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Sophie Wink (11 KP) rated Fangirl in Books
Jun 20, 2019
"Fangirl is a deliciously warm-hearted nerd power ballad destined for greatness" - New York Journal of Books
I really couldn't agree more! I just loved the book inside and out, it is beautifully written.
The storyline as a whole is great and conveyed wonderfully. I really like how it is relatable for many teenagers, like myself, who may be going to University, leaving home and having to make new friends. It is very well done indeed. I love the overarching theme of family and loyalty, I think it really molds the story and the characters too, for me personally family and friends are incredibly important and it is nice to see a true projection of that within a novel as it allows me to connect with the characters and really feel for them.
I love all of the characters! Cath has such a beautiful soul, I can't help but admire her loyalty and innocence. I really love how she stays true to herself throughout the book, she doesn't try to be something she is not adding to her likability. Sometimes within novels the slow development of a character, for me, can be quite boring and uninteresting but with Cath I think it fits perfectly as it would be out of her nature to develop so quickly, she takes things slowly and at her own pace which I really love. I think the fact that Wren tries to be cooler and popular works really well especially when she realises that she is just as much of a nerd as her sister. The twins' ongoing battle with their mother is really beautifully done, and in ways quite unexpected as you would think that Cath would be the accepting one and Wren the more stubborn but it is the opposite, I think it works perfectly and doesn't detract from either character. I really connected with the characters and truly felt for them whether it be sympathy, anger or joy. I enjoyed the slow, blossoming love between Cath and Levi, it made me smile and feel warm inside. It is really sweet and written in such a subtle way with a slower development fitting to both Cath and Levi's character.
I like the quirkiness of this novel, I don't think I've ever read a book that has its own little book inside it. It is incredibly unique and worked fantastically well, I loved it. I think being able to see and read what the twins, mainly Cath, poured their heart and soul into really helped with the connection I felt as a reader towards these characters as I could see the passion and the effort. It's a fascinatingly imaginative concept of which I completely adore.
Overall, this novel is amazing, imaginative and incredibly charming.
I really couldn't agree more! I just loved the book inside and out, it is beautifully written.
The storyline as a whole is great and conveyed wonderfully. I really like how it is relatable for many teenagers, like myself, who may be going to University, leaving home and having to make new friends. It is very well done indeed. I love the overarching theme of family and loyalty, I think it really molds the story and the characters too, for me personally family and friends are incredibly important and it is nice to see a true projection of that within a novel as it allows me to connect with the characters and really feel for them.
I love all of the characters! Cath has such a beautiful soul, I can't help but admire her loyalty and innocence. I really love how she stays true to herself throughout the book, she doesn't try to be something she is not adding to her likability. Sometimes within novels the slow development of a character, for me, can be quite boring and uninteresting but with Cath I think it fits perfectly as it would be out of her nature to develop so quickly, she takes things slowly and at her own pace which I really love. I think the fact that Wren tries to be cooler and popular works really well especially when she realises that she is just as much of a nerd as her sister. The twins' ongoing battle with their mother is really beautifully done, and in ways quite unexpected as you would think that Cath would be the accepting one and Wren the more stubborn but it is the opposite, I think it works perfectly and doesn't detract from either character. I really connected with the characters and truly felt for them whether it be sympathy, anger or joy. I enjoyed the slow, blossoming love between Cath and Levi, it made me smile and feel warm inside. It is really sweet and written in such a subtle way with a slower development fitting to both Cath and Levi's character.
I like the quirkiness of this novel, I don't think I've ever read a book that has its own little book inside it. It is incredibly unique and worked fantastically well, I loved it. I think being able to see and read what the twins, mainly Cath, poured their heart and soul into really helped with the connection I felt as a reader towards these characters as I could see the passion and the effort. It's a fascinatingly imaginative concept of which I completely adore.
Overall, this novel is amazing, imaginative and incredibly charming.
Midge (525 KP) rated The Birthday Mystery in Books
Dec 29, 2018
Strong characters (2 more)
Good mystery
Great for food-lovers
Great Whodunit!
