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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Forgotten Summer in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Is the truth something you really want to know? Jane Cambon has the perfect husband and spends her life travelling from their flat in London to Luc’s family estate in the south of France. Despite the hostility from Luc’s mother, Clarisse Cambon, Jane loves spending time amongst the workers in the vineyard and the olive groves. However, a tragic event causes Jane to question how well she really new her husband.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>by Carol Drinkwater captures the southern France climate in such a way that readers will wish to go there themselves. But for Jane it becomes a place of grief and tension as Clarisse’s aggression only increases, bringing back memories of the summer when Jane was fourteen. Not only that, there is the enigma of Jane’s husband, a filmmaker. What was he filming? Why did her keep it secret? What happened during his early years in Algeria? And, most importantly, who is Annabelle?
Not knowing the answers to many questions keeps the reader engaged in the narrative. Slowly, issues are resolved, but some answers are not uncovered until the closing of the novel. After about two thirds of the book it is possible to guess the truth about Luc’s close kept secret, and it is almost annoying that Jane is blind to it.
Drinkwater has put a lot of time and effort into <i>The Forgotten Summer</i>. The amount of research she went through to keep it as factual as possible must have been phenomenal. From reading this book we learn a little about the Algerian War of Independence – something that is glossed over in French history – and the art of winemaking: both equally interesting, particularly the former, which most readers will not have heard of.
An issue that I had with this story was the way Jane was portrayed. I kept imagining her as a younger woman even though it had been explained that she was in her late forties. There was nothing in her description or personality that fitted a middle aged character. This may also be due to the way Clarisse treated Jane: as if she were incompetent and untrustworthy.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>is an ideal book for fans of Victoria Hislop, particularly if you also enjoy reading about southern European countries. It is engaging and exciting with a handful of lovely characters for you to admire. With its air of mystery, this book will be hard for you to put down.
Is the truth something you really want to know? Jane Cambon has the perfect husband and spends her life travelling from their flat in London to Luc’s family estate in the south of France. Despite the hostility from Luc’s mother, Clarisse Cambon, Jane loves spending time amongst the workers in the vineyard and the olive groves. However, a tragic event causes Jane to question how well she really new her husband.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>by Carol Drinkwater captures the southern France climate in such a way that readers will wish to go there themselves. But for Jane it becomes a place of grief and tension as Clarisse’s aggression only increases, bringing back memories of the summer when Jane was fourteen. Not only that, there is the enigma of Jane’s husband, a filmmaker. What was he filming? Why did her keep it secret? What happened during his early years in Algeria? And, most importantly, who is Annabelle?
Not knowing the answers to many questions keeps the reader engaged in the narrative. Slowly, issues are resolved, but some answers are not uncovered until the closing of the novel. After about two thirds of the book it is possible to guess the truth about Luc’s close kept secret, and it is almost annoying that Jane is blind to it.
Drinkwater has put a lot of time and effort into <i>The Forgotten Summer</i>. The amount of research she went through to keep it as factual as possible must have been phenomenal. From reading this book we learn a little about the Algerian War of Independence – something that is glossed over in French history – and the art of winemaking: both equally interesting, particularly the former, which most readers will not have heard of.
An issue that I had with this story was the way Jane was portrayed. I kept imagining her as a younger woman even though it had been explained that she was in her late forties. There was nothing in her description or personality that fitted a middle aged character. This may also be due to the way Clarisse treated Jane: as if she were incompetent and untrustworthy.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>is an ideal book for fans of Victoria Hislop, particularly if you also enjoy reading about southern European countries. It is engaging and exciting with a handful of lovely characters for you to admire. With its air of mystery, this book will be hard for you to put down.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Relic Guild in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Edward Cox invents a new magical world in his epic fantasy novel <i>The Relic Guild</i>. Magic is a thing of the past. Since a great war forty years previously, magic has been banned. Back in the day the Relic Guild was made up of people with various magical abilities – empaths, illusionists, changelings – but a great war got rid of all those with magic, all but three that is. Marney, Samuel and Van Bam are the only surviving agents of the Relic Guild. In their old age they have not needed to use their abilities that much until evidence that a particular infamous Genii, Fabian Moor, did not perish as he was thought to have done. Moor kidnaps Marney leaving Old Man Sam and Van Bam to hunt him down with the help of a young changeling, Peppercorn Clara, who, until now, had been hiding her illegal magical gift.
