Search
Search results
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
This book has been on my shelf for awhile. I've also been wanting to read it since I first got it, but due to other commitments, I had never got around to it until now. This turned out to be a really touching book.
I think the title suits the book really well. Mia is trying to decide if she should live or just give in to death. She thinks about what her life was like before and what would happen if she decided to stay and live.
The cover is a little bit boring, I think. There's just not really anything going on. I don't know what I'd like to see on the cover, but this cover is too plain.
I did enjoy the world building very much. It made me wonder what happens when we're barely hanging on to life. Forman did a great job of making this sort of limbo, so to speak, feel like that's exactly what happens when someone's life is hanging by a thread. I, personally, felt as if Mia didn't really do too much grieving for her family. However, maybe this was just due to shock or because she was a sort of a ghostly like presence during the majority of the book.
The pacing was a bit hit and miss. I found some of the memories Mia had to be a bit boring thus slowing down the pacing a bit. I realize the memories were crucial to the book though, but I just felt that maybe they could've been written in a more interesting way if possible. The pacing doesn't stay slow all the time though, and a lot of the time, it does stay at a decent pace.
The plot of someone stuck outside their body while they are in a coma has been done many times before. Saying that, Gayle Forman did an excellent job of making it interesting for her book. Her lyrical writing helps the plot a lot and makes for an interesting read.
I thought the characters were very well written and well developed. I felt like Mia was a very down to Earth girl. Her emotions felt very real, and I sympathized with her. I did like Kim although I felt that she was a bit too disrespectful towards her mother. Kim was a great friend to Mia. This is made very obvious in the book. I felt bad for Kim when she finally saw Mia laid up in the hospital bed. Adam seemed like a really sweet boyfriend, and it was obvious how deeply he cared for Mia. He was willing to do whatever it took to visit Mia in the hospital, even if it meant going to jail.
The dialogue flows freely and smoothly, never disjointed. For the most part, the dialogue fits in with a young adult novel. This book is a tiny bit gory at the beginning of the book so be warned about that. There are a few swear words within the book.
Overall, If I Stay is an emotionally charged and intriguing read. The plot is interesting, the world building is fantastic, and the characters are lively!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are after an emotionally captivating read.
<b>I'd give If I Stay by Gayle Forman a 3.75 out of 5.</b>
(I won a copy of this book from a giveaway. I was not required to write a review).
This book has been on my shelf for awhile. I've also been wanting to read it since I first got it, but due to other commitments, I had never got around to it until now. This turned out to be a really touching book.
I think the title suits the book really well. Mia is trying to decide if she should live or just give in to death. She thinks about what her life was like before and what would happen if she decided to stay and live.
The cover is a little bit boring, I think. There's just not really anything going on. I don't know what I'd like to see on the cover, but this cover is too plain.
I did enjoy the world building very much. It made me wonder what happens when we're barely hanging on to life. Forman did a great job of making this sort of limbo, so to speak, feel like that's exactly what happens when someone's life is hanging by a thread. I, personally, felt as if Mia didn't really do too much grieving for her family. However, maybe this was just due to shock or because she was a sort of a ghostly like presence during the majority of the book.
The pacing was a bit hit and miss. I found some of the memories Mia had to be a bit boring thus slowing down the pacing a bit. I realize the memories were crucial to the book though, but I just felt that maybe they could've been written in a more interesting way if possible. The pacing doesn't stay slow all the time though, and a lot of the time, it does stay at a decent pace.
The plot of someone stuck outside their body while they are in a coma has been done many times before. Saying that, Gayle Forman did an excellent job of making it interesting for her book. Her lyrical writing helps the plot a lot and makes for an interesting read.
I thought the characters were very well written and well developed. I felt like Mia was a very down to Earth girl. Her emotions felt very real, and I sympathized with her. I did like Kim although I felt that she was a bit too disrespectful towards her mother. Kim was a great friend to Mia. This is made very obvious in the book. I felt bad for Kim when she finally saw Mia laid up in the hospital bed. Adam seemed like a really sweet boyfriend, and it was obvious how deeply he cared for Mia. He was willing to do whatever it took to visit Mia in the hospital, even if it meant going to jail.
