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Merissa (13937 KP) rated The Ghost is Clear (A Series of Midlife Curses #1) in Books
Apr 21, 2021 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)
THE GHOST IS CLEAR is the first book in the Series of Midlife Curses and it starts off sort of sad. Brooke is fighting a losing battle to save her marriage to a complete jerk who blames her for everything. A series of even more unfortunate events send her back home and then the whole story really picks up.
I thought Brooke was an amazing character. She is no wallflower, even when her body hurts, and she is certainly not afraid of a little elbow grease. She is ably supported by Theo and Mitch, both of whom I want to see more of!
The pace of this book is smooth, taking you from her disastrous anniversary meal, through to the satisfying conclusion. There is a teaser for the next book, which made me smile. I love how Brooke is in her mid-forties, with a body that aches, and the determination to make things happen.
All in all, this was a brilliant read and a fantastic beginning to a new series! I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book, and I eagerly await the next.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 21, 2021
I thought Brooke was an amazing character. She is no wallflower, even when her body hurts, and she is certainly not afraid of a little elbow grease. She is ably supported by Theo and Mitch, both of whom I want to see more of!
The pace of this book is smooth, taking you from her disastrous anniversary meal, through to the satisfying conclusion. There is a teaser for the next book, which made me smile. I love how Brooke is in her mid-forties, with a body that aches, and the determination to make things happen.
All in all, this was a brilliant read and a fantastic beginning to a new series! I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book, and I eagerly await the next.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 21, 2021
Merissa (13937 KP) rated Walk With Me (Home #7) in Books
Oct 18, 2023
Walk With Me is the last book in the Home series, and we finish with Eli and Seth. Eli has wanted Seth ever since he first laid eyes on him at the tender age of 11. Seth didn't have much to do with Eli then, and only really comes into frequent contact with him when he becomes an associate Rabbi, working with Eli's dad.
These two have an insta-love AND slow-burn romance, and it was perfect for them. I loved how Eli decided he would sooner have Seth's friendship than lose him. This is a funny book, with some absolutely hilarious weddings! Poor Seth is all I can say. Throughout all the capers and calamities that occur, Eli is there for Seth, and vice versa.
As I would expect from a Cardeno C. book, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, with a rich and detailed storyline that was backed up by fully fleshed-out characters with their own quirks.
Sad to see this series end, but at least I can now re-read them all. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2018
These two have an insta-love AND slow-burn romance, and it was perfect for them. I loved how Eli decided he would sooner have Seth's friendship than lose him. This is a funny book, with some absolutely hilarious weddings! Poor Seth is all I can say. Throughout all the capers and calamities that occur, Eli is there for Seth, and vice versa.
As I would expect from a Cardeno C. book, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, with a rich and detailed storyline that was backed up by fully fleshed-out characters with their own quirks.
Sad to see this series end, but at least I can now re-read them all. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2018
Merissa (13937 KP) rated Levity (Gay Fairy Tales #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2023)
This is the tale about Efrosin and Dmitri, two polar opposites who are both under a curse. Will they be able to break the curses and be together, or is their love doomed to failure?
This book was exceptionally well-written - especially Efrosin's character. He annoyed me to start with as his way of speaking was SOO over the top, but I quickly realised just how much this suited him and his character. I found myself feeling sorry for this character that had annoyed me, as he admitted that he couldn't feel sad, bad or mad (or any other negative emotion). The levity didn't just affect his physical form, but his mental one too.
Dmitri is Efrosin's opposite - he is bound to the land. He can't ever leave and can only interact with those that come to him. Efrosin is a rich Prince, he is a poor farmer. And yet, these two have something so intense between them that all bets are off with them behaving in a decorous manner!
A short story packed full of emotion, humour, sadness and curses. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2016
This book was exceptionally well-written - especially Efrosin's character. He annoyed me to start with as his way of speaking was SOO over the top, but I quickly realised just how much this suited him and his character. I found myself feeling sorry for this character that had annoyed me, as he admitted that he couldn't feel sad, bad or mad (or any other negative emotion). The levity didn't just affect his physical form, but his mental one too.
Dmitri is Efrosin's opposite - he is bound to the land. He can't ever leave and can only interact with those that come to him. Efrosin is a rich Prince, he is a poor farmer. And yet, these two have something so intense between them that all bets are off with them behaving in a decorous manner!
A short story packed full of emotion, humour, sadness and curses. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2016
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Light at the End of the Day in Books
Jan 14, 2024
9 of 220
Book
The Light at the End of the Day
By Eleanor Wasserberg
⭐️⭐️
When Jozef is commissioned to paint a portrait of the younger daughter of Kraków’s grand Oderfeldt family, it is only his desperate need for money that drives him to accept. He has no wish to indulge a pampered child-princess or her haughty, condescending parents – and almost doesn’t notice Alicia’s bookish older sister, Karolina.
