Search
Search results
ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Gentleman's Position (Society of Gentlemen, #3) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I dont know what it is about this series that just gets me. This is the third novel I have read in the series and it just keeps getting better and better.
Historical erotica is something I can fully get behind. But a queer historical erotica?! Those dont exist! Well let me inform you that they, in fact, do, and they are amazing. Society of Gentleman by K.J. Charles is not just one of the best historical erotic series I have read, it is also one of the best series period! So far, this one has been my favorite. There is something about forbidden love that just makes it that much more delicious. A lord and his servant? Scandalous! And toe-curling
Again Charles brings her phenomenal character creating to the table and expertly weaves a story that lures you into its web and keeps you there till the very end. I love Charles writing and creativity.
There is really nothing else I feel I can say about this novel without giving it away. Are you looking for a fantastic historical romance featuring two men? Look no further! Seriously dont pass this series up.
Plus look at how beautiful that cover is...
I dont know what it is about this series that just gets me. This is the third novel I have read in the series and it just keeps getting better and better.
Historical erotica is something I can fully get behind. But a queer historical erotica?! Those dont exist! Well let me inform you that they, in fact, do, and they are amazing. Society of Gentleman by K.J. Charles is not just one of the best historical erotic series I have read, it is also one of the best series period! So far, this one has been my favorite. There is something about forbidden love that just makes it that much more delicious. A lord and his servant? Scandalous! And toe-curling
Again Charles brings her phenomenal character creating to the table and expertly weaves a story that lures you into its web and keeps you there till the very end. I love Charles writing and creativity.
There is really nothing else I feel I can say about this novel without giving it away. Are you looking for a fantastic historical romance featuring two men? Look no further! Seriously dont pass this series up.
Plus look at how beautiful that cover is...
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated To Kill a Mockingbird in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I think it's safe to assume that most people know this book is about a girl named Scout Finch growing up in the American south of the 1930's as it still deals with racism. Seeing as the book is primarily about the experiences of a young girl, the parts about Atticus Finch defending a black man at trial, while important to the plot, are not nearly as prominent as some might recall from having read the book at school, myself included. Still, it's always an interesting book, full of remembrances of youthful activities that are likely to stir up at least an occasional moment of fond nostalgia among most people. While there is a lot that is very specific to the south in here, the principal themes are pretty universal; growing up, our relationships with & views of our families, learning to deal with society's expectations for us, and of course, just how messed up that society can often be. It may perhaps paint a slightly too rosy picture of the way things were at the time, but the inherent optimism fits in with the perspective from which it's being told. It's very hard not to be moved by this book. Whether it wants you to feel joy, suspense, or sorrow, it does a masterful job of bending you to its will. A true American classic.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Trade of Queens (The Merchant Princes, #6) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Wait - is this the end of Merchant Princes series? But what happens NEXT?! I want MORE! Stross! You can't do this to me!
Anyway, my one and only complaint about this book is that it's been too long since I read the other five, and that isn't Stross' fault. Or maybe it is, in a backwards sense, but only in that it takes longer for him to write than for me to read. If I'd stuck to my guns about not starting any series until it was finished, I'd be fine, but then I'd hardly have anything at all to read, would I? It's just that this particular series is full of intricate plotting and many characters, and I really could have used some sort of serious online reference for this world.
Some plot threads were tied up, and a few new ones were introduced. I'll could understand this book as a resting point for Stross, but not a stopping point! While most series would have lost my interest after six books, this one hasn't. He really is that good.
That said, some of the post-9/11 mania is a little dated, and it is good to be past that. I imagine he's glad to be done writing it, too. I wish our society were completely done with the erosion of civil rights caused by it, too.
Anyway, my one and only complaint about this book is that it's been too long since I read the other five, and that isn't Stross' fault. Or maybe it is, in a backwards sense, but only in that it takes longer for him to write than for me to read. If I'd stuck to my guns about not starting any series until it was finished, I'd be fine, but then I'd hardly have anything at all to read, would I? It's just that this particular series is full of intricate plotting and many characters, and I really could have used some sort of serious online reference for this world.
Some plot threads were tied up, and a few new ones were introduced. I'll could understand this book as a resting point for Stross, but not a stopping point! While most series would have lost my interest after six books, this one hasn't. He really is that good.
That said, some of the post-9/11 mania is a little dated, and it is good to be past that. I imagine he's glad to be done writing it, too. I wish our society were completely done with the erosion of civil rights caused by it, too.
Anna Steele (111 KP) rated Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) in Books
Jun 25, 2018
I am extremely shook
Neal Shusterman has just reinstated himself as my all-time favorite author. His books have been with me throughout my life. The Unwind dystology, The Skinjacker Trilogy, Bruiser, Challenger Deep, and now the Arc of a Scythe. Each one of these stories has touched me in a deep and unique way. Thunderhead is no exception. Book one of this series: Scythe, received my first 10/10 review on this platform and the sequel was even better. Shusterman provides jaw-dropping twists and turns to his narrative that will leave your head spinning and your blood pumping, (your nanites might even have to lower your adrenaline). The Thunderhead is a compassionate character like no other, who knew you could ever relate so strongly and feel so deeply for an artificial intelligence? It is witty and sly, calculating and benevolent, and can be brought into a fury or plunged into despair by the acts of the immortal humans who created it. I need the continuation of this series and I need it now, the final moments are so intense that I choked on my tears after the last line. This is the most mentally engaging dystopian society novel you will ever read. I hope to come back to Shusterman for more in the coming years.