The dialogue flows freely and smoothly, never disjointed. For the most part, the dialogue fits in with a young adult novel. This book is a tiny bit gory at the beginning of the book so be warned about that. There are a few swear words within the book.
Overall, If I Stay is an emotionally charged and intriguing read. The plot is interesting, the world building is fantastic, and the characters are lively!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are after an emotionally captivating read.
<b>I'd give If I Stay by Gayle Forman a 3.75 out of 5.</b>
(I won a copy of this book from a giveaway. I was not required to write a review).
Review can also be found on: diaryofdifference.com/2018/05/24/gunshots-goalposts-the-story-of-northern-irish-football-benjamin-roberts-book-review/
For the lovers of football and history - this book will be of your interest. If you happen to have any connecting with Northern Ireland as well - this book is made for you!
<img src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510KFWLQLML.jpg"/>;
I don’t think I fit in the description above. I love watching football - but I am not a football maniac, that knows who plays where, the club’s managers and who is on top of the Champion’s League this year. I love me some good sports matches, and I know a lot of players by name or face, but that’s about it.
Now - Gunshots & Goalposts: The Story of Northern Irish Football - the book that covers the stories of many football players in the past century in Northern Ireland.
While it covers so many stories, I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters, and I choose to blame this on the way the book was written.
Which - is not a bad thing at all. Why? Because, this book is not meant to make you fall in love with the characters. It is instead, meant to show you the real picture of their lives, the politics that were ongoing in that time, and give you a brief history lesson of what you happened to miss in high school. All related to football, of course.
For me, it was very useful to learn a bit about the politics and history. Before I started the book, I knew NOTHING about Northern Ireland’s history. I knew NOTHING about their football history. This was a great first book for me to dive into the waters of the history of Northern Ireland's football.
The author, Benjamin Roberts, has done a wonderful job in the description and research. It covers a lot of the history period from the First and Second World War, the protestants vs catholics, the unionists vs nationalists, the east vs the west.
This book reminds me a lot of a movie that has been made in the country where I was born - Macedonia. The movie was called ‘’The Third Half’’ and deals with Macedonian Football during World War II, and the deportation of Jews from Macedonia. It reminded me a bit of this, even though in this book we don’t connect with the characters, or dive into their stories too much.
This is a three-star book for me - for the sole reason that this is not a book that I would usually read, and I wouldn’t read books similar to this one either. I enjoyed it, at times, but wouldn’t re-read it. However, I would definitely recommend it to people that love both football and history. I just prefer books where I connect with the characters.
For the lovers of football and history - this book will be of your interest. If you happen to have any connecting with Northern Ireland as well - this book is made for you!
<img src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510KFWLQLML.jpg"/>;
I don’t think I fit in the description above. I love watching football - but I am not a football maniac, that knows who plays where, the club’s managers and who is on top of the Champion’s League this year. I love me some good sports matches, and I know a lot of players by name or face, but that’s about it.
Now - Gunshots & Goalposts: The Story of Northern Irish Football - the book that covers the stories of many football players in the past century in Northern Ireland.
While it covers so many stories, I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters, and I choose to blame this on the way the book was written.
Which - is not a bad thing at all. Why? Because, this book is not meant to make you fall in love with the characters. It is instead, meant to show you the real picture of their lives, the politics that were ongoing in that time, and give you a brief history lesson of what you happened to miss in high school. All related to football, of course.
For me, it was very useful to learn a bit about the politics and history. Before I started the book, I knew NOTHING about Northern Ireland’s history. I knew NOTHING about their football history. This was a great first book for me to dive into the waters of the history of Northern Ireland's football.
The author, Benjamin Roberts, has done a wonderful job in the description and research. It covers a lot of the history period from the First and Second World War, the protestants vs catholics, the unionists vs nationalists, the east vs the west.
This book reminds me a lot of a movie that has been made in the country where I was born - Macedonia. The movie was called ‘’The Third Half’’ and deals with Macedonian Football during World War II, and the deportation of Jews from Macedonia. It reminded me a bit of this, even though in this book we don’t connect with the characters, or dive into their stories too much.
This is a three-star book for me - for the sole reason that this is not a book that I would usually read, and I wouldn’t read books similar to this one either. I enjoyed it, at times, but wouldn’t re-read it. However, I would definitely recommend it to people that love both football and history. I just prefer books where I connect with the characters.
