct that, right quick (just as soon as my review list lets me!)
4 wonderful stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (13730 KP) rated Dearest Malachi Keogh (Dearest Milton James #2) in Books
Nov 16, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
Now, you may remember that I fell in love with Julian and Malachi in DEAREST MILTON JAMES, which I declared a Mary Poppins book - practically perfect in every way! Let me tell you that this one is no different. DEAREST MALACHI KEOGH is simply outstanding. There's a whole lot packed into this novella, and I devoured every single word.
Malachi and Julian have been together for four years, and Julian wants to propose BUT he wants it to be as special as Malachi is. *Hint* that's a lot!! The whole gang gets involved and what you get is something totally sweet and completely hot at the same time.
My word, but I love these two. I could read them forever, seriously. Told from Julian's perspective, you feel everything. His nerves, his hope, his love. I love Malachi's reactions. He is still fabulous but now doesn't have his hair dyed (shame!).
For a short but sweet seasonal story, this one was fantastic. I loved it, and the characters were like old friends. I really hope this isn't the end of the mailroom. I enjoy myself far too much there.
Do I recommend it? Erm, maybe just a little WHOLE LOT!!! 😍
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 16, 2021
Malachi and Julian have been together for four years, and Julian wants to propose BUT he wants it to be as special as Malachi is. *Hint* that's a lot!! The whole gang gets involved and what you get is something totally sweet and completely hot at the same time.
My word, but I love these two. I could read them forever, seriously. Told from Julian's perspective, you feel everything. His nerves, his hope, his love. I love Malachi's reactions. He is still fabulous but now doesn't have his hair dyed (shame!).
For a short but sweet seasonal story, this one was fantastic. I loved it, and the characters were like old friends. I really hope this isn't the end of the mailroom. I enjoy myself far too much there.
Do I recommend it? Erm, maybe just a little WHOLE LOT!!! 😍
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 16, 2021
Julie (77 KP) rated Honestly Ben in Books
Oct 21, 2017
My review: "This book is full of ups and downs; basically I felt like I was on a roller coaster. This was a good thing, and kinda a bad thing. I felt like Ben didn’t really know what he wanted, which he admits, but because of that he makes some unwise choices. I was actually disappointed how things turned out with Hannah. That mess could have been avoided.
A lot of other reviewers/readers have expressed some negative feelings with how Ben deals with his sexuality. For me, it wasn’t that big of an issue because there is no guide book to sexuality or discovering your sexuality. There’s no one way. Everyone has their own story. Yes, Ben was super confused, and even at the end he has a lot to figure out. But that’s okay. He needs time to figure it out." You can find the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/honestly-ben-by-bill-konigsberg/
A lot of other reviewers/readers have expressed some negative feelings with how Ben deals with his sexuality. For me, it wasn’t that big of an issue because there is no guide book to sexuality or discovering your sexuality. There’s no one way. Everyone has their own story. Yes, Ben was super confused, and even at the end he has a lot to figure out. But that’s okay. He needs time to figure it out." You can find the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/honestly-ben-by-bill-konigsberg/
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Books
Aug 18, 2017
Complex range of human emotion in this coming of age book
I read this book after watching the film so I made a lot of comparisons. For one while there are scenes that completely match the book, there are quite a lot of parts missing in the film. No doubt the book is far more detailed - I loved the film so reading it was equally pleasurable. It's more than a coming of age film, it explores prejudice, mental health, sexuality, abuse, so it's more meaningful than expected. Written in a series of letters, Charlie has symptoms of some kind of mental health issue that isn't explicitly mentioned so his attitude to the world is very straightforward yet complex. He watches human behaviour more than participating in social situations. My only gripe is that the writing is pretty bad, and I'm accounting this to the fact the author is trying to write as a 16 year-old boy. Easy to read though.
Samantha (67 KP) rated Yellow Brick War in Books
Jul 9, 2017
The new villain in this book seemed to be added to the story to continue the series rather than being relevant to the plot (1 more)
A lot of time is spent in Kansas rather than in Oz but still the Kansas plot line seems underdeveloped and clouded
'War'
I'm uncertain on how I actually feel about this novel. To me, there was a lot left un-clarified, with there being certain chapters and scenes that could have been better utilised by developing backstory and deepening knowledge of particular characters and their histories. Although there was some action in this novel it did not feel enough for a novel with the word 'war' in its title. It was good to see characters that had small roles in the first and second novels become more pertinent and important in the series throughout this instalment. I valued this as it provided some variety from the depictions of Amy and the 'Wicked' ones.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Fifty Shades of Grey in Books
May 10, 2018
So I had to read this for myself after hearing all of the mixed reviews of it. I was thinking it was going to be a lot different. I could relate a lot to this book, which is why I think I liked it so much, but it had nothing to do with the BDSM or the sex. Just their relationship as a whole. I tend to be a generally shy person when it comes to the opposite sex, and so I could understand how it was difficult for Anastasia(ANA) to discuss her feelings with Christian and send them through email instead. I am the same way. I was intrigued by their relationship because I wanted to see if he was going to bend his rules for her. They both made compromises in who they were for the other, and isn't that what a relationship is about. So, now, I can't wait to see what happen next. Anyone got book 2 on Kindle I can borrow??
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Innocent (Will Robie #1) in Books
May 10, 2018
First let me say what an awesome audio book this was. You could hear the gunshots and explosions as they went off. Another part of this book, that really got me interested, was that it was set in the Washington, D.C. area. It's interesting to read a book and recognize the places that they are talking about.
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
This was the first book in the Will Robie series. Will Robie is a federal agent hired to do some of the nations dirtiest work. When one of his missions does not go off as planned, he is faced with a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Getting some help that he is not used to usually having, he gets to the bottom of a very sticky situation.
This book was great and now I'm ready to dive into [b:The Hit|15791154|The Hit (Will Robie, #2)|David Baldacci|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361749502s/15791154.jpg|21512735].
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated The Flow of History in Tabletop Games
Apr 15, 2018
Multiple use cards (2 more)
Historical technologies
Good glory to Rome style art.
Flow of history has a lot to love.
Glory to Rome is out of print. And it’s rare to find a copy for sale for less that $200. Which is a lot for a small card game. This one searches the itch but is also different enough to be its own thing. On first play it feels less swingy than GTR. I really started to see how it worked about 1/2 way through. And wished I’d done things very differently. My friend backed it on Kickstarter and now I’m wishing I had too. This needs multiple plays to be sure I love it. But I go to game night to try new things and this delivered. Kudos to the designers for trying to fill a void while still making a new game.
