The Secrets We Keep
9.0
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June, 1943 Betty Ahern isn’t a novice PI anymore. After solving several dangerous cases, she is...
Rise of The Unicorn
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Augustus 'Gus' Martin is an embattled LAPD negotiator. Months after suffering a significant blow to...
Mystery Suspense Thriller Psychological Fiction African-American Mystery
Peace and Chaos
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A modern-day yin-yang, push-pull of human mind on internet. Internet was supposed to be the...
fiction romance drama
The Truth Effect
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In the year 2030, the UK faces an extraordinary time where truth itself becomes a weapon in the...
Wedding Bride and Doom
5.0
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California wedding planner, Kate Ludlow, moves back home to New England after her marriage implodes....
ClareR (5784 KP) rated Light Over Liskeard in Books
Jan 31, 2024
Q, the main character in Light Over Liskeard, has been preparing for this event from the first page. He knows that the collapse of society will happen, just not when.
Q is a man who has never had to do anything for himself, but in order to prepare, he learns how to build, grow and work with others with the help of his very capable neighbours.
It’s a fascinating landscape, mixing the familiarity of Cornwall with the unfamiliar wildlife: lynxes, aurochs, wolves and more. I loved the sound of them all. Whilst it’s sad that no one really sees them (because they all live in their convenient, encapsulated, electronic worlds), the lack of visitors is probably why the wildlife thrives.
This is full of observations on: modern life and how it’s not as great as it’s cracked up to be; the beauty of nature; and the importance of relationships and human connection. And ultimately what I read Louis de Bernières for: his fascinating, quirky characters. I loved them all!
Debbiereadsbook (1321 KP) rated Alpha's Divergent Omega (Divergent Omegaverse #1) in Books
Oct 13, 2024
This is a short (50 odd pages) introduction and scene setting for the Divergent Omegaverse series. It tells of Lane and Derick, married for 40 years, and their plans for their future.
It packs a powerful punch though, even as short as it is.
Lane is an omega who has an inner animal but cannot shift and is deemed second class to those who can shift. Derick loved Lane from the very beginning and together they built a fashion empire, fully inclusive and non prejudiced. They had 3 sons and adopted 5 more, making a family of other divergents, cast aside by society.
Lane and Derick now plan to retire, and they gather those 8 sons to tell them the news. Suffice to say, it doesn't go down very well!
Steamy and punchy, I loved this very brief glimpse into Lane and Derick and look forward to seeing what those two men have in store for their sons.
4 very VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Demon's Past (Demon's Blood #3)
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April 1889, Nagasaki, JAPAN When apprentice merchant Thane Bremen travels with his family to...
MM Paranormal Vampires
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
It has been over twenty years since Lois Lowry’s controversial children’s story <i>The Giver</i> was published and it certainly deserves its status as an essential modern classic. Jonas has grown up in the perfect world of the Community whose survival relies on strict rules and rituals. Adults are assigned spouses and children (one boy and one girl) as they take up their role within the society. At the beginning of the book Jonas is approaching then end of his eleventh year and feeling apprehensive about the Ceremony of Twelve where he will be assigned a job for him to do for the rest of his adult life. Jonas gets selected as the Receiver of Memory – a very rare position – and begins to experience memories from humans who lived a long time ago. For Jonas this is exciting until he begins to see the flaws in his perfect world.
Dystopian literature has become popular over the past few years and it would not be surprising if it were <i>The Giver</i> that inspired these contemporary works. Lowry claims that she did not intend for The Giver to have a sinister feel about it; she was writing an adventure story and exploring the concept of the importance of memory, but it turned out to be something much more thought provoking. As the children’s novelist Margaret Mahy (<i>The Haunting</i>) pointed out, up until the publication of this novel in 1993 Lowry was best known for her funny stories about Anastasia Krupnik resulting in <i>The Giver</i> being even more shocking and unexpected.
<i>The Giver</i> highlights that attempting to produce perfection can often result in the loss of good things as well as the bad. The notion of the ideal world may seem like a wonderful proposal, but in order to achieve it humans would have to do away with free choice as in ironing out the inequalities and injustices of the present world would result in everything becoming the same for each individual.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, particularly for a child. Although intended as a children’s series, <i>The Giver</i> and its following installments are more suitable for young adults and older. The only issue with this is that the writing style was target at a younger audience meaning that the overall story is short and lacks depth. If it were to have been written for older readers then there would have been the scope for it to become a much lengthier novel.
There are a lot of mixed reviews surrounding this book although they have changed greatly since the original publication. To begin with <i>The Giver</i> was banned in some areas however the dystopian theme has become accepted in today’s society. What many people comment on now is the oversimplification of such strong ideas. Then again, as already mentioned, it needs to be emphasized that this book was aimed at children, thus the language reflects the reading skills of its target audience.
<i>The Giver</i> is a gem of a book that not only is enjoyable but also can educate the reader on the dangers of attempting a utopian society and why it is important to retain human memories – even the bad – in order that wisdom can exist. Those who have become fans of contemporary dystopian novels, for example <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth or <i>Delirium</i> by Lauren Oliver, will be sure to love this series.
Solar Alert: Protect your Life
Weather and Education
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Solar Alert is the complete alert system whose purpose is to protect your life and warn you of the...