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Jade Clarke-Mackintosh (7 KP) rated Come Sundown in Books
Jan 22, 2018
Brilliant but a harrowing read!
I am a big fan of Nora Roberts, and this book undoubtedly shows just why she has become such a top seller. Romantic suspense or crime thrillers aren't usually my thing but this author has a way of dragging me, and I know whatever I read will be worth it.
This book was very hard to read in places and extremely dark, some of the subject matters were hard hitting and I had to put the book down and walk away for a for a while. I am surprised it didn't come with a bit more of a warning to readers.
The story centres around the Bodine family who have a ranch resort in Montana. Like all her books it is based on family values and the healing powers of friendships formed. The story centres around Bodine Longbow manager of the resort side, which her family have had for generations. Due to circumstances out of her control she is in need of a horseman, and it just so happens here brothers best friend is back in town after a stint in Hollywood with his show horse Sundown. She has had a crush on him since they were at school and it is very sweet to watch the romance blossom between the two.
Alongside of this in true Nora style, there is another darker, more sinister story developing. One member of the Bodine family Alice, has be gone for years, expected of being a run away and giving up on the family as she was always strong willed and somewhat of a free spirit, was actually kidnapped whilst making her way home and has been in confinement in a room for years, being brutally beaten and raped repeatedly by a religious nut, who believes women are for bearing children and doing as their husbands tell them. Most of these scenes reduced me to tears.
<i>“He told her she was his property now. Though she’d clearly been a whore before he’d saved her on the side of the road, she was his responsibility now. And his to do with as he pleased.
He suggested she read the Bible, as it was written a woman was to be under a man’s dominance, how God had created woman from Adam’s rib to serve as his helpmate and to bear his children.”</i>
These scenes and many like them, within the book are very graphic, and there are a lot of triggers. As mentioned earlier in my review I had to put the book down and go do other things to get my mind off what was happening. Time and time again Nora shows how the love of family and friends can mend almost anything.
There are lots of parallel story lines running throughout the book, which all come together towards the end, making the darker parts more bearable. Another brilliant book by the author, the only reason I didn't give it five stars is because of how much I struggled with parts of the brutality and abuse.
This book was very hard to read in places and extremely dark, some of the subject matters were hard hitting and I had to put the book down and walk away for a for a while. I am surprised it didn't come with a bit more of a warning to readers.
The story centres around the Bodine family who have a ranch resort in Montana. Like all her books it is based on family values and the healing powers of friendships formed. The story centres around Bodine Longbow manager of the resort side, which her family have had for generations. Due to circumstances out of her control she is in need of a horseman, and it just so happens here brothers best friend is back in town after a stint in Hollywood with his show horse Sundown. She has had a crush on him since they were at school and it is very sweet to watch the romance blossom between the two.
Alongside of this in true Nora style, there is another darker, more sinister story developing. One member of the Bodine family Alice, has be gone for years, expected of being a run away and giving up on the family as she was always strong willed and somewhat of a free spirit, was actually kidnapped whilst making her way home and has been in confinement in a room for years, being brutally beaten and raped repeatedly by a religious nut, who believes women are for bearing children and doing as their husbands tell them. Most of these scenes reduced me to tears.
<i>“He told her she was his property now. Though she’d clearly been a whore before he’d saved her on the side of the road, she was his responsibility now. And his to do with as he pleased.
He suggested she read the Bible, as it was written a woman was to be under a man’s dominance, how God had created woman from Adam’s rib to serve as his helpmate and to bear his children.”</i>
These scenes and many like them, within the book are very graphic, and there are a lot of triggers. As mentioned earlier in my review I had to put the book down and go do other things to get my mind off what was happening. Time and time again Nora shows how the love of family and friends can mend almost anything.
