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Entwined (The Life of Anna, #2)
7.0
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Anna has two masters, one she hardly knows, but who makes her feel safe, the other she's known all...
Ensnared (The Life of Anna, #4)
10.0
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Everything Anna cared about is lost; the only thing left is Devin. She gives him all of herself, but...
Emerged (The Life of Anna #5)
9.0
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Anna has escaped from Devin. Now she must learn what it is to live without a master. Yet Devin will...
Healing Springs
10.0
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Falling out of love is one thing, but purposefully forgetting it is another. Selene McAlister is...
Lesbian Romance Self Discovery
I'll Be Your Blue Sky
9.0
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The New York Times bestselling author revisits the characters from her beloved novels Love Walked In...
fiction contemporary fiction series
Ali A (82 KP) rated The Meadows in Books
Sep 11, 2023
Trigger Warnings: conversion therapy, homophobia
Every youth hopes to get a letter to attend one of the places where only the best and brightest go to be even better and brighter: the Estuary, the Glades, the Meadows…
When Eleanor is accepted to go to the Meadows, it means her escape from the Cove and a hard life by the sea. But, though the Meadows is filled with beautiful and wonderful things, it hoards dark secrets: its purpose is to reform its students from their attractions, to show them that the way of life is only possible through their way. Maybe Eleanor starts to believe, but then she meets Rose, and everything changes.
A year after leaving the Meadows, Eleanor and her friends are on the outside, living back in society - but not everything is as they hoped. Eleanor is an adjudicator, someone who makes sure former students haven’t strayed from the lives they were trained to live. But the past isn’t letting go of Eleanor and as secrets unravel, Eleanor must fight against everything she has been taught to be, especially if she can find the girl that she lost.
I originally was interested in this title when I saw it on BookishFirst because it was being marketed as “a queer, YA Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go” and I was all about that. I also love a good dystopian novel so this was really right up my alley.
That being said, I absolutely loved and devoured this novel over the course of the weekend when I didn’t have the interruption of work. The world building is intriguing and the “perfect” society is everything but (aren’t they all). The characters were also complex and engrossing - even the ones I wasn’t the biggest fans of, I still wanted them to succeed.
I absolutely recommend this book to those not only those who love dystopian novels, but those who want a page turning science fiction with queer characters.
*Thank you Dial Books and BookishFirst for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Every youth hopes to get a letter to attend one of the places where only the best and brightest go to be even better and brighter: the Estuary, the Glades, the Meadows…
When Eleanor is accepted to go to the Meadows, it means her escape from the Cove and a hard life by the sea. But, though the Meadows is filled with beautiful and wonderful things, it hoards dark secrets: its purpose is to reform its students from their attractions, to show them that the way of life is only possible through their way. Maybe Eleanor starts to believe, but then she meets Rose, and everything changes.
A year after leaving the Meadows, Eleanor and her friends are on the outside, living back in society - but not everything is as they hoped. Eleanor is an adjudicator, someone who makes sure former students haven’t strayed from the lives they were trained to live. But the past isn’t letting go of Eleanor and as secrets unravel, Eleanor must fight against everything she has been taught to be, especially if she can find the girl that she lost.
I originally was interested in this title when I saw it on BookishFirst because it was being marketed as “a queer, YA Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go” and I was all about that. I also love a good dystopian novel so this was really right up my alley.
That being said, I absolutely loved and devoured this novel over the course of the weekend when I didn’t have the interruption of work. The world building is intriguing and the “perfect” society is everything but (aren’t they all). The characters were also complex and engrossing - even the ones I wasn’t the biggest fans of, I still wanted them to succeed.
I absolutely recommend this book to those not only those who love dystopian novels, but those who want a page turning science fiction with queer characters.
*Thank you Dial Books and BookishFirst for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated DC League of Super Pets (2022) in Movies
Aug 2, 2022
I had hoped for something lighthearted and amusing, I definitely didn't expect what I got.
When the safety of Superman, and the world, is threatened by a bald supervillain, Krypto must step in to save the day. Ordinarily, that would be easy, but not today, today he's going to need some help.
You've got to love the classic tail tale of man's best friend. Add in some superpowers and you're really on to something, the whole family well covered. Friendship, loss, insecurity, lots of lessons for the kids, and a surprising amount of bleeped dialogue and jokes for the adults.
