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EmersonRose (320 KP) rated The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Alert! Before I begin this review, I need to let it be known that in the case of this particular book I may be a little biased, well maybe really biased! This is the tenth book I have read by this author and the last in the second series I have read. It is safe to say I love these books or else I would not have read this many.
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Making Waves (League of 7, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
As a first erotic novel, I believe this was a great choice. I bought this book years ago when I was still young and terrified about my parents finding out. I was just a freshman in high school looking for something that normal romance novels couldnt give me. I was so tired of all the sugary innuendoes. If I am going to read about people having sex, I want clear descriptions about what is going on or nothing at all. Innuendoes that compare a ladys part to food just grosses me out; and comparing an orgasm to an explosion of stars is just silly. Of course, I thought all this before I lost my
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Truth Seekers in Books
Nov 5, 2018
A period romance of the highest order, this story is totally un-put-downable from the moment you first step foot into the twisted psyche of the enigmatic and, quite frankly, dark Mr Hawes. There are so many twists and turns and little surprises throughout this book that it truly is a wonderful read. But before I start to waffle too much in general terms, IÕll get stuck in in letting you know my thoughts.
To start, I think the characters are more than worthy of a mention. Lawrence is a master of character development, and I say this after having only read one of her books, but that is honestly how strongly I feel about it. Never, in all my many books, have I come across a character as understated yet complex as Miranda. At first sight, she appears to be a simple and quite ordinary society beauty, but how very wrong that assumption would be. As the story progresses, we see her develop into a fiesty, and then broken young woman, before she regains her spark. The journey she travels is so tangible you can almost feel the emotions pouring through the pages. And that brings me onto the strange Mr Hawes. HeÕs a character and a half. Awkward, rude and at times quite objectionable, yet I still felt endeared to his situation. I find him harder to describe, as he really is so different and out of the box that itÕs refreshing against the standard ÔconformityÕ to society norms you usually find in period novels.
Something else I think really needs mentioning is the fact that this book is hugely believable. I am a huge reader of historical books, I am a great history addict and I have to say, this book ticks every single box. ItÕs full of the little quirks you would expect to see in that time Ð the language, the traditions, the vacation spots. ItÕs all just sublimely weaved together to create a total immersion into this time. It is truly like reading a modern day Jane Austen, and I mean that as the highest compliment and the greatest praise for Lawrence. It is clear that there is a huge bank of knowledge behind this writing, and that makes it so much easier and enjoyable to read. Honestly, I canÕt praise it highly enough!
At the risk of repeating myself, I am going to touch briefly on the plot for my final batch of comments because I am left slightly astounded and speechless with this book. The plot is amazing. Put very simply I know, but it is just exquisite in itÕs development, itÕs execution and itÕs whole story is just perfect. I donÕt say that very often about books, but this is so worthy of the mention. IÕm just, well, struggling to put in to words exactly how much I loved the way the story developed. The twists and turns, sudden changes, and eventually the happiness weÕve been searching for from the start, it was all woven together with immense skill and understanding for the genre and that made it such an easy book to get lost in (in the best possible way).
In conclusion, just in case you didnÕt grasp it earlier in the review Ð I freaking loved this book! It was fantastic from start to finish. A great pace, wonderful characters and a delightful storyline that kept me hooked from page one. The only thing I didnÕt like is the fact it had to end! I cannot recommend this highly enough and I will be looking forward to devouring more of Elizabeth LawrenceÕs offerings as soon as I possibly can.
ARC received with thanks and first reviewed as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=267
To start, I think the characters are more than worthy of a mention. Lawrence is a master of character development, and I say this after having only read one of her books, but that is honestly how strongly I feel about it. Never, in all my many books, have I come across a character as understated yet complex as Miranda. At first sight, she appears to be a simple and quite ordinary society beauty, but how very wrong that assumption would be. As the story progresses, we see her develop into a fiesty, and then broken young woman, before she regains her spark. The journey she travels is so tangible you can almost feel the emotions pouring through the pages. And that brings me onto the strange Mr Hawes. HeÕs a character and a half. Awkward, rude and at times quite objectionable, yet I still felt endeared to his situation. I find him harder to describe, as he really is so different and out of the box that itÕs refreshing against the standard ÔconformityÕ to society norms you usually find in period novels.
Something else I think really needs mentioning is the fact that this book is hugely believable. I am a huge reader of historical books, I am a great history addict and I have to say, this book ticks every single box. ItÕs full of the little quirks you would expect to see in that time Ð the language, the traditions, the vacation spots. ItÕs all just sublimely weaved together to create a total immersion into this time. It is truly like reading a modern day Jane Austen, and I mean that as the highest compliment and the greatest praise for Lawrence. It is clear that there is a huge bank of knowledge behind this writing, and that makes it so much easier and enjoyable to read. Honestly, I canÕt praise it highly enough!
At the risk of repeating myself, I am going to touch briefly on the plot for my final batch of comments because I am left slightly astounded and speechless with this book. The plot is amazing. Put very simply I know, but it is just exquisite in itÕs development, itÕs execution and itÕs whole story is just perfect. I donÕt say that very often about books, but this is so worthy of the mention. IÕm just, well, struggling to put in to words exactly how much I loved the way the story developed. The twists and turns, sudden changes, and eventually the happiness weÕve been searching for from the start, it was all woven together with immense skill and understanding for the genre and that made it such an easy book to get lost in (in the best possible way).
In conclusion, just in case you didnÕt grasp it earlier in the review Ð I freaking loved this book! It was fantastic from start to finish. A great pace, wonderful characters and a delightful storyline that kept me hooked from page one. The only thing I didnÕt like is the fact it had to end! I cannot recommend this highly enough and I will be looking forward to devouring more of Elizabeth LawrenceÕs offerings as soon as I possibly can.
ARC received with thanks and first reviewed as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=267
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated The Robber Knight in Books
Sep 10, 2019
When you are fighting for the freedom of your people, falling in love with your enemy is not a great idea. Or is it? Ayla has to defend her castle and her people all on her own, with nobody to help her but a dark warrior she hates with all her heart.