Kayleigh (12 KP) rated Newes from the Dead in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I stumbled across the blurb of this book while looking at the Totally Random Books website. It's really intriguing and, as I read around, I could see that the book is based on a true story. That was it, I had to buy it! It didn't disappoint, and I read it in a day.
While this is a YA book, it's worth pointing out that it deals with some really adult themes, which is something to consider if you're thinking of letting a teenager read it. I'll outline the main points in the next paragraph, so if you don't want any spoilers at all, skip this bit. The chapters flick between the events that led up to Anne's hanging, and what happens while she's laid on the dissecting table, apparently dead. Her downfall comes when the master's grandson promises her the world in exchange for him getting his end away, shall we say. As tends to happen, she becomes pregnant, which she manages to keep a secret until she miscarries. She has the 'audacity' to tell people who the father was, so never receives a fair trial, and is sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her child. Her sentence is carried out, but she regains consciousness while on the dissecting table. However, she's unable to move a muscle, even to scream.
Anne is a nice girl with a promising, if humble, future, and I liked her. Even while I was willing her not to trust the father of her child, I could understand why she did what she did, and I felt really sorry for her as she lost a lot. The events of both storylines were fascinating, and in the dissection chapters I was constantly willing the doctors to notice what was going on. Although I knew they wouldn't cut into her and it was a little drawn out, some parts got quite tense, which I liked.
Being a sucker for history, I really liked the way everything was portrayed. [a:Mary Hooper|139257|Mary Hooper|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1310022486p2/139257.jpg], the author, made me realise how important it was in how you were perceived in those times - if you think gossip can be bad now, it was a million times worse in 1650, when holding someone's hand, even for an innocent reason, can potentially start a deadly rumour. I thought the book brought across everything that would have happened at the time really accurately and realistically. I know the author had true events to go on, but Anne's life before her hanging was all imagined. There's a note from Hooper at the end that specifies what records say about what happened to Anne Green after her hanging, which is also really interesting. I'll definitely be checking out more of Hooper's books!
If you liked this review please check out my <a href="http://www.a-worldofwords.com">blog!</a>;
While this is a YA book, it's worth pointing out that it deals with some really adult themes, which is something to consider if you're thinking of letting a teenager read it. I'll outline the main points in the next paragraph, so if you don't want any spoilers at all, skip this bit. The chapters flick between the events that led up to Anne's hanging, and what happens while she's laid on the dissecting table, apparently dead. Her downfall comes when the master's grandson promises her the world in exchange for him getting his end away, shall we say. As tends to happen, she becomes pregnant, which she manages to keep a secret until she miscarries. She has the 'audacity' to tell people who the father was, so never receives a fair trial, and is sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her child. Her sentence is carried out, but she regains consciousness while on the dissecting table. However, she's unable to move a muscle, even to scream.
Anne is a nice girl with a promising, if humble, future, and I liked her. Even while I was willing her not to trust the father of her child, I could understand why she did what she did, and I felt really sorry for her as she lost a lot. The events of both storylines were fascinating, and in the dissection chapters I was constantly willing the doctors to notice what was going on. Although I knew they wouldn't cut into her and it was a little drawn out, some parts got quite tense, which I liked.
Being a sucker for history, I really liked the way everything was portrayed. [a:Mary Hooper|139257|Mary Hooper|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1310022486p2/139257.jpg], the author, made me realise how important it was in how you were perceived in those times - if you think gossip can be bad now, it was a million times worse in 1650, when holding someone's hand, even for an innocent reason, can potentially start a deadly rumour. I thought the book brought across everything that would have happened at the time really accurately and realistically. I know the author had true events to go on, but Anne's life before her hanging was all imagined. There's a note from Hooper at the end that specifies what records say about what happened to Anne Green after her hanging, which is also really interesting. I'll definitely be checking out more of Hooper's books!
If you liked this review please check out my <a href="http://www.a-worldofwords.com">blog!</a>;
ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Once and Future Witches in Books
Oct 15, 2020
It’s 1893 and witches are no more since Old Salem was burnt to the ground along with all of its witches. Women’s fights have now taken to the ballot box with the Suffragist movement. In reality, the difference between ‘Witch’ and ‘Suffragist’ is quite blurred for many men. All women with too much power, knowledge or motivation are something to be reviled and controlled. Yes, this is really all about feminism, and this is only one of the many reasons why it’s a top read for me.