Each Super-Pet goes through their own little journey, and though most of the interactions are between the pets, or between the humans, when the two crossover it's handled really well. The simple transition from Kate McKinnon waxing lyrical about villainy, to guinea pig squeaks is surprisingly hilarious.
You can't really find fault with the voice cast. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are always wonderful together, and I can honestly visualise them doing some of the recording together with the physical acting. McKinnon's villainy is second to none, and her reactions to scenes... *chef's kiss*.
But can we talk about Keanu? Who has started the petition for him to play IRL Batman? We need it.
The animation is simple, that's not meant in a negative way. It feels very much in line with graphic novels, there's great attention to detail, but it doesn't distract from what's in the foreground. The expressions, the human/pet interactions, every reaction is captured perfectly. Just watch for the ear bouncing and tail twitching if you don't believe me!
I went in hoping for something amusing, I came out having seen one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. If it had songs I may have bumped it up above Teen Titans GO! To The Movies... but also, they play no crystals. So it's a very close second place.
Oh, and, just saying... if they wanted to scrap everything live action in the DCEU, animate it, and add Super-Pets... I wouldn't be mad.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/dc-league-of-super-pets-movie-review.html
When the safety of Superman, and the world, is threatened by a bald supervillain, Krypto must step in to save the day. Ordinarily, that would be easy, but not today, today he's going to need some help.
You've got to love the classic tail tale of man's best friend. Add in some superpowers and you're really on to something, the whole family well covered. Friendship, loss, insecurity, lots of lessons for the kids, and a surprising amount of bleeped dialogue and jokes for the adults.
Each Super-Pet goes through their own little journey, and though most of the interactions are between the pets, or between the humans, when the two crossover it's handled really well. The simple transition from Kate McKinnon waxing lyrical about villainy, to guinea pig squeaks is surprisingly hilarious.
You can't really find fault with the voice cast. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are always wonderful together, and I can honestly visualise them doing some of the recording together with the physical acting. McKinnon's villainy is second to none, and her reactions to scenes... *chef's kiss*.
But can we talk about Keanu? Who has started the petition for him to play IRL Batman? We need it.
The animation is simple, that's not meant in a negative way. It feels very much in line with graphic novels, there's great attention to detail, but it doesn't distract from what's in the foreground. The expressions, the human/pet interactions, every reaction is captured perfectly. Just watch for the ear bouncing and tail twitching if you don't believe me!
I went in hoping for something amusing, I came out having seen one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. If it had songs I may have bumped it up above Teen Titans GO! To The Movies... but also, they play no crystals. So it's a very close second place.
Oh, and, just saying... if they wanted to scrap everything live action in the DCEU, animate it, and add Super-Pets... I wouldn't be mad.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/dc-league-of-super-pets-movie-review.html
ClareR (5869 KP) rated The Girl with the Green Eyes in Books
Dec 14, 2021
The Girl with the Green Eyes is a science-fiction novel set in an alternative present day - and a book that I very much enjoyed reading. You’re left thinking that the premis of this book could very well be possible, and it’s just that we don’t know about it (I should point out here that I’m no scientist. Not even a little bit of one, unless you count a love of sci-fi. Which no-one does…). But I do like the kind of science fiction where you’re left with the big question of: could this really be happening now?
So, this book is basically all about eugenics. The search for the perfect baby, the perfect human. Someone with perfection in every part of their genetic make-up. And the fact that there are people out there who are more than willing to pay for this service. The novel also shows that however much humans try to control every aspect of this process, there is an element of the uncontrollable. These babies, children and adults still throw up surprises, and show that they are, in fact, individuals, and that genetic manipulation can’t control everything. Not yet (at the time that this story is set, anyway!).
I won’t rewrite the synopsis, but I will add that this was an exciting game of cat and mouse. The reader is never quite sure who the ‘bad guys’ and the ‘good guys’ really are, because the whole morality of this is so hazy! What both sides are doing in this is most definitely morally dubious (and as the mother of a disabled son, this is often spoken about in this house - with the opinions of said son being very surprising!).
I will most definitely be looking out for the next two novels in this series. I’m a sucker for a strong, female character, and Bella D’accourt has some skills that I can really appreciate!
This is what The Pigeonhole does so well - I would have missed this book entirely if left to my own devices. So thanks, Pigeonhole, and huge thanks to J. M. Briscoe for reading along with us!
