Search
Search results
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Jewels of Truth: The Journey of the Soul Continues, Vol. 3 in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Genre: Non-fiction, Spiritual, Non-romance
Page Count: 258 pages
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Your spiritual journey of self-improvement continues in volume three of the Jewels of Truth series by Ivan A. Pozo-Illas, a.k.a. Atrayo. In this new compendium of 365 statements of spiritual wisdom, Atrayo shares daily inspirational tools to explore all of the must-haves in your life, including love, faith, forgiveness, and certainly, God(dess).
From these poignant and concise statements, rather than lengthy diatribes, you can easily and quickly find the essential kernel of truth to help you on your journey today.
No matter your religious or spiritual traditions or background, this volume is written from an all-inclusive perspective. Jewels of Truth: The Journey of the Soul Continues is the sacred and uplifting result of clairvoyant automatic writing as the genesis motivation to reach the masses. The channeled spirit teachers are all angelic in divine nature. They are nameless as a united continuum of the Holy Spirit.
Spirituality has a core need in our lives. No matter where you are on your journey, these messages of hope are shared in love.
Let me start off by saying that I am really not qualified to be reviewing this book. Ivan A. Pozo-Illas was generous enough to donate to the Borgen Project in exchange for an honest review. While I am happy to do it, I am probably not doing this book justice.
As someone with absolutely no background in philosophy or religion, this was a difficult book to get through and review.
I do know that despite the author’s claims of it being all-inclusive for all religious backgrounds, the book was more tilted to the Christian faith, with most of the proverbs talking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. There were plenty of mentions of God(dess) as well, which was the basically only indication these statements of wisdom were not strictly for Christian. While Mohammed, Buddha, and Krishna are mentioned maybe four times, and always in a list of other important religious figures from different religions (never for their specific teachings), Jesus is mentioned 22 times, usually in passages like this:
It has been written in the Biblical New Testament that “Jesus the Christ” once stated that to enter the “Kingdom of God” one must be as innocent as a child in spirit.
On top of that, these statements of wisdom, to me at least, were pretty long and wordy. It was difficult to get through. A lot of the time I did not understand what was being said, but that could just be chalked up to my own ignorance on the subject.
This is probably more useful to people more educated about spirituality than me, but it is definitely not for the everyday person, at least not most of it. There were some things that were interesting, like this quote celebrating diversity in religions.
No one religion can have a monopoly on God and/or on his favoritism. To say so is a lie and a sin to the diversity within Creation itself.
Page Count: 258 pages
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Your spiritual journey of self-improvement continues in volume three of the Jewels of Truth series by Ivan A. Pozo-Illas, a.k.a. Atrayo. In this new compendium of 365 statements of spiritual wisdom, Atrayo shares daily inspirational tools to explore all of the must-haves in your life, including love, faith, forgiveness, and certainly, God(dess).
From these poignant and concise statements, rather than lengthy diatribes, you can easily and quickly find the essential kernel of truth to help you on your journey today.
No matter your religious or spiritual traditions or background, this volume is written from an all-inclusive perspective. Jewels of Truth: The Journey of the Soul Continues is the sacred and uplifting result of clairvoyant automatic writing as the genesis motivation to reach the masses. The channeled spirit teachers are all angelic in divine nature. They are nameless as a united continuum of the Holy Spirit.
Spirituality has a core need in our lives. No matter where you are on your journey, these messages of hope are shared in love.
Let me start off by saying that I am really not qualified to be reviewing this book. Ivan A. Pozo-Illas was generous enough to donate to the Borgen Project in exchange for an honest review. While I am happy to do it, I am probably not doing this book justice.
As someone with absolutely no background in philosophy or religion, this was a difficult book to get through and review.
I do know that despite the author’s claims of it being all-inclusive for all religious backgrounds, the book was more tilted to the Christian faith, with most of the proverbs talking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. There were plenty of mentions of God(dess) as well, which was the basically only indication these statements of wisdom were not strictly for Christian. While Mohammed, Buddha, and Krishna are mentioned maybe four times, and always in a list of other important religious figures from different religions (never for their specific teachings), Jesus is mentioned 22 times, usually in passages like this:
It has been written in the Biblical New Testament that “Jesus the Christ” once stated that to enter the “Kingdom of God” one must be as innocent as a child in spirit.
On top of that, these statements of wisdom, to me at least, were pretty long and wordy. It was difficult to get through. A lot of the time I did not understand what was being said, but that could just be chalked up to my own ignorance on the subject.