It took a long time to get into the novel and understand what was going on. It was confusing as to who was good and who was bad at the very beginning, which did not help in understanding the events occurring. Approximately half way through the pace picked up and became a lot more exciting and easier to engage with. It helped that the narrative alternated between the present and forty years earlier. By providing an insight into history of the Relic Guild the current situation began to make more sense.
Oddly the book begins with an epilogue. Initially I wondered whether that was intentional – maybe parts of the story were to be told backwards – however, on finishing the final chapter it appears that, perhaps, it was an error. There were also a few other mistakes that were obviously missed during the proof readings.
The ending of the story strongly implies that there is more to come. This felt a little annoying as there was no conclusion to, what felt like, an extremely long and slow starting book. I am undecided whether I would want to read a sequel; whilst it would be nice to find out how the situation is resolved, it was not the easiest of books to read. It was also difficult to visualize the setting, particularly the constant reference to a labyrinth.
Overall it was a bit of a disappointment. The blurb set it up to be a really gripping storyline but in reality it was confusing and hard going.
Edward Cox invents a new magical world in his epic fantasy novel <i>The Relic Guild</i>. Magic is a thing of the past. Since a great war forty years previously, magic has been banned. Back in the day the Relic Guild was made up of people with various magical abilities – empaths, illusionists, changelings – but a great war got rid of all those with magic, all but three that is. Marney, Samuel and Van Bam are the only surviving agents of the Relic Guild. In their old age they have not needed to use their abilities that much until evidence that a particular infamous Genii, Fabian Moor, did not perish as he was thought to have done. Moor kidnaps Marney leaving Old Man Sam and Van Bam to hunt him down with the help of a young changeling, Peppercorn Clara, who, until now, had been hiding her illegal magical gift.
It took a long time to get into the novel and understand what was going on. It was confusing as to who was good and who was bad at the very beginning, which did not help in understanding the events occurring. Approximately half way through the pace picked up and became a lot more exciting and easier to engage with. It helped that the narrative alternated between the present and forty years earlier. By providing an insight into history of the Relic Guild the current situation began to make more sense.
Oddly the book begins with an epilogue. Initially I wondered whether that was intentional – maybe parts of the story were to be told backwards – however, on finishing the final chapter it appears that, perhaps, it was an error. There were also a few other mistakes that were obviously missed during the proof readings.
The ending of the story strongly implies that there is more to come. This felt a little annoying as there was no conclusion to, what felt like, an extremely long and slow starting book. I am undecided whether I would want to read a sequel; whilst it would be nice to find out how the situation is resolved, it was not the easiest of books to read. It was also difficult to visualize the setting, particularly the constant reference to a labyrinth.
Overall it was a bit of a disappointment. The blurb set it up to be a really gripping storyline but in reality it was confusing and hard going.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Poisoning Angel in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Some people may already know of the prolific French serial killer of the 1800s. Hélène Jégado, over a lengthy period of forty years, is thought to have murdered at least thirty-six people, most likely more, in the region of Brittany. By being hired as a cook in a wide range of establishments throughout her life gave her the opportunity to poison people through their meals, predominantly with arsenic. Jean Teulé, a French novelist, combines his own imagination with the historical statistics in order to create an insight to the tale of this infamous poisoner.
The tale begins at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Hélène is only seven years old, in the small hamlet town Kerhordevin, Plouhinec. Nicknamed Thunderflower by her mother, a name that she is often referred as throughout the narrative, she becomes fascinated with superstitious stories about Death’s henchman, Ankou. In order to extinguish her fears of this formidable character – something she later claims – she decides to become Ankou beginning with the poisoning of her own mother. Soon after she sets off on her first of many journeys to work as a cook, where her killing spree begins.
It may seem surprising that she were not caught earlier on in her murderous career, especially with entire households succumbing to their deaths, but - at least in Teulé’s telling - the Breton’s still held strong belief in their old Celtic superstitions and altered between worshipping Hélène as a saint for not dying herself, or accusing her of witchcraft and bringing misfortune wherever she went. It is not until Hélène is approaching the age of fifty that the police begin to investigate, arrest and finally send her to the guillotine.
Each chapter begins with a map, detailing Hélène’s journey through Brittany so that the reader can see just how many places she went doing Ankou’s work. Teulé also turns this disturbing historical novel into a black comedy with the inclusion of two wig makers from Normandy who happen to go where Hélène goes, although are completely unconnected to, to whom bizarre misfortunes constantly fall.
