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Merissa (12051 KP) rated Blooded in Books

Sep 30, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2023)  
Blooded
Blooded
Nat Kennedy | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
BLOODED is a standalone novel that I would love to see made into a series. I'm really not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.

It is a story of two parts, one longer than the other. We start off in school, with Nick and his friends preparing to graduate. Then we move forward ten years and see how their reality (and they themselves) has changed.

I would love to know more about their magic, and how it works. As I've said, I'm not ready for farewells! Their Mentor-of-the-Month was brilliant and it showed how they were resourceful and prepared to take the grey path in order to achieve the greater good. The relationships between all of them were interesting and showed how close they were. They had had good times and bad, and it reflected this.

Nick and Byron themselves were HOT. I thought it very well written how these two slowly transitioned from student-teacher to being on a level, with many adjustments having to be made on both sides. I loved how they were together and, I'll say this just once again, I still need more! This is a series begging to be written!

A wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

** 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!
Sep 30, 2021
  
Charlie Goes to School (Adventures with Charlie #1)
Charlie Goes to School (Adventures with Charlie #1)
Charles Schoen | 2014 | Children, Education
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charlie Goes to School is a story based on a true story. It is about a little boy that has some special needs. The book focuses on what Charlie can rather than what he can not do. This is a good book for children and parents alike. An to show that being different is okay. They may look and do things a bit differently.

This book goes through the adventures that Charlie does to go to school. It shows and tells us how he goes about his day at school. It shows the help and friends he does have at school and in town. Some of his favorite things he likes to do and classes. The pictures are done well.

I love reading about different children and learning what they can do with their abilities, whether they are physical or mental. This book can teach children and parents that having someone with special needs can teach and inspire others how they do things.

This little boy is an inspiration and a charmer, just being himself, and his family accepts him for being him. If you love him and do what is best for him, that is all that matters. Charlie seems like he been happy and is learning to do some adventures of his own. This series is called “Adventures with Charlie” Charlie Goes to School. Charlie seems to join the fun of trying new things. What fun will you do on a school bus and at school?
  
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3)
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3)
Emma Hamm | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3) by Emma Hamm
Blue Blood is the third book in the Series of Blood, and this time it is Jasper's story. We reunite with him after the battle that took place at the end of Red Blood (Lyra's story), and he is locked in an iron cage. This doesn't sit with well with our 6ft plus hero, and he is determined not to show any fear to his captors. Kudos to him, because I would have! He finds out that he is caged next to a lovely young woman called Ella, who houses a Unicorn. Ella helps him every way she can, but she can do nothing when Malachi shows up with a job for Jasper to do. You know things won't go according to Jasper's plan, but he has to try. He ends up rescuing Mercy, although he is not sure what sort of rescue it is when she simply gets transferred from one cage to another. Along their adventure, you meet a multitude of amazing characters that will tug at your heart strings and provide some lighthearted moments that are needed in contrast to the torment that Mercy is going through. No one ever said love was easy, but this is ridiculous!

I would say that this is definitely the darkest book so far, and it is certainly a HFN ending. I don't even know if Jasper will get his HEA, given the circumstances! I won't say anything else, as I don't want to spoil it, but I really can't wait to see where this story is going to go! With cameos from previous characters, plus meeting the new ones, there is plenty going on. Plus Pitch makes his usual appearance (still love this dude!) and helps in his own inimitable way.

With plenty of action and a storyline darker than the previous books, this was the complete page-turner. Both Jasper and Mercy are amazing characters, fully rounded and intriguing. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, the pace was smooth, the story excellent. All in all, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book, and the series.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Story (2 more)
The jokes
Graphics
Filler "episode" (0 more)
Another trek into the jurassic
Contains spoilers, click to show
I would like to start out by saying that Jurassic Park is my favorite movie of all time! I remember being 7 and not having any fascination with dinosaurs and my parents took me and my sister to see it at the movie theater and I was immediately blown away and obsessed.