This is probably more useful to people more educated about spirituality than me, but it is definitely not for the everyday person, at least not most of it. There were some things that were interesting, like this quote celebrating diversity in religions.
No one religion can have a monopoly on God and/or on his favoritism. To say so is a lie and a sin to the diversity within Creation itself.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Night's Rose (Night's Rose #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This book was both refreshing and drab at the same time. I have not read many romance novels that included orcs, trolls, and Dark Fey. It seems that some angry paranormal romance god out there only wants us to read about vampires, werewolves, and crazy chicks specializing in working with the deceased.
Again, another novel easily recognized as a early work of the author. While the plot was fairly simple to understand, it was far more than I hoped for when I picked up this novel. I had grown so used to other paranormal romances and their stale plots that this particular novel did not seem any different. And in a way, it was not. Again, we are presented with another novel about someone trying to take over the world in some way or another. It was how this devious little rebel Fey went about it. I mean, how many people think of manipulating orcs into casting a summoning spell that will bring about a beast so gargantuan that the earth itself was the only prison that could hold it?
The ending was massively confusing, however. One minute we have a battle and this giant trying to break free, and the next page is the epilogue talking about the aftermath. I honestly felt like I was left hanging. But that was not what killed it for me. After the main character, Rose, so adamantly professes her deep love for her husband, Garreth, and her undying need to prove her loyalty and said love for him, in the last pages, she is ponders on whether or not her husband would be okay with having a menage with her and her husband's half brother, Ambrose. It was such a wrench in the plot that I was taken by surprise. I knew that the Rose had feelings for her husband's half-brother before she married, yet, at the same time, I felt that Evans pretty much killed those feelings when she married Rose and Garreth. When, all of sudden, Rose is wanting to have sex with Ambrose, I wanted to reach through the pages and smacked that fool across the face. What was this crazy b**** thinking?!?
Oh, not to mention the scene halfway through the novel when Rose begs Garreth to have sex with her in not so subtle, or ladylike, words. I actually laughed when reading it. I guess that the scene just seems so out of place that it was humorous.
Other than the few out place scenes, I really enjoyed this novel. About three fourths way through, the building of the plot finally climaxed, fizzling out as it does so, but, by that point, Evans has revealed all of her twist in the plot and the only thing left to do is gracefully end the novel. Once all the juicy little secrets have been laid on the table, the novel becomes slow and difficult to finish, but is a worthwhile novel from a budding author. I could have done without the Sleeping Beauty theme though. I love fairy tales interpreted for adults, but I felt this novel would have been even better without it.
Again, another novel easily recognized as a early work of the author. While the plot was fairly simple to understand, it was far more than I hoped for when I picked up this novel. I had grown so used to other paranormal romances and their stale plots that this particular novel did not seem any different. And in a way, it was not. Again, we are presented with another novel about someone trying to take over the world in some way or another. It was how this devious little rebel Fey went about it. I mean, how many people think of manipulating orcs into casting a summoning spell that will bring about a beast so gargantuan that the earth itself was the only prison that could hold it?
The ending was massively confusing, however. One minute we have a battle and this giant trying to break free, and the next page is the epilogue talking about the aftermath. I honestly felt like I was left hanging. But that was not what killed it for me. After the main character, Rose, so adamantly professes her deep love for her husband, Garreth, and her undying need to prove her loyalty and said love for him, in the last pages, she is ponders on whether or not her husband would be okay with having a menage with her and her husband's half brother, Ambrose. It was such a wrench in the plot that I was taken by surprise. I knew that the Rose had feelings for her husband's half-brother before she married, yet, at the same time, I felt that Evans pretty much killed those feelings when she married Rose and Garreth. When, all of sudden, Rose is wanting to have sex with Ambrose, I wanted to reach through the pages and smacked that fool across the face. What was this crazy b**** thinking?!?
Oh, not to mention the scene halfway through the novel when Rose begs Garreth to have sex with her in not so subtle, or ladylike, words. I actually laughed when reading it. I guess that the scene just seems so out of place that it was humorous.