<i>The Poisoning Angel</i> is an interesting tale and absurdly fascinating at times. From time to time it could fall a bit dull with the repetitiveness, but in a way it could not be helped, as it remains a fact that Hélène Jégado poisoned a large number of people. Melanie Florence must be commended for her translation from the original French, something that is by no means an easy feat.
Some people may already know of the prolific French serial killer of the 1800s. Hélène Jégado, over a lengthy period of forty years, is thought to have murdered at least thirty-six people, most likely more, in the region of Brittany. By being hired as a cook in a wide range of establishments throughout her life gave her the opportunity to poison people through their meals, predominantly with arsenic. Jean Teulé, a French novelist, combines his own imagination with the historical statistics in order to create an insight to the tale of this infamous poisoner.
The tale begins at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Hélène is only seven years old, in the small hamlet town Kerhordevin, Plouhinec. Nicknamed Thunderflower by her mother, a name that she is often referred as throughout the narrative, she becomes fascinated with superstitious stories about Death’s henchman, Ankou. In order to extinguish her fears of this formidable character – something she later claims – she decides to become Ankou beginning with the poisoning of her own mother. Soon after she sets off on her first of many journeys to work as a cook, where her killing spree begins.
It may seem surprising that she were not caught earlier on in her murderous career, especially with entire households succumbing to their deaths, but - at least in Teulé’s telling - the Breton’s still held strong belief in their old Celtic superstitions and altered between worshipping Hélène as a saint for not dying herself, or accusing her of witchcraft and bringing misfortune wherever she went. It is not until Hélène is approaching the age of fifty that the police begin to investigate, arrest and finally send her to the guillotine.
Each chapter begins with a map, detailing Hélène’s journey through Brittany so that the reader can see just how many places she went doing Ankou’s work. Teulé also turns this disturbing historical novel into a black comedy with the inclusion of two wig makers from Normandy who happen to go where Hélène goes, although are completely unconnected to, to whom bizarre misfortunes constantly fall.
<i>The Poisoning Angel</i> is an interesting tale and absurdly fascinating at times. From time to time it could fall a bit dull with the repetitiveness, but in a way it could not be helped, as it remains a fact that Hélène Jégado poisoned a large number of people. Melanie Florence must be commended for her translation from the original French, something that is by no means an easy feat.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Outcasts (Brotherband Chronicles, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Outcasts</i> is the first book in the <i>Brotherband Chronicles</i> about teenaged Hal and his small team of misfit friends. Set in times when to be a warrior and be part of a crew on a wooden ship were some of the highest honours, all boys when approaching the age of sixteen have to endure months of exhausting training. The popular boys form together Brotherbands containing the candidates with the most potential leaving Hal and seven other social outcasts to form the final group: the Herons.
Despite their severe disadvantage, Hal must encourage the Herons to use their brains to outwit the strength of the other Brotherbands in order to defeat them at the challenges the instructors set and become the ultimate winners.
Hal is instantly a likeable character. He is talented, intelligent, kind and thoughtful and makes an excellent and inspiring team leader. Although this book is set in a fictional historical period, there are many things that a young reader can relate to, for example bullying and racial discrimination.
As well as the Brotherband training there is a lot of ship and sailing references that may appeal to male readers of a certain age. The author, John Flanagan, realizes that many people today would not be familiar with the ins and outs of sailing and has included a glossary explaining numerous nautical terms that are used during the novel. These are defined in an easy to understand way, as the target audience is those of ages ten and upwards.
There are a limited amount of female characters, which suggests that these chronicles are written with male teenage readers in mind. Despite this it is still an enjoyable, exciting book regardless of your gender. The character developments are excellent and the Herons are an admirable team.
Initially it took a while to get into the story. The reader does not meet Hal until part two of four as it begins twelve years prior to the main timeline. Throughout this section the only characters are adults, which the target audience is less likely to relate to. For this reason, and due to some of the violence, I personally would recommend this book for ages thirteen and older rather than the “10+” suggested on the back cover.
Overall <i>Brotherband: The Outcasts</i> is a brilliant book and it was refreshing for a young adult novel not to revolve around a romantic relationship. The next book in the series looks as promising as the first, which has left us wanting to know more!
<i>The Outcasts</i> is the first book in the <i>Brotherband Chronicles</i> about teenaged Hal and his small team of misfit friends. Set in times when to be a warrior and be part of a crew on a wooden ship were some of the highest honours, all boys when approaching the age of sixteen have to endure months of exhausting training. The popular boys form together Brotherbands containing the candidates with the most potential leaving Hal and seven other social outcasts to form the final group: the Herons.
