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ClareR (6081 KP) rated Limberlost in Books
Oct 22, 2023
Limberlost is yet another beautiful novel from Robbie Arnott. There’s less of the magical realism in this, yet there’s still the beauty and magic of the natural world.
Limberlost is a place. It’s the orchard belonging to Ned West’s family; but all Ned can think about is sailing in a boat of his own, far from life in Limberlost.
The story moves back and forth between Ned’s childhood and his adulthood. Ned’s older brothers go away to fight in WW2, and he lives with his father and older sister. Their lives revolve around worry for the brothers and the apple crop. Ned is struggling as the brother left behind, so he decides to trap rabbits and sell their fur in order to buy his own boat. When he accidentally traps a quoll, only he and Callie (who lives on the next farm and is his best friend Jackbirds sister) know. He decides to nurse it back to health.
Ned’s childhood is seen through three significant moments: the capture of the quoll, the rebuilding of a Huon pine boat, and years before when his father borrowed a boat and took his children out to look at the whales.
Many years later, Ned still remembers these moments.
It was interesting (and sobering) to read about mans, and Neds, impact on the land: how his crop spraying may have been the cause of his wife’s cancer, and how colonisation was the reason why the orchard was his and not the native people’s anymore.
This is such a gentle, gorgeously written novel, and utterly devastating in parts. Even the description of Ned sanding his boat was told with such tenderness - the reader is there, inhaling the scent of pine.
This is yet another utterly entrancing novel from Robbie Arnott. I’m most definitely a fan.
Limberlost is a place. It’s the orchard belonging to Ned West’s family; but all Ned can think about is sailing in a boat of his own, far from life in Limberlost.
The story moves back and forth between Ned’s childhood and his adulthood. Ned’s older brothers go away to fight in WW2, and he lives with his father and older sister. Their lives revolve around worry for the brothers and the apple crop. Ned is struggling as the brother left behind, so he decides to trap rabbits and sell their fur in order to buy his own boat. When he accidentally traps a quoll, only he and Callie (who lives on the next farm and is his best friend Jackbirds sister) know. He decides to nurse it back to health.
Ned’s childhood is seen through three significant moments: the capture of the quoll, the rebuilding of a Huon pine boat, and years before when his father borrowed a boat and took his children out to look at the whales.
Many years later, Ned still remembers these moments.
It was interesting (and sobering) to read about mans, and Neds, impact on the land: how his crop spraying may have been the cause of his wife’s cancer, and how colonisation was the reason why the orchard was his and not the native people’s anymore.
This is such a gentle, gorgeously written novel, and utterly devastating in parts. Even the description of Ned sanding his boat was told with such tenderness - the reader is there, inhaling the scent of pine.
This is yet another utterly entrancing novel from Robbie Arnott. I’m most definitely a fan.
Merissa (13782 KP) rated Dream Stalker in Books
Nov 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
DREAM STALKER is told from a first-person perspective and we arrive in Salem near Samhain, also known as Halloween. It is a sad time as Lily's friend, Kitty commits suicide in front of her, but not before passing her a box and telling her to find the truth. This leads to a tangled mess of truths and half-truths, with deaths and accusations flying around.
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** 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!
Nov 15, 2021
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** 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!
Nov 15, 2021
The Godmother's Secret
Book
What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Would you tell? Or would you forever...
Biographical Historical Fiction Historical Mystery
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Wicked Cometh in Books
Jan 1, 2018
Enjoyable, easy read
Rich in atmosphere, characterisation and vocabulary, this historical fiction follows the character of Hester White, an 18-year-old living in squalid conditions in 19th century London. A carriage accident may well prove her salvation - passenger, the charismatic Calder Brock, seems determined to rescue her from the gutter, his sister Rebekah to be entrusted with her education.
Following closely in Sarah Waters' footsteps, this is a Victorian pastiche that returns to those perennials of murder, identity, prostitution and female survival. Carlin writes with fluency and conjures up a grim, dank, seedy London where the only sanctuary for our heroine is in female friendship
While this is an enjoyable read, it does feel more generic than original, and there are some clumsy tricks such as the extended death-bed confession/life-story at the end. Great for fans of Victoriana.
Following closely in Sarah Waters' footsteps, this is a Victorian pastiche that returns to those perennials of murder, identity, prostitution and female survival. Carlin writes with fluency and conjures up a grim, dank, seedy London where the only sanctuary for our heroine is in female friendship
While this is an enjoyable read, it does feel more generic than original, and there are some clumsy tricks such as the extended death-bed confession/life-story at the end. Great for fans of Victoriana.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Dead Chest Island (The Secrets Begin #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I had the pleasure of meeting [J.J. Parsons] at the Savannah Children's Book Festival. I told her I had picked up her book [Dead Chest Island] at a local book seller. She kindly gave me the second book. That said, this is an unsolicited and honest review.
