Search

Search only in certain items:

I Know What You’ve Done
I Know What You’ve Done
Dorothy Koomson | 2021 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the ideal book for those that want to see behind the curtains and front doors of their neighbours. Which says a lot about me, because this book had me on tenterhooks from the very first page!

One of the neighbours is the victim of an attempted murder, and just before she passes out on the pavement, she knocks on the door of another resident to warn them of something. She forces her diary on to them, saying that all they need to know is contained within.

The recipient of the diary has a past of her own that she’d rather no one knew about, and so it appears do a lot of the other residents of Acacia Villas.

The information of each of the residents involved in nefarious goings-on is drip fed at just the right speed to keep you turning the pages, and there are many gasp out loud moments!

It’s a great read, and recommended.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Dorothy Koomson for reading along, commenting in the margins with us Pigeonhole readers!
  
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
5
8.0 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
I thought I would enjoy it more
Review can also be found on my blog - www.diaryofdifference.com
The Song Of Achilles became a part of my TBR list right after I finished reading Circe. I loved Circe and it is one of my favorite books of 2018. I also enjoyed The Song of Achilles, but not nearly as much.

For the ones out there who love greek mythology, this is a book that covers Achilles’s life told from Patroclus’s point of view. It is more or less accurate, and covers a lot of details from the early lives of these two princes. This is a story about one great friendship that turns into something more, a lot of challenges, a lot of doubts, and a lot of choices to be made during a time of war.

The story is very fast paced, and I was skipping through the pages as fast as Achilles was killing Trojan warriors. From their childhood, to their growing up, to their adventures and the war, this book will never keep you calm, because every chapter something unexpected happens. Well, sometimes not too much, as I know the story, but even still, I was surprised a lot.

A thing that bothered me a lot throughout the whole book was the inaccuracy at some points, and hiding information.

Now, we all know that Achilles was immortal. And we all know the story that his mother Thetis, a goddess of water dipped his body into the water in the river Styx. However, she was holding him by the heel, so his heel was the only place where he was vulnerable. This will be the reason of his death, when Apollo would direct Paris’s spear into Achilles’ heel.

Now - if this is such a common fact, and everybody who heard about Achilles knows it - why wouldn’t the author include it in the book. It wasn’t mentioned once.. Not once… I found this really upsetting.

Moving forward to the characters, we have Patroclus presented as the weaker one, the coward, the person that is mocked by everyone, not loved even by his parents and unworthy. ( Another point that bothered me is that this is not entirely true - according to Homer, Patroclus was apparently wiser than Achilles)

On the other hand, we have the opposite - a wise, brave, strong and handsome man, loved by everyone, immortal and a son of a goddess. We have a perfect example for a leader.

While fate connect these two to meet from their very early years, they also build a love relationship which they try to hide it at first. This relationship will cause them hatred from Thetis (Achilles’ mom) and will prompt them to make choices that might not be necessarily good ones. Now, Homer never mentioned a pederasty in his works between these two, but Miller does. And I am not sure how I feel about it. Not about the fact that they are gay, but the fact that this is Achilles.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It is a great retelling of the story and a great time capture of the past. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t feel heartbroken in the end, but it was definitely worth reading it. I give it three stars - ★★★.
3 likes
  
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;

<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-review1.png"/>;

The Song Of Achilles became a part of my TBR list right after I finished reading Circe. I loved Circe and it is one of my favorite books of 2018. I also enjoyed The Song of Achilles, but not nearly as much.

For the ones out there who love greek mythology, this is a book that covers Achilles’s life told from Patroclus’s point of view. It is more or less accurate, and covers a lot of details from the early lives of these two princes. This is a story about one great friendship that turns into something more, a lot of challenges, a lot of doubts, and a lot of choices to be made during a time of war.

The story is very fast paced, and I was skipping through the pages as fast as Achilles was killing Trojan warriors. From their childhood, to their growing up, to their adventures and the war, this book will never keep you calm, because every chapter something unexpected happens. Well, sometimes not too much, as I know the story, but even still, I was surprised a lot.

<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-cover.png"/>;

<b><i>A thing that bothered me a lot throughout the whole book was the inaccuracy at some points, and hiding information. </i></B>

Now, we all know that Achilles was immortal. And we all know the story that his mother Thetis, a goddess of water dipped his body into the water in the river Styx. However, she was holding him by the heel, so his heel was the only place where he was vulnerable. This will be the reason of his death, when Apollo would direct Paris’s spear into Achilles’ heel.