Other than the few out place scenes, I really enjoyed this novel. About three fourths way through, the building of the plot finally climaxed, fizzling out as it does so, but, by that point, Evans has revealed all of her twist in the plot and the only thing left to do is gracefully end the novel. Once all the juicy little secrets have been laid on the table, the novel becomes slow and difficult to finish, but is a worthwhile novel from a budding author. I could have done without the Sleeping Beauty theme though. I love fairy tales interpreted for adults, but I felt this novel would have been even better without it.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Jan 21, 2018
Suspenseful and different novel
Two wounded women reeling from personal issues are looking for a new apartment. For Emma, she requires a safe place after being the victim of a break-in while her loyal boyfriend, Simon, was out. For Jane, it is a new place that holds no reminders of the baby she lost. For each woman, the house at One Folgate Street seems to offer exactly what they are looking for. It is designed by well-known architect, Edward Monkford, and comes with a set of rules created by the inscrutable man himself. In fact, to live at One Folgate Streets means signing off on over 200 rules, ranging from no books or personal mementos, to total tidiness, to agreeing to showing the house on architectural tours, to accepting to the intense technology that it comes with, including the house monitoring your well-being and moods. At first, the rules and clarity that come with One Folgate Street seem comforting to Emma and Jane. But as they spend more time in the house--and learn about its past, including its mysterious builder--they become terrifying and stifling.
THE GIRL BEFORE is a fascinating novel told solely from the point of view of Emma, One Folgate Street's previous tenant, and Jane, its current tenant. All activities are filtered through the lens of these two women. The novel effectively builds suspense with the parallel nature of the two women's stories, but it also can get a little repetitive at times (and sometimes a little confusing, as you have to remind yourself, mostly in the beginning, who is talking). The book starts off exciting, as you are drawn into both Emma and Jane's tales while they acclimate to the house and all the oddities it offers. The house itself almost becomes another character in the novel. It starts to drag a bit halfway through as you wonder what will happen in the next half (people living in a technologically advanced house can only be so exciting, right?). But then, suddenly, the novel takes some odd turns (there are some interesting sexual plot twists) and eventually grows quite interesting again with some psychological and thrilling revelations. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is that many of these developments truly surprised me, which isn't always easy to do in a thriller.
Overall, this is an interesting novel. It's certainly suspenseful and different. To enjoy it, you really have to set your disbelief aside at the actual conditions of living at One Folgate Street (no books, what?!) and accept that the two women are so broken (and perhaps broke, as the house apparently comes at a great discount) that they will go along with anything. It has a lot of varied plot threads and some of them aren't always fully explored or truly necessary, which can be a little frustrating. Still, the book truly surprised me with its twists and kept me entertained, with a deep desire to get to the end. Overall, 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
THE GIRL BEFORE is a fascinating novel told solely from the point of view of Emma, One Folgate Street's previous tenant, and Jane, its current tenant. All activities are filtered through the lens of these two women. The novel effectively builds suspense with the parallel nature of the two women's stories, but it also can get a little repetitive at times (and sometimes a little confusing, as you have to remind yourself, mostly in the beginning, who is talking). The book starts off exciting, as you are drawn into both Emma and Jane's tales while they acclimate to the house and all the oddities it offers. The house itself almost becomes another character in the novel. It starts to drag a bit halfway through as you wonder what will happen in the next half (people living in a technologically advanced house can only be so exciting, right?). But then, suddenly, the novel takes some odd turns (there are some interesting sexual plot twists) and eventually grows quite interesting again with some psychological and thrilling revelations. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is that many of these developments truly surprised me, which isn't always easy to do in a thriller.
Overall, this is an interesting novel. It's certainly suspenseful and different. To enjoy it, you really have to set your disbelief aside at the actual conditions of living at One Folgate Street (no books, what?!) and accept that the two women are so broken (and perhaps broke, as the house apparently comes at a great discount) that they will go along with anything. It has a lot of varied plot threads and some of them aren't always fully explored or truly necessary, which can be a little frustrating. Still, the book truly surprised me with its twists and kept me entertained, with a deep desire to get to the end. Overall, 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Morning Star in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As with the two previous books in the series, Morning Star is brutally violent and honest in its portrayal of the darkness of humanity. It's a strange series that I don't quite know how I feel. While overall the plot and storytelling are good and I enjoy reading the series, for the most part, I am also frequently horrified by events and actions. As a result, I would recommend again that younger teen readers do not pick this up. Wait until you are older to read the series.
Sevro is such a strange character, but I love him. Some of the things he said, although unintentionally funny, had me laughing aloud (and probably sounding like a crazy person because I was by myself). Sadly, the course of the war and things that he has experienced seem to change him - as the war alters all of the characters. In the third book, he is just as funny and strangely likable as he was in the previous two books despite the horrors that he has endured.
I love the honest wonder of Ragnar, despite his fierce size and fighting skills he was not born to the same world as Darrow. He is genuinely pleased or fascinated by things most would take for granted in that world. Despite the fact that Ragnar is a terrifying killing machine - you can't help but like him.
