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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Night Hawk in Books
Jul 15, 2021
Captivating and atmospheric mystery featuring archaeologist Ruth Galloway
In the 13th entry in the Ruth Galloway series, we find Ruth and her daughter Kate back in Norfolk. Ruth is now head of the department at the university, dealing with the perils of being in charge. This includes handling David Brown, her replacement as lecturer, who always seems to be in Ruth's business. As for Nelson, his boss Jo wants him to retire--something Nelson is firmly against. Instead, Nelson and team find a body washed up on shore, as well as a skeleton that Ruth believes may date to the Bronze Age. Thrown together again, Nelson and Ruth find themselves investigating a series of murders--all of which relate to a group of local metal detectorists, who keep finding the bodies, and the myth of the Black Shuck, a black dog who forewarns of death.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I can't believe I've nearly finished this series!
First of all, I would like to complain about the cover. If I hadn't heard so many great things about this series then I probably would have avoided it, simply because it looks like a typical teen paranormal romance atrocity. The story is actually way more action-based with a sort of hint of romance, but I just don't think the cover portrays that very accurately.
Moving on to the actual book, it follows on from the last novel where Sebastian is sort of reintroduced. He is a massive character in this, after disappearing - along with Jace. It turns out there's some sort of bond between them thanks to Lilith, and the only things that can separate them are the weapons of either angels or demons. Which, unsurprisingly, results in some rather reckless acts on the part of Jace's friends and family, including the summoning of an angel and a demon. Nice.
Alec and Magnus have some pretty serious difficulties in this book, which actually really upset me because they're currently my favourite couple. There's also romantic plots following Maia and Jordan and even Izzy and Simon, but nothing major.
In the end, the Institute receives a disturbing gift, Clary stabs Jace, and Magnus kicks Alec out of his apartment. Maureen is seen again, claiming to have killed the woman Alec was out to murder, and Luke's sister is taken and turned dark by Sebastian. I think that's everything?
As for the writing, I love it! The books are all quite long, but they don't feel it when you read them. I don't understand how the feel so timeless and exciting all the way through!
Of course, this is a YA paranormal novel with typical romance lines and so on, but it is as unique as a book in this category can be. It has a nice mix of surprise, suspense and plain old action, and the diversity of the characters is fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next novel in the series, yet I don't want it to be over!
Simply because it is a somewhat generic book (there are just so many angel/demon YA novels these days) I can't put my rating any higher than 4 stars. But the writing is fab and the plot always interesting, so there really isn't any true fault.
First of all, I would like to complain about the cover. If I hadn't heard so many great things about this series then I probably would have avoided it, simply because it looks like a typical teen paranormal romance atrocity. The story is actually way more action-based with a sort of hint of romance, but I just don't think the cover portrays that very accurately.
Moving on to the actual book, it follows on from the last novel where Sebastian is sort of reintroduced. He is a massive character in this, after disappearing - along with Jace. It turns out there's some sort of bond between them thanks to Lilith, and the only things that can separate them are the weapons of either angels or demons. Which, unsurprisingly, results in some rather reckless acts on the part of Jace's friends and family, including the summoning of an angel and a demon. Nice.
Alec and Magnus have some pretty serious difficulties in this book, which actually really upset me because they're currently my favourite couple. There's also romantic plots following Maia and Jordan and even Izzy and Simon, but nothing major.
In the end, the Institute receives a disturbing gift, Clary stabs Jace, and Magnus kicks Alec out of his apartment. Maureen is seen again, claiming to have killed the woman Alec was out to murder, and Luke's sister is taken and turned dark by Sebastian. I think that's everything?
As for the writing, I love it! The books are all quite long, but they don't feel it when you read them. I don't understand how the feel so timeless and exciting all the way through!
Of course, this is a YA paranormal novel with typical romance lines and so on, but it is as unique as a book in this category can be. It has a nice mix of surprise, suspense and plain old action, and the diversity of the characters is fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next novel in the series, yet I don't want it to be over!
Simply because it is a somewhat generic book (there are just so many angel/demon YA novels these days) I can't put my rating any higher than 4 stars. But the writing is fab and the plot always interesting, so there really isn't any true fault.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Returners in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I have a vague recollection of reading this some time in the past which is kind of ironic considering the topic of the book itself. While I felt a repeated deja vu throughout this book, I can't seem to remember when I actually would have read it before. I also couldn't remember much of the main plot, which is pretty weird.
Anyway, the review.
It's a good book. honestly, the opening paragraph of this review sums the book up quite well - it's good, but not overly memorable. When you read it, you often think, "this is good" or "cool" or whatever, but a few months later you'll forget all about it. At least, that's how I felt.
Gemma Malley is an author I used to love when I was in my preteens, and I'm not sure if that's why her books feel very adolescent to me, or if it's because they actually are. Basically, I feel too old for them now. The protagonists are usually "cool" mid-teens, who the reader is supposed to look up to in some way. But I'm older than most characters and actually find their attitudes a bit pathetic and petty.