Now - if this is such a common fact, and everybody who heard about Achilles knows it - why wouldn’t the author include it in the book. <b>It wasn’t mentioned once.. Not once… I found this really upsetting. </b>

Moving forward to the characters, we have Patroclus presented as the weaker one, the coward, the person that is mocked by everyone, not loved even by his parents and unworthy. ( Another point that bothered me is that this is not entirely true - according to Homer, Patroclus was apparently wiser than Achilles)

On the other hand, we have the opposite - a wise, brave, strong and handsome man, loved by everyone, immortal and a son of a goddess. We have a perfect example for a leader.

While fate connect these two to meet from their very early years, they also build a love relationship which they try to hide it at first. This relationship will cause them hatred from Thetis (Achilles’ mom) and will prompt them to make choices that might not be necessarily good ones. Now, Homer never mentioned a pederasty in his works between these two, but Miller does. And I am not sure how I feel about it. Not about the fact that they are gay, but the fact that this is Achilles.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It is a great retelling of the story and a great time capture of the past. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t feel heartbroken in the end, but it was definitely worth reading it. I give it three stars - ★★★.
  
40x40

Autumn (430 KP) rated Mindhunter - Season 1 in TV

Oct 26, 2017 (Updated Oct 26, 2017)  
Mindhunter - Season 1
Mindhunter - Season 1
2017 | Crime
The story (2 more)
Disturbing in a good way
A look inside the mind of serial killer’s
Can be slow at times (0 more)
I’m hoping season 2 will be faster paced because they’ve gotten a lot of the back story out of the way. By back story I mean how the FBI became involved in this study and why. Either way I really enjoyed the show. Psychology has always been very interesting to me, especially the psychology of those who do horrific things.
  
The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3) (Oslo Sequence #1)
The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3) (Oslo Sequence #1)
Don Bartlett, Jo Nesbo | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel was the third in the Harry Hole series, but the first in the Oslo sequence, as the Bat and Cockroaches took place outside of Oslo. The novel was well-paced, and I enjoyed reading it the second time, as much as I did the first time. Since this is the first in the Oslo sequence, a lot of the recurring characters are introduce, such as Rakel and Oleg.
They so should have started with this book for the movies.
  
40x40

alex (68 KP) rated A Monster Calls in Books

Nov 19, 2017  
A Monster Calls
A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness | 2016 | Children
9
8.6 (40 Ratings)
Book Rating
Easy and quick read (1 more)
Emotional- quite heavy subject matter
Quick yet emotional read
I love this book - brought it then finished it in the car ride home. Very heavy subject matter but dealt with in a skillful and thought evoking way. I cried a lot- still do when i tell friends what its about. It has a picture book type appeal but i suggest you give it a read before giving it to anyone young due to the subject matter it deals with.
  
Film Stars Don&#039;t Die in Liverpool (2018)
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama, Romance
A star cast (0 more)
Annette bending quirky acting (0 more)
No sparkle but a lot of stars
For a film that I have heard literally nothing about this little film with a big name is a hidden treasure, based on a true story of gloria graham's later live and her love affair with fellow actor 30 years her junior (peter turner) played by Annette Benning and Jamie Bell ,it's just a nice little film that probably would have worked better as a stage play
  
40x40

Peter (3 KP) rated Stranger Things in TV

Dec 28, 2017  
Stranger Things
Stranger Things
2016 | Sci-Fi
Great acting (0 more)
Bit slow at times and predictable (0 more)
It's well written and the acting is amazing especially when you think the main characters are so young. I didn't watch it untill everyone was going on about it which may have ruined it for me as it didn't live up to the hype. I found it a bit predictable at times and just wanted the story to pick up a bit. Season 2 for me was a lot better than the 1st
  
LG
Last Great Ride,The
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'd always considered Tartikoff a kind of hero, for indelibly knowing how television worked and making his mark there. The man was responsible for an incredible run of my favorite shows at NBC in the 80s, and this book, full of anecdotal stories is a lot of fun to read, but doesn't quite go far enough into the day to day making of those shows or running of the network. But it is entertaining and like Tartikoff's NBC programing something you shouldn't miss.