But when he is ushered by a servant into their house on Kraków’s fashionable Bernadyńska street in the winter of 1937, he has no inkling of the way his life will become entangled with the Oderfeldts'. Or of the impact that the German invasion will have upon them all.
As Poland is engulfed by war, and Jozef’s painting is caught up in the tides of history, Alicia, Karolina and their parents are forced to flee – their Jewish identity transformed into something dangerous, and their comfortable lives overturned …
I struggled with this book in several places. The story was so sad and I can’t even begin to imagine living like this but the book was a tough read I’m not sure why either which is so frustrating. I couldn’t bring my to like these characters at all under the storyline the characters were hard to like.
Book
The Light at the End of the Day
By Eleanor Wasserberg
⭐️⭐️
When Jozef is commissioned to paint a portrait of the younger daughter of Kraków’s grand Oderfeldt family, it is only his desperate need for money that drives him to accept. He has no wish to indulge a pampered child-princess or her haughty, condescending parents – and almost doesn’t notice Alicia’s bookish older sister, Karolina.
But when he is ushered by a servant into their house on Kraków’s fashionable Bernadyńska street in the winter of 1937, he has no inkling of the way his life will become entangled with the Oderfeldts'. Or of the impact that the German invasion will have upon them all.
As Poland is engulfed by war, and Jozef’s painting is caught up in the tides of history, Alicia, Karolina and their parents are forced to flee – their Jewish identity transformed into something dangerous, and their comfortable lives overturned …
I struggled with this book in several places. The story was so sad and I can’t even begin to imagine living like this but the book was a tough read I’m not sure why either which is so frustrating. I couldn’t bring my to like these characters at all under the storyline the characters were hard to like.
ClareR (6129 KP) rated Mary I: Queen of Sorrows in Books
Oct 22, 2024
I always feel that Mary I gets a lot of bad press. She’s remembered for her bloodthirsty streak (aka Bloody Mary), for being a strict Catholic and for marrying a foreigner - and a Spaniard at that! Oh, and she was a woman at a time when women weren’t believed to be capable of ruling a country in their own right.
Alison Weir is writing a work of historical fiction, but she has done her research. Of course, a lot of Mary’s story could be open to interpretation, and we’ll never know her exact inner thoughts, but she wrote letters and people wrote things down about her at the time. And personally, I really like Weirs interpretation. She makes Mary a human being, with thoughts, loves, hates and responsibilities. The period in history is described so well, that the reader can understand why Mary had such an extreme reaction to those who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. And, well, Elizabeth I killed a lot more people than Mary ever did, so 🤷🏼♀️
I found the chapters on Mary’s childhood really interesting and very sad. What a traumatic childhood she had.
So, if you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out more about Mary I, then this may well be the book for you too. A totally absorbing read!
Alison Weir is writing a work of historical fiction, but she has done her research. Of course, a lot of Mary’s story could be open to interpretation, and we’ll never know her exact inner thoughts, but she wrote letters and people wrote things down about her at the time. And personally, I really like Weirs interpretation. She makes Mary a human being, with thoughts, loves, hates and responsibilities. The period in history is described so well, that the reader can understand why Mary had such an extreme reaction to those who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. And, well, Elizabeth I killed a lot more people than Mary ever did, so 🤷🏼♀️
I found the chapters on Mary’s childhood really interesting and very sad. What a traumatic childhood she had.
So, if you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out more about Mary I, then this may well be the book for you too. A totally absorbing read!
Rootless is undeniably a well written book, and I did enjoy it - even though at times I found it really hard going because of the subject matter.
It follows the lives of Efe and Sam, best friends from school who get married and have a child. Efe is reluctant to become a mother and is pressured into doing so by her family and Sam. She has unresolved childhood trauma, and pregnancy/ motherhood does nothing to help her get over that. She is a woman suffering under the weight of all the things other people expect her to do. There’s the odd moment where Eve does what she wants, but cultural expectations seem to be the winner in all this.
There’s a lot of lead up too this point where we get to know Efe and Sam and the reasons why they make their later choices. It’s a frustrating read at points, but then other people’s choices lives can be just that when their choices are different to those that you imagine you would take in their place! It’s always good to look at the other side, I think.
Efe and Sam are people who would have benefitted from counselling, parenting classes and more support!
Be prepared for a very sad ending, though - tissues at the ready!
It follows the lives of Efe and Sam, best friends from school who get married and have a child. Efe is reluctant to become a mother and is pressured into doing so by her family and Sam. She has unresolved childhood trauma, and pregnancy/ motherhood does nothing to help her get over that. She is a woman suffering under the weight of all the things other people expect her to do. There’s the odd moment where Eve does what she wants, but cultural expectations seem to be the winner in all this.
