Search
Search results
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Sing Down the Stars in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I have no words. I absolutely loved this book. It had a sympathetic protagonist who grew throughout the book, a unique world, fully-fledged characters, and great pacing. It's part fantasy, sci-fi, Techpunk (my term for a modern-type of Steampunk), thrown into a modern or slightly futuristic world. I'm sorry, but I cannot be objective about Sing Down the Stars. It's probably not perfect but I don't care, the only thing I can even remember is the action at the beginning felt muddled to me. That's it. Otherwise, I whipped through the book whenever I had the chance and was riveted. <b>Riveted!</b> I tell you! And maybe a bit rabid as well. I want the next book now. I NEED the next book or I feel I might have a coronary. The book is so fantastic and the world so different than anything else I've come across that I just want to shove it in everyone's face and tell them to read it! I don't know when the last time that's happened with a book. Even if you're iffy about the synopsis, try it, sure maybe you won't like it (what are you? Crazy?!), but what do you have to lose? Besides money, but than there are libraries.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Saga in Books
Nov 30, 2020
I'm old! Like I've pro'lly been reading comics for way too long (I was there the first time Jean Grey died)! But, when I say this what I consider one of the best comics EVER, I am behind that statement 100%!
Brian K. Vaughn has created an amazing story, with characters that are far from perfect but at the same time have merit and worth. It is clear that a lot of time went into the creations of each of the characters introduced, as well as the various settings. Long story short? This dude is a frigging GENIUS! Just sayin'..
And hey, how about those visuals from series artist Fiona Staples? Man, those covers she turns in are ridiculously rich in detail, but the inside stuff? Dear God, she has it goin' on! While I have some love for a number of Marvel characters, I am glad that Marvel never tried to lure her in, because she is far too good for them!
I could go on and on about the series and how good it is, but well, there's a more than fair number of users on here have said it better. Let's just leave it at this: Best.Comic.EVER! Now, scoot, go read it already!!
Brian K. Vaughn has created an amazing story, with characters that are far from perfect but at the same time have merit and worth. It is clear that a lot of time went into the creations of each of the characters introduced, as well as the various settings. Long story short? This dude is a frigging GENIUS! Just sayin'..
And hey, how about those visuals from series artist Fiona Staples? Man, those covers she turns in are ridiculously rich in detail, but the inside stuff? Dear God, she has it goin' on! While I have some love for a number of Marvel characters, I am glad that Marvel never tried to lure her in, because she is far too good for them!
I could go on and on about the series and how good it is, but well, there's a more than fair number of users on here have said it better. Let's just leave it at this: Best.Comic.EVER! Now, scoot, go read it already!!
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Nov 30, 2020
As it states in my profile on here, I will read non-fiction, but it really depends on the subject matter. My usual reading go-to is fiction. I like the distraction, the "virtual escape" it provides from Life now and again. Trevor Noah's recollections of growing up in South Africa was definitely the non-fiction I did not know I was seeking.
I am turned 50 last November. I can remember Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 80s. I can also remember hearing about apartheid, and later, Nelson Mandela in the news at the time, thinking it quite bad, but not really knowing/understanding the fullest extent to just how bad it truly was. Through Trevor's stories, I truly what apartheid was and the horrible conditions non-white people were forced to live under.
The stories are presented in such way as to be insightful, but to also, at times, to be fun or amusing or even serious. We learn the meaning behind to the book's title, BORN A CRIME, and what that means for Trevor's life growing up in both apartheid/post-apartheid South Africa.
Profoundly eye-opening! It should definitely be <b>required reading</b> in high school! Jus' sayin'..
I am turned 50 last November. I can remember Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 80s. I can also remember hearing about apartheid, and later, Nelson Mandela in the news at the time, thinking it quite bad, but not really knowing/understanding the fullest extent to just how bad it truly was. Through Trevor's stories, I truly what apartheid was and the horrible conditions non-white people were forced to live under.
The stories are presented in such way as to be insightful, but to also, at times, to be fun or amusing or even serious. We learn the meaning behind to the book's title, BORN A CRIME, and what that means for Trevor's life growing up in both apartheid/post-apartheid South Africa.
Profoundly eye-opening! It should definitely be <b>required reading</b> in high school! Jus' sayin'..