Despite their severe disadvantage, Hal must encourage the Herons to use their brains to outwit the strength of the other Brotherbands in order to defeat them at the challenges the instructors set and become the ultimate winners.
Hal is instantly a likeable character. He is talented, intelligent, kind and thoughtful and makes an excellent and inspiring team leader. Although this book is set in a fictional historical period, there are many things that a young reader can relate to, for example bullying and racial discrimination.
As well as the Brotherband training there is a lot of ship and sailing references that may appeal to male readers of a certain age. The author, John Flanagan, realizes that many people today would not be familiar with the ins and outs of sailing and has included a glossary explaining numerous nautical terms that are used during the novel. These are defined in an easy to understand way, as the target audience is those of ages ten and upwards.
There are a limited amount of female characters, which suggests that these chronicles are written with male teenage readers in mind. Despite this it is still an enjoyable, exciting book regardless of your gender. The character developments are excellent and the Herons are an admirable team.
Initially it took a while to get into the story. The reader does not meet Hal until part two of four as it begins twelve years prior to the main timeline. Throughout this section the only characters are adults, which the target audience is less likely to relate to. For this reason, and due to some of the violence, I personally would recommend this book for ages thirteen and older rather than the “10+” suggested on the back cover.
Overall <i>Brotherband: The Outcasts</i> is a brilliant book and it was refreshing for a young adult novel not to revolve around a romantic relationship. The next book in the series looks as promising as the first, which has left us wanting to know more!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Moon Field in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<b>My rating: 3.5</b>
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Moon Field</i> is an historical romance novel set during the First World War. It focuses mainly on two people: George and Violet, although there is a wide range of characters.
Split into three parts the novel begins with George, an 18 year old postman planning on telling Miss Violet of his feelings for her, only to find out that she is already engaged. He runs off feeling jealous and ends up enlisting for the army. At first I thought the description of George made him seem more like a child than a young adult and this annoyed me a little, however this helped to emphasise the changes he undergoes as a result of the war.
Part two is mostly set in Flanders where George is involved in the fighting resulting in deaths of certain other characters for which George blames himself despite it not really being his fault. This section ends with George being hurt himself and part three begins with him being returned to a hospital in England where he begins to recover although is now deformed. Throughout this final part George suffers with depression and thinks that he is now a freak. He has to deal with lots of rejection but, thankfully, the novel ends with a more positive outlook for his future.
Knowing in advance that romance was to be involved, it appeared at first that there might be some romantic attachment developed between George and Violet. From the very beginning I personally did not want this to happen. It did not feel right particularly as they were of different social classes, which at that time was quite important. Fortunately this did not happen and I was fairly pleased with the ending.
I think that Allnatt’s writing is extremely good and reflects the time period well. I quite often find when reading historical novels that authors use words or phrases that are too modern to have actually been said at that time. There was none of that problem with <i>The Moon Field</i>. Allnatt had also researched extremely well to get across the experiences of the soldiers on the Western Front. She mentions in her acknowledgements that she read many soldiers accounts of their experiences in the Great War. All her research defiantly paid off!
All in all it is a great historical novel.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Moon Field</i> is an historical romance novel set during the First World War. It focuses mainly on two people: George and Violet, although there is a wide range of characters.
Split into three parts the novel begins with George, an 18 year old postman planning on telling Miss Violet of his feelings for her, only to find out that she is already engaged. He runs off feeling jealous and ends up enlisting for the army. At first I thought the description of George made him seem more like a child than a young adult and this annoyed me a little, however this helped to emphasise the changes he undergoes as a result of the war.
Part two is mostly set in Flanders where George is involved in the fighting resulting in deaths of certain other characters for which George blames himself despite it not really being his fault. This section ends with George being hurt himself and part three begins with him being returned to a hospital in England where he begins to recover although is now deformed. Throughout this final part George suffers with depression and thinks that he is now a freak. He has to deal with lots of rejection but, thankfully, the novel ends with a more positive outlook for his future.
Knowing in advance that romance was to be involved, it appeared at first that there might be some romantic attachment developed between George and Violet. From the very beginning I personally did not want this to happen. It did not feel right particularly as they were of different social classes, which at that time was quite important. Fortunately this did not happen and I was fairly pleased with the ending.
I think that Allnatt’s writing is extremely good and reflects the time period well. I quite often find when reading historical novels that authors use words or phrases that are too modern to have actually been said at that time. There was none of that problem with <i>The Moon Field</i>. Allnatt had also researched extremely well to get across the experiences of the soldiers on the Western Front. She mentions in her acknowledgements that she read many soldiers accounts of their experiences in the Great War. All her research defiantly paid off!
