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Seaforth Prison (The Haunted #3)
Seaforth Prison (The Haunted #3)
Patrick Logan | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A disappointing continuation of the series
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, which I've been reading as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription, even if certain elements felt a little predictable.

The second book didn't have quite the same level of excitement and tension as the first, but was still enough to hook a reader and kept with "The Haunted" theme of the series.

With this third book, any "haunting" element has really been pushed into the background and I don't feel that the story is quite as compelling in this latest installment. I also read some reviews of the second book after I finished it, and one in particular mentioned the lack of variety in the swearing - and now that I'm aware of it, it REALLY started to bother me.

I know I'm going to go ahead and read the next book in the series, at least. Hopefully this will be return to the more exiting themes of the earlier books
  
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Patrick Logan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
By this point, the series is really starting to feel like it's being drawn out unnecessarily. More characters are being brought in, with pages of information about them/their surroundings/backgrounds, which feels a lot like filler to meet a word count in some cases.


For me, the series isn't living up to the promise of the first book, which is a real shame. I really hoped for a more "haunted" vibe, given the name of the series, with unresolved matters being settled in the manner of the very first book, but the direction the story has taken isn't as appealing to me - purely a matter of personal taste, and I'm clearly very much in the minority given reviews I've read on other sites.

In all honesty, this isn't a series I would have persevered with if I was buying the books, but borrowing them as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription (akin to borrowing from a local library, but more convenient!), I will finish the series.
  
When Dimple Met Rishi
When Dimple Met Rishi
Sandhya Menon | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.4 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've seen this book get raved about online, but it just didn't sound that exceptional - yet another young adult romance. Contemporary, at that. But I finally read it for the Year of the Asian Challenge, and I am SO. GLAD. I DID.

Rishi Patel stole my heart. Which, as a demisexual, is completely unexpected. But he's just the exact right combination of sweet, romantic, totally geeky, and confident. He is absolutely my favorite character in this book. I like Dimple. But I adore Rishi.

I loved that both Dimple and Rishi tried to help each other achieve their dreams. I wish they'd both been a little more communicative about how they did so, but it was still cute to see them so invested in each other's life goals, as a couple should be!

This is a super cute romance, and it deserves all the rave reviews it got. I definitely need to read the sequel (about Rishi's younger brother) now.
  
Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove
Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove
2017 | Adventure, Card Game, Horror, Humor
The artwork (0 more)
Gameplay is dull (2 more)
Progression feels pointless
The rulebook is dreadful
A Sgallow Shell of a Game
I backed this game on Kickstarter in the belief that it would be an interesting game to play, particularly given the positive reviews it had received. Oh, was I wrong! Whilst the artwork for this game is superb, the game is strung together very poorly. The rulebook is nonesensical and when this was pointed out to the creators, they put together a video...which not only clarified the elemtbs that were extremely opaque, but also patronised the backers who had funded the project. Having played this game a number of times, I wanted to like it, but it has no substance; the decisionsade in the game don't feel as though they have consequence and I frankly didn't care to invest in the game or be bothered by the outcome...a feeling that was mirrored by my gaming group. This is a game best avoided.
  
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Some good Monster mash ups (0 more)
Not enough Monster mash up (0 more)
Monster Mash
I didn't see many reviews before seeing this so had an open mind. So long as there was plenty of action I think I would be satisfied. I saw it on Screen X which was good, although only some keys scenes are on the extra screens as well. I used to enjoy the old Godzilla vs films back in the day, so wanted something that captured the spirit of those films.

The biggest problem for me is for a 2 hour film you'd expect tons of action scenes and Godzilla battles. In reality there are only a few. They are very good, but bogged down in between human story content that slows the pace down. It needed to have a couple of more monster fights really. Compared to other recent similar films like Rampage or the Pacific Rim films it didn't add anything new. A decent action film that could have been shorter and better.
  
Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Author's Definitive Edition
Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Author's Definitive Edition
Brandon Sanderson | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.2 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've enjoyed every Brandon Sanderson book I've read, and Elantris was certainly no exception. This was a beautiful mix of religious and political intrigue, magical mystery, and just a touch of romance. The ultimate answer to the mystery was so elegantly simple, but discovered so late, that consequences still had to be faced even when the main problem was fixed. (I'm trying to be vague so I don't spoil it!) I loved both Raoden and Sarene, and in a way, Hrathen too. He was a wonderfully written villain - one of those villains whose motivations you get to see and understand, so you end up sympathizing with him even as you don't want to see him succeed. Sanderson definitely has a talent for unusual fantasy novels, with elaborate plots and complex, well thought-out worlds.

In short, yet another amazing book from Brandon Sanderson.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
The Mothers: A Novel
The Mothers: A Novel
Brit Bennett | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tedious love triangle
After reading great reviews about this book, I was mildly disappointed given that much of this book surrounds two women having a relationship with the same man, and less so about mothers.

The main character, Nadia is fatally flawed; she's seen as slightly erratic and irresponsible having had a relationship with the pastor's son and having had an abortion at the age of 17. However, it also focuses on the fact that she is traumatised after her mother's sudden and horrific death, and the man she had a relationship with was far older and helped pay for her abortion - so she should be seen less at fault than suggested.

At the same time, her church-going best friend Aubrey is the total opposite, and yet she ends up almost in the same situation as Nadia. The three end up in a love triangle, and that's where I lose interest in this book. It begins with a great concept but loses steam.
  
Goodreads: Book Reviews
Goodreads: Book Reviews
Book, Social Networking
8
8.8 (453 Ratings)
App Rating
Huge selection (0 more)
Very rarely has missing (0 more)
Fun for readers
Goodreads has pretty much revolutionized my reading life. I use it to review books and check out reviews, but more than anything it's a place where I am able to engage the comic book community. Most of my read and reviewed books are single issue comic books. There are very few places for readers to review those in such a large setting so I enjoy it.
For the most part they even have all the titles there, even if I'm the first one to interact with it. There has only been two times when they have not had the book I had read uploaded.
I enjoy the social media aspect of it too. A number of my friends are on it and it starts up lots of conversation and helps us recommend books to each other. It's also very friendly and easy to use.
  
Goodreads: Book Reviews
Goodreads: Book Reviews
Book, Social Networking
9
8.8 (453 Ratings)
App Rating
Easy to find books (7 more)
Great for organizing books
Great way to get reading recommendations
Has a yearly reading challenge to motivate readers
Great place to read and write book reviews
Great place to keep up with what your friends are reading
Awesome reading community!
Has reading clubs/groups you can join.
Must have app
This is definitely my most used app on my phone right behind my kindle app. It’s definitely a must have for any avid reader.

This app makes it so easy to find books. I love that I can organize all the books that I’ve read and want to reading onto “book shelves.” Getting reading recommendations based on the books I’m reading and books that my friends are reading is great. I absolutely love that goodreads has a yearly reading challenge! There is just so much about this app that I love. Goodreads is really a fantastic community for readers! Highly recommend!
  
Slumber (2017)
Slumber (2017)
2017 | Horror
Why such bad IMDB rating
I've had this on my watch list for a while but with IMDB only giving it 4 I was reluctant to watch it. I saw on here that it has much better reviews and thought I would give it a go.
A doctor tries helping a family who are all experiencing some kind of sleep walking and becoming dangerous. I liked the idea of that story. So this afternoon I have sat down and watched it. I do not understand why it got such low ratings on IMDB. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the beginning of the film there was a lot going on, you begin to connect with the family and feel uneasy about what might happen. The acting in my opinion is really good, Maggie Q has a good role to play. I liked the story behind the film and I thought it all added up nicely. I think it was a strong film that has been really underrated.