Search
Search results
Not for me!
Why do I keep doing this to myself? Challenge yourself, Clare! Try something you've never read before!
I really need to stop doing this. It rarely ends well. Tudor authors could really have done with better/ any editors. Fact. Get some paragraphs in there, write some shorter sentences, stop wittering on and on and on.....
On a positive note, I now know where the term 'utopian' comes from, and I can safely say that the meaning has altered somewhat over the last 500 years or so. What was utopian then still seems a bit feudalistic now. At least good old Thomas More got everyone thinking though! As a 21st century reader, I can see how daring this book would have been: Kings without riches, no prisons for criminals, people could worship whoever and however they wanted. Very forward thinking for the 16th century. All the same, not a book for me. It was like wading through literary treacle. Not something I'd recommend!
I really need to stop doing this. It rarely ends well. Tudor authors could really have done with better/ any editors. Fact. Get some paragraphs in there, write some shorter sentences, stop wittering on and on and on.....
On a positive note, I now know where the term 'utopian' comes from, and I can safely say that the meaning has altered somewhat over the last 500 years or so. What was utopian then still seems a bit feudalistic now. At least good old Thomas More got everyone thinking though! As a 21st century reader, I can see how daring this book would have been: Kings without riches, no prisons for criminals, people could worship whoever and however they wanted. Very forward thinking for the 16th century. All the same, not a book for me. It was like wading through literary treacle. Not something I'd recommend!
Chat Book - Trending Hooked Stories & Funny Texts
Book and Entertainment
App
IT'S NOT WAIT FOR 30 MINUTES AS HOOKED or YARN...!!! GREAT...!!! NO NEED TO SUBSCRIBE!!!! Read...
Merissa (12906 KP) rated Dominic and the Dolphin (Land and Sea: A Shifter Series, #3) in Books
Oct 3, 2023
DOMINIC AND THE DOLPHIN is the third book in the Land and Sea: A Shifter Series but the first one I have read. In no way did this affect my enjoyment of the story, apart from now wanting to go back and read the first two as well.
I love Shifter books and if they have Mpreg in there, all the better. But what I got with this was unexpected! And I loved that. You see, usually in Shifter books, if there is a fated mate, it's BOOM, all hands on deck. But not with this one. Oh no! Instead, the author had me laughing out loud as these two have no idea they're fated PLUS they enjoy snarking at each other.
Add to that a hint of danger for both of them (in different ways), friends you can count on, new found family, plus the most amazing pregnancy/nesting/birth scenes I have read.
I loved every word of this story and am so glad I took the chance on it, even knowing it was the third in a series. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 3, 2023
I love Shifter books and if they have Mpreg in there, all the better. But what I got with this was unexpected! And I loved that. You see, usually in Shifter books, if there is a fated mate, it's BOOM, all hands on deck. But not with this one. Oh no! Instead, the author had me laughing out loud as these two have no idea they're fated PLUS they enjoy snarking at each other.
Add to that a hint of danger for both of them (in different ways), friends you can count on, new found family, plus the most amazing pregnancy/nesting/birth scenes I have read.
I loved every word of this story and am so glad I took the chance on it, even knowing it was the third in a series. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 3, 2023
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Red Rising in Books
Jul 12, 2018
I have been putting this book off for 2 years now and I have to say, I'm slightly disappointed in myself. Red Rising by Pierce Brown drips with all the goodies that Dystopian novels promise. The characters were interesting and I loved that there were mind games, physical games, and just some well written fight scenes.
I liked the plot but it did seem to borrow from many of the dystopian books I have read in the past. It became almost a game to compare books. That is the main reason I am giving this a 4 star review. I loved the plot but it did feel a little like a mashup of all of the recent and past dystopian books.
All in all, I enjoyed the characters the most and the plot was intriguing when I didn't feel like it was copying different books.
I liked the plot but it did seem to borrow from many of the dystopian books I have read in the past. It became almost a game to compare books. That is the main reason I am giving this a 4 star review. I loved the plot but it did feel a little like a mashup of all of the recent and past dystopian books.
All in all, I enjoyed the characters the most and the plot was intriguing when I didn't feel like it was copying different books.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated One in Books
Jan 7, 2021
DNF@48%
I'd been struggling to get to even half way in this. No offense to the story or anything but i'm in a paranormal mood right now so Kim Harrison's The Hollows series is winning in my kindle vs paperback war and i just can't get into this.