Although there is a lot of death and destruction in these books, it is not until halfway through the third book that the pain of a character affected me. I got a little teary-eyed because it was one of the characters that I had grown to care about. I don't feel a very strong connection to them in general, which I feel is probably the main weakness of this series for me.
The second book fell prey to the typical slow nature of a middle book in a trilogy. In general, I feel that these books take some time to get into but become very engaging eventually. The third book was a little slower to start than even the others, although there were some enjoyable moments early on it wasn't until a little over halfway through the book that I really thought 'wow this is where things start happening.'
Once I was in the second half of the book, I felt like this was my favorite of the books in the series. I think Pierce Brown does his best work when he's talking about a battle. So the fighting you see in this part of the book really shines.
While it is very authentic to a war scenario, I don't personally like that so many characters die. I know people would complain if no one died because then the stakes wouldn't be as high for the characters but it makes me so sad when a character I like doesn't make it.
Despite the slow start of the third book, by the end, I had completely forgotten about it and felt that this was my favorite book in the series. The action, the schemes, everything just pulled me in and I was riveted, guessing, gasping and cheering until the very last page.
Sevro is such a strange character, but I love him. Some of the things he said, although unintentionally funny, had me laughing aloud (and probably sounding like a crazy person because I was by myself). Sadly, the course of the war and things that he has experienced seem to change him - as the war alters all of the characters. In the third book, he is just as funny and strangely likable as he was in the previous two books despite the horrors that he has endured.
I love the honest wonder of Ragnar, despite his fierce size and fighting skills he was not born to the same world as Darrow. He is genuinely pleased or fascinated by things most would take for granted in that world. Despite the fact that Ragnar is a terrifying killing machine - you can't help but like him.
Although there is a lot of death and destruction in these books, it is not until halfway through the third book that the pain of a character affected me. I got a little teary-eyed because it was one of the characters that I had grown to care about. I don't feel a very strong connection to them in general, which I feel is probably the main weakness of this series for me.
The second book fell prey to the typical slow nature of a middle book in a trilogy. In general, I feel that these books take some time to get into but become very engaging eventually. The third book was a little slower to start than even the others, although there were some enjoyable moments early on it wasn't until a little over halfway through the book that I really thought 'wow this is where things start happening.'
Once I was in the second half of the book, I felt like this was my favorite of the books in the series. I think Pierce Brown does his best work when he's talking about a battle. So the fighting you see in this part of the book really shines.
While it is very authentic to a war scenario, I don't personally like that so many characters die. I know people would complain if no one died because then the stakes wouldn't be as high for the characters but it makes me so sad when a character I like doesn't make it.
Despite the slow start of the third book, by the end, I had completely forgotten about it and felt that this was my favorite book in the series. The action, the schemes, everything just pulled me in and I was riveted, guessing, gasping and cheering until the very last page.
Saerie_Faerie (18 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Feb 17, 2018
Cute but total nerd fantasy insert
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was super excited for this book when it first came out and even more excited when I saw it was becoming a story. As a nerd, an over arching nerd into books, games, music, and everything else I thought I finally would get to witness a glorious book/movie about it.
However, almost immediately upon starting it I realized I was probably not going to enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Thankfully Wil Wheaton was the performer for the Audio book so I could continue listening.
The main character, Wade, goes on several solilogues about all of the nerd things that he knows everything about. Several times, Wade is miraculously the only one who knows everything and is amazing at it.
At one point he actually just lists out all of the 80s authors he has read in entirety which is amazing for a 17 year old who spends all of his time on the Oasis and also playing video games and watching movies. On top of all that, his list is entirely male authors, directors, and programmers. Why not mention Tamora Pierce, a huge author of the 80s or Marion Zimmer Bradley author of a King Arthur novel which Wade would have been very into considering his character name and the fact that he says he is very into King Arthur.
There are two female characters and they get barely any screen time. Here is where I got super excited because I am a female nerd who plays tons of video games and met several partners online it was going to be good to address the things that happen. But it doesn't. She says she is "deformed" and disappears until the end of the story, then we find out she looks just as amazing as her fake person avatar except *GASP* she has a birthmark on her face. Face birth marks can feel debilitating and terrifying but in the scope of things, its a not problem.
My main problem with Wade is that he asks the love interest "Are you a woman? Are you a woman that has never been a man?" And like... What? Worrying the person you are talking to is who they say they are is a big thing but to go straight to being transphobic is not okay. Sure, he is a teenager but he is a teenager in the distant future where people literally go to school in a video game and can make an alien avatar, surely it wouldn't still be "weird".
