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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Time for Dying ( Araneae Nation 3) in Books
Jun 30, 2024
127 of 220
Kindle
A Time for Dying ( Araneae Nation 3)
By Hailey Edwards
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They just might survive...if they don't kill each other first.
Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses...and then she takes their heads.
Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it's hers. At least until--to her fury--she's caught napping.
A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home.
When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he's unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she's lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen.
He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the price is high--and they may both pay for it with their lives.
I’ve become so invested in this series I absolutely love the different clans and how diverse they are. The story is just so interesting and the characters really are so well written you become part of that world. Really good read this brought us new characters while keep us updated on some old faces.
Kindle
A Time for Dying ( Araneae Nation 3)
By Hailey Edwards
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They just might survive...if they don't kill each other first.
Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses...and then she takes their heads.
Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it's hers. At least until--to her fury--she's caught napping.
A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home.
When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he's unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she's lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen.
He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the price is high--and they may both pay for it with their lives.
I’ve become so invested in this series I absolutely love the different clans and how diverse they are. The story is just so interesting and the characters really are so well written you become part of that world. Really good read this brought us new characters while keep us updated on some old faces.
Merissa (13346 KP) rated Champions: at fire's end (Champions #1) in Books
Jul 27, 2017
Champions: at fire's end (Champions #1) by Charlotte Jain
Champions: at fire's end is the first book in the Champions series, and we hit the ground running with the first chapter from Hermes' point of view as the scene is set over why the flames are here, and why they will live in children. After that, we jump 18 years to Kyle, the bearer of the blue (water) flame. We find out that he and April (red/fire bearer) have known all along what their purpose in life is, and have Hermes and Themis to guide them. Now, this is where it got a bit confusing for me. It sounded at the beginning that all the flames had to fight each other, with only one winner. Then we find out that Kyle and April are "battle partners". Kyle has the noble notion of finding the other two flames and helping them grow into their powers so that it becomes a fair fight, which still doesn't explain how the pairing is going to work. Kim and Noah are found, but you don't really learn much about them. With different points of view, time disappearing, and honestly not knowing whether Kyle was paired up romantically with either Kim or April at any given time, plus other things, this book quickly became mystifying.
The premise is a good one - after all, who doesn't love a good Greek mythology story in a book? It was the execution of the idea that let it down. I have given this story 3-stars because it was intriguing enough for me to finish it, and I think the premise and the series has a lot of potential. This may be a series where it is in the final book that everything becomes clear. I don't know. What I do know is that this book will appeal to some, and not to others. Personally, I enjoyed it, even if I was a bit lost!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The premise is a good one - after all, who doesn't love a good Greek mythology story in a book? It was the execution of the idea that let it down. I have given this story 3-stars because it was intriguing enough for me to finish it, and I think the premise and the series has a lot of potential. This may be a series where it is in the final book that everything becomes clear. I don't know. What I do know is that this book will appeal to some, and not to others. Personally, I enjoyed it, even if I was a bit lost!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Looking for Alaska in Books
Jan 25, 2018
I just finished reading Looking for Alaska, making it the fifth John Green book I've read, after Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Let It Snow, The Fault In Our Stars, and An Abundance of Katherines. I enjoyed Looking for Alaska immensely, just like I did the other three. (My favorite being Let It Snow, which he wrote with two other authors as a set of three related short stories.) I haven't made a habit out of reading young adult fiction, but for John Green I'll definitely make an exception. I should also pick up some of Maureen Johnson's books; her contribution to Let It Snow was excellent.
I have a confession to make before I go any further: I am a Nerdfighter. I was introduced to John and Hank Green about two years ago by one of my best friends, by way of Crash Course. Since then I've (almost!) caught up on their Vlogbrother videos, watched most of the Crash Course videos (sorry Hank, I'm just not into chemistry) and started watching Sci Show. John and Hank are both extremely educated, well spoken, and yet extremely entertaining and fun to watch. Watching the vlogbrothers episodes where John talks about writing the books (as he's writing them!) is what finally made me go pick up his books to read. And he's GOOD.
In Looking for Alaska, Miles Halter goes away to boarding school at Culver Creek, his father's alma mater. He's in search of his "great perhaps," his meaning for life. (The phrase comes from Francois Rabelais' last words "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Miles doesn't want to wait until he dies to go in search of his.) Culver Creek really marks a turning point in Miles' life - from a friendless outcast in his old school to one of the closest friends of Alaska Young. Alaska is a bit of a bad girl (sneaking cigarettes and alcohol into school constantly and pulling ingenious pranks) but also an enigma. The entire school body loves her, but even to her closest friends she doesn't reveal much about herself.
