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Dee (0 KP) rated Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1) in Books

Mar 12, 2021

Contains spoilers, click to show

Minor spoilers ...

This started out so well. It was incredibly magical - secret doorways on earth, which took the main character Karou, into a shop where her chimeara 'family' resided. Karou has little knowledge, being human, about her own origins or how she ended up in the care of Brimstone, the shop's custodian. All she knows is that he collects an endless supply of teeth (which she is often sent to pick up from around the world - the shop's doorway acting as a portal that deposits her anywhere on earth). There is a second door within the shop, which Karou is not allowed near and she has no idea what lies beyond it. Messages are sent to her via a crow-like creature. So far, so mysterious. It reminded me a little of Narnia or The Adventures of the Wishing Chair / Magic Faraway Tree. Oh, and if that's not enough - the teeth are used to help grant wishes (ranging from minor to major).

I'm a big fan of dual-world/magic-portal books. However, as the novel went on it became less intriguing. It slips into the sort of insta-love that is ten-a-penny in YA fiction. Also, I just felt that the 'big reveal' of what was behind the second door was a bit of a letdown. And the whole war between angels and chimera felt somehow jarring and unimaginative. I feel mean-spirited saying this, but the dynamic and world-building just didn't capture my imagination. The layering of the back-story also felt a bit forced and I started to find it dull.

I suppose the real test of the first book in a trilogy (as this is) is whether the reader can't wait to pick up the next instalment. Personally, I'm not sure I would bother. A shame, really, as it started out so well.

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Magical Midlife Madness (Levelling Up Book #1) in Books

Feb 13, 2021

Magical Midlife Madness (Levelling Up Book #1)

K. F. Breene | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Romance

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

21 of 250 Kindle Magical midlife madness ( Levelling up book 1) By K.F. Breene  Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments    A woman starting over. A new house with an unexpected twist. A cape wearing butler acting as the world's worst life coach.   "Happily Ever After" wasn't supposed to come with a do-over option. But when my husband of twenty years packs up and heads for greener pastures and my son leaves for college, that's exactly what my life becomes.  Do-over.  This time, though, I plan to do things differently. Age is just a number, after all, and at forty I'm ready to carve my own path.  Eager for a fresh start, I make a somewhat unorthodox decision and move to a tiny town in the Sierra foothills. I'll be taking care of a centuries old house that called to me when I was a kid. It's just temporary, I tell myself. It'll just be for a while.  That is, until I learn what the house really is, something I never could've imagined.  Thankfully forty isn't too old to start an adventure, because that's exactly what I do. A very dangerous adventure that will change my life forever. I have a chance to start again, and this time, I make the rules.    Absolutely brilliant!! I laughed so much reading this it’s not at all what I had expected. Midlife meltdown with magic and creatures the only other author that has me laughing this much Is Darynda Jones! I love the relationships all the characters have with each other they are so well though out and written. Can’t wait to see what kicks off now she has magic. Brilliant!!

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Anil Kapoor recommended The Godfather (1972) in Movies (curated)

The Godfather (1972)

1972 | Crime, Drama

9.3

(53 Ratings)

Movie Favorite Watch

"Everything just fell in place. The right people, the right director, the right script, the right timing, what the world was going through. Everything just fell right. So Godfather, Slumdog Millionaire, Laurel & Hardy, and Chaplin. Well, it’s too early to talk about Slumdog, but I’m sure after 50 or 100 years people are going to say that everything just fell in the right [place] for Slumdog. The Godfather is not [just] an American hit, it’s really a worldwide film. Anywhere [you go]: China, Japan, Mexico. Everywhere students of cinema, ordinary people, everybody just loved the film. It’s got that cinematic magic, The Godfather. And, you know, it’s the lighting, the camerawork, the editing, the performances, the casting, the colors, the costumes. It was cinema at its best, and I’m sure it is something which, as you say, was written. Just everything fell in place. It doesn’t happen with everybody, it’s [when] people are [from] a certain kind of work culture [that] these things happen normally. What I like about The Godfather [is that] it’s very classical. [Coppola] just leaves the camera. You never see the camera moving. It’s very static and it’s the actors [who are moving]. [But] still you create the magic. You don’t have to juggle the camera to attract attention. The music also is very subtle. Everything is subtle. Your mind is throbbing, your [hairs are] rising, you’re on the edge of your seat, but still everything is so calm and relaxed. It’s cinema at its best. Slumdog? That’s also cinema at its best but everything [is] movement. There’s so much movement, there’s so much energy, the script is moving, the screenplay, the camera is moving, the actors are moving, everything is moving. But still, you understand the story. It is in control. Still, it moves you."

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BookInspector (124 KP) rated What Magic Is This? in Books

Sep 24, 2020

What Magic Is This?

Holly Bourne | 2019 | Young Adult (YA)

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Three friends, Sophia, Mia and Alexis are trying to do some magic during a sleepover at Sophia’s house. They all have something they want to cast a spell on. Sophia wants her sweetheart Aidan, Mia needs to stop harming herself, and Alexis wants to wish her dog (that she hated) a farewell. All three of these girls are very different, but they fit in together very well. Holly chose such a believable and realistic characters for this book, and the school life looks like straight from the TV screen. The story is told from Sophia’s perspective, where she is sharing details about her and Aidan’s love story.

The narrative was really gripping, I wanted to find out, what happened between Sophia and Aidan. The plot keeps changing between the events happening in the room, and Sophia’s love story in the past. This book is funny, very easy to read, and I liked the lessons it had to offer. There are not many surprises in this book, and sometimes it was quite predictable.

The writing style was really pleasant and easy to read. This edition has dyslexia friendly font, and the book itself wasn’t very long, so it was a quick read for me. The setting of this book doesn’t change much, it is either Sophia’s bedroom or the school. The ending of the book was quite predictable, but I liked the way it rounded up this story. The chapters are not very long, and this novel didn’t leave me bored.

So, to conclude, it was a great story about friendship, magic and finding what you really want. It has realistic characters and is an entertaining and educational read for young girls.