More than anything this felt like a nerd dream fantasy life that "came true". Was THE BEST at all the things, became rich from video games, got the hot girl, became famous. What more could you want?
But I still really like this book and story, it just could have gone so much better. So many important things could have been addressed and explained and they just weren't.
However, almost immediately upon starting it I realized I was probably not going to enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Thankfully Wil Wheaton was the performer for the Audio book so I could continue listening.
The main character, Wade, goes on several solilogues about all of the nerd things that he knows everything about. Several times, Wade is miraculously the only one who knows everything and is amazing at it.
At one point he actually just lists out all of the 80s authors he has read in entirety which is amazing for a 17 year old who spends all of his time on the Oasis and also playing video games and watching movies. On top of all that, his list is entirely male authors, directors, and programmers. Why not mention Tamora Pierce, a huge author of the 80s or Marion Zimmer Bradley author of a King Arthur novel which Wade would have been very into considering his character name and the fact that he says he is very into King Arthur.
There are two female characters and they get barely any screen time. Here is where I got super excited because I am a female nerd who plays tons of video games and met several partners online it was going to be good to address the things that happen. But it doesn't. She says she is "deformed" and disappears until the end of the story, then we find out she looks just as amazing as her fake person avatar except *GASP* she has a birthmark on her face. Face birth marks can feel debilitating and terrifying but in the scope of things, its a not problem.
My main problem with Wade is that he asks the love interest "Are you a woman? Are you a woman that has never been a man?" And like... What? Worrying the person you are talking to is who they say they are is a big thing but to go straight to being transphobic is not okay. Sure, he is a teenager but he is a teenager in the distant future where people literally go to school in a video game and can make an alien avatar, surely it wouldn't still be "weird".
More than anything this felt like a nerd dream fantasy life that "came true". Was THE BEST at all the things, became rich from video games, got the hot girl, became famous. What more could you want?
But I still really like this book and story, it just could have gone so much better. So many important things could have been addressed and explained and they just weren't.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Tempest in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I had to read this play for my Shakespeare class in college and it was the first time I had ever read it.
This was an interesting play, and I'm not sure where it will fit on my scale for my favorite Shakespearean plays. While the plot was pretty straightforward, I do not know how I necessarily felt about the characters themselves. This being Shakespeare's final play, I feel like he wanted to pull in some aspects from his previous plays to draw the crowds in one last time.
I definitely see Shakespeare in Prospero. Both men are known for their art, Prospero's being magic and Shakespeare's being his writings, and in the end, both will give up those arts to be with their families. While it cannot be proved, Shakespeare did die fairly soon after his career ended, making yet another connection where possibly his "every third thought would be of the grave" just as Prospero foretold. And of course, Prospero's final soliloquy is said to be Shakespeare's swan song, his final curtain call.
Miranda can be seen as a voice for the audience a lot throughout the play. She is the reason we get the backstory about why Prospero is doing what he is doing, she voices concerns that the audiences may all be thinking. I think this was intentional because in most of the Shakespearean plays, there is at least one character who stands in for the audience.
Ariel, not going to lie, I thought he was a female character, though I found out by reading more, and watching a filmed production of it, that he is often portrayed as a male. I do, however, want to see what a female could do with this character. Especially since he is such a pivotal character to the plot line being in most, if not all, scenes in some way or another. Without Ariel, the story would not have been able to happen.
Caliban is weird. I understand why he hates Prospero and Miranda so much, but that doesn't excuse his actions both in the actual play and before it in the history sections.
I do not quite know what to classify this play as. It is definitely not one of the tragedies (mainly because it doesn't have a character name in the title) but it also isn't really a comedy. Would it be a mystical play? I don't really know. If you do, please, message me or comment on the post, because I am curious.
This play is often referenced in literature and in pop culture, but I never fully understood what they meant, so it was fun to be able to finally get what people were talking about. That being said, I do not think this is one of his most popular plays. Yes, it was his last, but I have not seen it come up as much in my studies as, let's say, Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet.
Overall, I enjoyed the play, but it definitely isn't my favorite. That spot still goes to Macbeth.
This was an interesting play, and I'm not sure where it will fit on my scale for my favorite Shakespearean plays. While the plot was pretty straightforward, I do not know how I necessarily felt about the characters themselves. This being Shakespeare's final play, I feel like he wanted to pull in some aspects from his previous plays to draw the crowds in one last time.
I definitely see Shakespeare in Prospero. Both men are known for their art, Prospero's being magic and Shakespeare's being his writings, and in the end, both will give up those arts to be with their families. While it cannot be proved, Shakespeare did die fairly soon after his career ended, making yet another connection where possibly his "every third thought would be of the grave" just as Prospero foretold. And of course, Prospero's final soliloquy is said to be Shakespeare's swan song, his final curtain call.