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2423 KP) rated Unlocked in Books
Dec 14, 2020
Unlock Something Different – and Special – with this Book
This is an unusual release. The first 500 pages are a guide to the world of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, with character information, info on animals, background on the races, and a few fun activities. The last 250 pages are a “novella” (it is short for this series) and picks up where Legacy, the previous book in the series, left off. It’s not just filler, but it contains lots of plot developments that fans will be glad they read. It splits time between Sophie, the main character, and Keefe, one of her friends who is going through quite a bit here.
If you are new to the series, you really don’t want to start here. Yes, I said guide, but it comes with lots of spoilers for the first eight books in the series. Back up and start at the beginning; it’s worth it. This is more a love letter to fans. If you are a fan, you’ll definitely enjoy the information contained in this book. And the novella will leave you satisfied. It feels like a complete story and made me laugh and cry. Yes, there is another cliffhanger, so now begins the wait for book 9.
If you are new to the series, you really don’t want to start here. Yes, I said guide, but it comes with lots of spoilers for the first eight books in the series. Back up and start at the beginning; it’s worth it. This is more a love letter to fans. If you are a fan, you’ll definitely enjoy the information contained in this book. And the novella will leave you satisfied. It feels like a complete story and made me laugh and cry. Yes, there is another cliffhanger, so now begins the wait for book 9.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Just One of the Guys in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Okay, I'm going to tell you why Just One of the Guys is not only one of my new favorite Higgins books, but one of my new favorite romances period.
1. The heroine is different. She's not super feminine in her character, but she's definitely feminine in her desires and her passion and her attitude. Growing up with four older brothers, Chastity Virginia (yeah, that's her name. I know, right?) yells when she's mad, throws punches with intent, and won trophies in college for rowing. She's a quarter inch away from being six feet tall, and she's got man-shoulders. She runs 10-mile races up hills for kicks. But she's thirty, she wants her passion to be returned, and her body is telling her that she should have already made at least three babies by now. I mean, how many romance novels do you read with female protagonists like that? most of the time they're young, innocent, unable to take care of themselves, and feminine. Chastity is not the typical female protagonist ... and that's one of the reasons I like her so much.
2. Like any good novel, there are a few sub-plots running through this novel; one is the failing marriage of one of Chastity's brothers, named Mark. He and his wife are going through hell (and possibly divorce and child custody problems) but they still love each other. There is this chapter (chapter 22--it's seared into my head) that made me cry because it was so amazing. See, Chastity babysat for Mark's soon-to-be-ex-wife, and she didn't tell him. When he found out, he blew up at her. Then later when he apologized they started talking, and he opened up to her about how badly he wants to make things right. she gave him a little advice and they had a sob-fest and in the end it worked out so perfectly. But the thing that got me was that so many stories I've read with failing relationships are about trying to get over the person, instead of reconciling. It was beautiful and inspiring and I read the chapter 3 times because I loved it so much.
3. Another one of those sub-plots was the relationship between Chastity’s parents. They’re officially divorced, but they still hang out all the time for dinner, they still love each other, and her dad just assumes her mom will wait around for him to retire. But that isn’t the case. Her mom starts dating again and throws everyone for a loop. Then when she gets into a serious relationship, shit really hits the fan. I was surprised by the outcome. I won’t say what it was for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free. But I will say that it was different. It wasn’t the same-old same-old over again. Suffice to say, this book was the opposite of Happyland-syndrome.
4. The romance between Chastity and Trevor was so epic. I’m not going to say anything else about it because I don’t want to risk spoiling it. It has to be read in order. You can’t know anything out of order. But trust me, it was epic and wonderful and powerful and perfect and beautiful.
Like all of Higgins's books, the writing is fun, easy to read, relaxed, and a little snarky. This one was a little awkward because some of it was written in a different tense than what she does now, but it's one of her earlier books, and I can't hold that against her.
Anyway, you should go get this book. Amazon, B&N, Paperbackswap, your local book store, etc. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Content/recommendation: Some language, mention of sex (but nothing explicit) Ages 17+
1. The heroine is different. She's not super feminine in her character, but she's definitely feminine in her desires and her passion and her attitude. Growing up with four older brothers, Chastity Virginia (yeah, that's her name. I know, right?) yells when she's mad, throws punches with intent, and won trophies in college for rowing. She's a quarter inch away from being six feet tall, and she's got man-shoulders. She runs 10-mile races up hills for kicks. But she's thirty, she wants her passion to be returned, and her body is telling her that she should have already made at least three babies by now. I mean, how many romance novels do you read with female protagonists like that? most of the time they're young, innocent, unable to take care of themselves, and feminine. Chastity is not the typical female protagonist ... and that's one of the reasons I like her so much.