Sir Reuben, the dreaded robber knight, has long been Ayla’s deadliest enemy. He has prayed on her and her people ever since her father fell ill, and she swore he would hang for his crimes. Now they are both trapped in her castle as the army of a far greater enemy approaches, and they have only one chance: stand together, or fall.
This book wasn’t bad, honestly. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and it had been awhile since I’ve read a medieval love story, so that was a nice change of pace.
The author is a historian, so there are a lot of little things in this book that you don’t see in a lot of other historical romance books. For instance,you can’t pull out arrows because there are often barbs attached to cause fatal wounds if pulled out. I did like learning about all of these facts. But sometimes Thier lets the historian in him gets the best of him, but more on that later.
Lady Ayla was a pretty interesting character. Headstrong and wise for her years, she is very noble and progressive. She has all of the makings for a great leader– with the exception of knowledge. I loved how kind and committed she was to her people and I love the fact that she has some spunk. I mean, if I’m getting robbed in the forest by this random stranger, then I hope I would swear him out too (of course, if I could beat him up and get away, then that’s even better, but Ayla doesn’t have much self-defense skills). But there were many times that she was annoying, like her insistence on being near battles, even before she started treating the sick. And how she tried to manage Sir Isenbard during battle. She had called on him for help because he was an experienced knight, and now she was questioning his commands and strategies in the heat of battle!
Mostly, though, I really did like Ayla. She defines the idea of nobility. With war inevitable, she’s willing to ride personally to the edges of her land to warn her subjects and she is always at the outskirts of battle to help care for the wounded. She invites everyone into the castle for their safety and rations herself as well as the others to conserve food. She’s even willing to corrupt herself to save her people.
Reuben is an excellent character as well, although it did take me awhile to like him. In the beginning he fell a little flat. It’s clear that he used to be a knight but something happened and now he robs people for his own greed. A near-death experience and being saved by Lady Ayla reawakens the humanity in him. And apparently also some depth.
In the beginning of the book he spends a lot of his time admiring his loot and laughing about his victims, who thought they had a right to steal from him. But that’s all he does. We have no real insight into his character or backstory until after he’s in Ayla’s care. Only then are there hints of a bad history where he had been arrested many times, been tortured, and had at one point been a member of respectable society. If it weren’t for the fact that I liked Ayla’a character and the plot so far, I probably would have stopped reading.
Thier is a writer who has really good potential in becoming a great romance writer, especially for historical fiction. The plots have some unique twists that are augmented by his knowledge of history and after Reuben’s character shaped up, he was an excellent love interest. But there is one huge problem with this story: the footnotes.
There are so many footnotes throughout most of the book that I feel like I’m reading a history textbook, which is not good when I usually read romance novels to take a break from homework. Not only are they distracting and unnecessary, but they are also rude and condescending. Sure, sometimes they were useful, like in explaining the references to the seven princes of hell. Another one was a pretty funny anecdote about how one of his readers had actually confirmed that lard burns and that burning arrows work because they had actually done it. There is also a lot of wit throughout the footnotes which is pretty amusing. But most of the time, they were annoying.
For instance, Robert Thier thought it was necessary to include a footnote about how witches were considered bad during medieval times. Seriously? Even if someone failed history, we know that witches are not considered fine, upstanding citizens. Or maybe he thinks all of us have been locked in our rooms with no books, internet or television for our entire lives and for the month of October we all miraculously fell into a coma so we couldn’t see the giant blow-up witch in the neighbor’s yard. And then we’d all wake up singing Christmas carols after the month long coma without a care in the world because this happens every year so we don’t know what a witch is. (I’m developing a conspiracy theory about how these strange comas was caused by witchcraft.)
Maybe Thier assumed that instead of us thinking Reuben was scared of witches when he wondered if Ayla was one, we just thought he was commenting on how much Ayla looked like Sandra Bullock.
And one of the footnotes was just plain offensive. Here is the line of text that the footnote is attached to: “Heel! Abominable villain! You dare defy me?” (page 74)
Now, here’s the footnote: “Sorry to disappoint the ladies, but this doesn’t refer to high heels. It is a medieval term for a very nasty person.”
Excuse me? Did you just assume that I thought it meant high heels and that would make me excited? What world do you live in?
Apparently he thinks “the ladies” are so dumb that we are incapable of taking context clues and we immediately think everything relates back to fashion. Maybe I didn’t know it meant “very nasty person”, but it’s pretty clear it’s a swear or insult of sometime, not a freaking Jimmy Choo. Does he just imagine us thinking high heel every time we hear the word?
“She broke his nose with the heel of her hand.” Oh. High heel!
“Heel, fido! I said heel!” Oh. High heel!
“It will take one or two days for your cut to heal.” Oh. High heel! (Because if he thinks we don’t understand the difference between uncomfortable footwear and an insult, then he probably thinks we can’t spell, either).
But hey, at least Robert Thier thinks women can memorize stuff, because the footnote links stop as the vocabulary is repeated instead of new terms being introduced.
Aside from the footnotes, I really do like this book, and I can’t wait to read the second part of it, which I’ll read soon. Thier still has a long way to go, but I think after he has more experience, he’ll write some great books.
Sir Reuben, the dreaded robber knight, has long been Ayla’s deadliest enemy. He has prayed on her and her people ever since her father fell ill, and she swore he would hang for his crimes. Now they are both trapped in her castle as the army of a far greater enemy approaches, and they have only one chance: stand together, or fall.
This book wasn’t bad, honestly. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and it had been awhile since I’ve read a medieval love story, so that was a nice change of pace.
The author is a historian, so there are a lot of little things in this book that you don’t see in a lot of other historical romance books. For instance,you can’t pull out arrows because there are often barbs attached to cause fatal wounds if pulled out. I did like learning about all of these facts. But sometimes Thier lets the historian in him gets the best of him, but more on that later.
Lady Ayla was a pretty interesting character. Headstrong and wise for her years, she is very noble and progressive. She has all of the makings for a great leader– with the exception of knowledge. I loved how kind and committed she was to her people and I love the fact that she has some spunk. I mean, if I’m getting robbed in the forest by this random stranger, then I hope I would swear him out too (of course, if I could beat him up and get away, then that’s even better, but Ayla doesn’t have much self-defense skills). But there were many times that she was annoying, like her insistence on being near battles, even before she started treating the sick. And how she tried to manage Sir Isenbard during battle. She had called on him for help because he was an experienced knight, and now she was questioning his commands and strategies in the heat of battle!