Miranda can be seen as a voice for the audience a lot throughout the play. She is the reason we get the backstory about why Prospero is doing what he is doing, she voices concerns that the audiences may all be thinking. I think this was intentional because in most of the Shakespearean plays, there is at least one character who stands in for the audience.
Ariel, not going to lie, I thought he was a female character, though I found out by reading more, and watching a filmed production of it, that he is often portrayed as a male. I do, however, want to see what a female could do with this character. Especially since he is such a pivotal character to the plot line being in most, if not all, scenes in some way or another. Without Ariel, the story would not have been able to happen.
Caliban is weird. I understand why he hates Prospero and Miranda so much, but that doesn't excuse his actions both in the actual play and before it in the history sections.
I do not quite know what to classify this play as. It is definitely not one of the tragedies (mainly because it doesn't have a character name in the title) but it also isn't really a comedy. Would it be a mystical play? I don't really know. If you do, please, message me or comment on the post, because I am curious.
This play is often referenced in literature and in pop culture, but I never fully understood what they meant, so it was fun to be able to finally get what people were talking about. That being said, I do not think this is one of his most popular plays. Yes, it was his last, but I have not seen it come up as much in my studies as, let's say, Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet.
Overall, I enjoyed the play, but it definitely isn't my favorite. That spot still goes to Macbeth.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Book Of Mirrors in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This novel may have been slow but I found its mystery so enticing that I loved moving and learning with each character. So many theories run through this novel that youre never sure what to think, its a great classic murder mystery.
Its only taken me almost a year to knock this book off my Netgalley shelf, but I finally got there! Id seen lots of hype for this one at the beginning of 2017 but I still didnt feel inclined to pick it up back then. Now Ive read it, Im glad that I waited. I think this one would have disappointed me if I had read it in its prime due to its slow nature, but I can appreciate slow books far more now than I could back then.
Like so many other reviewers, I did think this one was pretty slow paced, but I actually quite liked that about the plot. A cold case of over 20 years isnt going to get solved overnight, so it was practical that it took a while to find out what really went on that night. I do think there were some sections of the book that were unnecessary and added to the slowness of the plot, for example when one narrator gets on a plane and theres a whole segment about an irrelevant salesman talking to him and flirting with a girl. That bit wasnt needed in any way for the plot to progress and did just feel like filler bumf, but Ive read books with far worse filler scenes.
This story is told in a few different ways. Its told in the perspective of 3 different people and then also as a book within a book. I really liked the way this was laid out and think having the 3 different tones of voice gave the story some character it could have missed out on had it just stayed with the one narrator.
Each character in this was interesting in their own way, and I liked that each person had their own story to tell while also moving the main mystery along.
In terms of plot, this one wasnt the most innovative or astounding, but there was something enchanting about it. There were a few different theories as to Professor Weiders demise and I liked that it kept you guessing all along. I was actually quite surprised and impressed by the end of the book, the conclusion to the mystery was cleverly thought out and well executed.
Looking at the reviews of this book I think people are being a little harsh. There are lots of books that are slow mysteries but this one seems to be pissing people off more than most. I know its down to everyones own opinion but I dont see what the big issue with this one was. Personally, I enjoyed it.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Arrow for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Its only taken me almost a year to knock this book off my Netgalley shelf, but I finally got there! Id seen lots of hype for this one at the beginning of 2017 but I still didnt feel inclined to pick it up back then. Now Ive read it, Im glad that I waited. I think this one would have disappointed me if I had read it in its prime due to its slow nature, but I can appreciate slow books far more now than I could back then.
Like so many other reviewers, I did think this one was pretty slow paced, but I actually quite liked that about the plot. A cold case of over 20 years isnt going to get solved overnight, so it was practical that it took a while to find out what really went on that night. I do think there were some sections of the book that were unnecessary and added to the slowness of the plot, for example when one narrator gets on a plane and theres a whole segment about an irrelevant salesman talking to him and flirting with a girl. That bit wasnt needed in any way for the plot to progress and did just feel like filler bumf, but Ive read books with far worse filler scenes.
This story is told in a few different ways. Its told in the perspective of 3 different people and then also as a book within a book. I really liked the way this was laid out and think having the 3 different tones of voice gave the story some character it could have missed out on had it just stayed with the one narrator.
Each character in this was interesting in their own way, and I liked that each person had their own story to tell while also moving the main mystery along.