It might have been them getting together so early...I like the whole will they/won't they thing in my romances, so i was really enjoying this until after the China/Japan visit when they declared their love for each other about the 30% mark. It was too soon in my opinion, whether they'd fallen in love three years earlier or not.
Also the prosthetic had nothing on the one in [b:Worth It|32608774|Worth It|S.M. Shade|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481739183s/32608774.jpg|53191396], which i read not long ago and fell in love with.
I'd been struggling to get to even half way in this. No offense to the story or anything but i'm in a paranormal mood right now so Kim Harrison's The Hollows series is winning in my kindle vs paperback war and i just can't get into this.
It might have been them getting together so early...I like the whole will they/won't they thing in my romances, so i was really enjoying this until after the China/Japan visit when they declared their love for each other about the 30% mark. It was too soon in my opinion, whether they'd fallen in love three years earlier or not.
Also the prosthetic had nothing on the one in [b:Worth It|32608774|Worth It|S.M. Shade|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481739183s/32608774.jpg|53191396], which i read not long ago and fell in love with.
I think I can safely say that this book has been a hit with my children, the four year old has asked to be read it three times in a row, the six year old is now reading it for a fourth time, and both have demanded to know what Sparky does next.
Sparky is a cute purple dinosaur, learning some valuable lessons on not giving up when something is difficult, but also that sometimes the best thing to do to learn a new or difficult skill is to just have some fun. It's a lovely message for little ones, especially early in their schooling.
I've especially appreciated being able to use it as a conversation starter with the 6 year old who has some speech issues, and finds it a struggle not being quite like the other children in the class.
I would highly recommend this book.
Sparky is a cute purple dinosaur, learning some valuable lessons on not giving up when something is difficult, but also that sometimes the best thing to do to learn a new or difficult skill is to just have some fun. It's a lovely message for little ones, especially early in their schooling.
I've especially appreciated being able to use it as a conversation starter with the 6 year old who has some speech issues, and finds it a struggle not being quite like the other children in the class.
I would highly recommend this book.
Femlandia was an enjoyable, if rather frustrating read. The end of civilisation doesn’t come from a killer virus, zombies or climate disaster, but instead is caused by a total economic collapse. The world (particularly the USA) goes broke. Food becomes prohibitively expensive, services are shut off, people are made homeless: it’s every man/ woman for themselves. Except, as is often the case in these circumstances, it’s the women and children who suffer the most.
Miranda Reynolds is left to fend for herself and her teenage daughter when her husband literally drives himself off a cliff. She realises her only safe space is with the mother she hasn’t spoken to in a very long time, and the community that she has set up: Femlandia. It’s her last resort.
Now, if I were Miranda, I wouldn’t have prevaricated for so long - I would have turned up on Femlandia’s doorstep pretty fast. This is regardless of the fact that it’s nothing like the safe haven it has always sold itself as.
As I’ve said, this frustrated and gripped me in equal measure. There are plenty of things in this, that as a feminist, made my toes curl. But let’s face it: who wants to read a dystopian novel where everything is lovely, there are no problems, and everyone lives happily ever after? That’s like NO dystopia I’ve ever read about!
This looks at human nature in all it’s glory and ignominy. It looks at some uncomfortable subjects: abuse, control and prejudice (especially misandry and anti-trans). But do you know what? I raced through this, it gave me a lot to think about, and I think it’s well worth a read.
Miranda Reynolds is left to fend for herself and her teenage daughter when her husband literally drives himself off a cliff. She realises her only safe space is with the mother she hasn’t spoken to in a very long time, and the community that she has set up: Femlandia. It’s her last resort.
Now, if I were Miranda, I wouldn’t have prevaricated for so long - I would have turned up on Femlandia’s doorstep pretty fast. This is regardless of the fact that it’s nothing like the safe haven it has always sold itself as.
As I’ve said, this frustrated and gripped me in equal measure. There are plenty of things in this, that as a feminist, made my toes curl. But let’s face it: who wants to read a dystopian novel where everything is lovely, there are no problems, and everyone lives happily ever after? That’s like NO dystopia I’ve ever read about!
This looks at human nature in all it’s glory and ignominy. It looks at some uncomfortable subjects: abuse, control and prejudice (especially misandry and anti-trans). But do you know what? I raced through this, it gave me a lot to think about, and I think it’s well worth a read.