There are lots of parallel story lines running throughout the book, which all come together towards the end, making the darker parts more bearable. Another brilliant book by the author, the only reason I didn't give it five stars is because of how much I struggled with parts of the brutality and abuse.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The international success of “The Hunger Games” has had fans the world over eagerly awaiting the next film in the series. Since “The Hunger Games” earned record box office, star Jennifer Lawrence has gone on to win an Academy Award and has become a rising star in Hollywood.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” picks up nearly a year after the events of the first film, as Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), struggles to deal with the events of what happened to her a year earlier. She and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), put up a brave front for the cameras as a united couple, but in actuality, they live apart in the Victor’s Village of District 12.
Katniss spends much of her time with her mom and sister and has fallen back into a relationship with her childhood friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth).
Shortly before Katniss and Peeta are to embark on a Victory Tour of the districts, Katniss is visited by President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who tells Katniss in no uncertain terms that he is not happy with how she showed him up at the conclusion of the past games and if she values her life as well as that of her loved ones, then she had better make him believe that she and Peeta are still an item.
The tour gets off to a rough start when dissent appears in the assembled crowds, and protestors are dealt with in a brutal fashion by the assembled Peacekeepers. Katniss and Peeta are told by their mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), that they can only hope to survive the game and not win, and that they need to follow his advice as well as that of Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), if they want to live a long and happy life.
Depite their best efforts, President Snow is not appeased and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the games, he orders that the tributes from each district be made up of past winners. The plan to eliminate Katniss once and for all by putting her in the games again with an elite squad of killers in an arena designed by new Gamesmaster Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).
Forced to make allies to survive the games again, Peeta and Katniss meet charismatic Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and crazy Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), as they battle in ta deadly tropical arena to survive.
Despite being a bit slow getting started, the movie follows the book fairly closely and has very strong performances form the leads and supporting cast. The film is visually impressive and the action is fast and intense.
Despite reading the book and knowing the story, I was drawn in and was caught up in the action from the start and was one of the more enjoyable experience at the movies for me in 2013.
So much so, that I am already looking forward to the two-part finale of “Mockingjay” as I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2013/11/19/the-hunger-games-catching-fire/
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” picks up nearly a year after the events of the first film, as Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), struggles to deal with the events of what happened to her a year earlier. She and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), put up a brave front for the cameras as a united couple, but in actuality, they live apart in the Victor’s Village of District 12.
Katniss spends much of her time with her mom and sister and has fallen back into a relationship with her childhood friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth).
Shortly before Katniss and Peeta are to embark on a Victory Tour of the districts, Katniss is visited by President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who tells Katniss in no uncertain terms that he is not happy with how she showed him up at the conclusion of the past games and if she values her life as well as that of her loved ones, then she had better make him believe that she and Peeta are still an item.
The tour gets off to a rough start when dissent appears in the assembled crowds, and protestors are dealt with in a brutal fashion by the assembled Peacekeepers. Katniss and Peeta are told by their mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), that they can only hope to survive the game and not win, and that they need to follow his advice as well as that of Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), if they want to live a long and happy life.
Depite their best efforts, President Snow is not appeased and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the games, he orders that the tributes from each district be made up of past winners. The plan to eliminate Katniss once and for all by putting her in the games again with an elite squad of killers in an arena designed by new Gamesmaster Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).
Forced to make allies to survive the games again, Peeta and Katniss meet charismatic Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and crazy Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), as they battle in ta deadly tropical arena to survive.
Despite being a bit slow getting started, the movie follows the book fairly closely and has very strong performances form the leads and supporting cast. The film is visually impressive and the action is fast and intense.
Despite reading the book and knowing the story, I was drawn in and was caught up in the action from the start and was one of the more enjoyable experience at the movies for me in 2013.
So much so, that I am already looking forward to the two-part finale of “Mockingjay” as I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2013/11/19/the-hunger-games-catching-fire/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames, #3) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
It goes without saying that the <i>Going Down in Flames</i> series and I have had a rocky history I wasn't a fan of the <a title="Going Down in Flames review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-going-down-in-flames-by-chris-cannon"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first book</a> (but I totally saw potential!) and I became a little more fond by the second book.