All in all it is a great historical novel.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Hostage Three in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>Hostage Three</i> is the second literary thriller by Carnegie Shortlisted Nick Lake. I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about reading this book after having read Lake’s first literary thriller, <i>In Darkness</i>, which, although well written, was rather hard going and, at times, boring. However I really enjoyed <i>Hostage Three</i>. Maybe it helped having a narrator I could relate to more, or maybe it was because the narrative was not shared between two major different time periods as <i>In Darkness</i> was. Whatever the reason, it was good.
The narrative jumps straight in to something happening in 2008 on the coast of Eyl, Puntland, Somalia. Seventeen-year-old Amy Fields is on a yacht, there are pirates; it appears someone is about to be killed. End of part one. What has happened? What is going to happen? Begin part two, three and a half months earlier. From this moment on Amy narrates what has happened in the lead up to the initial insight given and what happened afterwards. The reader learns more about Amy, her father and his wife, Sarah, who Amy constantly refers to as ‘the stepmother’, which gives an indication of their tense relationship. Throughout the book there are also flashbacks to what happened to Amy’s real mother, a sufferer of severe OCD, and the events that caused Amy to become the rebellious teenager she is portrayed as at the beginning of the novel.
Amy and her family end up travelling the world on a private yacht only to get taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. To begin with it is clear that the Fields family and yacht crew are the goodies and the pirates the baddies, however Amy begins to develop a complicated, secret relationship with one of the pirates, Farouz. The reader discovers the pirates’ motives, well at least Farouz’s motives, behind the hostage situation. Things begin to look less black and white, less good versus bad. And everything, of course, becomes more complex once romance is thrown into the mix.
<i>Hostage Three</i> is well worth a read. Lake writes really well and keeps the reader engaged. It is as if Amy is talking to the reader the entire time. Once you get used to the unconventional use of punctuation (no speech marks) it will become fast paced and you will be torn between wanting to read it all in one go and wanting to slow down to prevent it from ending too soon!
<i>Hostage Three</i> is the second literary thriller by Carnegie Shortlisted Nick Lake. I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about reading this book after having read Lake’s first literary thriller, <i>In Darkness</i>, which, although well written, was rather hard going and, at times, boring. However I really enjoyed <i>Hostage Three</i>. Maybe it helped having a narrator I could relate to more, or maybe it was because the narrative was not shared between two major different time periods as <i>In Darkness</i> was. Whatever the reason, it was good.
The narrative jumps straight in to something happening in 2008 on the coast of Eyl, Puntland, Somalia. Seventeen-year-old Amy Fields is on a yacht, there are pirates; it appears someone is about to be killed. End of part one. What has happened? What is going to happen? Begin part two, three and a half months earlier. From this moment on Amy narrates what has happened in the lead up to the initial insight given and what happened afterwards. The reader learns more about Amy, her father and his wife, Sarah, who Amy constantly refers to as ‘the stepmother’, which gives an indication of their tense relationship. Throughout the book there are also flashbacks to what happened to Amy’s real mother, a sufferer of severe OCD, and the events that caused Amy to become the rebellious teenager she is portrayed as at the beginning of the novel.
Amy and her family end up travelling the world on a private yacht only to get taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. To begin with it is clear that the Fields family and yacht crew are the goodies and the pirates the baddies, however Amy begins to develop a complicated, secret relationship with one of the pirates, Farouz. The reader discovers the pirates’ motives, well at least Farouz’s motives, behind the hostage situation. Things begin to look less black and white, less good versus bad. And everything, of course, becomes more complex once romance is thrown into the mix.
<i>Hostage Three</i> is well worth a read. Lake writes really well and keeps the reader engaged. It is as if Amy is talking to the reader the entire time. Once you get used to the unconventional use of punctuation (no speech marks) it will become fast paced and you will be torn between wanting to read it all in one go and wanting to slow down to prevent it from ending too soon!
Anne (15117 KP) rated This Tender Land in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Thank you to Libro.fm and Recorded Books for letting me listen and review this book. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and it has a lot to digest from it. I've been thinking about it to try to formulate a review for a couple of days since I finished it.
This story is about 4 orphans on a life-changing journey during the era of the Great Depression in 1932.