So, this book is basically all about eugenics. The search for the perfect baby, the perfect human. Someone with perfection in every part of their genetic make-up. And the fact that there are people out there who are more than willing to pay for this service. The novel also shows that however much humans try to control every aspect of this process, there is an element of the uncontrollable. These babies, children and adults still throw up surprises, and show that they are, in fact, individuals, and that genetic manipulation can’t control everything. Not yet (at the time that this story is set, anyway!).
I won’t rewrite the synopsis, but I will add that this was an exciting game of cat and mouse. The reader is never quite sure who the ‘bad guys’ and the ‘good guys’ really are, because the whole morality of this is so hazy! What both sides are doing in this is most definitely morally dubious (and as the mother of a disabled son, this is often spoken about in this house - with the opinions of said son being very surprising!).
I will most definitely be looking out for the next two novels in this series. I’m a sucker for a strong, female character, and Bella D’accourt has some skills that I can really appreciate!
This is what The Pigeonhole does so well - I would have missed this book entirely if left to my own devices. So thanks, Pigeonhole, and huge thanks to J. M. Briscoe for reading along with us!
Dana (24 KP) rated The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This review, like all others before it, will have spoilers in it. Read at your own risk.
This book was pretty cool! It is not like a lot of the other fantasy novels I read because it is set in Russia in 1825 and has some actual historical people and ideas in it. By the way, that is one of my favorite parts of this book. The fact that it is able to mix fact and fiction together so well is a feat not many can do, so I applaud Ms. Skye for doing just that.
The world felt so real and very well developed. I got the feeling that a lot of research went into creating this book and I am glad she did because it feels authentic and inhabited which is often a problem in fantasy novels such as this. Though she draws on history and fact, she understands she is able to pull in here own creative licenses because she has to make a world that will fit her story. I enjoyed those facts a lot and I am excited to see what else we will get to see in the next book (which I still need to buy).
Now onto characters, then plot.
The main character Vika is a very strong female lead, which I love in any story, not just in fantasy. She is powerful and she knows it. While this can lead to arrogance and a little too much self-esteem, but she is brought to be humbled quite a bit throughout the book, which is actually nice. It grounds her. While she is a strong character, this fact gets her into trouble sometimes because she thinks too much of herself. This arrogance is inevitably what kills her father. She is blinded by the strength she now has and, instead of questioning why she all of the sudden got so much stronger, she just rolls on without a care in the world.
I love Nikolai. In my humble opinion, he is so much better than Pasha because he opens himself up to being hurt but doesn't get angry or act like a spoiled brat when people do something wrong. Nikolai is a dreamer, something I appreciate a lot. He has his heads in the clouds sometimes and needs someone to bring him back down. While he is competitive, just like Vika, he is also very thoughtful. He could have done many things with his magic, but each time, he did something for the people, whether to bring them joy or to restore the magic of what they once knew, he does it for people other than himself. MAJOR SPOILER IS COMING UP NEXT: In his final act of the book, he gives his life to save Vika and if that isn't selfless, I don't know what is. He is caring and kind and I just wished he could have been completely happy. He loved Vika and he deserved so much more than he got. Also, that plot twist that he is the tsar's son, holy crap, I did not see that coming at all.
Now onto Pasha. I am not really a fan of Pasha, to be completely honest. He thinks he is so worthless in comparison to Nikolai even though he is going to be the tsar of Russia. Why is he making everything into a pissing match with his best friend after he finds out Nikolai also loves Vika? Seriously, he could have anyone he wanted, but no. He just has to have an enchantress. He is very selfish and does not think about how his actions will always have consequences and that is a little too reckless for me. Even though he knows he is going to become the tsar, he doesn't take his responsibility seriously at all. I am just not a fan of him. I hope he does not end up with Vika because she deserves so much more than him.
What I love most about these characters is that they have faults and issues that they have to overcome and deal with before they can move on to the next stages of their lives (well, some of them at least).
Onto the plot!
I thought this story was very well structured. I enjoyed the pacing and the flow of everything as well. It felt like it was an actual competition to see who could get my attention the most. (It was Vika and Nikolai as my top two, the others were kinda annoying at times).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to pick up the next one! If you have not already, give this book a read and tell me what you think!
This book was pretty cool! It is not like a lot of the other fantasy novels I read because it is set in Russia in 1825 and has some actual historical people and ideas in it. By the way, that is one of my favorite parts of this book. The fact that it is able to mix fact and fiction together so well is a feat not many can do, so I applaud Ms. Skye for doing just that.