[Dead Chest Island] is a throw back to the mysteries of the 1950's. It made me think of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Young children getting into adventure after hearing a story about an island that leads to solving a international crime, or foiling it, rather.
[Parson's] writing has a good flow and is well thought out. The characters are well developed. I am looking forward to reading the second book and hearing more of Edison'd adventures and see if his sister is still a pest. Highly recommend this book to school libraries.
[Dead Chest Island] is a throw back to the mysteries of the 1950's. It made me think of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Young children getting into adventure after hearing a story about an island that leads to solving a international crime, or foiling it, rather.
[Parson's] writing has a good flow and is well thought out. The characters are well developed. I am looking forward to reading the second book and hearing more of Edison'd adventures and see if his sister is still a pest. Highly recommend this book to school libraries.
jmercado (1 KP) rated Sing Your Heart Out (Sinful Serenade, #1) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
Hmmmm i dont know how i feel about this story yet.
This starts off with a determined Med student Meg who is dealing with the loss of her sister, going to a party for the 1st time after her sisters death.
There is where she happens to walk in on Miles, the lead singer of one of her favorite bands.
Neither of them have the time or patience to deal with relationship so they go for the next best thing-no stings attached sex.
I think this story was longer than it needed to be bu brought in some very hard hitting issues.
I wasnt to in love with the relationship aspect and the main character did frustrate me towards the end on how easily she fell back in the sack with him. But this was very enjoyable for what it was.
This starts off with a determined Med student Meg who is dealing with the loss of her sister, going to a party for the 1st time after her sisters death.
There is where she happens to walk in on Miles, the lead singer of one of her favorite bands.
Neither of them have the time or patience to deal with relationship so they go for the next best thing-no stings attached sex.
I think this story was longer than it needed to be bu brought in some very hard hitting issues.
I wasnt to in love with the relationship aspect and the main character did frustrate me towards the end on how easily she fell back in the sack with him. But this was very enjoyable for what it was.
Make That a Table for Seven is a cute story about two bear cubs who don’t have a family. It takes a lot of courage for the oldest bear to knock on a neighbor-bear family’s door and ask if he and his sister can live with them, but when he does, he is greeted with kindness, love, and assurance. This is a great story illustrating adoption—both literally and spiritually.
The only downside is that there are a lot of words on each page, so it may be hard for a younger kid to listen to it being read. Kids have pretty short attention spans.
All in all however, Make That a Table for Seven is a great story with very cute child-friendly illustrations and an easy to follow story.
Recommendation: Ages 4-6
The only downside is that there are a lot of words on each page, so it may be hard for a younger kid to listen to it being read. Kids have pretty short attention spans.
All in all however, Make That a Table for Seven is a great story with very cute child-friendly illustrations and an easy to follow story.
Recommendation: Ages 4-6
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated What You See (Jane Ryland, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Reporter Jane Ryland is hoping that a freelance assignment she’s been given might be her ticket to a new job. She’s covering a stabbing in mid-day in a Boston park. However, she’s barely arrived on the scene when her sister calls with news that could lead to a family crisis. Can Jane balance the two?
Really, this book deftly blends two different plots into one compelling book. I did find it a little slow at first as it the stories build and the new characters are introduced, but once it gets going, I couldn’t put it down. Jane and her boyfriend, detective Jake Brogan, are fantastic lead characters, and it’s always great to see them back in action.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-what-you-see-by-hank.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Really, this book deftly blends two different plots into one compelling book. I did find it a little slow at first as it the stories build and the new characters are introduced, but once it gets going, I couldn’t put it down. Jane and her boyfriend, detective Jake Brogan, are fantastic lead characters, and it’s always great to see them back in action.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-what-you-see-by-hank.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Silence of the Lamps (Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery #5) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Silence of the Lamps is book #5 in the Caprice De Luca mystery series, and while previous cases are mentioned, you do not need to have read the earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. The interaction between Caprice and her sisters is so realistic you almost feel like part of the family while reading the story. And when one of her sisters is the prime suspect in a murder investigation, how can Caprice stay out of it? The more she asks around, the more she finds that her sister Nikki was far from Drews only enemy. With lots of clues to keep you guessing at the identity of the murderer, this was a fast paced, fun read.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts / opinions are my own.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts / opinions are my own.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Kinsey is hired to track down a missing woman by the woman’s estranged sister. It seems like a boring routine case at first, but the more she digs into it, the more Kinsey begins to question what is happening. No one has seen the woman for months, and the normal avenues of inquiry just aren’t adding up. What is going on?
I really got pulled into this book and great enjoyed it. The plot is strong with plenty of clues and red herrings, but everything came together at the end. The characters are sharp, often with just a few words or sentences. It’s easy to see why this series has been so popular for so long.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-b-is-for-burglar-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I really got pulled into this book and great enjoyed it. The plot is strong with plenty of clues and red herrings, but everything came together at the end. The characters are sharp, often with just a few words or sentences. It’s easy to see why this series has been so popular for so long.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-b-is-for-burglar-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.