In Minnesota, they are at a horrible place called The Lincoln School, where Native American children that have been separated from their families are sent to get an education. It's also where Odie is, who is the MC/one of the 4 orphans in this story. After getting in a lot of trouble and gaining the school superintendent's attention and wrath, Odie, his brother, Albert, their friend, Mose, and Emmy all run away together in a canoe they stole, going to the Missippi and to find a place of their own.
What follows is the telling of their journey during the summer, an adventure where they meet others who are wandering and on their own journeys as well. They meet all types of people like pig farmers, faith healers and others who are lost and trying to find their own way in life and to their own places to call home as well.
It's a coming of age tale, where they come across and are deciding and figuring things out for themselves like religion, belief in God, first crush/love, what's right and wrong, how to treat others with respect and love and so many things.
This story kept sucking me back in whenever I listened to it so I felt like I was there on the banks of the river watching their story or in the school or in the faith revival tents or towns along the way. I was a bit overwhelmed at times from the bigger picture they were showing and talking about along the way, but it also resonated with me a lot and reminded me a lot of Mark Twain's writing with his books about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that I remember loving and connecting with when I was younger.
The only thing that bothered me some was that if like me you try to go for clean reads, there's a little bit of language throughout the book, but other than that it was a really good story and the audio was great.
This story is about 4 orphans on a life-changing journey during the era of the Great Depression in 1932.
In Minnesota, they are at a horrible place called The Lincoln School, where Native American children that have been separated from their families are sent to get an education. It's also where Odie is, who is the MC/one of the 4 orphans in this story. After getting in a lot of trouble and gaining the school superintendent's attention and wrath, Odie, his brother, Albert, their friend, Mose, and Emmy all run away together in a canoe they stole, going to the Missippi and to find a place of their own.
What follows is the telling of their journey during the summer, an adventure where they meet others who are wandering and on their own journeys as well. They meet all types of people like pig farmers, faith healers and others who are lost and trying to find their own way in life and to their own places to call home as well.
It's a coming of age tale, where they come across and are deciding and figuring things out for themselves like religion, belief in God, first crush/love, what's right and wrong, how to treat others with respect and love and so many things.
This story kept sucking me back in whenever I listened to it so I felt like I was there on the banks of the river watching their story or in the school or in the faith revival tents or towns along the way. I was a bit overwhelmed at times from the bigger picture they were showing and talking about along the way, but it also resonated with me a lot and reminded me a lot of Mark Twain's writing with his books about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that I remember loving and connecting with when I was younger.
The only thing that bothered me some was that if like me you try to go for clean reads, there's a little bit of language throughout the book, but other than that it was a really good story and the audio was great.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Loch Ness Legacy (Tyler Locke #4) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
When Tyler Locke foils an attack on a summit of Middle Eastern leaders at the Eiffel Tower he suspects there is more going on than meets the eye. He is soon proved correct as delegates at the summit start to die of a mysterious disease and an old enemy breaks out of prison bent on revenge. In a race for survival Locke and his friends must find out the truth and prevent all out war.
This book immediately gripped me. I have picked up many adventure thriller type books from many authors and few have impressed me. However Boyd Morrison manages to avoid the usual pitfalls. His characters are likeable and share realistic dialogue and act according to their motivations - even the main villain who is just ever so slightly over the top but still manages to be realistic as a character.
The action scenes - and there are plenty featuring more chases and fight scenes than a whole franchise of movies - are extremely well handled. People tire during fight scenes, nobody is a crack shot with a gun, injuries are realistic.
The plot cracks along as Locke and his team uncover the secrets one at a time. There are clues to solve and the whole time they are racing to beat the terrorists who always seem to be one step ahead.
I feel I must make special mention of the dialogue of the English and Scottish characters. A lot of American authors tend to assume everyone in the UK is either a 'cor blimey guv'nor' cockney or an 'I say old chap' aristocrat and so to my ears the dialogue always sounds phoney. Morrison does not fall into this trap and that really did enhance the immersion in the story.
Yes ultimately this is a hunt for the Loch Ness Monster but really that's just a McGuffin to drive the plot, and an ingenious one at that. I'm not aware of anyone else using Nessie in this kind of book and Morrison handles it well.
Overall a terrific book, well worth a read and would make a terrific holiday book. I've already got the first Tyle Locke novel lined up to read and am looking forward to it immensely. Morrison has immediately become on of my favourite authors. I noticed that he is credited as co-writer on the latest Clive Cussler Oregon Files book (Piranha) and will need to read that too, I suspect that he will inject some energy into the franchise and is a good choice as this book reads like one of Cussler's first novels - in fact I'd say even better.