The world felt so real and very well developed. I got the feeling that a lot of research went into creating this book and I am glad she did because it feels authentic and inhabited which is often a problem in fantasy novels such as this. Though she draws on history and fact, she understands she is able to pull in here own creative licenses because she has to make a world that will fit her story. I enjoyed those facts a lot and I am excited to see what else we will get to see in the next book (which I still need to buy).
Now onto characters, then plot.
The main character Vika is a very strong female lead, which I love in any story, not just in fantasy. She is powerful and she knows it. While this can lead to arrogance and a little too much self-esteem, but she is brought to be humbled quite a bit throughout the book, which is actually nice. It grounds her. While she is a strong character, this fact gets her into trouble sometimes because she thinks too much of herself. This arrogance is inevitably what kills her father. She is blinded by the strength she now has and, instead of questioning why she all of the sudden got so much stronger, she just rolls on without a care in the world.
I love Nikolai. In my humble opinion, he is so much better than Pasha because he opens himself up to being hurt but doesn't get angry or act like a spoiled brat when people do something wrong. Nikolai is a dreamer, something I appreciate a lot. He has his heads in the clouds sometimes and needs someone to bring him back down. While he is competitive, just like Vika, he is also very thoughtful. He could have done many things with his magic, but each time, he did something for the people, whether to bring them joy or to restore the magic of what they once knew, he does it for people other than himself. MAJOR SPOILER IS COMING UP NEXT: In his final act of the book, he gives his life to save Vika and if that isn't selfless, I don't know what is. He is caring and kind and I just wished he could have been completely happy. He loved Vika and he deserved so much more than he got. Also, that plot twist that he is the tsar's son, holy crap, I did not see that coming at all.
Now onto Pasha. I am not really a fan of Pasha, to be completely honest. He thinks he is so worthless in comparison to Nikolai even though he is going to be the tsar of Russia. Why is he making everything into a pissing match with his best friend after he finds out Nikolai also loves Vika? Seriously, he could have anyone he wanted, but no. He just has to have an enchantress. He is very selfish and does not think about how his actions will always have consequences and that is a little too reckless for me. Even though he knows he is going to become the tsar, he doesn't take his responsibility seriously at all. I am just not a fan of him. I hope he does not end up with Vika because she deserves so much more than him.
What I love most about these characters is that they have faults and issues that they have to overcome and deal with before they can move on to the next stages of their lives (well, some of them at least).
Onto the plot!
I thought this story was very well structured. I enjoyed the pacing and the flow of everything as well. It felt like it was an actual competition to see who could get my attention the most. (It was Vika and Nikolai as my top two, the others were kinda annoying at times).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to pick up the next one! If you have not already, give this book a read and tell me what you think!
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated American Gods in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I'm trying to remember whether or not I've read any of Gaiman's other novels before, and I'm fairly certain that I haven't. I read [b:Good Omens|12067|Good Omens|Terry Pratchett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266659394s/12067.jpg|4110990], but that was co-written with [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg], and the collaboration was genius. I know that the entire world seems to love Sandman, of course, but I'm just not a fan of graphic novels. In fact, it took me a while to realize that the Good Omens co-author and the Sandman author were one and the same.
I've certainly read some short stories, too. The most memorable, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow,_Glass,_Apples">"Snow, Glass, Apples"</a> was reprinted in an anthology I read recently. I find it disturbing, so I won't re-read it. Well-written, of course—it wouldn't be so very memorably distressing if it weren't so masterfully done! (I found the <a href="http://www.holycow.com/dreaming/stories/snow-glass-apples">text online</a> if you care to read it, but please understand that the story deals with pedophilia, necrophilia, and incest here. It is the polar opposite of all things Disney.) Snow White was never one of of my favorite fairy tales, and Gaiman definitely pushed it much farther down the list.
In any case, I don't know what I was expecting from Gaiman, but <i>American Gods</i> wasn't it. I like stories with happy endings, and within the first few chapters I was fairly sure that there wouldn't be one. Is Gaiman fundamentally opposed to joy, or is it just happiness that he doesn't allow?
The novel is epic. It is masterful. All that stuff from the big critics is dead on. The book could be used as the backbone of a mythological scavenger hunt if a teacher were willing to run a very unstructured but engaging course that way. I certainly enjoyed that aspect of it, and it made me glad that I was reading it on my iTouch so that I could look up anything I liked online at any time, no matter where I happened to be (which was almost always at home or somewhere else that had wifi access, happily).