Flash forward 25 years and I'm still in love with the Jurassic Park series. Are they hollow shells of the original? Sure, but they are alot of fun.

This one starts out right after the events of Jurassic world and I liked the direction the movie was heading in. I thought some of the call backs to Jurassic world were really fun and clever but I thought the overall story arch of getting Claire to the island to rescue dinosaurs before the volcano erupted, was very reminiscent of the Jurassic Park 3 story line and we all know that movie was a straight up brontosaurus turd! Think about it, grant was lied to about taking Mr Kirby on a tour of dinosaurs and they landed to rescue Eric. Claire was lied to about saving dinosaurs so the main villan could get her to the island to save all these sepcies so he could sell them. ??? Trash setup.

The graphics were very well done and they had some pretty good practical effects and some pretty good practical effects with a slight layer of cgi. I loved the blue background story and I love that they are keeping rexy as a main dinosaur in these iterations.

Overall this movie was just a filler "episode" in the Jurassic Park series with some fun little throw backs to the previous films. It didn't really do anything that makes it standout in the series other than setup for the next movie.

I hope the next one delivers on the promise that dinosaurs will be roaming free around us. I honestly hope it goes even more sci-fi and massie turns evil and has a connection to the genetically engineered Dino's. And they try to take over the world! Just kidding on that last part. But if it is going to be the last movie in the new trilogy I hope they really nail the tone and the pace unlike this movie did.

Until next time my friends.
  
TS
The Space Between
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Harper Isabelle has a pretty good life: she's beautiful, smart, and popular. Her first year in high school is going quite well, thanks in part to the protective shadow cast by her sister, Bronte, the most popular girl in school. For Sarah Jamieson, however, things aren't exactly as smooth. While Sarah's twin brother Tyler has always been in the in crowd at school, Sarah has not. Between her stutter and style of dress, she's not only on the fringes, she's mocked by other students at school. So imagine Sarah's surprise when Harper shows an interest in her-- and when Sarah herself feels drawn to Harper. Is Harper only interested in Sarah because she wants to date Tyler? Why do the two girls feel so close, as if being drawn together by a magnet?

Overall, this is a dynamo of a book, which I sped through rapidly. It actually builds its storyline rather slowly, as Harper and Sarah deal with their feelings for each other, but I found it that a nice antidote to the usual YA where the characters seem to fall in love overnight. This was similar to some of my own experiences coming out. Harper and Sarah are well-drawn characters who pop on the page -- they are complicated, sweet, and beautiful as they work through the multitude of emotions that comes with falling in love in high school. There is definitely a cheesy element to some of the writing but it really doesn't take away from the experience of watching these girls struggle to find each other. Perhaps the only thing that takes away from the story is a little of the weirdness factor in that Harper also dates Sarah's brother; it manages to work with the story, but it does occasionally give you pause.

Honestly, I was very touched by this book and found it to be a sweet coming of age/coming out story. I wish there had been more of these around when I was going through a similar experience. It does an excellent job of showing some of the difficulty teens still face in dealing with their sexuality in high school (and with their families) today. You'll find yourself quite invested in Harper and Sarah's story. Definitely a worthwhile read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks!); it's available everywhere.
  
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Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated The Guardian in Books

Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)  
TG
The Guardian
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Review | The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks is a well known author as some of hes books have been made into films. If you don't know the author or what book have been turned into a film they are the following The Notebook, The Best Of Me, Dear John, The Longest Ride, The Last Song, Safe Haven, The Choice, The Lucky One, A Walk to Remember, Message In A Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe. All these films I have seen but I aint read the books yet. But I am a type where I always think back to the actors in the film and can't imagine my own imaginary character.

But when I saw this book on Amazon I thought why not read more of hes books because I've read A Bend in the Road I love how he grips me with twist and turns that what this book The Guardian is like. But the only differences its more of a love story with a thriller story entwined.

