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ClareR (5955 KP) rated End of Story in Books
Apr 14, 2023
End of Story had me on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what would happen next - and completely bewildered.
It’s 2035, fiction has been banned for the last five years, and even owning a work of fiction is a criminal act. Fern Dostoy had won a prestigious book award before the laws came in to force, and now she isn’t allowed to write. She has random home checks by frightening men in suits, is threatened by imprisonment - or worse.
I found this a very disturbing read - I mean, I would be among the first to be booked in to a stay at His Majesty’s Pleasure (aka, prison). And is this so very far from the truth right now?
Some aspects of the pandemic are referred to, especially the isolation that so many people struggled through.
This is a pretty bleak read, but I just loved it. It’s touching, too, and gave me a lot to think about. This isn’t a book to race through (or it at least needs a second read), because it throws up so many questions with regards to fiction, the arts and society in general.
As Fern says: “if you tell a story we’ll enough, it’s true”. I honestly hope not in this case!
Highly recommended - and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Louise for reading along with us.
It’s 2035, fiction has been banned for the last five years, and even owning a work of fiction is a criminal act. Fern Dostoy had won a prestigious book award before the laws came in to force, and now she isn’t allowed to write. She has random home checks by frightening men in suits, is threatened by imprisonment - or worse.
I found this a very disturbing read - I mean, I would be among the first to be booked in to a stay at His Majesty’s Pleasure (aka, prison). And is this so very far from the truth right now?
Some aspects of the pandemic are referred to, especially the isolation that so many people struggled through.
This is a pretty bleak read, but I just loved it. It’s touching, too, and gave me a lot to think about. This isn’t a book to race through (or it at least needs a second read), because it throws up so many questions with regards to fiction, the arts and society in general.
As Fern says: “if you tell a story we’ll enough, it’s true”. I honestly hope not in this case!
Highly recommended - and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Louise for reading along with us.
David McK (3600 KP) rated The Mandalorian - Season 3 in TV
Apr 25, 2023 (Updated Apr 29, 2023)
Season 3 episode of Disney's 'The Mandalorian', which seems to move the focus away from Grogu and Din Djarin somewhat to focus more on the fractured Mandalorian society as a while, in particular with a heavy emphasis on the character of Bo-Katan Kryze.
For anybody who expected the crux of the series to be Din's quest to rejoin his culvert after being previously kicked out for revealing his face in public, that arc in particular is actually resolved with almost indecent haste within the first couple of episodes - there's also no mention of how Grogu is back with Din at all at the start of the first episode of the series (you need to watch the last couple of episodes
of The Book of Boba Fett for that), although I had thought it would be a good opportunity for the opening crawl that the movies have to explain his reappearance. There's also an episode here that feels like it has been lifted and ported over almost wholesale from Andor, set on Coruscant and delving into the bureacratic New Republic.
While I have since heard that season 4 is already planned (presumably after Ashoka), the series does also end in an episode that could wrap up the entire thing of that was not to be the case.
For anybody who expected the crux of the series to be Din's quest to rejoin his culvert after being previously kicked out for revealing his face in public, that arc in particular is actually resolved with almost indecent haste within the first couple of episodes - there's also no mention of how Grogu is back with Din at all at the start of the first episode of the series (you need to watch the last couple of episodes
of The Book of Boba Fett for that), although I had thought it would be a good opportunity for the opening crawl that the movies have to explain his reappearance. There's also an episode here that feels like it has been lifted and ported over almost wholesale from Andor, set on Coruscant and delving into the bureacratic New Republic.
While I have since heard that season 4 is already planned (presumably after Ashoka), the series does also end in an episode that could wrap up the entire thing of that was not to be the case.
ClareR (5955 KP) rated Dead to Her in Books
Oct 26, 2021
Dead to Her is a thriller set in Savannah, Georgia, amongst its rich inhabitants.
When William Redford, close to retirement and on a year long holiday, comes back early with a very young, beautiful, black wife from London on his arm, the tongues are immediately set wagging.
Marcie, also a second wife, notices that her husband seems a little too interested in William’s new wife, Keisha, and the two women are encouraged to become friends. Marcie is at first very reluctant to do so.
The first half of the book lulls you in to a false sense of security - I thought that I knew what was going to happen. How wrong could I have been?! The second half doesn’t let up - and what surprises Keisha and Marcie had in store for the reader! This book was so cleverly written, that when Voodoo was introduced in to the storyline, I found myself believing in its power along with the characters!
I think the takeaway from this would be that you should never underestimate people, no matter how they appear on the surface (especially if they’re in a Sarah Pinborough book!). This book had me gasping out loud in sheer astonishment more than once!