Mostly, though, I really did like Ayla. She defines the idea of nobility. With war inevitable, she’s willing to ride personally to the edges of her land to warn her subjects and she is always at the outskirts of battle to help care for the wounded. She invites everyone into the castle for their safety and rations herself as well as the others to conserve food. She’s even willing to corrupt herself to save her people.
Reuben is an excellent character as well, although it did take me awhile to like him. In the beginning he fell a little flat. It’s clear that he used to be a knight but something happened and now he robs people for his own greed. A near-death experience and being saved by Lady Ayla reawakens the humanity in him. And apparently also some depth.
In the beginning of the book he spends a lot of his time admiring his loot and laughing about his victims, who thought they had a right to steal from him. But that’s all he does. We have no real insight into his character or backstory until after he’s in Ayla’s care. Only then are there hints of a bad history where he had been arrested many times, been tortured, and had at one point been a member of respectable society. If it weren’t for the fact that I liked Ayla’a character and the plot so far, I probably would have stopped reading.
Thier is a writer who has really good potential in becoming a great romance writer, especially for historical fiction. The plots have some unique twists that are augmented by his knowledge of history and after Reuben’s character shaped up, he was an excellent love interest. But there is one huge problem with this story: the footnotes.
There are so many footnotes throughout most of the book that I feel like I’m reading a history textbook, which is not good when I usually read romance novels to take a break from homework. Not only are they distracting and unnecessary, but they are also rude and condescending. Sure, sometimes they were useful, like in explaining the references to the seven princes of hell. Another one was a pretty funny anecdote about how one of his readers had actually confirmed that lard burns and that burning arrows work because they had actually done it. There is also a lot of wit throughout the footnotes which is pretty amusing. But most of the time, they were annoying.
For instance, Robert Thier thought it was necessary to include a footnote about how witches were considered bad during medieval times. Seriously? Even if someone failed history, we know that witches are not considered fine, upstanding citizens. Or maybe he thinks all of us have been locked in our rooms with no books, internet or television for our entire lives and for the month of October we all miraculously fell into a coma so we couldn’t see the giant blow-up witch in the neighbor’s yard. And then we’d all wake up singing Christmas carols after the month long coma without a care in the world because this happens every year so we don’t know what a witch is. (I’m developing a conspiracy theory about how these strange comas was caused by witchcraft.)
Maybe Thier assumed that instead of us thinking Reuben was scared of witches when he wondered if Ayla was one, we just thought he was commenting on how much Ayla looked like Sandra Bullock.
And one of the footnotes was just plain offensive. Here is the line of text that the footnote is attached to: “Heel! Abominable villain! You dare defy me?” (page 74)
Now, here’s the footnote: “Sorry to disappoint the ladies, but this doesn’t refer to high heels. It is a medieval term for a very nasty person.”
Excuse me? Did you just assume that I thought it meant high heels and that would make me excited? What world do you live in?
Apparently he thinks “the ladies” are so dumb that we are incapable of taking context clues and we immediately think everything relates back to fashion. Maybe I didn’t know it meant “very nasty person”, but it’s pretty clear it’s a swear or insult of sometime, not a freaking Jimmy Choo. Does he just imagine us thinking high heel every time we hear the word?
“She broke his nose with the heel of her hand.” Oh. High heel!
“Heel, fido! I said heel!” Oh. High heel!
“It will take one or two days for your cut to heal.” Oh. High heel! (Because if he thinks we don’t understand the difference between uncomfortable footwear and an insult, then he probably thinks we can’t spell, either).
But hey, at least Robert Thier thinks women can memorize stuff, because the footnote links stop as the vocabulary is repeated instead of new terms being introduced.
Aside from the footnotes, I really do like this book, and I can’t wait to read the second part of it, which I’ll read soon. Thier still has a long way to go, but I think after he has more experience, he’ll write some great books.
"As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain."
"As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain."
A while back, I read an online comic strip by the same author, Heartstopper Volume 1. I found it by chance and I literally flew through it. I adored it and I went ahead and TBR’d some of her other books. I found this one on Scribd and come to find this was her baby. This was her debut novel. The story was pretty good, it is NOT a love story, but I sometimes found myself getting frustrated with the main character. Reasons why are listed below.
The story is told from a teenager named Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring. She has two younger brothers and she is quite…indifferent. She has one best friend, and honestly one friend only, and she’s very much the pessimist. I can’t fully fault her for that, but some things that I just CANNOT tolerate. I found myself gasping and GLARING at the words as I read them.
She hates books. Yes, she said she hates books (-1 point). She knows the name of each book and the author who wrote them, but she won’t actually read them.
Though she loves film so I’ll give the point back to her (0).
"When you watch a film, you’re sort of an outsider looking in. With a book – you’re right there. You are inside. You are the main character."
She thinks Pride and Prejudice is ridiculous and boring…she gets positive points for that (+2) – I’m sorry I’m in the minority. I do not care for Jane Austen and find her so called romance novels dull and boring. Not sorry!
She despises Disney because the movies are total fake and unrealistic. WELL NO SHIT! It’s DISNEY! (-200) – I’m a Disney nerd and while I don’t agree with sugar coating the original fair tales, I still LOVE Disney. You can’t fault me for that!
Anyway…
Tori is highly cynical and while I can appreciate that in her, sometimes she made my favorite cartoon character, Daria, seem like a sweetheart. Two guys come into Tori’s life. One was an old childhood friend, Lucas, and the other is someone she met before, Michael. At the same time, a blog group called ‘Solitaire’ starts making trouble…almost in Tori’s honor.
I won’t go into great detail, mostly because I would definitely give more away than I want to. I breezed through this story quickly, but there are just some things in the story that just didn’t sit well with me.
This guy Lucas was so sketchy that he nearly drove Tori crazy with his change in personality.
Her parents…they literally do not seem to care. Her mother most of all. She is mostly on her computer and seems to kind of be absent, mentally, as a parental figure. That never gets resolved, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing. In the end, it really bothered me at how disinterested her parents really were. I get that perhaps it’s something you do when you’re bringing up teenagers, but damn!!