In terms of plot, this one wasnt the most innovative or astounding, but there was something enchanting about it. There were a few different theories as to Professor Weiders demise and I liked that it kept you guessing all along. I was actually quite surprised and impressed by the end of the book, the conclusion to the mystery was cleverly thought out and well executed.
Looking at the reviews of this book I think people are being a little harsh. There are lots of books that are slow mysteries but this one seems to be pissing people off more than most. I know its down to everyones own opinion but I dont see what the big issue with this one was. Personally, I enjoyed it.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Arrow for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Cyberstalker in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that this book was available to review, I knew I had to read it. It just sounded so interesting! While it started out shaky at first, it quickly became a book that I couldn't put down.
The title is plain but attention grabbing. When I read the title, I had to read the blurb to find out if it was something I would enjoy.
The cover is a little too bland for my liking. It doesn't really grab my attention at all. In fact, it looks like a book from the 1980's (although it isn't).
The world building is very believable, and that's the creepiest thing. It just makes you realize how easy it would be to have this happen to us or to someone we know. Hildebrand definitely has the creep factor in his world building!
The pacing started off slow at first, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake in agreeing to review this book. I was very disappointed because I wanted to enjoy this book. I made the (wise) decision to stick with the book though, and I was greatly rewarded. Close to halfway in, the pacing really picks up, and I was totally enthralled in this story. In fact, it took me a day to read, and it only took that long because life got in the way...and sleep!
The plot is interesting and all too real. With the anonymity of the internet, you never really know who is on the other side of a computer screen. Lilly thinks Ian could be boyfriend material after talking to him online, but he ends up being a psycho.
I thought Hildebrand did an excellent job when it came to the characters. Lilly is a typical 14 year old girl interested in boys while being self conscious about how she looks. Her friends are all more experienced than her, and she's feeling a little left out. She makes some decisions that I wouldn't have made, and I kept cringing at her decisions, but I'm also older then her. Her decisions are those of a 14 year old girl. Ian was just plain creepy. Ian is a big time psycho, and I thought the author did a great job at conveying at how Ian could just flip out at any moment.
The dialogue fits very well with a young adult novel. The teens all acted their age. I don't remembering any swearing in this book, and there's not really any violence, but there is a the creepy factor which younger teens may find a bit too stressful.
Overall, Cyberstalker is a creepy yet intriguing read. It hits home hard and really makes you realize that this could actually happen to someone you know.
I'd recommend this book to to those aged 16+ who are big on social media as well as those who are after a fantastic psychological thriller.
(I was provided with a free ecopy of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
When I saw that this book was available to review, I knew I had to read it. It just sounded so interesting! While it started out shaky at first, it quickly became a book that I couldn't put down.
The title is plain but attention grabbing. When I read the title, I had to read the blurb to find out if it was something I would enjoy.
The cover is a little too bland for my liking. It doesn't really grab my attention at all. In fact, it looks like a book from the 1980's (although it isn't).
The world building is very believable, and that's the creepiest thing. It just makes you realize how easy it would be to have this happen to us or to someone we know. Hildebrand definitely has the creep factor in his world building!
The pacing started off slow at first, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake in agreeing to review this book. I was very disappointed because I wanted to enjoy this book. I made the (wise) decision to stick with the book though, and I was greatly rewarded. Close to halfway in, the pacing really picks up, and I was totally enthralled in this story. In fact, it took me a day to read, and it only took that long because life got in the way...and sleep!
The plot is interesting and all too real. With the anonymity of the internet, you never really know who is on the other side of a computer screen. Lilly thinks Ian could be boyfriend material after talking to him online, but he ends up being a psycho.
I thought Hildebrand did an excellent job when it came to the characters. Lilly is a typical 14 year old girl interested in boys while being self conscious about how she looks. Her friends are all more experienced than her, and she's feeling a little left out. She makes some decisions that I wouldn't have made, and I kept cringing at her decisions, but I'm also older then her. Her decisions are those of a 14 year old girl. Ian was just plain creepy. Ian is a big time psycho, and I thought the author did a great job at conveying at how Ian could just flip out at any moment.
The dialogue fits very well with a young adult novel. The teens all acted their age. I don't remembering any swearing in this book, and there's not really any violence, but there is a the creepy factor which younger teens may find a bit too stressful.
Overall, Cyberstalker is a creepy yet intriguing read. It hits home hard and really makes you realize that this could actually happen to someone you know.
I'd recommend this book to to those aged 16+ who are big on social media as well as those who are after a fantastic psychological thriller.