The book is divided into "before" and "after" and it wasn't until within a few pages till the end of the "before" section that I realized what the event was. "After" deals with the characters of the book coming to terms with their life-altering event.
In The Fault In Our Stars, John Green dealt with the lead up to a life-altering event that the characters knew was coming - a long, drawn-out sort of grief. Looking For Alaska deals with the fallout of an event no one knew was coming, and while the emotions are just as deep, they feel sharper somehow for being so unexpected.
I definitely recommend this book, and all of John Green's books. He's a very talented writer, and isn't afraid to put "adult" themes into his "young adult" books. As if sex and alcohol and death and deep meaning-of-life questions aren't things every teenager deals with? I like that he doesn't pull his emotional punches. His books may be "young adult" but they're not fluffy or "easy to read." Easy in terms of grammar and flow perhaps, but not in content. I teared up reading parts of Looking For Alaska, and outright sobbed for a good portion of The Fault In Our Stars. (Which is now a movie!)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com (review originally written 4 years ago.)
I have a confession to make before I go any further: I am a Nerdfighter. I was introduced to John and Hank Green about two years ago by one of my best friends, by way of Crash Course. Since then I've (almost!) caught up on their Vlogbrother videos, watched most of the Crash Course videos (sorry Hank, I'm just not into chemistry) and started watching Sci Show. John and Hank are both extremely educated, well spoken, and yet extremely entertaining and fun to watch. Watching the vlogbrothers episodes where John talks about writing the books (as he's writing them!) is what finally made me go pick up his books to read. And he's GOOD.
In Looking for Alaska, Miles Halter goes away to boarding school at Culver Creek, his father's alma mater. He's in search of his "great perhaps," his meaning for life. (The phrase comes from Francois Rabelais' last words "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Miles doesn't want to wait until he dies to go in search of his.) Culver Creek really marks a turning point in Miles' life - from a friendless outcast in his old school to one of the closest friends of Alaska Young. Alaska is a bit of a bad girl (sneaking cigarettes and alcohol into school constantly and pulling ingenious pranks) but also an enigma. The entire school body loves her, but even to her closest friends she doesn't reveal much about herself.
The book is divided into "before" and "after" and it wasn't until within a few pages till the end of the "before" section that I realized what the event was. "After" deals with the characters of the book coming to terms with their life-altering event.
In The Fault In Our Stars, John Green dealt with the lead up to a life-altering event that the characters knew was coming - a long, drawn-out sort of grief. Looking For Alaska deals with the fallout of an event no one knew was coming, and while the emotions are just as deep, they feel sharper somehow for being so unexpected.
I definitely recommend this book, and all of John Green's books. He's a very talented writer, and isn't afraid to put "adult" themes into his "young adult" books. As if sex and alcohol and death and deep meaning-of-life questions aren't things every teenager deals with? I like that he doesn't pull his emotional punches. His books may be "young adult" but they're not fluffy or "easy to read." Easy in terms of grammar and flow perhaps, but not in content. I teared up reading parts of Looking For Alaska, and outright sobbed for a good portion of The Fault In Our Stars. (Which is now a movie!)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com (review originally written 4 years ago.)
Alex Kapranos recommended 1962–1966 by The Beatles in Music (curated)
Good concept (1 more)
Some interesting imagery/analogies
Lack of character development (2 more)
Slow build up with a sudden ending that feels rushed
Attempts to make socio-political commentary with disjointed (and again rushed) narrative
Underwhelming drama/mystery with the backdrop of a cult
It took me a while to get into the book itself, it wasn't a page turner and was very easy to get distracted. About a third to a midway through, it started to pick up pace and I became embroiled in the narrative of a young girl's induction into a full-blown cult, the crime they commit and her reflection on this as an adult. This momentum carried nicely for a while, until nearing the end where the narrative and characters suddenly seemed to become disjointed and it appears the author suddenly decided to turn fractions of what has previously been mentioned into an overall statement which I found to be a little ridiculous. The concept was seriously intriguing (the experience of drifting in and out of cult life) so it's a shame it wasn't followed through with confidence.
