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Alexi (Tangled Tentacles #1)
Alexi (Tangled Tentacles #1)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved the water cuddles, and the whole tentacle thing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my coy of this book.

I read a lot, like a LOT of shifter books, and the more obscure the better. So a Kraken was always gonna hit the spot for me! Add in a bear who doesn't like water, a family of brothers who proper take the mickie out of each other, and a whole big mystery of missing shifters, this was a sure-fire hit.

BAR one thing.

Questions! I'm left with a whole gaggle of questions!

And I can voice a couple of them, which for a Sayle book and me? Makes a change!

How old is Alexi? Or indeed Danik? It's clear they are old, comments made attest to that, but it wasn't revealed just HOW old they are.

And just what is it that Todd smirked about, that Alexi should have talked to Danik about, huh?

There are a couple more lurking at the back of my book mind, but I can't dig them out just yet!

BUT!!

Questions aside, I loved this. It's different, so works for me. I loved the easy acceptance of Danik and Alexi's bond with each other, and Alexi's brothers taking Danik in. Loved the water cuddles, and the tentacle thing! It is heavy on the smexy times, but I think they actually fit in well with the overall story line, rather than being chucked in for the sake of it! Loved Alexi's brothers teasing!

I enjoyed the missing shifter plot, and the way it leads into the next book, with Alexi's brother Victor. And there is clearly something going on between another brother and the guys that turned up to help find the other shifters!

Can't wait to read them!

Also, gonna check out Oliver's work, not sure I've read any!

So, because of those pesky questions that Sayle always leaves me with,

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Captain Underpants (2017)
Captain Underpants (2017)
2017 | Animation, Comedy
This rating is based on the general consensus of my family (me, my wife and my three children).
We were already somewhat aware of Captain Underpants before we saw the movie - I bought my eldest the boxset of books which are admittedly still in their shrinkwrap.
The film is obviously aimed at children, probably aged 3 to 7. The potty humour got a bit stale for my 9 year old, but the 3 and 6 year olds were still amused throughout. I normally expect a few more clever jokes for the parents from a film like this, but was sadly disappointed that there weren't any. The humour really is restricted to a man in his pants and the name Professor Poopypants. There really isn't much more to it than that.
I liked the idea of the storyline, but would have liked more levels of humour.
I think we were all a bit bored of it by the end.
  
The Idiot: A Novel
The Idiot: A Novel
Elif Batuman | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased opinion. That being said, the best thing about this book is that it's over...and I can read pretty much anything.

Early on in the book, the main character, Selin, talks about how there are times when her mother hands her books she's read and says "Read this and tell me the point." I wish I had someone I could hand this book to and say that to.

A rambling stream of consciousness, a book of self-discovery, Selin is this 19 year old who has no idea who she is. And I remember being 19 and not having a clue. It's why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't feel like there was any sort of resolution. There were more misadventures and things that made her unhappy and feel displaced in the world. And then...more passive aggressive whining about how she didn't know what she wanted to make her happy.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Saving Mr. Banks (2013) in Movies

Apr 4, 2019 (Updated Apr 4, 2019)  
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
2013 | Comedy, Drama
Well-mounted but self-referential (and that's putting it very charitably!) look at the origins of Mary Poppins. Pamela Travers (Thompson), who is very British and starchy, flies to Los Angeles where she meets the avuncular Walt Disney (Hanks), intent on adapting her books about a supernatural dominatrix for the cinema. Colin Farrell appears in flashback as Travers' feckless dad; despite what the soundtrack listing suggests, he does not sing 'Chim Chiminee', so manage your expectations.

Nicely made and played, and quite amusing an' all, but hard to escape the impression this is just a massive piece of self-aggrandisement by the House of Mouse: poor old repressed Travers just needs a bit more Disney in her life in order to become happier and more successful, to say nothing of the various factual inaccuracies. But then it's a Disney film actually about Walt Disney, so what do you expect? Watchable stuff, but take a pinch of salt along with the many spoonfuls of sugar.
  
