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American Titan: Searching for John Wayne
Book
From the veteran New York Times bestselling biographer comes a major, in-depth look at one of the...
The Writer's Guide to Character Traits
Book
From Sex to Schizophrenia: Everything You Need to Develop Your Characters! What makes a person...
The Other Alcott: A Novel
Book
Elise Hooper's debut novel conjures the fascinating, untold story of May Alcott-Louisa's youngest...
Duff McKagan recommended Greatest Hits by Sly & The Family Stone in Music (curated)
AO
Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism
Book
Evangelical Christianity is a paradox. Evangelicals are radically individualist, but devoted to...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Grave Mercy in Books
Jan 6, 2021
*I received this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'd had this on my "to read" shelf on here for a while and then removed it, thinking that since I very rarely read historical books that I might not enjoy it after all.
What a load of rubbish that was!
The synopsis made me think it would be like the <i>Throne of Glass</i> series and in a way it was; assassin, a bit of romance, but it was also not. This was based on true events and there was a lot of different things happening in relation to the duchy.
I have to admit that the first 10-15% was a bit hard for me to get into. There wasn't too much detail about her time at the abbey and as much as I was interested in what she was learning there that bit started to bore me after a while.
It was only with the arrival of Duval and the sparks they ignited that I really started to get into this. I could tell straight away that something was going to happen there and since I'm a romance reader I was happy that there was the possibility of romance. It was nice reading the slow progression of their relationship as it changed.
As for everyone else; Anne, Isabeau, Beast etc. I grew to really like them. They all added great things to the story.
In relationship to Beast, I would really like to know what happened to him, and I'm hoping I will find the answers to that in the next book in the series.
If you like stories of assassins and romance then you'll more than likely like this.
I'd had this on my "to read" shelf on here for a while and then removed it, thinking that since I very rarely read historical books that I might not enjoy it after all.
What a load of rubbish that was!
The synopsis made me think it would be like the <i>Throne of Glass</i> series and in a way it was; assassin, a bit of romance, but it was also not. This was based on true events and there was a lot of different things happening in relation to the duchy.
I have to admit that the first 10-15% was a bit hard for me to get into. There wasn't too much detail about her time at the abbey and as much as I was interested in what she was learning there that bit started to bore me after a while.
It was only with the arrival of Duval and the sparks they ignited that I really started to get into this. I could tell straight away that something was going to happen there and since I'm a romance reader I was happy that there was the possibility of romance. It was nice reading the slow progression of their relationship as it changed.
As for everyone else; Anne, Isabeau, Beast etc. I grew to really like them. They all added great things to the story.
In relationship to Beast, I would really like to know what happened to him, and I'm hoping I will find the answers to that in the next book in the series.
If you like stories of assassins and romance then you'll more than likely like this.
Blaine Harrison recommended track Seventeen by Sharon Van Etten in Remind Me Tommorow by Sharon Van Etten in Music (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Ace of Spades in Books
Jul 22, 2021
A dark thriller that delves into racism
Devon and Chiamaka are both Senior Prefects at Niveus Private Academy, a super elite school for the wealthy. Chiamaka has been working her entire life to attain success and popularity at Niveus, while Devon, a scholarship student, focuses on his music. The only black students in their school, they aren't exactly friends. But then the two of them suddenly become the target of Aces--an anonymous texter and bully who seems determined to ruin their lives. Aces knows all their secrets, ones that could destroy everything they've worked for. This seems beyond a high school prank. Who is Aces and what do they want?
This was a very hyped book and while I enjoyed it, it didn't live up to the hype for me. This is a really rare opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt. It got better over time, but I had a hard time getting into it, finding it slow and choppy. The plot seemed disjointed and when the big twists are revealed, they seem off with the earlier pieces of the story. I understood the concept, but couldn't really see how it all related, or believe that it all worked together so seamlessly.
The book certainly is timely and its themes of racism and hatred are strong and well-done. It's terrifying because it's true, so to speak. You'll feel for Chia and Devon, though I found myself wishing I knew more about them and that their stories didn't jump from one place to another. Perhaps taking a step back, seeing the tale as an allegory, helps more, but even then I'm not sure (trying to avoid spoilers).