As far back as I can remember (and that’s quite a long way), I’ve loved fairytales, myths and legends. The original stories, if you will. Witches didn’t fare well in these stories, but they were always the characters that I wanted to know more about. What motivated them? Why were they ‘evil’? How did they do THAT?! I wanted to be the ‘good’ version! So this book has ticked a lot of boxes for me. They’re witches, they’re good, normal, women, and they want to make ALL of their lives better.
The main three characters reflect the three stages of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone) and also reflect the kinds of lives that many women would (and still do) live.
James Juniper, the youngest, wants to come in to her own power - whether that’s as a suffragist or a witch. She believes that you don’t have to choose: she’s a true fighter and is willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Beatrice Belladonna has escaped her life with the family years ago and works as a librarian: knowledge is her greatest power. Finally, Agnes Amaranth is an unmarried mother who wants to protect her unborn child.
They’ve all been damaged by their abusive father, and this story is as much about them rebuilding their relationship as it is about women coming in to their own power.
The Once and Future Witches has a lot to offer all ages of reader. It makes you think about not just women’s rights, but also race, LGBTQI+ rights, survival, and just standing firm for what you believe in. It shows through the example of the three estranged sisters, that we are all stronger if we stand together.
I didn’t want to stop reading this - I inhaled it, couldn’t put it down, went to bed early two days in a row just to read it, and thought about it in between times. And I’m still thinking about it. If you like witches, you’ll like this. If you like a good story, you’ll love it. If you want to read a book that encompasses all of this and has relevance to our lives today, here’s your book.
This is going to remain a firm favourite for me for a long time. Perhaps I’m one of the future witches?
Many thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
As far back as I can remember (and that’s quite a long way), I’ve loved fairytales, myths and legends. The original stories, if you will. Witches didn’t fare well in these stories, but they were always the characters that I wanted to know more about. What motivated them? Why were they ‘evil’? How did they do THAT?! I wanted to be the ‘good’ version! So this book has ticked a lot of boxes for me. They’re witches, they’re good, normal, women, and they want to make ALL of their lives better.
The main three characters reflect the three stages of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone) and also reflect the kinds of lives that many women would (and still do) live.
James Juniper, the youngest, wants to come in to her own power - whether that’s as a suffragist or a witch. She believes that you don’t have to choose: she’s a true fighter and is willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Beatrice Belladonna has escaped her life with the family years ago and works as a librarian: knowledge is her greatest power. Finally, Agnes Amaranth is an unmarried mother who wants to protect her unborn child.
They’ve all been damaged by their abusive father, and this story is as much about them rebuilding their relationship as it is about women coming in to their own power.
The Once and Future Witches has a lot to offer all ages of reader. It makes you think about not just women’s rights, but also race, LGBTQI+ rights, survival, and just standing firm for what you believe in. It shows through the example of the three estranged sisters, that we are all stronger if we stand together.
I didn’t want to stop reading this - I inhaled it, couldn’t put it down, went to bed early two days in a row just to read it, and thought about it in between times. And I’m still thinking about it. If you like witches, you’ll like this. If you like a good story, you’ll love it. If you want to read a book that encompasses all of this and has relevance to our lives today, here’s your book.
This is going to remain a firm favourite for me for a long time. Perhaps I’m one of the future witches?
Many thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Cristy Amanda (87 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Sep 28, 2019
A hidden wonder!
Contains spoilers, click to show
This was a "desperation" book buy. I happened to be in my local WHSmiths buying my toddler some books and wanted something new to read myself. I picked this up off the shelf, took a cursory glance at the blurb and decided why not - at the very least it will give me something to read for a few days.
This book was totally captivating and eclipsing! Within the first 5 pages I was hooked and could not put it down. Not consciously hooked straight away as I sometimes am, but in the sense of I literally couldn't make myself stop reading yet didn't know why. Within a day and a half I had finished and was thoroughly torn up to discover I couldn't even get the sequel yet. (So I now have to make do with re-reading it almost continuously which is no hardship!)