2. Like any good novel, there are a few sub-plots running through this novel; one is the failing marriage of one of Chastity's brothers, named Mark. He and his wife are going through hell (and possibly divorce and child custody problems) but they still love each other. There is this chapter (chapter 22--it's seared into my head) that made me cry because it was so amazing. See, Chastity babysat for Mark's soon-to-be-ex-wife, and she didn't tell him. When he found out, he blew up at her. Then later when he apologized they started talking, and he opened up to her about how badly he wants to make things right. she gave him a little advice and they had a sob-fest and in the end it worked out so perfectly. But the thing that got me was that so many stories I've read with failing relationships are about trying to get over the person, instead of reconciling. It was beautiful and inspiring and I read the chapter 3 times because I loved it so much.
3. Another one of those sub-plots was the relationship between Chastity’s parents. They’re officially divorced, but they still hang out all the time for dinner, they still love each other, and her dad just assumes her mom will wait around for him to retire. But that isn’t the case. Her mom starts dating again and throws everyone for a loop. Then when she gets into a serious relationship, shit really hits the fan. I was surprised by the outcome. I won’t say what it was for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free. But I will say that it was different. It wasn’t the same-old same-old over again. Suffice to say, this book was the opposite of Happyland-syndrome.
4. The romance between Chastity and Trevor was so epic. I’m not going to say anything else about it because I don’t want to risk spoiling it. It has to be read in order. You can’t know anything out of order. But trust me, it was epic and wonderful and powerful and perfect and beautiful.
Like all of Higgins's books, the writing is fun, easy to read, relaxed, and a little snarky. This one was a little awkward because some of it was written in a different tense than what she does now, but it's one of her earlier books, and I can't hold that against her.
Anyway, you should go get this book. Amazon, B&N, Paperbackswap, your local book store, etc. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Content/recommendation: Some language, mention of sex (but nothing explicit) Ages 17+
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Batman Beyond Vol. 1: Escaping the Grave in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Another story from DC's Rebirth universe, set several decades from now in Neo-Gotham - or Jokerz Town as it's been dubbed. There's a new Batman on the streets and a whole gang of Jokerz. Terry, having been trained by the late Bruce Wayne, is wearing the cape and cowl now. The new clown-crazed criminals need to be dealt with - especially when they kidnap Terry's old girlfriend, Dana.
Terminal, an old school friend of Dana and now the leader of the Jokerz, has a mad plan in action. It involves the original Joker, who everyone believed to be dead.
There are several big surprises in this novel. It's a really interesting volume, definitely enticing you to read on. The readers aren't the only one being surprised, though - every character is dealt their fair share of shock in this story!
I like what I've seen of Terry so far, and his relationship with his little brother. I look forward to learning more about them. And I'm super interested to see what happens after the final plot twist was revealed. This seems like a really interesting comic, and I'm giving this issue 4 stars.
Terminal, an old school friend of Dana and now the leader of the Jokerz, has a mad plan in action. It involves the original Joker, who everyone believed to be dead.
There are several big surprises in this novel. It's a really interesting volume, definitely enticing you to read on. The readers aren't the only one being surprised, though - every character is dealt their fair share of shock in this story!
I like what I've seen of Terry so far, and his relationship with his little brother. I look forward to learning more about them. And I'm super interested to see what happens after the final plot twist was revealed. This seems like a really interesting comic, and I'm giving this issue 4 stars.
Merissa (13298 KP) rated The Hellion is Tamed (League of Lords #4) in Books
Sep 14, 2021
THE HELLION IS TAMED is the fourth book in the League of Lords series. We jump forward a few years in this one, to ensure Simon is now an adult. It is made very clear that he has spent the past years searching for a way to find, and bring back, Emma. Although, saying that, he is still hurt by her not coming back to him after stealing the stone from Sebastian. As for Emma, well, she did return but, being as she doesn't have full control of her gift, she caught Simon in a compromising situation and hightailed it out of there.
Miscommunication and avoidance are the two words I would use to describe this book. Now, of course, if love ran smoothly then there would be no romance books to read but Simon and Emma seemed to take it to the extreme.
The focus is also on Emma's gift, not so much Simon's. I would like to have learnt more about him and his gift. How the ghosts see him as their benefactor/protector. Why? How? What does he do? And how do they protect him in return? We saw one example but are there others?