"I swear to God I’m a freak! I mean it. One day I’m going to forget how to wake up."
You’re probably thinking that this really doesn’t seem like it would be in the mental health genre. It is. Tori goes through an awful lot in this story, not to mention the mental strain with her brother, Charlie. I will say there are some MILD trigger warnings regarding implied self harm.
I was kind of left with mixed emotions with this book. I have great respect for this author and this being her first story. I know it’s near and dear to her heart. I wouldn’t say that this was at the top of my list, but it’s not at the bottom either. I definitely appreciated it NOT BEING a love story. Although it seemed like it would, despite the subtitle of the book, but I’m glad it wasn’t.
A while back, I read an online comic strip by the same author, Heartstopper Volume 1. I found it by chance and I literally flew through it. I adored it and I went ahead and TBR’d some of her other books. I found this one on Scribd and come to find this was her baby. This was her debut novel. The story was pretty good, it is NOT a love story, but I sometimes found myself getting frustrated with the main character. Reasons why are listed below.
The story is told from a teenager named Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring. She has two younger brothers and she is quite…indifferent. She has one best friend, and honestly one friend only, and she’s very much the pessimist. I can’t fully fault her for that, but some things that I just CANNOT tolerate. I found myself gasping and GLARING at the words as I read them.
She hates books. Yes, she said she hates books (-1 point). She knows the name of each book and the author who wrote them, but she won’t actually read them.
Though she loves film so I’ll give the point back to her (0).
"When you watch a film, you’re sort of an outsider looking in. With a book – you’re right there. You are inside. You are the main character."
She thinks Pride and Prejudice is ridiculous and boring…she gets positive points for that (+2) – I’m sorry I’m in the minority. I do not care for Jane Austen and find her so called romance novels dull and boring. Not sorry!
She despises Disney because the movies are total fake and unrealistic. WELL NO SHIT! It’s DISNEY! (-200) – I’m a Disney nerd and while I don’t agree with sugar coating the original fair tales, I still LOVE Disney. You can’t fault me for that!
Anyway…
Tori is highly cynical and while I can appreciate that in her, sometimes she made my favorite cartoon character, Daria, seem like a sweetheart. Two guys come into Tori’s life. One was an old childhood friend, Lucas, and the other is someone she met before, Michael. At the same time, a blog group called ‘Solitaire’ starts making trouble…almost in Tori’s honor.
I won’t go into great detail, mostly because I would definitely give more away than I want to. I breezed through this story quickly, but there are just some things in the story that just didn’t sit well with me.
This guy Lucas was so sketchy that he nearly drove Tori crazy with his change in personality.
Her parents…they literally do not seem to care. Her mother most of all. She is mostly on her computer and seems to kind of be absent, mentally, as a parental figure. That never gets resolved, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing. In the end, it really bothered me at how disinterested her parents really were. I get that perhaps it’s something you do when you’re bringing up teenagers, but damn!!
"I swear to God I’m a freak! I mean it. One day I’m going to forget how to wake up."
You’re probably thinking that this really doesn’t seem like it would be in the mental health genre. It is. Tori goes through an awful lot in this story, not to mention the mental strain with her brother, Charlie. I will say there are some MILD trigger warnings regarding implied self harm.
I was kind of left with mixed emotions with this book. I have great respect for this author and this being her first story. I know it’s near and dear to her heart. I wouldn’t say that this was at the top of my list, but it’s not at the bottom either. I definitely appreciated it NOT BEING a love story. Although it seemed like it would, despite the subtitle of the book, but I’m glad it wasn’t.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Chandrea: The Return of the Avatar Queen (Averill, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I was overly excited to review Marlene Wynn's The Return of the Avatar Queen when I heard what genre it fell in the New Adult world: fantasy. NOT Contemporary or Romance (or both!) like most seem to be these days. Really, the only New Adult book I've come across that's something other than Contemporary is the Everlast Trilogy by Juliana Haygert (among a few others).
The first in the Averill series is just another step towards some more diversity in the ever growing pool of New Adult books. But here are a few reasons why you should take a moment and read Marlene Wynn's debut novel:
Character Development and World Building Here's what is probably one of the most difficult things in fantasy and paranormal novels: developing the world the entire world, because in a fantasy book, most worlds are fictional and completely made up! Wynn has it patted down nicely enough within the book that it's not necessary to have a separate dictionary. I definitely feel as though I know enough about the world of Itova as Chandrea does, and the characters don't feel as though they're miles away from me.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ6pA2Tm_Sk/VIi50dboa_I/AAAAAAAAEEg/IQqffnS_y1w/s1600/awesome.gif"; height="180" width="320">
It's Funny I had the highlight of my book week while reading Wynn's novel, but whenever there are flying raccoons, I can't really help but find it hilarious. It definitely helps when Shawn becomes a major character and lightens things up. He's just a fantastic edition to the book and he seems to make the lighter side of Chandrea come out as well I certainly hope the author won't kill him off anytime soon. Not that I actually have a say, of course.
<blockquote>If you dont, I wont bathe, and Ill sleep curled up right next to you, in all my stinky glory.</blockquote>
Of course, it's definitely not as hilarious as something I saw in a NCRA magazine about a month ago, or finding out what "bae" really means in another language.
No Surprises This is more of something I really disliked about The Return of the Avatar Queen rather than something I liked. As much as I love knowing all the side characters' history, I really think I would have enjoyed my reading experience more if there were less views. With the amount of views (which, by the way, is quite a lot), I feel as though I'm one step ahead and the author loses the element of surprise. Whatever seems likely to happen in the future to a character or two is already expected by the reader.
Last time I checked, not being surprised does not dwell well. But credit to Wynn for not making me feel like Hansel and Gretel with bread baked by Peeta, to which I turn into crumbs (the bread, not Peeta). Two facts: 1) I like surprises in books. 2) I don't necessarily like surprises in real life.
Here's a little elaboration on #2: A good friend of mine I call him Mr. Pokey and yes, he's probably related to Lupe. AKA Miss. Pokey. volunteered to take me to chess tournaments. A few days later, his mom said she could take both of us, but said friend told our coach that I could go without telling me about it first. As a result, I'm have been plotting his demise. Would I really do it? No, but sometimes I want to throw something at his infuriatingly overconfident face.