This book immediately gripped me. I have picked up many adventure thriller type books from many authors and few have impressed me. However Boyd Morrison manages to avoid the usual pitfalls. His characters are likeable and share realistic dialogue and act according to their motivations - even the main villain who is just ever so slightly over the top but still manages to be realistic as a character.
The action scenes - and there are plenty featuring more chases and fight scenes than a whole franchise of movies - are extremely well handled. People tire during fight scenes, nobody is a crack shot with a gun, injuries are realistic.
The plot cracks along as Locke and his team uncover the secrets one at a time. There are clues to solve and the whole time they are racing to beat the terrorists who always seem to be one step ahead.
I feel I must make special mention of the dialogue of the English and Scottish characters. A lot of American authors tend to assume everyone in the UK is either a 'cor blimey guv'nor' cockney or an 'I say old chap' aristocrat and so to my ears the dialogue always sounds phoney. Morrison does not fall into this trap and that really did enhance the immersion in the story.
Yes ultimately this is a hunt for the Loch Ness Monster but really that's just a McGuffin to drive the plot, and an ingenious one at that. I'm not aware of anyone else using Nessie in this kind of book and Morrison handles it well.
Overall a terrific book, well worth a read and would make a terrific holiday book. I've already got the first Tyle Locke novel lined up to read and am looking forward to it immensely. Morrison has immediately become on of my favourite authors. I noticed that he is credited as co-writer on the latest Clive Cussler Oregon Files book (Piranha) and will need to read that too, I suspect that he will inject some energy into the franchise and is a good choice as this book reads like one of Cussler's first novels - in fact I'd say even better.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Katana (Katana, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="Katana by Cole Gibsen" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-katana-by-cole-gibsen.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i><b>Note:</b> Formatting is lost due to copy and paste</i>
Anyone who's seen me at book club would probably know that I was practically bouncing off the library walls when I found out Katana by Cole Gibsen was the next book we were going to read.
I apologize if I looked like a hyperactive bookworm that day and looked like a chipmunk chittering away. Or maybe a squirrel starving for acorns (oops for any cuteness overload).
<i><b>Reviewer's Note:</b> removed pictures. You'll have to see the review on the blog for the pictures...</i>
But here are a few interesting things about Katana:
It's set in St. Louis I love you New York, but I've never visited you or even live there, so... it's always exciting to see a book set in a place you've been to. Or maybe I just need to go to NY sometime in the future. I'll be sure to add it to my bucket list. ;)
But... I do have much better time visualizing than I would with Victorian London*. Do brownie points exist? :p
This is probably getting old and you might be tired of me saying this a lot, but yes, Katana has a great (and I mean great) idea with reincarnation in the present day without Angels being used.
Well, Angels is getting a tad bit old. But thankfully, it's samurai. Cheers. Though I'm not sure why I'm saying cheers when it's very similar to paranormalish Romeo & Juliet style in a way. Random fact: I didn't really like Romeo & Juliet. It doesn't stop me from liking the book though.
On the overall side though? It's action-packed from the first page. You're basically in for a "Good Reads" smoothie.
Ironically, I like Goodreads too.
But out of randomness, I've called dibs on its sequel, Senshi already (that review will come eventually). I apologize to any of my fellow book club members if they were interesting in checking out the only copy. I appreciate you guys waiting patiently.
Just please keep the candy corn to yourself. You'll need them for trick-or-treating in a few weeks. ;)
*Victorian London was randomly chosen. The Infernal Devices was on my mind at the time the review was written. If I were alive at the time, I would be six feet under the ground unless I'm like Tessa Gray and Magnus, and I'm a warlock.
<i><b>Note:</b> Formatting is lost due to copy and paste</i>
Anyone who's seen me at book club would probably know that I was practically bouncing off the library walls when I found out Katana by Cole Gibsen was the next book we were going to read.
I apologize if I looked like a hyperactive bookworm that day and looked like a chipmunk chittering away. Or maybe a squirrel starving for acorns (oops for any cuteness overload).
<i><b>Reviewer's Note:</b> removed pictures. You'll have to see the review on the blog for the pictures...</i>
But here are a few interesting things about Katana:
It's set in St. Louis I love you New York, but I've never visited you or even live there, so... it's always exciting to see a book set in a place you've been to. Or maybe I just need to go to NY sometime in the future. I'll be sure to add it to my bucket list. ;)
But... I do have much better time visualizing than I would with Victorian London*. Do brownie points exist? :p
This is probably getting old and you might be tired of me saying this a lot, but yes, Katana has a great (and I mean great) idea with reincarnation in the present day without Angels being used.
