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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Outlander in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Outlander
Outlander
Diana Gabaldon | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.4 (52 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay so like pretty much everyone else I'd heard of this series & heard great reviews. I was very unsure about diving into the series because I am not & never have been a "romance novel" fan. It took me winning a copy of this book on Goodreads to actually pick it up & start reading. I have to say that I am glad I won it.
Outlander is NOT your typical trashy romance. The story is very well written & it hooks the reader in from the very first chapter. Are there typical romance novel things in it? Of course, but they were NOT out of this world sex scenes that make you uncomfortable reading it. In fact, I was more into the story line & the character development throughout the book than I was getting into that part of it. It was more a necessary component to move the plot along than a gratuitous sex scene that was just stuck in there for fun.
I can't wait to continue reading the series & find out what happens to Claire, Jamie, & yes, even Frank.
  
The Mortal Instruments 1: City of Bones
The Mortal Instruments 1: City of Bones
Cassandra Clare | 2007 | Children
10
8.2 (111 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sets up the rest of the series (2 more)
The brother-sister plot line (spoilers as for why in review)
The fantasy world Clare creates
Not a lot of backstory is presented (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I love this book (currently reading book 5 of the series) because of the world that Clare relates. Whilst it contains the fantasy ideas expressed in different novels; it brings them all together in a unique and interesting way. Controversially, I enjoy the brother-sister plot line the novel introduces to the budding romance of Clary and Jace; it means that we are not reading the same cliche teen romance. People think it is weird but SPOILER ALERT they are not actually brother and sister but allows character progression and other storylines to happen. This allows the romance to occur naturally and when we can see that the feelings are genuine and true. Overall, Clare has produced a great novel to begin her series and leaves reader wanting to know more and delve deeper into the Shadowhunter world.
  
I
Invisibility
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really had to take my time with this book. Maybe it was my new iPad, maybe it was the fact that I wanted to forever experience this book. This novel was quite unique. I have never read anything like this before. It was a paranormal romance and didn't have vampires, werewolves, zombies... etc. The magic in the novel was well done and I found myself completely entertained.

David Levithan and Andrea Cremer definitely know how to make you keep guessing. It was interesting to see how their minds worked to create this novel. David Levithan is my favorite author so I will continue to pick up his books. I might have to add one of Andrea's novels onto my to-read list. All in all, I enjoyed this novel. If you're a fan of paranormal young adult, I suggest that you read it. Especially if you're tired of the vampire/werewolf paranormal take over.
  
The Shell Collector
The Shell Collector
Hugh Howey | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Promising but ultimately disappointing
I've loved some of Hugh Howey's other works and I had high hopes for his take on a romantic novel, but sadly this was pretty disappointing. It had promise, with an interesting plot based around a romance taking place in a near future where the sea levels have risen and shells are becoming extinct. Howey writes very well and I can't fault him for that, I just felt he concentrated too much on the predictable romance side than developing the scientific future aspect. The characters too were nothing special, and the whole book just felt very rushed.
  
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen, Donald Gray, Mary A. Favret | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (94 Ratings)
Book Rating
Modest Romance
Contains spoilers, click to show
Everyone always mentions this novel, it’s a classic, how can it not be mentioned? When I picked up this novel, I was just praying that it wouldn’t be one of those clichés where everyone says it’s amazing and once you’ve read it you think to yourself, what was all the fuss about? I’m pleased to say that this was not the case.

Most people know the rough story of this novel but I will give a little recap anyway. You are introduced to a middle-class family with 5 young girls that are ready to be married off. The mother is a hysterical kind of woman that cannot keep herself out of her daughter’s business. The eldest daughter Jane is a very shy individual and she falls in love with a wealthy man Mr. Bingley. When Mr. Bingley arrives in town, he brings with him his friend Mr. Darcy who is constantly described as a disagreeable fellow particularly as he does not enjoy the social norms that were custom in this era. Jane’s sister Elizabeth finds something curious about this man and spends the majority of the narrative expressing her dislike of him. Eventually though, he wins her round but the journey is what is so beautiful about this novel.

When I read this, I really thought it was going to be a cliché novel and I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed it. You can see parallels between the relationship with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Looking back on this, there are quite a lot of similarities between these two novels and the characters that make them.

Austen has created an incredible classic novel that highlights what life was like in this era and how people behaved. You could look at this novel as a study of personalities. The romance between the two is incredibly sweet especially when it seems as though it would be such an unlikely couple. Both characters have to have internal battles before they are both ready to open up to each other and declare how they really feel.

I can now understand why this novel has been such a fascination for literary scholars. It is beautifully written and contains the modest kind of romance that leaves you wanting more. It will be going up there as one of my favourite works of literature.
  
Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones | 1989 | Children
10
9.3 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
Possible my favorite of all time. I loved the characters and their crazy personalities that drew me to them. Every page was charming and filled with Diana's clever mastery of the plot line. There was so many surprises, though not unpleasant, that I could not wait to see how the whole novel ended.

Literally a book for all ages filled with a little romance, adventure and humor.
  
I was thrilled to receive this novel as it encompasses three of my favorite things: historical Roman romance. While I enjoyed the book overall, I wasn’t blow away by it. Everything seemed so simple from the plot to the characters. There is nothing wrong with the story, I just felt like it was lacking in some factor to really make it stand out.
  
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Mo (66 KP) rated The Last Song in Books

Sep 4, 2018  
The Last Song
The Last Song
Nicholas Sparks | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Romance (1 more)
Story
Too Predictable (1 more)
Acting is not amazing
Not the best movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel I have seen
Probably the least informative review I will make, mainly because I am naturally biased to be for anything Nicholas Sparks. But this bored me, which was a weird idea, because nothing bores me. The story is good, it was just portrayed in a weak manner.