Over recent months I've become a great fan of cozy mysteries so, when I saw a new series featuring Jenny Starling being launched, I knew I had to read "The Birthday Mystery." Also, it has a culinary theme which I love and a little light humour.
First, we are introduced to Jenny who is catering for the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. In her late twenties, Jenny is an impressive woman. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous father is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny is happy travelling the country catering for events and cooking great food. She is on a mission to bring back traditional home cooked food and to offer new and exciting recipes made with fresh ingredients. She arrives at the twins family country house located in a picturesque and charming village and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
The birthday party goes ahead and then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast . . . and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled and there is a whole party full of suspects.
Jenny finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. She is very observant, with an agile mind and an amazing ability to interpret clues and hidden meanings. Her wit and sense of humour help her sanity when all around her, people are dropping like flies. When it comes to someone possibly adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
There are many suspects in this mystery, clues a-plenty and red herrings all the way through this book. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in "The Birthday Mystery" was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel featuring Jenny Starling very soon and other books by the author, Faith Martin. "The Birthday Mystery" whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
First, we are introduced to Jenny who is catering for the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. In her late twenties, Jenny is an impressive woman. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous father is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny is happy travelling the country catering for events and cooking great food. She is on a mission to bring back traditional home cooked food and to offer new and exciting recipes made with fresh ingredients. She arrives at the twins family country house located in a picturesque and charming village and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
The birthday party goes ahead and then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast . . . and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled and there is a whole party full of suspects.
Jenny finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. She is very observant, with an agile mind and an amazing ability to interpret clues and hidden meanings. Her wit and sense of humour help her sanity when all around her, people are dropping like flies. When it comes to someone possibly adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
There are many suspects in this mystery, clues a-plenty and red herrings all the way through this book. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in "The Birthday Mystery" was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel featuring Jenny Starling very soon and other books by the author, Faith Martin. "The Birthday Mystery" whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
As a young girl Molly (Tessa Thompson) comes into contact with an alien in her back yard. When mysterious men show up and erase her parents memory of the incident it sparks a twenty year quest to find out the truth and find the Men in Black. She is smart and persistent and she becomes the first person to infiltrate the clandestine agency. After convincing Agent O (Emma Thompson) that she is worth taking a chance on, she becomes a probationary agent and sent to London. There she is tasked with helping Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) on a mission to stop some mysterious alien twins (Laurent Bourgeois and Larry Bourgeois) from getting their hands on a world destroying weapon. But they have no idea that a mole within the Men in Black could be their biggest obstacle in protecting the Earth from a destruction.
The Men in Black franchise returns with an international spin with very few familiar faces, Emma Thompson being on of very few, and a lot of new faces. F. Gary Gary (Straight Outta Compton, The Fate of the Furious) helms the fourth installment of the series as director. Tessa Thompson and Hemsworth reunite on screen after the successful Thor: Ragnarok, to head a large cast, including Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Neeson, Rebecca Ferguson and more.
If you are a fan of the previous three MiB films you are going to get the gun battles, cool new aliens and plenty of lasers. Also there are some really funny lines, most of them delivered by Nanjiani. The characters are really interesting and you get all of the action that you expect from a summer “blockbuster.” I really liked some of the CGI especially the stuff that had to do with the Alien Twins. The story really is predictable. From the start you can really tell how the entire movie will play out, for the most part. The previous films also had plenty of cheesy moments but it seems like they really ramped it up for this installment. I thought that Will Smith had really taken the Men in Black series about as far as he could and was excited for the new blood, but left feeling let down but this film. The promise of the characters washed away with the predictability and choppiness of the story.
I think this film will appeal to a younger audience and would be a good matinee watch for a family. Enough funny lines to keep the adults engaged and it moves at a fast enough pace to keep kids engaged. If you have never seen the other Men in Black films this might be a good introduction and get you to watch the first three movies. But I think fans of the previous three films may feel let down, as I did.
The Men in Black franchise returns with an international spin with very few familiar faces, Emma Thompson being on of very few, and a lot of new faces. F. Gary Gary (Straight Outta Compton, The Fate of the Furious) helms the fourth installment of the series as director. Tessa Thompson and Hemsworth reunite on screen after the successful Thor: Ragnarok, to head a large cast, including Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Neeson, Rebecca Ferguson and more.