So here's a word of advice: Don't try to make decisions for others without telling them about it first. At least, don't make decisions for me unless you're my mom. You could regret it dearly.
Basically, you won't really regret reading The Return of the Avatar Queen. Marlene Wynn's debut novel shows a lot of promise in the future and I'm curious as to where the storyline goes from here on out.
-------------------
Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
Original Rating: 3.5
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-tour-chandrea-the-return-of-the-avatar-queen-by-marlene-wynn-review-and-giveaway.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
The first in the Averill series is just another step towards some more diversity in the ever growing pool of New Adult books. But here are a few reasons why you should take a moment and read Marlene Wynn's debut novel:
Character Development and World Building Here's what is probably one of the most difficult things in fantasy and paranormal novels: developing the world the entire world, because in a fantasy book, most worlds are fictional and completely made up! Wynn has it patted down nicely enough within the book that it's not necessary to have a separate dictionary. I definitely feel as though I know enough about the world of Itova as Chandrea does, and the characters don't feel as though they're miles away from me.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ6pA2Tm_Sk/VIi50dboa_I/AAAAAAAAEEg/IQqffnS_y1w/s1600/awesome.gif"; height="180" width="320">
It's Funny I had the highlight of my book week while reading Wynn's novel, but whenever there are flying raccoons, I can't really help but find it hilarious. It definitely helps when Shawn becomes a major character and lightens things up. He's just a fantastic edition to the book and he seems to make the lighter side of Chandrea come out as well I certainly hope the author won't kill him off anytime soon. Not that I actually have a say, of course.
<blockquote>If you dont, I wont bathe, and Ill sleep curled up right next to you, in all my stinky glory.</blockquote>
Of course, it's definitely not as hilarious as something I saw in a NCRA magazine about a month ago, or finding out what "bae" really means in another language.
No Surprises This is more of something I really disliked about The Return of the Avatar Queen rather than something I liked. As much as I love knowing all the side characters' history, I really think I would have enjoyed my reading experience more if there were less views. With the amount of views (which, by the way, is quite a lot), I feel as though I'm one step ahead and the author loses the element of surprise. Whatever seems likely to happen in the future to a character or two is already expected by the reader.
Last time I checked, not being surprised does not dwell well. But credit to Wynn for not making me feel like Hansel and Gretel with bread baked by Peeta, to which I turn into crumbs (the bread, not Peeta). Two facts: 1) I like surprises in books. 2) I don't necessarily like surprises in real life.
Here's a little elaboration on #2: A good friend of mine I call him Mr. Pokey and yes, he's probably related to Lupe. AKA Miss. Pokey. volunteered to take me to chess tournaments. A few days later, his mom said she could take both of us, but said friend told our coach that I could go without telling me about it first. As a result, I'm have been plotting his demise. Would I really do it? No, but sometimes I want to throw something at his infuriatingly overconfident face.
So here's a word of advice: Don't try to make decisions for others without telling them about it first. At least, don't make decisions for me unless you're my mom. You could regret it dearly.
Basically, you won't really regret reading The Return of the Avatar Queen. Marlene Wynn's debut novel shows a lot of promise in the future and I'm curious as to where the storyline goes from here on out.
-------------------
Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
Original Rating: 3.5
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-tour-chandrea-the-return-of-the-avatar-queen-by-marlene-wynn-review-and-giveaway.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Chat Love in Books
Oct 2, 2020
I wanted to read this book immediately after reading the synopsis, and I was honoured when the author, Justine Faeth, approached me and sent me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
honingwords (32 KP) rated No Good Reason in Books
Jul 5, 2018
Cari Hunter is most definitely as top notch a writer as you are going to find in crime/thriller writing.
Cari Hunter’s Dark Peak crime series, starting with No Good Reason, was recommended to me by a Lesfic author. I reckon you have to be pretty good for your peers to claim you are ‘top notch’ and after reading four of her books in quick succession I can guarantee that Cari is most definitely as top notch a writer as you are going to find in crime/thriller writing.
Let me admit to you that I generally find crime novels too much hard work to follow. I like my books to be romances, and the sexier the better. I’m surprised as all get out to find I love Cari’s thrilling ride through these Police stroke Hospital novels. Especially as there is almost no juicy sex to lubricate the grit. The infrequency of sex scenes is because the main characters, Sanne and Meg, aren’t officially a couple. Or maybe they are. It’s entirely possible everyone knows they are, except themselves.
The story isn't necessarily about their sexual tension, but it was always in the back of my mind that they would see sense in the end and I patiently waited them out.
I have found in the last few years that there are many padded-out books on the market by well-respected authors, where you can skip through whole pages at a time without losing any real sense of the plot. Not so with No Good Reason which kept me riveted through each paragraph and exquisite word right from the tense prologue.
Cari definitely makes every single word count and I felt engaged in the story and with her main characters within the first few pages.
I’d already read Snowbound, which was a fantastic debut novel, but the characters in No Good Reason are one smidge more sophisticatedly written.
Sanne and Meg go back a very long time, from before their first kiss at the age of twelve, and they know each other better than they know themselves. They have generated a world around them where they are each others’ support and comfort. They are BFFs, they are Friends With Benefits, but somehow Cari has written them as even more than these things. They are each others’ absolute other halves.
These two girls have aches and bruises, and tears and emotions, and genuine exhaustion from their ridiculously long work hours.
They do things like accidentally drop perishable shopping on the floor, but eat it anyway; burn their tea; and turn the shower off when the toilet flushes for fear of being scalded.
I love details like these. I love that they can have a discussion about putting the bins out and HobNobs can fall in their tea the same as they do for you and me, without making the whole book boring and mundane. It simply endears the characters to me all the more.
They made me smile a lot. Meg prefers ham and quaver butties, for goodness sake, what’s not to love?
It doesn’t take long for Cari to completely draw you into their world in Northern England, around the Manchester area, and mainly in the Peak District which is where Cari lives and I feel like I have travelled the hills and crunched the snow and tramped through the same streets as she has now.