Murder In Steeple Martin
Murder In Steeple Martin
Lesley Cookman | 2006 | Crime, Mystery
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slow starter but soon pulls you in
This book starts a little slowly but very soon rewards those who stick with it and becomes one of the most engaging books I have read in a long time. Vaguely reminiscent of Agatha Raisin, in that the heroine is a dumpy middle-aged, neurotic woman who lives in deeply rural England with a cat. Yet this is by no means a rip-off.

Somewhat less manic than A.R., both series carry on an old and well-established style of British Mystery writing. That said, it is clear that Lesley Cookman has gone out of her way to break some of the rules. For example there is only -shock, horror!- *one* murder in her book;her characters have no access to the Police enquiry, so are working completly in the dark; and as much as she can she has avoided having characters do obviously stupid things.

This is not an earth-shattering book, but it is a thoroughly good read.
  
Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, #12.5)
Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, #12.5)
Jim Butcher | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.1 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Marvelous! I'd missed more short pieces than I realized, so this book was even more of a treat than anticipated. I read quite a few anthologies, so I had thought that only the much-anticipated new novella would be new to me. Even the ones I've read before are good enough to revisit, though - a sure sign of a very good author. They were like revisiting old friends.

The new novella, <i>Aftermath</i>, was fascinating. I don't want to say too much, as I know that quite a few people ended up with too many spoilers about the end of [b:Changes|6585201|Changes (The Dresden Files, #12)|Jim Butcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1250016196s/6585201.jpg|6778696]. I think I'll just say that the it is well worth reading and leave it there. As promised, it does pick up right at the end of <i>Changes</i>. If you've read that, you want to read <i>Aftermath</i>. Come on, you know you do!
  
WD
When Dreams Come True
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Dreams Come True by Rebecca Emin is the story of the awkward phase when children transition from being children to becoming teenagers. It is a middle-grade novel, written in first person, from the point of view of a thirteen-year-old girl named Charlie. Readers follow Charlie as she struggles with the changes she and her friends; Max, Toby, and Allie are going through.

This book is a fairly simple plot with not much happening but this did not in any way make the book boring. It was a quick read with characters who were relatable. I wish the plot line was more explained and fully developed. The writing struggled a bit with not having a uniquing voice and the dialogue was a bit unrealistic.

Other than the underdeveloped plot and unrealistic dialogue, When Dreams Come True was a good read.

I give this book 3/5 stars.

I received this book from Gingersnap books via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Perfect Match in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
Perfect Match
Perfect Match
6
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
At first I didn't think I was going to like this book. When I started reading I felt things were happening too quickly, however then the plot completely changed. I did not like this change but as I read on I started to think it was rather a good story line but not one of Jodi Picoult's best.



I also thought that Nathaniel was a bit too intelligent for a five year old. Jodi Picoult said herself in the interview at the back of the book that Nathaniel was wiser than most children his age due to what had happened to him however I still think half the things he said were too wise for someone of his age and had nothing to do with what had happened to him.



This book was not as bad as I had thought it would be when I first began reading it but it definately was not as good as other Jodi Picoult books.
  
Ready Player One
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.9 (161 Ratings)
Book Rating
10 years late I figure out how to review after I already posted the rating - OOPS - I shall never do that again.

I'm a sucker now for gaming books, who knew? Sci Fi and Gaming has now become some of my favourite genres to read. This book has a very specific gaming objective - find the egg. My kind of game, aside from the plethora of infoduming available in this book, which kind of got annoying (a bit over descriptive to me) it was a joy to read all of the old 80s things, and of course, find out who wins! I do believe Art3mis was my favourite of the characters in the book, not main but she held her own - and the great and powerful og (I died when I read that line) was superb.

I'm taking a stab at book 2 now that this is a series <spoiler> I believe that it's going to have to do with the button of doom </spoiler>