(I was provided with a free ecopy of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Saving the Universe is bound to get you noticed, and in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, we find the dysfunctional Guardians reaping the benefits of their newly found notoriety by being hired to resolve threats all over the galaxy.
The film opens with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), battling a gigantic creature at the request of a race known as the Sovereign.
During a frantic and hysterical battle the crew is eventually triumphant and accepts their payment, which is the form of Nebula (Karen Gillan), who the crew look to turn in for a very lucrative bounty and settle some old scores in the process.
Of course their naturally ability to find trouble arises thanks to Rocket, and soon they have a very large and motivated new enemy gunning for them which results in them crashing on a remote planet. A mysterious benefactor named Ego (Kurt Russell), arrives and claims to have a connection with Peter and he, Gamora, and Drax head off with Ego and his assistant Mantis (Pom Klementieff), to his planet while the rest of the crew repair the ship.
As if things were not complicated enough, Yondu (Michael Rooker) and his crew of Revengers arrive hoping to collect a Bounty on the Guardians that has the group divided and facing serious danger.
A new and greater threat is soon discovered and despite internal tensions and conflicts, the Guardians must once again risk everything to save the universe once again.
The new film hits the ground running with plenty of action and humor and gives the characters new and old plenty of great moments that really expand upon their characters. The only issue is that the film does have some slow pacing in the middle as we are given numerous CGI landscapes where the crew walks around talking, but little else. With such a large cast, this is done to allow the characters to grow and new ones to be properly introduced, but it can at times drag on. Thankfully the finale is filled with the trademark humor and action that fans have come to expect which although very CGI heavy does result in a very satisfying and surprisingly touching finale.
The cast works well with one another and the jokes fly frequently throughout. Writer/Director James Gunn has done a great job in expanding the characters and introducing new ones as we see new layers of complexity to the characters that explain their actions and motivations in ways not usually shown in comic themed movies.
I would strongly suggest waiting through the credits for the numerous bonus scenes and keep an eye out during the film for some special surprises as the film is littered with them.
As the characters will soon transition to “The Avengers: Infinity War” which is currently filming audiences will not have to wait as long to see the dysfunctional Guardians family on their next outing, and thankfully we have an enjoyable new outing to enjoy until then.
http://sknr.net/2017/05/03/guardians-galaxy-vol-2/
The film opens with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), battling a gigantic creature at the request of a race known as the Sovereign.
During a frantic and hysterical battle the crew is eventually triumphant and accepts their payment, which is the form of Nebula (Karen Gillan), who the crew look to turn in for a very lucrative bounty and settle some old scores in the process.
Of course their naturally ability to find trouble arises thanks to Rocket, and soon they have a very large and motivated new enemy gunning for them which results in them crashing on a remote planet. A mysterious benefactor named Ego (Kurt Russell), arrives and claims to have a connection with Peter and he, Gamora, and Drax head off with Ego and his assistant Mantis (Pom Klementieff), to his planet while the rest of the crew repair the ship.
As if things were not complicated enough, Yondu (Michael Rooker) and his crew of Revengers arrive hoping to collect a Bounty on the Guardians that has the group divided and facing serious danger.
A new and greater threat is soon discovered and despite internal tensions and conflicts, the Guardians must once again risk everything to save the universe once again.
The new film hits the ground running with plenty of action and humor and gives the characters new and old plenty of great moments that really expand upon their characters. The only issue is that the film does have some slow pacing in the middle as we are given numerous CGI landscapes where the crew walks around talking, but little else. With such a large cast, this is done to allow the characters to grow and new ones to be properly introduced, but it can at times drag on. Thankfully the finale is filled with the trademark humor and action that fans have come to expect which although very CGI heavy does result in a very satisfying and surprisingly touching finale.
The cast works well with one another and the jokes fly frequently throughout. Writer/Director James Gunn has done a great job in expanding the characters and introducing new ones as we see new layers of complexity to the characters that explain their actions and motivations in ways not usually shown in comic themed movies.
I would strongly suggest waiting through the credits for the numerous bonus scenes and keep an eye out during the film for some special surprises as the film is littered with them.
As the characters will soon transition to “The Avengers: Infinity War” which is currently filming audiences will not have to wait as long to see the dysfunctional Guardians family on their next outing, and thankfully we have an enjoyable new outing to enjoy until then.
http://sknr.net/2017/05/03/guardians-galaxy-vol-2/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Kim Possible (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
My name is Emma, and I still love Kim Possible. It's great fun and I will fight anyone who says it isn't. That is if we're talking about the animated series... that is gold, the live action film is not even tin foil.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.