I would definitely recommend reading this as a series, rather than a set of standalones as I do feel the other books help set the situation up for the next one along. And as Simon and Emma are fourth, then it was good to have some background information on them, and the world they inhabit.
Still, a good addition to the series that I enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Miscommunication and avoidance are the two words I would use to describe this book. Now, of course, if love ran smoothly then there would be no romance books to read but Simon and Emma seemed to take it to the extreme.
The focus is also on Emma's gift, not so much Simon's. I would like to have learnt more about him and his gift. How the ghosts see him as their benefactor/protector. Why? How? What does he do? And how do they protect him in return? We saw one example but are there others?
I would definitely recommend reading this as a series, rather than a set of standalones as I do feel the other books help set the situation up for the next one along. And as Simon and Emma are fourth, then it was good to have some background information on them, and the world they inhabit.
Still, a good addition to the series that I enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (13298 KP) rated The Onyx Prince (The Journals of Ravier #3) in Books
Oct 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 12, 2023)
THE ONYX PRINCE is the third book in The Journals of Ravier and we return to Muraine. Talok is still hindered by an evil gauntlet that is changing his very persona. Gemma is now The Galloway and in a relationship with Ben. Tyler has his eye on Sky. But unfortunately, Zymarc isn't interested in happy families.
As with the previous books, there is SO MUCH going on. I mean, seriously. In fact, if I could ask for something, it would be a small description of each 'clan', just so I can keep it clear in my head just who does what. Saying that - the character list helped a lot, as did the rundown at the beginning.
This is a fast-paced book, but a true fantasy in that it is a long read, giving you time to immerse yourself in their world. I love how Tyler is growing into whom he is supposed to be. I still don't think he will end up with Sky, but we'll see.
This is also an emotional book that had me in tears at one point. Did I think what did happen would happen? Yes. Did it stop me from crying? Absolutely not! And I love that - to be gripped by a character so much I get all the feels.
This is the third book, but it's definitely not the end. I have enjoyed these three, and now I can look forward to the next three. Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 28, 2021
As with the previous books, there is SO MUCH going on. I mean, seriously. In fact, if I could ask for something, it would be a small description of each 'clan', just so I can keep it clear in my head just who does what. Saying that - the character list helped a lot, as did the rundown at the beginning.
This is a fast-paced book, but a true fantasy in that it is a long read, giving you time to immerse yourself in their world. I love how Tyler is growing into whom he is supposed to be. I still don't think he will end up with Sky, but we'll see.
This is also an emotional book that had me in tears at one point. Did I think what did happen would happen? Yes. Did it stop me from crying? Absolutely not! And I love that - to be gripped by a character so much I get all the feels.
This is the third book, but it's definitely not the end. I have enjoyed these three, and now I can look forward to the next three. Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 28, 2021
Merissa (13298 KP) rated Betrayed (The Emrys Chronicles #2) in Books
Jul 5, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
BETRAYED is the second book in The Emrys Chronicles and Einion is now all grown-up. Catrin has changed from his aunt to someone who sees him as a man, and it leaves him very confused. A time apart sounds like a good thing, but then along comes Rhianu to confuse him even further.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as book one. There are reasons for this, so let me explain. First of all, the thing with Catrin and Einion. I don't know, but this just didn't work from the start for me. I found myself losing patience with both of them. Maybe because I knew they wouldn't be together? I don't know. The other was the angels. I understand what the author was going for, but that word just seemed out of place amongst all the dragons. And finally, Aerona. She flipped too quickly for me. For so long saying one thing, and then changing her mind on the flip of a coin.
Now I've said that, let me say this. I DID enjoy this book. It is full of action and adventure, light and darkness, and choices to be made. I thought Einion was a great character, all too real with his worries and concerns about doing a job to the best of his abilities. I liked Catrin in Ahnalyn’s book, so I'm hoping once I read hers, I'll be back on the same wavelength again. Meinwen is another fantastic character.
This was a good addition to the series that moved the overall story arc forwards. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 5, 2021
I didn't enjoy this one as much as book one. There are reasons for this, so let me explain. First of all, the thing with Catrin and Einion. I don't know, but this just didn't work from the start for me. I found myself losing patience with both of them. Maybe because I knew they wouldn't be together? I don't know. The other was the angels. I understand what the author was going for, but that word just seemed out of place amongst all the dragons. And finally, Aerona. She flipped too quickly for me. For so long saying one thing, and then changing her mind on the flip of a coin.