This area has its own accent, Northern English, and it is noticeable that she uses phrases and words particular to there. I can’t remember which words I picked up on first, probably some dialogue, but you quickly become used to the fact this is not written by an American. It’s refreshing to have only regional UK main characters: no Londoners; no Americans.
Don’t let the idea of a local accent and local characters put you off, there is nothing in the book you wouldn’t understand, it is still all ‘plain English’ and if you come across a word you can’t decipher I will more than happily translate for you!
Other than the almost-a-romance-but-so-much-more between the two girls there is also this whole other kidnapping / crime malarkey going on. Sanne is a little too personally involved in the case right from the beginning, being caught up in the initial rescue of the victim. She and her police partner, the sensitive, caring, supportive, gorgeously written Nelson, are embroiled in working the case together. Needless to say they spend a lot of time visiting Meg in her role as A&E Doctor in the local hospital for one reason or another. Nelson is a beautiful soul and just the kind of partner Sanne needs, but that writers seldom allow their straight characters to be, especially in Police fiction.
The kidnapping plot is fast paced and exciting. The characters on both sides of the investigation were all believable and there was an audible ‘Huh!’ out of me with the final twist at the end. I really didn’t see that coming. Such a simple way to pull the whole plot together. Chilling!
Cari has a remarkable flair for descriptive writing and she pays particular attention to details like sounds and how things feel against skin. You are left in no doubt every time a character is sore, almost feeling the pain and peeling off the scabs with them.
Sometimes you have to reread a passage to understand the gist of what an author means, or furrow your brow over a combination of words because they just don’t make sense or even belong together, but with Cari Hunter the only thing I can point out to her is ‘Try feeding goldfinches niger seeds instead of nuts.’ That’s it. No other tweaking or corrections required. Nothing. Cari Hunter writes sheer perfection.
My favourite line in the book is the first one I stopped at, blinked appreciatively and re-read.
“Sanne ran her fingertips across the gritstone, letting it wear away her skin like an over-keen emery board.”
From that point on I knew I was going to love not only the book, but also Cari’s style and I wasn’t disappointed with further chapters.
I have a simple test for new authors, to find out how much I like them. The test is ‘how sick has this author made me?’ By that I mean - how long did they keep me awake reading when I ought to have been asleep for work the next day. If I am awake too long it makes me sick for several days after - it shouldn’t be something I am proud of but
Let me admit to you that I generally find crime novels too much hard work to follow. I like my books to be romances, and the sexier the better. I’m surprised as all get out to find I love Cari’s thrilling ride through these Police stroke Hospital novels. Especially as there is almost no juicy sex to lubricate the grit. The infrequency of sex scenes is because the main characters, Sanne and Meg, aren’t officially a couple. Or maybe they are. It’s entirely possible everyone knows they are, except themselves.
The story isn't necessarily about their sexual tension, but it was always in the back of my mind that they would see sense in the end and I patiently waited them out.
I have found in the last few years that there are many padded-out books on the market by well-respected authors, where you can skip through whole pages at a time without losing any real sense of the plot. Not so with No Good Reason which kept me riveted through each paragraph and exquisite word right from the tense prologue.
Cari definitely makes every single word count and I felt engaged in the story and with her main characters within the first few pages.
I’d already read Snowbound, which was a fantastic debut novel, but the characters in No Good Reason are one smidge more sophisticatedly written.
Sanne and Meg go back a very long time, from before their first kiss at the age of twelve, and they know each other better than they know themselves. They have generated a world around them where they are each others’ support and comfort. They are BFFs, they are Friends With Benefits, but somehow Cari has written them as even more than these things. They are each others’ absolute other halves.
These two girls have aches and bruises, and tears and emotions, and genuine exhaustion from their ridiculously long work hours.
They do things like accidentally drop perishable shopping on the floor, but eat it anyway; burn their tea; and turn the shower off when the toilet flushes for fear of being scalded.
I love details like these. I love that they can have a discussion about putting the bins out and HobNobs can fall in their tea the same as they do for you and me, without making the whole book boring and mundane. It simply endears the characters to me all the more.
They made me smile a lot. Meg prefers ham and quaver butties, for goodness sake, what’s not to love?
It doesn’t take long for Cari to completely draw you into their world in Northern England, around the Manchester area, and mainly in the Peak District which is where Cari lives and I feel like I have travelled the hills and crunched the snow and tramped through the same streets as she has now.
This area has its own accent, Northern English, and it is noticeable that she uses phrases and words particular to there. I can’t remember which words I picked up on first, probably some dialogue, but you quickly become used to the fact this is not written by an American. It’s refreshing to have only regional UK main characters: no Londoners; no Americans.
Don’t let the idea of a local accent and local characters put you off, there is nothing in the book you wouldn’t understand, it is still all ‘plain English’ and if you come across a word you can’t decipher I will more than happily translate for you!
Other than the almost-a-romance-but-so-much-more between the two girls there is also this whole other kidnapping / crime malarkey going on. Sanne is a little too personally involved in the case right from the beginning, being caught up in the initial rescue of the victim. She and her police partner, the sensitive, caring, supportive, gorgeously written Nelson, are embroiled in working the case together. Needless to say they spend a lot of time visiting Meg in her role as A&E Doctor in the local hospital for one reason or another. Nelson is a beautiful soul and just the kind of partner Sanne needs, but that writers seldom allow their straight characters to be, especially in Police fiction.
The kidnapping plot is fast paced and exciting. The characters on both sides of the investigation were all believable and there was an audible ‘Huh!’ out of me with the final twist at the end. I really didn’t see that coming. Such a simple way to pull the whole plot together. Chilling!
Cari has a remarkable flair for descriptive writing and she pays particular attention to details like sounds and how things feel against skin. You are left in no doubt every time a character is sore, almost feeling the pain and peeling off the scabs with them.
Sometimes you have to reread a passage to understand the gist of what an author means, or furrow your brow over a combination of words because they just don’t make sense or even belong together, but with Cari Hunter the only thing I can point out to her is ‘Try feeding goldfinches niger seeds instead of nuts.’ That’s it. No other tweaking or corrections required. Nothing. Cari Hunter writes sheer perfection.
My favourite line in the book is the first one I stopped at, blinked appreciatively and re-read.
“Sanne ran her fingertips across the gritstone, letting it wear away her skin like an over-keen emery board.”