The latest installment in the series doesn't make too much of a blip aside from the fortunate fact the series does <em>not</em> get worse. The series is very slow paced and <i>Trial by Fire</i> doesn't get any faster, but there are other aspects of the book that are much more redeeming and there is definitely plenty of excitement going around for the dragon shifters at the Institute.
In the midst of trying to figure out her love life (which is about as sad as mine if not sadder), trying not to get killed/attacked by rebels, and trying to figure out her connection to Valmont (her knight), Brynn continues to attempt changes to the Directorate's values that have been around for hundreds of years. Bryn actually <em>starts</em> some of those changes in the second book, <a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-bridges-burned-by-chris-cannon"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Bridges Burned</a>, but further progress is definitely made in <i>Trial by Fire</i> as her peers slowly begin to support her including Jaxon himself.
Jaxon is the Draco Malfoy of <i>Going Down in Flames</i> I'm serious. This dude <em>worships</em> his father and just has a Draco air about him ever since the very beginning of the series (it does not help that he occasionally says, "MY FATHER WILL HEAR OF THIS."). But as the series progresses, Jaxon is beginning to shape himself into a memorable character he's certainly not a jerk as he was depicted in the first book. And his hate relationship with Bryn?
It's really gotten to the point where their jabs are hilarious and entertaining to the book overall, because Jaxon's feathers get ruffled <em>so</em> easily. Clint and Ivy are fantastic side characters who provide Bryn with an overwhelming amount of support and I just adore love how they continue to play major roles in the series (YOU CAN NOT KILL THEM, CHRIS CANNON). Valmont just adds to the whole, "Jaxon's feathers get ruffled so easily."
And Byrn? Well... Bryn's okay as the main character. Still worries about her love life a lot, but it's not overshadowing the plot anymore. And since <i>Trial by Fire</i> further proves the slow progression of the revolution in the series, I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait by the time the last book comes out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-trial-by-fire-by-chris-cannon-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
It goes without saying that the <i>Going Down in Flames</i> series and I have had a rocky history I wasn't a fan of the <a title="Going Down in Flames review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-going-down-in-flames-by-chris-cannon"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first book</a> (but I totally saw potential!) and I became a little more fond by the second book.
The latest installment in the series doesn't make too much of a blip aside from the fortunate fact the series does <em>not</em> get worse. The series is very slow paced and <i>Trial by Fire</i> doesn't get any faster, but there are other aspects of the book that are much more redeeming and there is definitely plenty of excitement going around for the dragon shifters at the Institute.
In the midst of trying to figure out her love life (which is about as sad as mine if not sadder), trying not to get killed/attacked by rebels, and trying to figure out her connection to Valmont (her knight), Brynn continues to attempt changes to the Directorate's values that have been around for hundreds of years. Bryn actually <em>starts</em> some of those changes in the second book, <a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-bridges-burned-by-chris-cannon"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Bridges Burned</a>, but further progress is definitely made in <i>Trial by Fire</i> as her peers slowly begin to support her including Jaxon himself.
Jaxon is the Draco Malfoy of <i>Going Down in Flames</i> I'm serious. This dude <em>worships</em> his father and just has a Draco air about him ever since the very beginning of the series (it does not help that he occasionally says, "MY FATHER WILL HEAR OF THIS."). But as the series progresses, Jaxon is beginning to shape himself into a memorable character he's certainly not a jerk as he was depicted in the first book. And his hate relationship with Bryn?
It's really gotten to the point where their jabs are hilarious and entertaining to the book overall, because Jaxon's feathers get ruffled <em>so</em> easily. Clint and Ivy are fantastic side characters who provide Bryn with an overwhelming amount of support and I just adore love how they continue to play major roles in the series (YOU CAN NOT KILL THEM, CHRIS CANNON). Valmont just adds to the whole, "Jaxon's feathers get ruffled so easily."
And Byrn? Well... Bryn's okay as the main character. Still worries about her love life a lot, but it's not overshadowing the plot anymore. And since <i>Trial by Fire</i> further proves the slow progression of the revolution in the series, I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait by the time the last book comes out.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-trial-by-fire-by-chris-cannon-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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