The story was good but I felt like there were a few loopholes, honestly. The idea of the "Returners" is interesting but not developed enough - who actually 'controls' them? Where did they come from? What is their real purpose? I felt like their purpose was a bit wishy-washy. Douglas's refusal to change his attitude because it "isn't their role" or whatever just sounded a bit... lame. Like a cop-out, I guess. I really would've liked to know more about the Returners and why they actually exist.
It's only short and this may contribute to it feeling quite young, but it is well written and really enjoyable to read. Will is almost an anti-hero, and as the reader I both loved and hated him. His thoughts and attitudes were quite sporadic and it was sometimes hard to keep up, but that may have been the intention. I did like how we learned things at the same time as Will - we followed him through his own story. It was also really interesting how Will decided to handle the life he'd been forced into.
4 stars.
Anyway, the review.
It's a good book. honestly, the opening paragraph of this review sums the book up quite well - it's good, but not overly memorable. When you read it, you often think, "this is good" or "cool" or whatever, but a few months later you'll forget all about it. At least, that's how I felt.
Gemma Malley is an author I used to love when I was in my preteens, and I'm not sure if that's why her books feel very adolescent to me, or if it's because they actually are. Basically, I feel too old for them now. The protagonists are usually "cool" mid-teens, who the reader is supposed to look up to in some way. But I'm older than most characters and actually find their attitudes a bit pathetic and petty.
The story was good but I felt like there were a few loopholes, honestly. The idea of the "Returners" is interesting but not developed enough - who actually 'controls' them? Where did they come from? What is their real purpose? I felt like their purpose was a bit wishy-washy. Douglas's refusal to change his attitude because it "isn't their role" or whatever just sounded a bit... lame. Like a cop-out, I guess. I really would've liked to know more about the Returners and why they actually exist.
It's only short and this may contribute to it feeling quite young, but it is well written and really enjoyable to read. Will is almost an anti-hero, and as the reader I both loved and hated him. His thoughts and attitudes were quite sporadic and it was sometimes hard to keep up, but that may have been the intention. I did like how we learned things at the same time as Will - we followed him through his own story. It was also really interesting how Will decided to handle the life he'd been forced into.
4 stars.
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek (2009) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
As Leonard Nimoy says on the “making of” featurette, few directors can successfully deliver both ‘action’ and ’emotion’ in the same film, but J.J. Abrams can do. You can tell that he loved the original series, and adds both energy and ‘fan-friendly’ easter eggs into the movie:
We saw Kirk’s death in “Generations” – here we see his birth, with a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as his heroic Dad!;
The nasty Ceti Eel creatures are back from “The Wrath of Khan”!;
We see the historic event of Kirk beating the Kobayashi Maru starfleet test;
And we see all of the key characters meeting for the first time.
There are some surprises though. The fact that Spock and Uhuru are ‘a thing’ adds a spice to the film that feels like it messes with existing Trek lore. And similarly the destruction of Vulcan – giving this the highest body count of any of the movies! – has to be explained away with the old ‘parallel timeline’ ploy.
The action scenes work well, reliving the ‘submarine warfare in space’ elements that worked so well in the original series and the “Wrath of Khan”. A ‘space drop’ onto Nero’s ‘drill’ is particularly thrilling.
The casting is just about bang on, with Chris Pine pitch perfect as Kirk and Karl Urban particularly impressive as ‘Bones’ McCoy (although the evolution of the nickname – shown here – feels overly forced). The one character that I don’t get on with here is Simon Pegg’s Scotty: might be controversial, but he just doesn’t work for me.
Finally, the music by Michael Giacchino is a favourite score of mine. Simply thrilling and brilliant. I was lucky enough to hear it played live at a showing in the Royal Albert Hall a few years back, where both Giacchino and Abrams appeared on stage – – a truly memorable evening.
It’s not perfect. The whole “transportation of Scotty into the water works” irritates me enormously for some reason. And it’s somewhat glossed over what Nero and his crew have been doing for the 25 years while Kirk grows up: (Nero: “Man, I’ve finished ALL of my Sodoku books… when is this lockdown EVER GONNA END??”). And the JJ ‘lens flare’ is used to a level here that is mind-blowingly distracting! But as a reboot, in the main, it works.
We saw Kirk’s death in “Generations” – here we see his birth, with a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as his heroic Dad!;
The nasty Ceti Eel creatures are back from “The Wrath of Khan”!;
We see the historic event of Kirk beating the Kobayashi Maru starfleet test;
And we see all of the key characters meeting for the first time.
There are some surprises though. The fact that Spock and Uhuru are ‘a thing’ adds a spice to the film that feels like it messes with existing Trek lore. And similarly the destruction of Vulcan – giving this the highest body count of any of the movies! – has to be explained away with the old ‘parallel timeline’ ploy.