From that point on I knew I was going to love not only the book, but also Cari’s style and I wasn’t disappointed with further chapters.
I have a simple test for new authors, to find out how much I like them. The test is ‘how sick has this author made me?’ By that I mean - how long did they keep me awake reading when I ought to have been asleep for work the next day. If I am awake too long it makes me sick for several days after - it shouldn’t be something I am proud of but
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Annie's Recipe in Books
Feb 25, 2019
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"><em><strong>Excerpt
</strong></em></span><span style="color: #993300;">The small brown freckle under Annie’s right eye that he’d teased her about as a kid had developed into something of a beauty mark. It belonged there. To Levi’s dismay, his pulse picked up speed. He wanted more time with her. She was of Rumspringa age, so she could do non-Amish things. But that would only be for a couple of years, not forever.</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Behind them, Aunt Abigail followed in a separate buggy with Aidan and Elijah. As Levi glanced back at Jake, the kid responded with a big grin. To Levi’s surprise, an unexpected appreciation for the ambience in the buggy, often referred to as the fiberglass box, welled in his chest. He sat back as the horses stepped it up.
</span></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Automatically, Levi looked down. There wasn’t a trace of dirt on the beautiful navy velvet cushion that softened the hard bench. He remembered when his mother had used a lint brush to clean their buggy. On the sides were two small viewing windows and one in the back. A blue homemade quilt was rolled up and slightly draped over the backseat. He’d forgotten what it was like being in a means of transportation with no seat belts or radio. Levi missed the music. He was used to driving his dad’s truck and had traversed country roads long before he’d gotten his license a few years before.
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #993300;">As they traveled, Levi glanced back to smile at little Jake. The response was a large toothless grin and eyes wide with excitement. Levi knew the child was dying to spend time with him. Levi had nearly decided not to come today. Even though there had been no mention of the shunning, everyone knew it had happened. He had never discussed it with anyone. He and Annie had shared everything when they were young. And despite their unbreakable bond, she was still Amish.
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #993300;">I’ve got to stop thinking about her.</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #008080;"><strong>My Thoughts
I love a good Amish novel, and this is one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ms. Baker is a supremely talented author who brings the perfect amount of humor, faith, and romance to a book that is filled with hope, forgiveness and understanding. Each page turn was something new, and kept me reading long into the night.</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #008080;">Annie and Levi's characters were absolutely perfect for the story! I loved Annie's strong will and wit and I loved Levi's charming character. He really stole my heart from the start. After all they've both been through,I loved their interactions! Watching them together was so refreshing, especially after they have been a part for so long. </span>
</strong>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #008080;">This story of forgiveness, understanding, and faith is one that I highly recommend with 4 stars. Ms. Baker makes her stories pop and come to life before the reader. Not only does she do that, she adds recipes to the story making the reader hungry by the end. If you love Amish novels and books with characters who steal your heart forever, look no further! Grab you a copy of this talented lady's book. </span>
</strong>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Giveaway</span>
</strong></em><strong>Lisa will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via</strong></span>
<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>rafflecopter during the tour.</strong></span>
<a id="rcwidget_57weeeuj" class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2227/"; rel="nofollow" data-raflid="28e4345f2227" data-theme="classic" data-template="">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/goddess-fish-promotions-blog-tour-review-annies-recipe-by-lisa-jones-baker/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
</strong></em></span><span style="color: #993300;">The small brown freckle under Annie’s right eye that he’d teased her about as a kid had developed into something of a beauty mark. It belonged there. To Levi’s dismay, his pulse picked up speed. He wanted more time with her. She was of Rumspringa age, so she could do non-Amish things. But that would only be for a couple of years, not forever.</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Behind them, Aunt Abigail followed in a separate buggy with Aidan and Elijah. As Levi glanced back at Jake, the kid responded with a big grin. To Levi’s surprise, an unexpected appreciation for the ambience in the buggy, often referred to as the fiberglass box, welled in his chest. He sat back as the horses stepped it up.
</span></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Automatically, Levi looked down. There wasn’t a trace of dirt on the beautiful navy velvet cushion that softened the hard bench. He remembered when his mother had used a lint brush to clean their buggy. On the sides were two small viewing windows and one in the back. A blue homemade quilt was rolled up and slightly draped over the backseat. He’d forgotten what it was like being in a means of transportation with no seat belts or radio. Levi missed the music. He was used to driving his dad’s truck and had traversed country roads long before he’d gotten his license a few years before.
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #993300;">As they traveled, Levi glanced back to smile at little Jake. The response was a large toothless grin and eyes wide with excitement. Levi knew the child was dying to spend time with him. Levi had nearly decided not to come today. Even though there had been no mention of the shunning, everyone knew it had happened. He had never discussed it with anyone. He and Annie had shared everything when they were young. And despite their unbreakable bond, she was still Amish.
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #993300;">I’ve got to stop thinking about her.</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #008080;"><strong>My Thoughts
I love a good Amish novel, and this is one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ms. Baker is a supremely talented author who brings the perfect amount of humor, faith, and romance to a book that is filled with hope, forgiveness and understanding. Each page turn was something new, and kept me reading long into the night.</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #008080;">Annie and Levi's characters were absolutely perfect for the story! I loved Annie's strong will and wit and I loved Levi's charming character. He really stole my heart from the start. After all they've both been through,I loved their interactions! Watching them together was so refreshing, especially after they have been a part for so long. </span>
</strong>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #008080;">This story of forgiveness, understanding, and faith is one that I highly recommend with 4 stars. Ms. Baker makes her stories pop and come to life before the reader. Not only does she do that, she adds recipes to the story making the reader hungry by the end. If you love Amish novels and books with characters who steal your heart forever, look no further! Grab you a copy of this talented lady's book. </span>
</strong>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Giveaway</span>
</strong></em><strong>Lisa will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via</strong></span>
<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>rafflecopter during the tour.</strong></span>
<a id="rcwidget_57weeeuj" class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2227/"; rel="nofollow" data-raflid="28e4345f2227" data-theme="classic" data-template="">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/goddess-fish-promotions-blog-tour-review-annies-recipe-by-lisa-jones-baker/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Hunger Games (2012) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Director Gary Ross had his work cut out trying to create a film which brought to life the startling realism of Suzanne Collins’ successful trilogy of novels and here we have the first, The Hunger Games.