If you are a fan of the previous three MiB films you are going to get the gun battles, cool new aliens and plenty of lasers. Also there are some really funny lines, most of them delivered by Nanjiani. The characters are really interesting and you get all of the action that you expect from a summer “blockbuster.” I really liked some of the CGI especially the stuff that had to do with the Alien Twins. The story really is predictable. From the start you can really tell how the entire movie will play out, for the most part. The previous films also had plenty of cheesy moments but it seems like they really ramped it up for this installment. I thought that Will Smith had really taken the Men in Black series about as far as he could and was excited for the new blood, but left feeling let down but this film. The promise of the characters washed away with the predictability and choppiness of the story.
I think this film will appeal to a younger audience and would be a good matinee watch for a family. Enough funny lines to keep the adults engaged and it moves at a fast enough pace to keep kids engaged. If you have never seen the other Men in Black films this might be a good introduction and get you to watch the first three movies. But I think fans of the previous three films may feel let down, as I did.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Little Darlings in Books
Mar 23, 2019
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Little Darlings by Melanie Golding has been described as an "unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Grimms’ Fairy Tales." I would say I enjoyed the novel, its plot, and the writing.
Like almost all mothers with newborns, Lauren Tranter is exhausted from lack of sleep. Lauren has it worse than many mothers because she gave birth to twins. SInce she is so exhausted and sleep deprived no one believes her when, still in the hospital, she claims someone tried to take her children and wants to replace them with her own.
A month later her children are taken but when they are returned Lauren knows they are not really her children. Again, no one believes her.
What do you do when everyone tells you are wrong and does not believe you? Do you start to wonder if they are right? What if you are positive you are right and everyone else is wrong?
Melanie Golding's debut novel is a slow start but it is worth reading. The novel gets creepier and most suspenseful as the story progresses. The writing and character development, and the creepy stories at the beginning on the chapters helped set the mood well.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/23/19.
Little Darlings by Melanie Golding has been described as an "unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Grimms’ Fairy Tales." I would say I enjoyed the novel, its plot, and the writing.
Like almost all mothers with newborns, Lauren Tranter is exhausted from lack of sleep. Lauren has it worse than many mothers because she gave birth to twins. SInce she is so exhausted and sleep deprived no one believes her when, still in the hospital, she claims someone tried to take her children and wants to replace them with her own.
A month later her children are taken but when they are returned Lauren knows they are not really her children. Again, no one believes her.
What do you do when everyone tells you are wrong and does not believe you? Do you start to wonder if they are right? What if you are positive you are right and everyone else is wrong?
Melanie Golding's debut novel is a slow start but it is worth reading. The novel gets creepier and most suspenseful as the story progresses. The writing and character development, and the creepy stories at the beginning on the chapters helped set the mood well.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/23/19.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Playmates in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Tania and Trevor Wilde are twins. They live in a small lake town with their parents. Every night their parents have "wine time" where they hurl bottles and insults at each other. Tania and Trevor spend "wine time" in their room wishing they could be anywhere else and making a plan to get away. The Wilde family is the definition of a dysfunctional family. Mom is abusive towards Tania and Trevor feels helpless to stop it. Then she invites strange men into the home while dad is away working. The next day, though, she will have bible study with some of her friends. Dad, is not exempt from the dysfunction. He is a professor at the local community college and brings home co-eds to the basement.
Tania frequently thinks about death and often coaxes Trevor to the dark side. She doesn't have many friends so she counts on her brother to fill that void. Then an unfortunate incident takes place and makes them both a lot darker.
Playmates, is a psychological thriller about killer kids. While this book did not have me on the edge of my seat, it held and captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to the next titles in the Wilde series. Bedmates and Soulmates.
Tania frequently thinks about death and often coaxes Trevor to the dark side. She doesn't have many friends so she counts on her brother to fill that void. Then an unfortunate incident takes place and makes them both a lot darker.
Playmates, is a psychological thriller about killer kids. While this book did not have me on the edge of my seat, it held and captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to the next titles in the Wilde series. Bedmates and Soulmates.
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8.7
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