The story is about Julie who is widowed early into her marriage as her husband Jim had cancer and passed away. Jim left her two unexpected gifts one is a puppy Great Dane called Singer and also to tell her to find someone who she can spend her life with (her late husband's best friend Mike). Mike is a down-to-earth guy but someone else grabs her eyes called Richard hes charming he comes to her work (shes a hairdresser) but she doesn't know that hes a obsessed with her and starts stalking her and taking photos of her. But through the story Mike his there to help her remember her late husband and Singer the dog is her 'Guardian'. They also form a bond Singer and Mike and the dog only trusts him not Richard. But Julie starts getting feelings for Mike and calls off her relationship with Richard. He doesn't like this so the character gets darker and plots you will have to read the book to find out the ending.

Sorry but I don't like giving away spoilers so go and buy the copy and find out what you think.

Q. Have you read any Nicholas Sparks' books, If so which ones have you read?

P.S I have purchased another book of hes called True Believer. Can't wait to get into it after I've read Professor Green Autobiography called Lucky.
  
Sometimes love hurts—and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving. Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island—a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals—and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises. With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.



My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story about how family roles and events mold a person and their life. Welcome to a story that brings a family back together again, where they begin to see each other for who they are and what their abilities or gifting is; how they learn to work together and learn to love one another again. It is also a story about learning to forgive, that people do grow as they live their life; that people do learn from their mistakes. It is a story about being honest with one another.


Suzanne Woods Fisher will does not disappoint in this novel. Once again she has spun a wonderful true to life tale. Living on a small island is quaint. I know, I come from a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay; Smith Island. This novel reminds me so much of where I come from, no police, a small school, etc. and a small population. The author has spun a tale that makes the reader want to come to visit this place and take home some of the distinctiveness it gives the residents and visitors.



Readers will enjoy this new series, I certainly look forward to more from Suzanne Woods Fisher!
  
Providence: A Novel
Providence: A Novel
Caroline Kepnes | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fans of Stranger Things will love this! SO clever and Unique (0 more)
If you don't like love stories, might not be your cup of tea, but I'm not and I still enjoyed it! (0 more)
Super Fun Read!
Wow! This was my first Caroline Kepnes book and let me tell you - it will NOT be my last! I loved this book, I flew through it and did not want it to end, and what a fun and unique story! I'm a HUGE Stranger Things fan, and this reminded me a bit of that - part sci-fi/fantasy/horror, but also part mystery/detective thriller - so many things I love all mixed in to one really clever tale. In the end, it's really a fun journey across time between two star crossed lovers - desperate to be together in a masterfully crafted journey of horrible circumstances that may forever keep them apart.

You get sucked in right away... Jon and Chloe are high school teens, the best of friends, and you assume, in time, they'll be together forever as you can see how much they love one another. Then, one morning Jon gets kidnapped and everything changes. Something happened to him and we might never be able to see if him and Chloe will that next step and spend their lives together. The things that have happened to him, may keep them apart forever.

The coming-of-age part is really interesting here, because Jon misses so much he's forced to grow up when his body has already done so. And the duality of good vs. evil comes into play a lot - and what a struggle it is to keep the two separate, when their pull is almost beyond control. We also follow the story of Eggs, who is a pretty darn smart detective, obsessed with a case that haunts him. And we follow his own life, his struggle with family, and how he tries to put the pieces of his own life back together while it falls apart around him - as he tries to solve a really strange mystery.

There is a lot of HP Lovecraft reference in this book, including a yearly Lovecraft convention (he was from Providence). I've heard him referenced in several novels before but have never actually read his work. I think I just might have to check it out now. BUT it did not hinder the story at all if you aren't familiar with his work. I am not familiar, and I loved every minute of the book!

This book was so much fun - a bit peculiar in parts but seriously, a fun ride from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley and Caroline Kepnes and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy to review.
  
UT
Until the Dawn (Until the Dawn, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mystery surrounds the great estate of Dierenpark. Will science be able to explain the strange happenings? Or is there a supernatural power at work?