There’s a lot of lead up too this point where we get to know Efe and Sam and the reasons why they make their later choices. It’s a frustrating read at points, but then other people’s choices lives can be just that when their choices are different to those that you imagine you would take in their place! It’s always good to look at the other side, I think.
Efe and Sam are people who would have benefitted from counselling, parenting classes and more support!
Be prepared for a very sad ending, though - tissues at the ready!
ClareR (6129 KP) rated Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen in Books
May 3, 2018
Tudor England at it's best!
Everyone knows the stories of Henry VIII and his six wives, don't they? Jane Seymour always seems to be the quietest, almost childlike, always doing as she's told. This novel paints a very different picture of her. She is a young woman of her time: obedient to her parents and the males in her family, religious, and ready to do her part as a woman (and that means bearing children!).
This novel looks at how she probably wasn't as innocent as we have always been led to believe. In all honesty, she lived at court - a place where family loyalties and wealth were above all else in importance: she couldn't afford to be an innocent.
I like the Jane that Weir portrays. She's resilient and cares deeply about her family and HER Queen (Katherine of Aragon). I really liked this book and all of the courtly intrigues: Tudor England has always fascinated me. It was such a sad end for Jane, and the authors extended notes at the end really explained well what she and some experts thought had really happened to her and why she died (heres a clue: it wasn't childbirth). I will be going back to the first two books in this series to read about Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn in preparation for Katherine Howard (wife #4 - and that should be a good one!!).
This novel looks at how she probably wasn't as innocent as we have always been led to believe. In all honesty, she lived at court - a place where family loyalties and wealth were above all else in importance: she couldn't afford to be an innocent.
I like the Jane that Weir portrays. She's resilient and cares deeply about her family and HER Queen (Katherine of Aragon). I really liked this book and all of the courtly intrigues: Tudor England has always fascinated me. It was such a sad end for Jane, and the authors extended notes at the end really explained well what she and some experts thought had really happened to her and why she died (heres a clue: it wasn't childbirth). I will be going back to the first two books in this series to read about Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn in preparation for Katherine Howard (wife #4 - and that should be a good one!!).
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Spartan Gold (Fargo Adventure, #1) in Books
Apr 17, 2018
Sam and Remi Fargo (1 more)
Adventure involving Wine, Nazis, Spartans, and much more.
Great Book to satisfy the adventure seeker in your soul.
My mother is a Clive Cussler reader, and has been for years... she's been pitching them to me for a long time. I went to see the Dirk Pitt movie with Matthew McConaughey a while back and thought I had no interest in anything Clive Cussler after that.... Turns out, I was missing out.... I've still yet to try a Dirk Pitt novel, but these Fargos are entirely different, and I kinda love them as people, let alone characters. This is the first of the series, and I don't think you need to start with this one, but I thought it was appropriate. I loved all the different locations they go to, and all the different interesting things they do and the puzzles and riddles they solve. It's a very easy read, prefect for the beach, or in my case: Audiobook on the way to and from work. I've now read a few of the books and I enjoy each of them. I'm sad when I've completed each of them knowing I can never read that one again for the first time. but I'm sure I will re-read them again later in life. When I've forgotten enough of them to be surprised again. Are they Perfect? no, are they Fun? yes....
Merissa (13937 KP) rated The Shadow Throne (The Ice Queen #3) in Books
May 23, 2018
The Shadow Throne (The Ice Queen #3) by Rebecca Bauer
The Shadow Throne is the third and final instalment of The Ice Queen trilogy. I loved meeting back up with Cas and Aria, and finding out just what they had been up to. You can expect the same sarcasm that has been so prevalent in the previous two books, as well as more political machinations. However, this time, you will also have more emotions running through you than you will know what to do with them. There are not many books that have me crying by 25%, but this one managed it.
These characters are so well developed, so well rounded, it is a delight to read. Every situation seems thought about, from numerous angles, just to ensure it reads correctly. And situations that might have a warp on them, somehow seem to be right when done for these characters.
If there were any editing or grammatical errors, then I missed them. I don't think there were, but I honestly don't really care. I was that engrossed with the story, I was completely unable to put it down. So sad to finish this trilogy, but at least I can re-read them from the beginning now.
Absolutely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
These characters are so well developed, so well rounded, it is a delight to read. Every situation seems thought about, from numerous angles, just to ensure it reads correctly. And situations that might have a warp on them, somehow seem to be right when done for these characters.
If there were any editing or grammatical errors, then I missed them. I don't think there were, but I honestly don't really care. I was that engrossed with the story, I was completely unable to put it down. So sad to finish this trilogy, but at least I can re-read them from the beginning now.
Absolutely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!