Debbiereadsbook (1441 KP) rated Humbug: Scrooge Before the Ghosts in Books
Nov 30, 2024
wouldn't have enjoyed as much, had I read it.
Indpendent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted the AUDIO version of this book.
Ok, 2 things: First I've read of this author, and first I've listened to of this narrator. These two things are intertwined.
I really enjoyed this reworking of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It takes us on a more indepth and more deliciously different path that follows Scrooge from the very beginning. I'm not going to go into the storyline too much, but for spoilers, but suffices to say, I really enjoyed the path this took.
The way Whelan builds the world around Scrooge, and gets over the descriptions of the places and the peoples he comes across, is astounding and I could see myself sitting there with Scrooge. Loved the descriptions of everything.
Charles Robert Fox narrates.
Now, for the most part, narrators have American accents, and there is nothing wrong with that but I am so very glad that this narrator was used for this book. His accent is very VERY English and fits in the Victorian England setting so beautifully! He uses a much OLDER voice for Scrooge, when talkignt ot he ghosts, than he does when he is telling his story, and I love that the voice ages as the story goes on.
It goes without saying, that my enjoyment of this book would be very different had I read it, or had a different narrator been used.
I'd like to read more of this author and listen to more of this narrator's work.
4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ok, 2 things: First I've read of this author, and first I've listened to of this narrator. These two things are intertwined.
I really enjoyed this reworking of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It takes us on a more indepth and more deliciously different path that follows Scrooge from the very beginning. I'm not going to go into the storyline too much, but for spoilers, but suffices to say, I really enjoyed the path this took.
The way Whelan builds the world around Scrooge, and gets over the descriptions of the places and the peoples he comes across, is astounding and I could see myself sitting there with Scrooge. Loved the descriptions of everything.
Charles Robert Fox narrates.
Now, for the most part, narrators have American accents, and there is nothing wrong with that but I am so very glad that this narrator was used for this book. His accent is very VERY English and fits in the Victorian England setting so beautifully! He uses a much OLDER voice for Scrooge, when talkignt ot he ghosts, than he does when he is telling his story, and I love that the voice ages as the story goes on.
It goes without saying, that my enjoyment of this book would be very different had I read it, or had a different narrator been used.
I'd like to read more of this author and listen to more of this narrator's work.
4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Kristin (149 KP) rated How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid (Slug Pie Story #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was so happy to have this one already when I finished "Zombie Cave" because I definitely dove right in (pun slightly intended). After his previous adventure, you'd think Mick might want to take it easy for a while, but nope! Now he's picked up a "friend" who has an issue of his own (thanks in large part to Mick and Finley), and the three of them have to figure out how to handle this creature which apparently likes tuna and SPAM...
Once again, I couldn't put this one down until I'd successfully gotten from cover to cover in one sitting. If you liked "Zombie Cave" you MUST read this one. And if you never read "Zombie Cave", just what's stopping you?!?
5 stars
I was so happy to have this one already when I finished "Zombie Cave" because I definitely dove right in (pun slightly intended). After his previous adventure, you'd think Mick might want to take it easy for a while, but nope! Now he's picked up a "friend" who has an issue of his own (thanks in large part to Mick and Finley), and the three of them have to figure out how to handle this creature which apparently likes tuna and SPAM...
Once again, I couldn't put this one down until I'd successfully gotten from cover to cover in one sitting. If you liked "Zombie Cave" you MUST read this one. And if you never read "Zombie Cave", just what's stopping you?!?
5 stars
DamsonRain (94 KP) rated Amazon Kindle in Apps
Dec 17, 2018
I can potentially carry a library of books with me (1 more)
Easy to use
I wouldn't be without this
As an avid reader, I never like to be without a book. With the Kindle and Kindle app, I never have to worry.
Now don't get me wrong, I also love the sensation of holding an actual book, and smelling the pages (yes, I am a book sniffer), but sometimes it is easier to read from my phone.
As I don't drive, public transport is my friend, and sometimes trying to read a book when in the middle or the rush hour commute, with your face squashed into a stranger's armpit, and an elbow digging into your back, reading on my phone is so much easier!!
Now don't get me wrong, I also love the sensation of holding an actual book, and smelling the pages (yes, I am a book sniffer), but sometimes it is easier to read from my phone.
As I don't drive, public transport is my friend, and sometimes trying to read a book when in the middle or the rush hour commute, with your face squashed into a stranger's armpit, and an elbow digging into your back, reading on my phone is so much easier!!