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Three Strikes You're Out
Book
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and Earth, and God created men and women of all walks of...
Jamie Foreman: Gangsters, Guns and Me
Book
Jamie Foreman is one of Britain's most iconic actors. He is also the son of Britain's most notorious...
The Mark of Cain: Guilt and Denial in the Post-war Lives of Nazi Perpetrators
Book
The Mark of Cain fleshes out a history of conversations that contributed to Germany's coming to...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Darkest Touch (Lords of the Underworld #11) in Books
Jan 12, 2021
I read the first six or so of these books back to back years ago and got to really like this group of friends. I've read the odd book in the series since then and this has been on my shelf for over a year now.
This one starts with Torin accidentally killing a fellow prisoner, Mari, after she touched him and him trying to bring her back. Keeleycael, a fellow prisoner and the Red Queen, was Mari's friend and tells Torin she will kill him for taking her friends life after she escapes. They both manage to escape the prison not long after and the ruthlessness they both show in killing the evil creatures that roam outside the castle helps the burning desire they feel for each other flare to life.
Can I say I really enjoyed this!
I'd forgotten a lot of the banter between the Lords and Torin was equal parts fun and tortured. I loved his attitude when they were going through the different realms. He was protective, sarcastic and permanently turned on. Add in that he's the Keeper of Disease and can't keep his hands off Keeley half the time and, well, you can imagine what ends up happening.
Keeley was a little unhinged at the start of this having been locked up in her prison for centuries as she plotted her escape but after they escape she chilled out a lot and I loved her - sort of - one track mind in regards to Torin. She wanted him and was determined to seduce him.
I was also really into a side story in this: Cameo and Lazarus! And of course William (the ever randy) and his thing for Gilly. I am so interested in seeing where those go - so I went straight off to Amazon and ordered paperbacks of books 12-14!
Reading this has made me remember how much I enjoy these books an I cannot wait to read more them.
This one starts with Torin accidentally killing a fellow prisoner, Mari, after she touched him and him trying to bring her back. Keeleycael, a fellow prisoner and the Red Queen, was Mari's friend and tells Torin she will kill him for taking her friends life after she escapes. They both manage to escape the prison not long after and the ruthlessness they both show in killing the evil creatures that roam outside the castle helps the burning desire they feel for each other flare to life.
Can I say I really enjoyed this!
I'd forgotten a lot of the banter between the Lords and Torin was equal parts fun and tortured. I loved his attitude when they were going through the different realms. He was protective, sarcastic and permanently turned on. Add in that he's the Keeper of Disease and can't keep his hands off Keeley half the time and, well, you can imagine what ends up happening.
Keeley was a little unhinged at the start of this having been locked up in her prison for centuries as she plotted her escape but after they escape she chilled out a lot and I loved her - sort of - one track mind in regards to Torin. She wanted him and was determined to seduce him.
I was also really into a side story in this: Cameo and Lazarus! And of course William (the ever randy) and his thing for Gilly. I am so interested in seeing where those go - so I went straight off to Amazon and ordered paperbacks of books 12-14!
Reading this has made me remember how much I enjoy these books an I cannot wait to read more them.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Concrete Rose in Books
Jan 28, 2021
A striking prequel to The Hate You Give
Maverick Carter feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. With his father in prison, he has to help his mother financially while still attending high school. To do so, he's secretly dealing drugs with some of his friends, and he's a member of the King Lords gang, same as his father, for protection. But when Mav finds out he's becoming a father too, everything changes. His son, Seven, alters his view on the world. He wants to stop dealing, to get a real job, maybe even leave the gang. And when a murder rocks his community, Maverick is forced to grow up quickly and figure out exactly what his future holds.
"When it comes to the streets, there’s rules. They ain’t written down, and you won’t find them in a book."
CONCRETE ROSE takes place around seventeen years before Thomas' hit THE HATE YOU GIVE, and it's absolutely riveting. Talk about the book you didn't know you needed, but once you read it, you'll never forget it. Thomas perfectly captures teen Maverick's voice and his early life, including all the pressures that come with being a young black man in his community.
Thomas deftly shows how institutionalized racism has affected Maverick's entire world--his father in prison, the gang life that surrounds him, the standards and judgements forced upon him. Maverick wants to go straight, but the pressures he faces--having to support his family as a kid, other family members who want him in a gang--are nearly overwhelming.
This book touches on friendship, family, belonging, and so much more. It's spellbinding and so well-done. The fact that it has ties to THUG is even better, giving insight into more of that world. Overall, it's incredibly engrossing and insightful. Honestly, I was sad it didn't cover more time up to THUG. 4.5 stars.
"When it comes to the streets, there’s rules. They ain’t written down, and you won’t find them in a book."
CONCRETE ROSE takes place around seventeen years before Thomas' hit THE HATE YOU GIVE, and it's absolutely riveting. Talk about the book you didn't know you needed, but once you read it, you'll never forget it. Thomas perfectly captures teen Maverick's voice and his early life, including all the pressures that come with being a young black man in his community.
Thomas deftly shows how institutionalized racism has affected Maverick's entire world--his father in prison, the gang life that surrounds him, the standards and judgements forced upon him. Maverick wants to go straight, but the pressures he faces--having to support his family as a kid, other family members who want him in a gang--are nearly overwhelming.
This book touches on friendship, family, belonging, and so much more. It's spellbinding and so well-done. The fact that it has ties to THUG is even better, giving insight into more of that world. Overall, it's incredibly engrossing and insightful. Honestly, I was sad it didn't cover more time up to THUG. 4.5 stars.
Solitary
Book
Solitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary...
Seen (Breaking Free #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
An Omegaverse Story Hell is a six-by-six jail cell and no hope for the future. Kell Iverson...
M_M Mpreg Omegaverse
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 25, 2022
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated American War in Books
Oct 3, 2017
Epic novel about the Second American Civil War
Throughout the entire time reading this, all I could think of is the fact that this would look amazing as a TV series. This dystopian novel explores how the north and south of the United States are divided in the latter half of the 21st century after fossil fuels are banned due to extreme flooding in Florida.
It is written in the perspective of a dying historian in the 22nd century, attempting to recollect the role of his aunt, who essentially was leading the insurgency against the north. She was as much a victim as aggressor in this novel, being groomed as a child soldier and being tortured in prison as a young adult. In the background, a rising Pan-Arab empire helps stoke the fires in the US.
It is slow but relentless, and rather fitting for what is currently happening all over the world. A fascinating read indeed.
It is written in the perspective of a dying historian in the 22nd century, attempting to recollect the role of his aunt, who essentially was leading the insurgency against the north. She was as much a victim as aggressor in this novel, being groomed as a child soldier and being tortured in prison as a young adult. In the background, a rising Pan-Arab empire helps stoke the fires in the US.
It is slow but relentless, and rather fitting for what is currently happening all over the world. A fascinating read indeed.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Jan 3, 2018
An insider's view of Apartheid
It seems unlikely that comedian Trevor Noah would have ever made it out of the prison of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and violence, yet now he's regarded as one of South Africa's biggest export. His memoir is brutal and harrowing, describing how because of the illegal interracial relationship between his Xhosa mother and his Swiss-German, his birth was actually a crime.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.