The clever descriptive writing soon sucks you into the world of the storyline and convinces you it is not only plausible but very real. The charactors felt as though they were my very own family and I was totally invested in their futures.
Whilst the reason for the book being written is heartwrenching in itself, the story line is so cleverly written to portray the social issues and paradigms of the modern world in an intelligent yet disconnected way. I have never felt such an emotional rollercoaster as I did reading this book. Each time it looked as though they would succeed in restoring magic, my own heart soared with hope. And each time the plans didn't pan out, I personally felt like a candle in the night had been extinguished. The social caste differences and brutal violence were traumatic in their own right, yet to illustrate the point with the demise of some charactors who were pivotal to the aim of the protagonists, really drove home the risks, suffering and sacrifices of the charactors in the story, as well as further illustrate the point of the novel. The ending was totally unexpected and soul-destroying and I am somehow both excited and apprehensive to read the next book upon its release. I don't think any amount of time can prepare me for the adreneline building heartwrenching rollercoaster still to come. I 100% recommend this novel to everyone and commend such an inspirational, thought provoking and clever interpretation and translation of modern day societal issues into fantasy fiction.
This book was totally captivating and eclipsing! Within the first 5 pages I was hooked and could not put it down. Not consciously hooked straight away as I sometimes am, but in the sense of I literally couldn't make myself stop reading yet didn't know why. Within a day and a half I had finished and was thoroughly torn up to discover I couldn't even get the sequel yet. (So I now have to make do with re-reading it almost continuously which is no hardship!)
The clever descriptive writing soon sucks you into the world of the storyline and convinces you it is not only plausible but very real. The charactors felt as though they were my very own family and I was totally invested in their futures.
Whilst the reason for the book being written is heartwrenching in itself, the story line is so cleverly written to portray the social issues and paradigms of the modern world in an intelligent yet disconnected way. I have never felt such an emotional rollercoaster as I did reading this book. Each time it looked as though they would succeed in restoring magic, my own heart soared with hope. And each time the plans didn't pan out, I personally felt like a candle in the night had been extinguished. The social caste differences and brutal violence were traumatic in their own right, yet to illustrate the point with the demise of some charactors who were pivotal to the aim of the protagonists, really drove home the risks, suffering and sacrifices of the charactors in the story, as well as further illustrate the point of the novel. The ending was totally unexpected and soul-destroying and I am somehow both excited and apprehensive to read the next book upon its release. I don't think any amount of time can prepare me for the adreneline building heartwrenching rollercoaster still to come. I 100% recommend this novel to everyone and commend such an inspirational, thought provoking and clever interpretation and translation of modern day societal issues into fantasy fiction.
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated His Lordship's Master (His Lordship’s Mysteries #2) in Books
Mar 31, 2022
I could see that things were really not as they were portrayed to be.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the His Lordship's Mysteries series, and while this can be read as a stand alone, I really think you SHOULD read book one, His Lordship's Secret before this one. Lots happened in that book that is referenced here, but not fully explained. You could probably piece things together, but I think to get the full effect of Alfie and Dominick, you need to read that book first.
Still recovering from what happened in London, Alfie and Dominick retreat to his family house in Scotland. And find themselves in the middle of an age-old mystery. What with ghosts and missing people and now a dead butler, Alfie and Dominick jump headlong into another caper!
I really was enjoying this a bit more than book one, but something triggered with me, and I found myself thinking about another book. With another ago-old mystery, with another painting, in another castle. And I'm stumped as to which book it was, but after that point, I found I didn't enjoy it quite so much.
Oh don't get me wrong, please. It's really well written, from both Alfie and Dominick's point of view. There are more things revealed about both Alfie and Dom's lives in the time they were apart. There is much love here, even if they sometimes forget that.
I again quote my review for Secret:
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
Because I really did not see that one coming at me. But the whole Wicked Master thing? I could see that coming at me, even before the point I mentioned before. I could see that things were really not as they were portrayed to be.
There are almost two stories going on here. The missing woman and the dead butler, then the Wicked Master thing. I liked that, along with the growing deepening connection between Alfie and Dom, which evokes some mighty powerful feelings here!
So, even though things were a little blurry, I did enjoy it and I'll still give it. . .