This film has come at a time where movie fans have been released from the clawing hooks of the Harry Potter franchise and the finale of the Twilight Saga is now on the horizon. Some would say, it’s the perfect time to begin a new franchise and for the most part, they’re right. Move over witches and vampires, there’s a new, more mature kid ready to take your crowns.
I for one went into The Hunger Games trilogy blindfolded. I have not read the books so this review is purely based on the film I saw before me and I must say; I was mightily impressed.
The film is set some way in the future and the world is a much different place; in a place called Panem (a post-apocalyptic North America) is where we find 12 Districts full of variety with different races living alongside each other, just as we have today. However, there is a more sinister side to things as we learn that once a year; The Hunger Games tournament takes place.
For those of you not familiar with the event itself, here’s a brief description. Each year, one boy and one girl aged between 12 and 18 from each district fights to the death until there is one winner, showered with riches for the remainder of their lives.
Jennifer Lawrence of X-Men First Class fame stars as Katniss Everdeen, a plucky young girl brought up in the coal mining community of District 12. After her young sister is picked to represent District 12, she decides the only thing to do is nominate herself and save her from certain death. Her male counterpart is Peeta Mellark played by a mature looking Josh Hutcherson of Journey to the Centre of the Earth fame.
Once the pair have been selected, they are taken to Capitol, a city brimming with the wealthy, a stark contrast to the coal mining community our District 12 heroes come from. Woody Harrelson stars as a previous winner of the games and the District 12 mentor, he takes it upon himself to train the ‘tributes’ and prepare them for the task ahead.
Once in battle, all chaos ensues and this is where the film begins to partially unravel. The actors and actresses all do excellent jobs, in particular Lawrence plays Katniss exceptionally well, her soft side comes through but you never forget her harsher, hunter like persona. Unfortunately, the action is held back by the ridiculous 12A certification the film has been lumbered with. It has become the case, as with The Woman in Black earlier this year that films based on best-selling and well known books or with teen stars have to be given this frankly dire classification. The violence is toned down to such a level that it becomes unrealistic and from what I have read, The Hunger Games is a much more brutal and unforgiving experience as a novel.
Other negatives include some shoddy CGI and too much hand based camera work, the battles at the beginning of the games are messy and not enjoyable to sit through. It’s a disappointing lapse in a film which is actually very good indeed.
Thankfully, the lengthy running time allows the final third to pick up nicely to leave you with a lasting impression.
The Hunger Games had the unenviable task of being on the receiving end of comparisons to Harry Potter and the Twilight franchises, and to an extent it has done its source material proud. Does it live up to the much-loved world of Hogwarts? Probably not. Does it live up to the lust and romance of the Twilight Saga? Most definitely. It sits, right smack in the middle and that’s not a bad place to be.
Gary Ross has produced a fine blockbuster with excellent performances from the cast and some fabulous design choices. Yes, it’s a little too long, there are some shoddy special effects and the character development lacks depth, but for fans of the series and newcomers alike, it moves the game on and is an enjoyable experience.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2012/04/05/the-hunger-games-2012-review/
This film has come at a time where movie fans have been released from the clawing hooks of the Harry Potter franchise and the finale of the Twilight Saga is now on the horizon. Some would say, it’s the perfect time to begin a new franchise and for the most part, they’re right. Move over witches and vampires, there’s a new, more mature kid ready to take your crowns.
I for one went into The Hunger Games trilogy blindfolded. I have not read the books so this review is purely based on the film I saw before me and I must say; I was mightily impressed.
The film is set some way in the future and the world is a much different place; in a place called Panem (a post-apocalyptic North America) is where we find 12 Districts full of variety with different races living alongside each other, just as we have today. However, there is a more sinister side to things as we learn that once a year; The Hunger Games tournament takes place.
For those of you not familiar with the event itself, here’s a brief description. Each year, one boy and one girl aged between 12 and 18 from each district fights to the death until there is one winner, showered with riches for the remainder of their lives.
Jennifer Lawrence of X-Men First Class fame stars as Katniss Everdeen, a plucky young girl brought up in the coal mining community of District 12. After her young sister is picked to represent District 12, she decides the only thing to do is nominate herself and save her from certain death. Her male counterpart is Peeta Mellark played by a mature looking Josh Hutcherson of Journey to the Centre of the Earth fame.
Once the pair have been selected, they are taken to Capitol, a city brimming with the wealthy, a stark contrast to the coal mining community our District 12 heroes come from. Woody Harrelson stars as a previous winner of the games and the District 12 mentor, he takes it upon himself to train the ‘tributes’ and prepare them for the task ahead.
Once in battle, all chaos ensues and this is where the film begins to partially unravel. The actors and actresses all do excellent jobs, in particular Lawrence plays Katniss exceptionally well, her soft side comes through but you never forget her harsher, hunter like persona. Unfortunately, the action is held back by the ridiculous 12A certification the film has been lumbered with. It has become the case, as with The Woman in Black earlier this year that films based on best-selling and well known books or with teen stars have to be given this frankly dire classification. The violence is toned down to such a level that it becomes unrealistic and from what I have read, The Hunger Games is a much more brutal and unforgiving experience as a novel.
Other negatives include some shoddy CGI and too much hand based camera work, the battles at the beginning of the games are messy and not enjoyable to sit through. It’s a disappointing lapse in a film which is actually very good indeed.
Thankfully, the lengthy running time allows the final third to pick up nicely to leave you with a lasting impression.
The Hunger Games had the unenviable task of being on the receiving end of comparisons to Harry Potter and the Twilight franchises, and to an extent it has done its source material proud. Does it live up to the much-loved world of Hogwarts? Probably not. Does it live up to the lust and romance of the Twilight Saga? Most definitely. It sits, right smack in the middle and that’s not a bad place to be.
Gary Ross has produced a fine blockbuster with excellent performances from the cast and some fabulous design choices. Yes, it’s a little too long, there are some shoddy special effects and the character development lacks depth, but for fans of the series and newcomers alike, it moves the game on and is an enjoyable experience.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2012/04/05/the-hunger-games-2012-review/