The action scenes work well, reliving the ‘submarine warfare in space’ elements that worked so well in the original series and the “Wrath of Khan”. A ‘space drop’ onto Nero’s ‘drill’ is particularly thrilling.
The casting is just about bang on, with Chris Pine pitch perfect as Kirk and Karl Urban particularly impressive as ‘Bones’ McCoy (although the evolution of the nickname – shown here – feels overly forced). The one character that I don’t get on with here is Simon Pegg’s Scotty: might be controversial, but he just doesn’t work for me.
Finally, the music by Michael Giacchino is a favourite score of mine. Simply thrilling and brilliant. I was lucky enough to hear it played live at a showing in the Royal Albert Hall a few years back, where both Giacchino and Abrams appeared on stage – – a truly memorable evening.
It’s not perfect. The whole “transportation of Scotty into the water works” irritates me enormously for some reason. And it’s somewhat glossed over what Nero and his crew have been doing for the 25 years while Kirk grows up: (Nero: “Man, I’ve finished ALL of my Sodoku books… when is this lockdown EVER GONNA END??”). And the JJ ‘lens flare’ is used to a level here that is mind-blowingly distracting! But as a reboot, in the main, it works.
Ali A (82 KP) rated I Must Betray You in Books
Feb 7, 2022
Trigger Warnings: blackmailing, manipulation, revolution, shooting, police brutality, government oppression
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Vanishing of Margaret Small [Audiobook] in Books
Dec 18, 2022
![The Vanishing of Margaret Small [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/292/07af28d6-184f-436e-a53d-a1ddb1c79292.jpg?m=1671380186)
Oh my word! This is a debut novel for Mr Alexander and what a debut it is.
I absolutely love Margaret ... what a likeable and strong character she is despite what she experienced in her young life. She has every reason to dislike her fellow human beings but she is much better person than most ... she is kind, thoughtful and understanding.
The book is told in two timelines, the past and the present.
The present: Margaret is 75 and living independently with the support of her excellent support worker Wayne. Margaret loves Cilla Black and she likes nothing more than listening to Cilla's autobiography but when she starts receiving notes and gifts from someone who signs them with "C", Margaret thinks Cilla is back from the dead but it can't be so who is it? The notes revive memories from Margaret's past.
The past: Margaret's story starts at 7 years old when she is "vanished" into a long-stay institution called St Mary's where she lives for the majority of her life. I won't say she is 'cared for' as what she endured is not care in any way, shape or form but Margaret endures it with innocent acceptance of knowing it's not right but being powerless to do anything about it. There are scenes which broke my heart but others that also warmed it.
Both timelines are equally captivating and enthralling but the past had me in bits at times at the cruelties of how children and adults who are "different" were treated but through it all, was the voice of Margaret who I can only describe as being a beautiful person.
I listened to the audiobook and I can highly recommend it; the narrators are just brilliant particularly the voice of Margaret ... oh my, she was brought to life for me; it was like she was sitting right next to me telling me her story myself ... just brilliant.
Margaret is a fictional character however, her story is based on the experiences of 'real' people the author has met during his working life which makes this book even more powerful and I must thank Bonnier UK Audio, Embla Books and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Vanishing of Margaret Small.
I absolutely love Margaret ... what a likeable and strong character she is despite what she experienced in her young life. She has every reason to dislike her fellow human beings but she is much better person than most ... she is kind, thoughtful and understanding.
The book is told in two timelines, the past and the present.
The present: Margaret is 75 and living independently with the support of her excellent support worker Wayne. Margaret loves Cilla Black and she likes nothing more than listening to Cilla's autobiography but when she starts receiving notes and gifts from someone who signs them with "C", Margaret thinks Cilla is back from the dead but it can't be so who is it? The notes revive memories from Margaret's past.
The past: Margaret's story starts at 7 years old when she is "vanished" into a long-stay institution called St Mary's where she lives for the majority of her life. I won't say she is 'cared for' as what she endured is not care in any way, shape or form but Margaret endures it with innocent acceptance of knowing it's not right but being powerless to do anything about it. There are scenes which broke my heart but others that also warmed it.
Both timelines are equally captivating and enthralling but the past had me in bits at times at the cruelties of how children and adults who are "different" were treated but through it all, was the voice of Margaret who I can only describe as being a beautiful person.
I listened to the audiobook and I can highly recommend it; the narrators are just brilliant particularly the voice of Margaret ... oh my, she was brought to life for me; it was like she was sitting right next to me telling me her story myself ... just brilliant.
Margaret is a fictional character however, her story is based on the experiences of 'real' people the author has met during his working life which makes this book even more powerful and I must thank Bonnier UK Audio, Embla Books and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Vanishing of Margaret Small.