Mary (13 KP) rated The Den (2014) in Movies
Jul 28, 2018 (Updated Jul 29, 2018)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was very taken by the trailer of the movie "The Den" because I viewed it as an actual fear that many people have in today's society. I was able to find the movie on Netflix and it was pretty enjoyable. The storyline progressed at a decent rate and, all in all, was very interesting. I would not consider it a horror film, it was more of a thriller in my opinion. There is a bit of gore, but it isn't bad for the category it falls into. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who scares easily or is paranoid of being watched through the webcams of electronic devices.
The addition of the dark web Red Room at the very end of the movie was very suprising. However, I found it to be a great addition to the storyline as it was a link to what the hackers were doing with their victims.
The addition of the dark web Red Room at the very end of the movie was very suprising. However, I found it to be a great addition to the storyline as it was a link to what the hackers were doing with their victims.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series #1) by Kristen Pham is a Young Adult Fantasy novel. According to Goodreads, its original title was ÒInto the DarkÓ and published March 11, 2011.
Growing up, many children have imaginary friends. This story introduces Valerie, a girl bounced around foster homes. Helping her survive foster care is Cyrus, her imaginary friend. After ValerieÕs ÒpowersÓ become too much for her to handle on Earth she is transported to the Globe, a magical world. Here, Valerie realizes imaginary friends are real people with special powers which allow them to be seen by children on Earth and help them navigate their troubles. Of course, the Globe is not utopia and a fraction exists that wants to go back to Earth.
Most YA novels portray the heroine as perfect but Pham shows that Valerie is flawed. Doctors have diagnosed her as schizophrenic and, because of her ÒepisodesÓ her life is not easy. It is because of her difficult life that she is able to survive and help others.
I would read the rest of the series and would recommend the series for tweens, for people who enjoy YA fantasy, and especially middle school aged girls.
Growing up, many children have imaginary friends. This story introduces Valerie, a girl bounced around foster homes. Helping her survive foster care is Cyrus, her imaginary friend. After ValerieÕs ÒpowersÓ become too much for her to handle on Earth she is transported to the Globe, a magical world. Here, Valerie realizes imaginary friends are real people with special powers which allow them to be seen by children on Earth and help them navigate their troubles. Of course, the Globe is not utopia and a fraction exists that wants to go back to Earth.
Most YA novels portray the heroine as perfect but Pham shows that Valerie is flawed. Doctors have diagnosed her as schizophrenic and, because of her ÒepisodesÓ her life is not easy. It is because of her difficult life that she is able to survive and help others.
I would read the rest of the series and would recommend the series for tweens, for people who enjoy YA fantasy, and especially middle school aged girls.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated The Wolf and the Rain in Books
Dec 3, 2018
Voluntary honest review after receiving a free ARC.
An excellent book and fun read, if a bit of a bumpy beginning. It takes a little time to get into it.
After a collapse of civilization due to climate change. The North and South of a country has split into opposites. Divided by a heavily militarized border. The North is chaos and almost anarchy where the only authority are the elite compounds or the gangs there are many ways to die in the harsh living conditions. The people are ruled by superstition and fear. Most of the citizens are illiterate and disease is rampant, even if you go to a "stitcher" it is just as risky or riskier as doing nothing. In the South there is order and an almost totalitarian society where the government uses science and logic asking for complete obedience in return. And that you fill out a form for almost everything, even when choosing a sexual partner.
Samarra (Sam) is the main character. She has made a new home in the North after escaping from the South. She has a job as a carrier to one of the compounds that inhabit the North. Felling guilty about taking the place of a former teammate and daughter of a friend. She becomes obsessed with trying to find out what happened to the missing (possibly dead) girl.
An excellent book and fun read, if a bit of a bumpy beginning. It takes a little time to get into it.
After a collapse of civilization due to climate change. The North and South of a country has split into opposites. Divided by a heavily militarized border. The North is chaos and almost anarchy where the only authority are the elite compounds or the gangs there are many ways to die in the harsh living conditions. The people are ruled by superstition and fear. Most of the citizens are illiterate and disease is rampant, even if you go to a "stitcher" it is just as risky or riskier as doing nothing. In the South there is order and an almost totalitarian society where the government uses science and logic asking for complete obedience in return. And that you fill out a form for almost everything, even when choosing a sexual partner.