Well, Angels is getting a tad bit old. But thankfully, it's samurai. Cheers. Though I'm not sure why I'm saying cheers when it's very similar to paranormalish Romeo & Juliet style in a way. Random fact: I didn't really like Romeo & Juliet. It doesn't stop me from liking the book though.
On the overall side though? It's action-packed from the first page. You're basically in for a "Good Reads" smoothie.
Ironically, I like Goodreads too.
But out of randomness, I've called dibs on its sequel, Senshi already (that review will come eventually). I apologize to any of my fellow book club members if they were interesting in checking out the only copy. I appreciate you guys waiting patiently.
Just please keep the candy corn to yourself. You'll need them for trick-or-treating in a few weeks. ;)
*Victorian London was randomly chosen. The Infernal Devices was on my mind at the time the review was written. If I were alive at the time, I would be six feet under the ground unless I'm like Tessa Gray and Magnus, and I'm a warlock.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Light of My Life (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Not Revolutionary But Decent
A father and daughter try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has taken out nearly all of the female population. Light of My Life isn’t going to revolutionize post-apocalyptic movies, but I would say it’s a worthy addition. It makes you care and, more importantly, it makes you think.
Acting: 10
Casey Afleck is sensational in his role as Dad. You can feel the love he has for his daughter Rag (Anna Pniowsky) and see how torn he is between trying to be strong for her while trying not to break down himself. Pniowsky is solid as well playing the daughter. She reads the role with a defiant attitude, as a girl having to quickly grow up in a crazy world. They work perfectly together onscreen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
Conflict: 6
Casey Afleck, also the director, effectively builds tension throughout the journey. However, there are a number of times where you expect something to happen and it doesn’t. Ultimately, the conflict wasn’t quite so strong as I would have hoped.
Entertainment Value: 5
Because not as much action is happening in a movie that’s almost two hours, my level of being entertained was up and down. I did find myself checking out quite a few times especially when it’s the rinse and repeat of finding a campground, scouting, and laying down for the night. I just wish there were a few more close scrapes to keep me guessing.
Memorability: 3
This type of movie has been done before on the big screen and in video games. Unfortunately there’s not quite enough here to make it stand out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a bad movie. It just lacks the necessary oompf to be much more than “just ok”.
Pace: 6
Attempts to move steadily before it slows down to a crawl again and again. There is no sense of urgency in the film and it drove me mad at times. Would have been much happier with the pace had the runtime been shorter.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Decent ending, but…just decent. I question the decision of closure. Like a lot of the other facets of the movie, I was hoping for more.
Overall: 72
Light of My Life made me smile at times, but infuriated me at times when I knew I was watching something that could be better. It’s a decent movie and a few tweaks would have really done the trick for me. Now that I’ve seen it once, it’s not one I need to check out again.
Acting: 10
Casey Afleck is sensational in his role as Dad. You can feel the love he has for his daughter Rag (Anna Pniowsky) and see how torn he is between trying to be strong for her while trying not to break down himself. Pniowsky is solid as well playing the daughter. She reads the role with a defiant attitude, as a girl having to quickly grow up in a crazy world. They work perfectly together onscreen.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
Conflict: 6
Casey Afleck, also the director, effectively builds tension throughout the journey. However, there are a number of times where you expect something to happen and it doesn’t. Ultimately, the conflict wasn’t quite so strong as I would have hoped.
Entertainment Value: 5
Because not as much action is happening in a movie that’s almost two hours, my level of being entertained was up and down. I did find myself checking out quite a few times especially when it’s the rinse and repeat of finding a campground, scouting, and laying down for the night. I just wish there were a few more close scrapes to keep me guessing.
Memorability: 3
This type of movie has been done before on the big screen and in video games. Unfortunately there’s not quite enough here to make it stand out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a bad movie. It just lacks the necessary oompf to be much more than “just ok”.
Pace: 6
Attempts to move steadily before it slows down to a crawl again and again. There is no sense of urgency in the film and it drove me mad at times. Would have been much happier with the pace had the runtime been shorter.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Decent ending, but…just decent. I question the decision of closure. Like a lot of the other facets of the movie, I was hoping for more.
Overall: 72
Light of My Life made me smile at times, but infuriated me at times when I knew I was watching something that could be better. It’s a decent movie and a few tweaks would have really done the trick for me. Now that I’ve seen it once, it’s not one I need to check out again.