If you enjoy revenge, murder and high society, then this may very well be the book for you - it was most definitely a hard book to put down!
When William Redford, close to retirement and on a year long holiday, comes back early with a very young, beautiful, black wife from London on his arm, the tongues are immediately set wagging.
Marcie, also a second wife, notices that her husband seems a little too interested in William’s new wife, Keisha, and the two women are encouraged to become friends. Marcie is at first very reluctant to do so.
The first half of the book lulls you in to a false sense of security - I thought that I knew what was going to happen. How wrong could I have been?! The second half doesn’t let up - and what surprises Keisha and Marcie had in store for the reader! This book was so cleverly written, that when Voodoo was introduced in to the storyline, I found myself believing in its power along with the characters!
I think the takeaway from this would be that you should never underestimate people, no matter how they appear on the surface (especially if they’re in a Sarah Pinborough book!). This book had me gasping out loud in sheer astonishment more than once!
If you enjoy revenge, murder and high society, then this may very well be the book for you - it was most definitely a hard book to put down!
The Fortune Keeper (Tofana #3)
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Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb Winter in Renaissance Venice Mia...
Historical Fiction Renaissance Italy
Sisters of Castle Leod
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**Finalist in the 2022 American Writing Awards** Millions are fans of Diana Gabaldon’s popular...
Historical Biographical Fiction
A Book Club to Die For
8.0
Rate It
Book
When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated A Book Club to Die For in Books
Nov 3, 2022
Exclusive Book Clubs Lead to Murder
Tru Becket has been invited to speak at the exclusive Arete Society, a book club that has waiting lists to join. In fact, her friend Flossie is one of those waiting to get in, and she has come with Tru in order to plead her case. The meeting winds up being canceled, however, when Tru finds the group’s president dead in the kitchen. The police think that Hazel, this month’s hostess, snapped and killed the victim, but Tru doesn’t think so. Can she come up with an alternative suspect?
This book is a variation on the locked room mystery, and I have come to realize how much I enjoyed those added twists to the story. A couple of things were obvious early on, but overall, this was still a compelling mystery with suspects strong enough to keep you engaged. The series regulars are all here and are fantastic as well. There are some regulars who can get annoying, but they were kept in the background and added to the fun. And this book is fun. I laughed more than I had at the first two. One sub-plot in particular made me laugh every time it popped up. If you are looking for a light mystery, this is one you’ll enjoy.
This book is a variation on the locked room mystery, and I have come to realize how much I enjoyed those added twists to the story. A couple of things were obvious early on, but overall, this was still a compelling mystery with suspects strong enough to keep you engaged. The series regulars are all here and are fantastic as well. There are some regulars who can get annoying, but they were kept in the background and added to the fun. And this book is fun. I laughed more than I had at the first two. One sub-plot in particular made me laugh every time it popped up. If you are looking for a light mystery, this is one you’ll enjoy.
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Yours and Mine: A Serrulata Saga Romance Novella in Books
Jan 31, 2023
A delightful read and definitely recommended by me.
YOURS AND MINE is a novella in the Serrulata Saga and, although I haven't read any of those, I was able to enjoy this one without any issues.
The strict rules that Octavia has to live by, as a daughter of a Great House, become even more constrictive once she becomes of age. She hates being shown off and handed off to different men to dance with. When she spots someone by themselves, her interest is roused. Once Octavia and Gerald meet each other, it is clear they belong together.
I loved the world this is set in, with the comments about the Ancients. It has certainly given me a reason to search out other books in this series. The writing itself is clear and concise, giving plenty of descriptions but not too many to bog you down. I thought the relationship between Octavia and Gerald moved along nicely, staying within the constraints of Society whilst allowing them to make up their own minds, and also trying to convince those who thought they knew best.
A delightful read and definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
The strict rules that Octavia has to live by, as a daughter of a Great House, become even more constrictive once she becomes of age. She hates being shown off and handed off to different men to dance with. When she spots someone by themselves, her interest is roused. Once Octavia and Gerald meet each other, it is clear they belong together.
I loved the world this is set in, with the comments about the Ancients. It has certainly given me a reason to search out other books in this series. The writing itself is clear and concise, giving plenty of descriptions but not too many to bog you down. I thought the relationship between Octavia and Gerald moved along nicely, staying within the constraints of Society whilst allowing them to make up their own minds, and also trying to convince those who thought they knew best.
A delightful read and definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Vindictive Too
Book
The best revenge never includes forgiveness. To truly punish the guilty, something worse must be...
Thriller LGBTQ+
The Professor's Lady (The Thompsons of Locust Street #3)
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Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by...
American Historical Romance Gilded Age Philadelphia