Samarra (Sam) is the main character. She has made a new home in the North after escaping from the South. She has a job as a carrier to one of the compounds that inhabit the North. Felling guilty about taking the place of a former teammate and daughter of a friend. She becomes obsessed with trying to find out what happened to the missing (possibly dead) girl.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
It is a well known fact that I ADORE Jen Turano. In fact, my friends like to tease me about my "That's Jen Turano" face from when I met her in Nashville last summer. However, I only discovered her books in January of 2015 with After a Fashion. Ever since, I have been building my library and now own all her books and have finally been able to start catching up on reading them!
A Change of Fortune is filled with the quirky humour that I have grown to love in Jen's writing. Fun characters, mystery, wit, and romance. A fun quick read that is sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile (or two) to your face. There are also plenty of situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. You won't want to put it down until you know the ending. While Hamilton and Eliza must deal with hurts and betrayals from the past, God uses the troubling circumstances to bring them closer to Himself.
Set in New York City, 1880. The Gilded Age is one of my favorites to read. The fashion, the society, the adventure, is something you won't want to miss! A Change of Fortune is the first full length book in Jen's first series, Ladies of Distinction. Don't miss her other fabulous books.
A Change of Fortune is filled with the quirky humour that I have grown to love in Jen's writing. Fun characters, mystery, wit, and romance. A fun quick read that is sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile (or two) to your face. There are also plenty of situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. You won't want to put it down until you know the ending. While Hamilton and Eliza must deal with hurts and betrayals from the past, God uses the troubling circumstances to bring them closer to Himself.
Set in New York City, 1880. The Gilded Age is one of my favorites to read. The fashion, the society, the adventure, is something you won't want to miss! A Change of Fortune is the first full length book in Jen's first series, Ladies of Distinction. Don't miss her other fabulous books.
Vegas (725 KP) rated Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) in Movies
Jan 8, 2019 (Updated Jan 8, 2019)
All of the cast (2 more)
The Direction
Beautifully Filmed
An instant classic...
There are very few films that grab my interest as much as this one did. I knew nothing about it at all when I sat down to watch it, I was just intrigued by the title...
A fantastic opening scene is one of the best I’ve seen for a long time and sets up the movie a treat.
The cast of characters are played perfectly, are very well cast and compliment each other as if they have all worked together before.
A special mention should go to Cynthia Erivo for her vocal performance that was stunning and captivating.
The film takes place at the El Royale a hotel/motel straddling the border over two states, that has seen its busy days fade away to the point of only having one member of staff working, and tends to attract the more seedy members of society.
The flash backs, and back tracks in the narrative which explain the story, work in a non complicated way and are interspaced at just the right times.
On top of this, the soundtrack should be one on anybody’s playlist...
I actually can't say too many good thing about this film, it is one of the best new films I have seen for many years...
A fantastic opening scene is one of the best I’ve seen for a long time and sets up the movie a treat.
The cast of characters are played perfectly, are very well cast and compliment each other as if they have all worked together before.
A special mention should go to Cynthia Erivo for her vocal performance that was stunning and captivating.
The film takes place at the El Royale a hotel/motel straddling the border over two states, that has seen its busy days fade away to the point of only having one member of staff working, and tends to attract the more seedy members of society.
The flash backs, and back tracks in the narrative which explain the story, work in a non complicated way and are interspaced at just the right times.
On top of this, the soundtrack should be one on anybody’s playlist...
I actually can't say too many good thing about this film, it is one of the best new films I have seen for many years...
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Dragonsdawn (Pern: Dragonriders of Pern, #6) in Books
Nov 12, 2019
The first of the Pern novels that fills in the backstory of the main sequence of books, this tells the tale of the first few years of the colonisation of Pern from a delegation from Earth. They find a lush paradise full of interesting plants and animals and spread out across the warm southern continent. And then the Thread starts to fall...
Teased by the end of The White Dragon, this is a full-blown science fiction novel. The various plot points don't just cover the details of the human habitation and the devastating impact of Thread on an unprepared populace, but also provides dramatic tension in the greed of a small number of the colonists in trying to secure what riches there are on the planet.
This is a more-or-less essential read for anyone who enjoys the Pern novels, so much of the way the later society works, and the dragons themselves, are explained. It is not perfect, however. It is a pretty much by-the-numbers story, with a lot of the outcomes already known and some of the sub plots are superfluous and slow some parts down too much. Also the need to namecheck every Weyr and reference from the original novels is a little tiresome - and unnecessary.
Still, a solid entry on the impressive list of novels that does deliver what it promises.
Teased by the end of The White Dragon, this is a full-blown science fiction novel. The various plot points don't just cover the details of the human habitation and the devastating impact of Thread on an unprepared populace, but also provides dramatic tension in the greed of a small number of the colonists in trying to secure what riches there are on the planet.
This is a more-or-less essential read for anyone who enjoys the Pern novels, so much of the way the later society works, and the dragons themselves, are explained. It is not perfect, however. It is a pretty much by-the-numbers story, with a lot of the outcomes already known and some of the sub plots are superfluous and slow some parts down too much. Also the need to namecheck every Weyr and reference from the original novels is a little tiresome - and unnecessary.
Still, a solid entry on the impressive list of novels that does deliver what it promises.