I seldom want to see illustrations in any book, but yes, I think I would like to see good pictures of some of the characters Gaiman described in this one. On the other hand, without artwork I spent time imagining what the characters looked like based on the descriptions. I don't normally stop to do that, as such matters as seldom relevant to a plot, but these beings caught my fancy. Not enough that I would sit through an entire graphic novel, I'm afraid, but if I saw one now I might flip through it to see how the artist's renderings compare with my versions.
I'm seldom able to identify an overall Theme to the books I read. Most of them, honestly, are fluff. I'm fine with that. I read them because they entertain me. <i>American Gods</i> is different. It is entertaining, but it isn't light or fluffy in the least. It definitely has an easily identifiably Theme and Tropes and all those elements that I recall from long-ago classes, the sorts of things that put me off from my original English major because I hated tearing other author's works apart instead of writing anything original. (Now, I begin to understand that we were being taught to recognize what makes for good writing so we might have some hope of possibly creating some of it one day.)
I somewhat timidly conclude that <i>American Gods</i> is the first piece of Literature I've read in a very long time, and well worth the time spent reading it. (I find it rather amusing that it would be British Literature, despite its title, due to the author's nationality.) I'm not going to state the theme, because that would be a spoiler, and I hate putting those in reviews—but it's something that I see as a Truth, and one that needs to be stated far more often, especiallly today. It's even more interesting that it took a Brit to say it.
The book is dark, although it does have some very bright spots in it. I will acknowledge that I was going through a particularly bad time with regards to my health when I was reading it, but I still think it might be best for some people to read this one when in a fairly positive state of mind.
I've certainly read some short stories, too. The most memorable, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow,_Glass,_Apples">"Snow, Glass, Apples"</a> was reprinted in an anthology I read recently. I find it disturbing, so I won't re-read it. Well-written, of course—it wouldn't be so very memorably distressing if it weren't so masterfully done! (I found the <a href="http://www.holycow.com/dreaming/stories/snow-glass-apples">text online</a> if you care to read it, but please understand that the story deals with pedophilia, necrophilia, and incest here. It is the polar opposite of all things Disney.) Snow White was never one of of my favorite fairy tales, and Gaiman definitely pushed it much farther down the list.
In any case, I don't know what I was expecting from Gaiman, but <i>American Gods</i> wasn't it. I like stories with happy endings, and within the first few chapters I was fairly sure that there wouldn't be one. Is Gaiman fundamentally opposed to joy, or is it just happiness that he doesn't allow?
The novel is epic. It is masterful. All that stuff from the big critics is dead on. The book could be used as the backbone of a mythological scavenger hunt if a teacher were willing to run a very unstructured but engaging course that way. I certainly enjoyed that aspect of it, and it made me glad that I was reading it on my iTouch so that I could look up anything I liked online at any time, no matter where I happened to be (which was almost always at home or somewhere else that had wifi access, happily).
I seldom want to see illustrations in any book, but yes, I think I would like to see good pictures of some of the characters Gaiman described in this one. On the other hand, without artwork I spent time imagining what the characters looked like based on the descriptions. I don't normally stop to do that, as such matters as seldom relevant to a plot, but these beings caught my fancy. Not enough that I would sit through an entire graphic novel, I'm afraid, but if I saw one now I might flip through it to see how the artist's renderings compare with my versions.
I'm seldom able to identify an overall Theme to the books I read. Most of them, honestly, are fluff. I'm fine with that. I read them because they entertain me. <i>American Gods</i> is different. It is entertaining, but it isn't light or fluffy in the least. It definitely has an easily identifiably Theme and Tropes and all those elements that I recall from long-ago classes, the sorts of things that put me off from my original English major because I hated tearing other author's works apart instead of writing anything original. (Now, I begin to understand that we were being taught to recognize what makes for good writing so we might have some hope of possibly creating some of it one day.)
I somewhat timidly conclude that <i>American Gods</i> is the first piece of Literature I've read in a very long time, and well worth the time spent reading it. (I find it rather amusing that it would be British Literature, despite its title, due to the author's nationality.) I'm not going to state the theme, because that would be a spoiler, and I hate putting those in reviews—but it's something that I see as a Truth, and one that needs to be stated far more often, especiallly today. It's even more interesting that it took a Brit to say it.
The book is dark, although it does have some very bright spots in it. I will acknowledge that I was going through a particularly bad time with regards to my health when I was reading it, but I still think it might be best for some people to read this one when in a fairly positive state of mind.