Overall, this is an interesting story, but it was jumpy and made some crazy leaps at times. 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars here.
This was a very hyped book and while I enjoyed it, it didn't live up to the hype for me. This is a really rare opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt. It got better over time, but I had a hard time getting into it, finding it slow and choppy. The plot seemed disjointed and when the big twists are revealed, they seem off with the earlier pieces of the story. I understood the concept, but couldn't really see how it all related, or believe that it all worked together so seamlessly.
The book certainly is timely and its themes of racism and hatred are strong and well-done. It's terrifying because it's true, so to speak. You'll feel for Chia and Devon, though I found myself wishing I knew more about them and that their stories didn't jump from one place to another. Perhaps taking a step back, seeing the tale as an allegory, helps more, but even then I'm not sure (trying to avoid spoilers).
Overall, this is an interesting story, but it was jumpy and made some crazy leaps at times. 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars here.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Sea Gate in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from a dual perspective by Becky and Olivia. Becky is tasked to make the old crumbling house livable for Olivia. Becky is lovely, but quite a troubled character. Grief, unsatisfying love life, fear of illness and other things occupy Becky’s mind very often… I really liked Olivia in this novel, at present she is this tough old cookie but when we start delving into her childhood, we can see how wonderful she truly is. I enjoyed Olivia’s parts because she was very mysterious throughout this book, and I really enjoyed all the little discoveries that author had to offer with every single chapter.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Trick 'r Treat (2007) in Movies
Oct 6, 2020
Quite possibly the epitome of fun Halloween based horrors, Trick 'r Treat has a lot to offer.
There isn't one solid narrative, but rather several different stories with different characters, all taking place in the same town, on Halloween night. This format means we get treated to a multitude of genre staples - werewolves, zombies, serial killers, vampires - they're all tidyly woven together to give us a decent semi-anthology adventure. Well eventually anyway... It does feel a little messy to start with, erratically jumping from story to story, but a little perseverance is rewarded around the half way point where everything is put together in a satisfying manner.
The aesthetic of Trick 'r Treat is great. It has a distinct Halloween-y look, whilst managing to feel otherworldly in places. The swamp zombies look pretty creepy, and the werewolf transformations are visceral and inspired. The true star is the glue that holds this all together though - Sam. This little sack headed creepy fucker somehow manages to be adorable, and horrifying. I mean, he uses a bitten on candy-lolly to slash people up! Only people who don't respect the more traditional aspects of Halloween however. He's become something of an beloved character in the horror world - it would be great to see Sam return in a follow up some day.
Trick 'r Treat is a little cheesy at times, and takes a while to reveal it's clever side, but it's a perfectly enjoyable slice of Halloween horror, with a good cast (featuring Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Brian Cox), a memorable anti-hero (the adorable little shit), some great effects and make up work, and a great music score by Douglas Pipes.
Certianly worth a watch, even if it's a seasonal thing.
There isn't one solid narrative, but rather several different stories with different characters, all taking place in the same town, on Halloween night. This format means we get treated to a multitude of genre staples - werewolves, zombies, serial killers, vampires - they're all tidyly woven together to give us a decent semi-anthology adventure. Well eventually anyway... It does feel a little messy to start with, erratically jumping from story to story, but a little perseverance is rewarded around the half way point where everything is put together in a satisfying manner.
The aesthetic of Trick 'r Treat is great. It has a distinct Halloween-y look, whilst managing to feel otherworldly in places. The swamp zombies look pretty creepy, and the werewolf transformations are visceral and inspired. The true star is the glue that holds this all together though - Sam. This little sack headed creepy fucker somehow manages to be adorable, and horrifying. I mean, he uses a bitten on candy-lolly to slash people up! Only people who don't respect the more traditional aspects of Halloween however. He's become something of an beloved character in the horror world - it would be great to see Sam return in a follow up some day.
Trick 'r Treat is a little cheesy at times, and takes a while to reveal it's clever side, but it's a perfectly enjoyable slice of Halloween horror, with a good cast (featuring Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Brian Cox), a memorable anti-hero (the adorable little shit), some great effects and make up work, and a great music score by Douglas Pipes.
Certianly worth a watch, even if it's a seasonal thing.