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Anne (15117 KP) rated Warcross in Books

Nov 4, 2019  
Warcross
Warcross
Marie Lu | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m not sure how to review this without spoilers everywhere!!!

This is not what I expected not completely anyway. I can see how you could start the story the way it started and end that way but it still caught me off guard the same.

Now I understand why some people recommend this if you like Ready Player One, but also say it’s completely different because it very much is.

This starts out as fun and games but turns into something much more than that and I can see a lot of parallels to real life here and some of it makes me a little nervous too.

I’m hoping this isn’t too spoilery of a thing to say but this to me was like a fun gamer story turned into big brother is watching you instead. What was once fun and games turns into real life and hidden dangers there with technology kind of idea.

It’s very intense, stressful and a suspenseful fast paced read once you get started.

I would say it’s worth at least checking it out and then you can decide if it’s worth finishing and your kind of story.

I’m still reeling a bit from having barely finished it, but I’m planning to check out the next book to see how the story continues to unfold.
  
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Laetitia Sadier recommended Sea Change by Beck in Music (curated)

 
Sea Change by Beck
Sea Change by Beck
2002 | Folk, Rock, Singer-Songwriter

"I chose it mostly for its beauty. I like the heart-wrenching minor chords. I'm a bit of a sucker for that, and again I find there is such a soothing quality to this record. It is on the melancholic side of things; it's not a sunshine album. But it is the kind of album where if you're not feeling too great you put it on and think oh well, there are people feeling much worse than I am! So cheer up! It has that kind of effect. I'm particularly in love with the string arrangements. I don't know who did them; I don't read the liner notes, but they really work for me. Beck worked with Thurston Moore on Demolished Thoughts, and again there is the same kind of string arrangement that comes in and out of songs. It holds much emotional power. In the earlier parts of the 90s we played some concerts with Sonic Youth, Beck and us, and festivals as well. He was a really good person to come across. I haven't crossed paths with Beck for many years now, but he is someone I would really like to work with, just on the strength of that production and those strings. I think we share musical terrain and I'd really love to work with him."

Source
  
[Last Days of Last Island] by [Bill Dixon] shows that being rich doesn't always come with common sense. In the mid 1800 in America the rich were looking for new ways to enjoy their wealth. In Louisiana the plantation owners found a beautiful island off the coast. It had great views and fishing. Also the breezes were a nice change from the temperatures inland in the South.

The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?

There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.

[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
  
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Lindsay (1774 KP) rated Grimm Woods in Books

Sep 7, 2017  
Grimm Woods
Grimm Woods
D. Melhoff | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Really good Plot and written Well (0 more)
Gimm Woods is a good book. It tells the story somewhat of the fairy tales. Counselors come to help with children that are coming for summer camp. There are few kids coming for some fun. You and many people and kids know what the fairy tales are like now.
 
In Grimm Woods, you will find out, what happens in some fairy tales. There are twist and turns and surprises throughout the book. I think it is a good book. What I like about it is it keeps you guessing who and why things are happening. There are crimes that happen throughout the book. Some counselors body shows up.

There is a dark ending to the children stories that you once thought you knew. I was surprised by this when two counselors put on a play for summer camp children. D. Melhoff does a good job on this book. I would though think that parents would take cautiously and only allow their children to read this book if they are 15 plus and older. I will let parents decide for themselves.
  
John Macarthur has gone through meticulous study and research to uncover a truth about our relationship with Christ to a degree we have not exhausted as thoroughly as we should. Because of words being translated differently, we have lost a dynamic of that beautiful relationship: Now Macarthur has explained what it truly should look like.

Reading Slave has been truly convicting and enlightening. It gave me a whole new perspective on my relationship with Christ, and a fresh sense of peace. Christ is our Master and we are His slaves, and by explaining the culture and the true definition of the words that were originally written, we see salvation in a new light.

Not only was it engaging and convicting, it was easy to read. I've gotten Christian books that felt like I was reading college text books. And trust me when I say I don't like college text books—I have a bunch of them and I avoid them at all costs. But MacArthur's writing was clear and concise yet thoroughly explained and can be easily understood by a wide range of readers.
  
The Empress (The Diabolic, #2)
The Empress (The Diabolic, #2)
S.J. Kincaid | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
4/5 - definitely not as awesome as book 1 but still just as good, there was a few lulls in action therefore that's why it got a 4/5 - i remember book 1 being non-stop action for me and I missed that in this book. Not to say there was not a lot of action - it was a LOT of action, but there was a few chapters of things that were, like I've read, very politically inclined - it is kind of the whole point of the book though so alas can I truly be mad at it??

there was quite a whirlwind of characters too - not new/special ones but ... I love this one, no I HATE them, oh I LOVE them again, no WAIT I hate them.. I mean, can you play with my emotions anymore?!?! Oh my gosh that was a lot! A wringer, a long one, but a good one.

The ending - as always in a series, makes me just scream for more, and now I have to wait an age for the next book, my life is over *cries*
  
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Lindsay (1774 KP) rated Grimm Woods in Books

Aug 30, 2018  
Grimm Woods
Grimm Woods
D. Melhoff | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Tour: Grimm Woods Gimm Woods is a good book. It tells the story somewhat of the fairy tales. Counselors come to help with children that are coming for summer camp. There are few kids coming for some fun. You and may people and kids know what the fairy tales are like now.
 
In Grimm Woods, you will find out, what happens in some fairy tales. There are twist and turns and surprises throughout the book. I think it is a good book. What I like about it is it keeps you guessing who and why things are happening. There are crimes that happen throughout the book. Some counselors body shows up.
There is a dark ending to the children stories that you once thought you knew. I was surprised by this when two counselors put on a play for summer camp children. D. Melhoff does a good job on this book. I would though think that parents would take cautiously and only allow their children to read this book if they are 15 plus and older. I will let parents decide for themselves.
  
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lurkykitty (3 KP) rated Saint X in Books

Mar 26, 2020  
Saint X
Saint X
Alexis Schaitkin | 2020 | Thriller
9
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A compelling and intelligent mystery
When Claire is only seven years old, her eighteen year-old sister Alison disappears and is found dead when their family takes a vacation on a Caribbean island. This book takes place mostly in NYC where Claire, now called Emily, is a young adult working at her first job. By happenstance, she runs into one of the men from the island who was accused of killing her sister, but was not convicted due to lack of evidence. She befriends this man to learn more about what happened to her sister, to the detriment of her own mental health. The initial impression of this book was that it would be a fast paced thriller with a stunning conclusion. However, it is more a commentary on unresolved grief, the assumptions that are made based on race and class, and how one event can shatter the lives of so many. It could still be categorized as a mystery. I found the multiple points of view valuable in understanding the characters and events. Even though, at times, Saint X did not move quickly, it was still a compelling and interesting read.
  
Abandon (Abandon, #1)
Abandon (Abandon, #1)
Meg Cabot | 2011 | Young Adult (YA)
8
7.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars.

I had no idea what to expect with this book as the synopsis was a little vague and I have to say now, slightly false.

The way it was written near the start was intriguing, trying to figure out what had happened between Pierce and John in the Underworld when only being given quick peeks here and there and it grabbed my attention. But then when the style continued throughout, going to past situations where John had turned up, it started to annoy me a little.

I'm not sure how I feel about their relationship because it did sort of appear out of nowhere. I can understand John's feelings because he'd met her before and been keeping her safe for the past two years but Pierce was afraid of him during that time so her feelings are a bit doubtful, if you ask me.

I did like John, though he acted a little moody throughout when we read about him. And Pierce, well, she was a bit annoying in places.

I have to admit though I think I will continue the trilogy.