Now I've said that, let me say this. I DID enjoy this book. It is full of action and adventure, light and darkness, and choices to be made. I thought Einion was a great character, all too real with his worries and concerns about doing a job to the best of his abilities. I liked Catrin in Ahnalyn’s book, so I'm hoping once I read hers, I'll be back on the same wavelength again. Meinwen is another fantastic character.
This was a good addition to the series that moved the overall story arc forwards. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 5, 2021
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Two Days Gone (Ryan DeMarco Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/two-days-gone-by-randall-silvis
NOW AVAILABLE!
<i><b>But doesnt every guilty man hide his deeds behind his words and hide his thoughts behind his smile?</i></b>
This was perfectly set up to be a great novel, but unfortunately, like so many novel nowadays, it instead failed to excite and thrill me, and in the end, turned into an extremely mediocre read.
It wasnt until around 70% of the way through this book that I realised how dislikable DeMarco, our supposed hero, was. His anger and grief was completely understandable after the loss of his wife and child, but I felt he was unnecessarily unkind to his peers and overly passive aggressive in general. <spoiler>Plus can we talk about how much of a shitty cop he was? Getting into a car with a bleeding out dead body to chase an armed, highly fragile man and not alerting anyone? <b>Murdering</b> the main suspect on a case just because he could? Only in fiction.</spoiler>However, out of our two main characters, I was happy to read more about DeMarco than Thomas. I found Thomas PoV to be slow and a little pointless. Again, I understood his anguish and shame etc, but I guess I just couldnt connect to his character and summon up the right emotions to care about his story that much.
This was a slow read for me, but I kept pushing through it because: 1) it wasnt <i>that</i> bad and 2) I was led to believe, by some other reviews, that an amazing twist was going to be revealed. <i>Unfortunately,</i> we got the amazing twist and my reaction was more of an oh than a whoa!! <spoiler>I guess I wanted to the book to feel more realistic, I wanted some innate human darkness to be the cause of the murders, I didnt want a book about revenge.</spoiler> The plot, overall, wasnt too bad, there were some exciting moments, but for the most part this could only just hold my interest.
<i>Two Days Gone</i> didnt grab my attention well enough for me to rate it anything higher than 3 stars. It was an average story, with average characters and an average plot twist. Its a shame because had high hopes for this one, but nevermind, you win some, you lose some. I see Amazon have specified this as a Ryan DeMarco novel so Im assuming we may be seeing a series come out from Silvis, but I wont be keeping up with it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
NOW AVAILABLE!
<i><b>But doesnt every guilty man hide his deeds behind his words and hide his thoughts behind his smile?</i></b>
This was perfectly set up to be a great novel, but unfortunately, like so many novel nowadays, it instead failed to excite and thrill me, and in the end, turned into an extremely mediocre read.
It wasnt until around 70% of the way through this book that I realised how dislikable DeMarco, our supposed hero, was. His anger and grief was completely understandable after the loss of his wife and child, but I felt he was unnecessarily unkind to his peers and overly passive aggressive in general. <spoiler>Plus can we talk about how much of a shitty cop he was? Getting into a car with a bleeding out dead body to chase an armed, highly fragile man and not alerting anyone? <b>Murdering</b> the main suspect on a case just because he could? Only in fiction.</spoiler>However, out of our two main characters, I was happy to read more about DeMarco than Thomas. I found Thomas PoV to be slow and a little pointless. Again, I understood his anguish and shame etc, but I guess I just couldnt connect to his character and summon up the right emotions to care about his story that much.
This was a slow read for me, but I kept pushing through it because: 1) it wasnt <i>that</i> bad and 2) I was led to believe, by some other reviews, that an amazing twist was going to be revealed. <i>Unfortunately,</i> we got the amazing twist and my reaction was more of an oh than a whoa!! <spoiler>I guess I wanted to the book to feel more realistic, I wanted some innate human darkness to be the cause of the murders, I didnt want a book about revenge.</spoiler> The plot, overall, wasnt too bad, there were some exciting moments, but for the most part this could only just hold my interest.
<i>Two Days Gone</i> didnt grab my attention well enough for me to rate it anything higher than 3 stars. It was an average story, with average characters and an average plot twist. Its a shame because had high hopes for this one, but nevermind, you win some, you lose some. I see Amazon have specified this as a Ryan DeMarco novel so Im assuming we may be seeing a series come out from Silvis, but I wont be keeping up with it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.