Apocalyptic Social Media!
A book set slightly in the future, this tells the story of how social media has developed to such an extent that everyone is now directly linked to the internet. Everything is fed to them, so that they no longer have to learn to do anything for themselves. Something goes wrong however: something of apocalyptic proportions. People are Taken, and their feed is invaded. This can happen when they sleep, so no one sleeps alone. This follows Tom, Kate, their daughter Bea, and the people that they try to start a new life with on a small holding after the Collapse.
I really, really enjoyed the last third of this, which is when everything started to happen. This is the only reason why I’ve scored it a 7/10. That last third was really very good, however the first two thirds did drag a little for me. I’m glad I persevered though!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy to read and review!
I really, really enjoyed the last third of this, which is when everything started to happen. This is the only reason why I’ve scored it a 7/10. That last third was really very good, however the first two thirds did drag a little for me. I’m glad I persevered though!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy to read and review!
Celia Davies spends her days helping the women of 1867 San Francisco via her free medical clinic. One of her patients, a former Chinese prostitute is found murdered, and Celia must know what happened to her. Meanwhile, Nicholas Greaves is the police officer assigned to the case, and he is determined to get justice for the young woman. But where will the investigation lead?
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Lord of the Flies in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Not sure how this became a classic.
My school never required me to read this so I just never got around to it until a few years ago and I have to say I was not a fan. I found the entire book boring the characters terrible or writing wasn't really that great either, for the life of me I really cannot figure out how this book has made it into being a classic and it's still extremely popular. The whole idea of the book is really good but just the execution I found terrible I hated every single freaking character not even over exaggerating there.
I think if I would have been required to read this at a younger age like most people I may have liked it a lot more but reading it as an adult for the first time I feel really just spoil the whole thing for me plus you have to kind of be living under a rock and not to know what the books about and what happens in it.
I think if I would have been required to read this at a younger age like most people I may have liked it a lot more but reading it as an adult for the first time I feel really just spoil the whole thing for me plus you have to kind of be living under a rock and not to know what the books about and what happens in it.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, #2) in Books
Aug 30, 2018
When the Morning Comes is about a young girl in her Amish community. I can't remember the details of the story. I will give you what i can remember about it. I know it about Hannah Lapp. Does get what she wants or does she not.
She stays with her aunt for bit and ponders about going to live the englisher. It the Amish term for outsiders. Will she goes back with her fiance and her family she left behind. Doe her fiance love her or not? You would need to read the book to find out. I know it a sweet story.
You learn about how the Amish live and her why of life. I am fascinated by it myself, so that is why I enjoy reading book about the Amish and Amish fiction. Cindy Woodsmall does wonders for her books. She also does a good job with this one as well. It just been years since i read the book that I honestly can't remember much.
She stays with her aunt for bit and ponders about going to live the englisher. It the Amish term for outsiders. Will she goes back with her fiance and her family she left behind. Doe her fiance love her or not? You would need to read the book to find out. I know it a sweet story.
You learn about how the Amish live and her why of life. I am fascinated by it myself, so that is why I enjoy reading book about the Amish and Amish fiction. Cindy Woodsmall does wonders for her books. She also does a good job with this one as well. It just been years since i read the book that I honestly can't remember much.
Merissa (13346 KP) rated Highland Hearts in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This book takes place in Scotland which I am sure is a massive surprise considering the title! Callum has a flat in Edinburgh, but goes to the Highlands to see the house that he has inherited from the grandfather he has never met, and now never will. Upon his arrival, he meets his next door neighbour and the spark between them is instantaneous.
With a hint of the supernatural about it, just enough to give Callum a nudge, this story is well-paced and thought out. It moves smoothly, giving the characters enough time to get to know each other even if they do go to bed together the first night - because no one ever does that in real life, right?!
This book simply ticked all my boxes. With excellent characters, whether you like them or not, a back story that completes the picture, romance, steam, supernatural, sadness, hope - it's all here. I loved every word and didn't want it to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
With a hint of the supernatural about it, just enough to give Callum a nudge, this story is well-paced and thought out. It moves smoothly, giving the characters enough time to get to know each other even if they do go to bed together the first night - because no one ever does that in real life, right?!
This book simply ticked all my boxes. With excellent characters, whether you like them or not, a back story that completes the picture, romance, steam, supernatural, sadness, hope - it's all here. I loved every word and didn't want it to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!