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the His Lordship's Mysteries series, and while this can be read as a stand alone, I really think you SHOULD read book one, His Lordship's Secret before this one. Lots happened in that book that is referenced here, but not fully explained. You could probably piece things together, but I think to get the full effect of Alfie and Dominick, you need to read that book first.
Still recovering from what happened in London, Alfie and Dominick retreat to his family house in Scotland. And find themselves in the middle of an age-old mystery. What with ghosts and missing people and now a dead butler, Alfie and Dominick jump headlong into another caper!
I really was enjoying this a bit more than book one, but something triggered with me, and I found myself thinking about another book. With another ago-old mystery, with another painting, in another castle. And I'm stumped as to which book it was, but after that point, I found I didn't enjoy it quite so much.
Oh don't get me wrong, please. It's really well written, from both Alfie and Dominick's point of view. There are more things revealed about both Alfie and Dom's lives in the time they were apart. There is much love here, even if they sometimes forget that.
I again quote my review for Secret:
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
Because I really did not see that one coming at me. But the whole Wicked Master thing? I could see that coming at me, even before the point I mentioned before. I could see that things were really not as they were portrayed to be.
There are almost two stories going on here. The missing woman and the dead butler, then the Wicked Master thing. I liked that, along with the growing deepening connection between Alfie and Dom, which evokes some mighty powerful feelings here!
So, even though things were a little blurry, I did enjoy it and I'll still give it. . .
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Entangled Beta (Murder and Mayhem Omegaverse #2) in Books
May 22, 2025
Murdery and Mayhemery indeed!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Murder and Mayhem Omegaverse series. I have not read book one, Shattered Omega. I will come back to this point.
The title of this series is absolutely SPOT on! I mean, Sasha is . . .I mean, I LOVED Sasha and her murdery tendencies! She is who she is, and once she talks to Levi, her Alpha, she makes no apologies for being who she is. It really is needed, the on page violence that she inparts on certain folks who darn well deserve what they get coming to them!
But I also felt, deeply, for Sasha. Since she is a beta, and not an omega, when Levi finds his Kismet Omega, she feels she may be pushed out. Now, I think she didn't give Levi enough credit for how he feels about Sasha, but add Stone into the mix, another Alpha, and with Flynn being the omega in the pack, it's understandable how she loved.
I loved that Stone crept up on both Levi and Sasha. Flynn was another story. Flynn was in everyone's mind from the minute they saw his picture and met him. But Flynn has suffered, badly, and needs time. I love that the Alphas gave him that time, and allowed Flynn to heal before starting something new with everyone.
It's steamy and the smexy times are plentiful, but they do not overtake the plotline, and I did love that. I do love the smexy books, but I need a plotline with them!
Back to not reading the first book. I think I maybe missed *something* by not doing. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, and my book brain will not release what's bothering it, but there was that tiny niggle at the back of my brain for the whole book.
This point, and that fact it is present tense, multi POV AND first person are the only reasons I give this book. . .
4 solid stars
I do need to go back at some point and read book one before I get to book 3, which I really REALLY want to read, especially after reading that blurb and who I think that it!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Murder and Mayhem Omegaverse series. I have not read book one, Shattered Omega. I will come back to this point.
The title of this series is absolutely SPOT on! I mean, Sasha is . . .I mean, I LOVED Sasha and her murdery tendencies! She is who she is, and once she talks to Levi, her Alpha, she makes no apologies for being who she is. It really is needed, the on page violence that she inparts on certain folks who darn well deserve what they get coming to them!
But I also felt, deeply, for Sasha. Since she is a beta, and not an omega, when Levi finds his Kismet Omega, she feels she may be pushed out. Now, I think she didn't give Levi enough credit for how he feels about Sasha, but add Stone into the mix, another Alpha, and with Flynn being the omega in the pack, it's understandable how she loved.
I loved that Stone crept up on both Levi and Sasha. Flynn was another story. Flynn was in everyone's mind from the minute they saw his picture and met him. But Flynn has suffered, badly, and needs time. I love that the Alphas gave him that time, and allowed Flynn to heal before starting something new with everyone.
It's steamy and the smexy times are plentiful, but they do not overtake the plotline, and I did love that. I do love the smexy books, but I need a plotline with them!
Back to not reading the first book. I think I maybe missed *something* by not doing. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, and my book brain will not release what's bothering it, but there was that tiny niggle at the back of my brain for the whole book.