Quentin Vandermark is of the belief that if you can't see it or touch it, then it doesn't exist. This includes God and the supernatural power his grandfather, Nickolaas Vandermark, believes is cursing Dierenpark. A tragedy occured 60 years ago and the Vandermark's left Dierenpark abandoned ever since. The family returns without notice, only to see it destroyed. Nickolaas is determined to tear down Dierenpark in hopes of demolishing the "curse" that seems to have haunted the family for centuries. Widowed and injured, Quentin brings his son Pieter with him to Dierenpark to tear down the beautiful home. He is just doing his grandfather's bidding when his life is drastically changed. At Dierenpark he meets Sophie van Riijn, Sophie is a volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau. For the last nine years she has used the roof of Dierenpark for her weather station, without the permission of the owners. Pieter immediately takes to Sophie, not having a mother of his own, he craves a motherly figure. While Quentin is all cynicism, doubt, gloom and depression. Sophie exudes life, hope, joy and faith in every ounce of her being. The past is finally brought to light, but is it in time to save Dierenpark and Quentin? Will science be able to prove the strange goings on? Will Quentin open himself up to love? Or will he brood in his misery until his last breath?

"Above all else, love one another."

The progressive era is a fascinating time period to read. So many scientific advances and discoveries take place in this era. I am currently watching Murdoch Mysteries (Netflix). It is set in the same time as this book and the scientific progress that is witnessed is incredible! Until the Dawn is a story of good and evil, life and death, hope and despair. With our main characters so completely different it is very clear to see how our beliefs affect every aspect of our lives. The main theme throughout this story is love. Through the good times and difficulties, God has called us to love one another. I have heard that this story has been compared to Jane Eyre and I do see similarities. Quentin is a horrid, miserable man and Sophie longs to see him saved. I won't expand anymore because of spoilers, but if you are a fan of Jane Eyre, I believe you will enjoy this recent publication by Elizabeth Camden.


I received a free digital copy of Until the Dawn from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
  
Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Will Baby Get Out of the Game?
A young getaway driver finds himself in over his head when he tries to get out of the crime game.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
It’s really hard not to love main character Baby (Ansel Elgort). Sure he’s helping criminals do criminal things but he has a great story and a solid motive. From the minute he shows up on screen beating his steering wheel to the music, you immediately want to root for this guy. Baby answers to Doc played by Kevin Spacey who reads the role with a controlled seriousness that forces you to focus on his every word. Doc along with an interesting gang of thugs make for a solid supporting cast.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Whether it’s two lovebirds in a diner talking or a death-defying car chase, I really appreciate the way Edgar Wright uses different angles to capture the perfect moment. I don’t know how he did it, but the movie has an 80’s feel to it even though it takes place in modern day. The action sequences play out in amazing fashion on screen and keep the story moving.

Conflict: 10
So many angles to consider here. Will Baby get out of the game? Does he get the girl? Will the next heist be a success? Something seems to always be happening whether at the forefront or in the background. This is a movie where you can get up to grab a drink and totally miss something you wish you hadn’t. Not to mention Baby Driver seriously has some of the best car chases in film period.

Entertainment Value: 10
It’s a movie that makes The French Connection car chase look like amateur night. There is so much going on, so many layers, that you will be hardpressed to be bored. It has the feel of an indie with blockbuster moments.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10
Moves at an extremely high clip. Even the dialogue scenes can feel action-driven at times due to the intensity of the conversation. It’s a movie that never really lets you get too comfortable, but rather continues to hit you repeatedly with more.

Plot: 10

Resolution: 8
While the ending is the weakest point of the movie, it doesn’t detract from the overall greatness of Baby Driver. I wasn’t blown away by the resolution, but it was complete enough to get a pass from me. Good, but not lifechanging.

Overall: 98
In addition to having great action, Baby Driver’s love story helps drive the movie (pun intended) as a whole. It’s movies like these I wish would get more love from the Academy as they help to keep the population in love with film. Proud to call this movie a classic.
  
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Ronnie (304 KP) Feb 1, 2020

totally agree, I would go as far as to say it’s one of the best movies ever