This point, and that fact it is present tense, multi POV AND first person are the only reasons I give this book. . .
4 solid stars
I do need to go back at some point and read book one before I get to book 3, which I really REALLY want to read, especially after reading that blurb and who I think that it!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Right Hand in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I started listening to The Right Hand with absolutely no idea what it was about, and within seconds I was entranced. Everything about this book was 5 stars or higher. The writing was right for the genre: descriptive and witty, but more focused on the point of the story than the writing itself. The pacing was perfect, the tone was awesome, and the characters were fabulous. I mean, a CIA spy who is so bad-ass and awesome at what he does that the organization doesn't even want to know how he gets his job done, only that he gets it done? How awesome is that? The plot never stopped moving, changing, turning. (And since I did listen to the audiobook, I will say, the reader did an excellent job!)
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Adventures in Bookbinding: Handcrafting Mixed-Media Books in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Adventures in Book Binding was the perfect book to get me rolling. It had just enough information to educate me on the basics, but it didn't feel like a book meant for fourth-graders. I had no experience in book binding whatsoever (though I have years of craft experience), and now I feel like I'm ready to take off.
The beginning has information about tools, materials, adhesive, paper, and lots of other information. Each project has the fully explained version, a "Shortcut" idea and blurb for a more simple project, and a "Master" idea and blurb. The instructions themselves have many photographs, illustrations, and easy to read explanations.
The projects themselves are astounding! I loved every single one of them. They looked fun to make, they were all very different, and were very inspiring. I could spend hours flipping through this book, and every time I look at a project my mind goes crazy coming up with new ideas of my own.
There are templates and patterns in the back.
All in all I am highly satisfied with Adventures in Bookbinding and recommend it to anyone who has some experience in sewing or crafting and wants to get started creating their own books or journals.
The beginning has information about tools, materials, adhesive, paper, and lots of other information. Each project has the fully explained version, a "Shortcut" idea and blurb for a more simple project, and a "Master" idea and blurb. The instructions themselves have many photographs, illustrations, and easy to read explanations.
The projects themselves are astounding! I loved every single one of them. They looked fun to make, they were all very different, and were very inspiring. I could spend hours flipping through this book, and every time I look at a project my mind goes crazy coming up with new ideas of my own.
There are templates and patterns in the back.
All in all I am highly satisfied with Adventures in Bookbinding and recommend it to anyone who has some experience in sewing or crafting and wants to get started creating their own books or journals.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Rich and Pretty in Books
May 10, 2018
2.5 Stars
Lauren and Sarah have been best friends since they were eleven years old. Now that they are adults, they don't seem to be as close as they used to be. With Sarah's upcoming wedding, will they be able to revive the friendship they once had?
Reading the description for this book, I was so excited to read it as I thought I would be able to relate to the characters, but unfortunately, I couldn't.
The story focuses on the long relationship between Lauren and Sarah and takes place in New York mostly during the months leading up to Sarah's wedding to Dan. There are things they share and secrets they keep from each other. Lauren is living her single life and Sarah dreams of something different for their future lives together. Lauren appears to be happy for Sarah, but internally she doesn't really care. I thought something more dramatic may have happened during this book, but overall it was underwhelming. The two never seemed to work through the issues they were having just glossing by life. Several times I thought about putting this book down, but I had to see how it was going to end.
Not a book I would recommend.
Lauren and Sarah have been best friends since they were eleven years old. Now that they are adults, they don't seem to be as close as they used to be. With Sarah's upcoming wedding, will they be able to revive the friendship they once had?
Reading the description for this book, I was so excited to read it as I thought I would be able to relate to the characters, but unfortunately, I couldn't.
The story focuses on the long relationship between Lauren and Sarah and takes place in New York mostly during the months leading up to Sarah's wedding to Dan. There are things they share and secrets they keep from each other. Lauren is living her single life and Sarah dreams of something different for their future lives together. Lauren appears to be happy for Sarah, but internally she doesn't really care. I thought something more dramatic may have happened during this book, but overall it was underwhelming. The two never seemed to work through the issues they were having just glossing by life. Several times I thought about putting this book down, but I had to see how it was going to end.
Not a book I would recommend.