Search
Search results
Merissa (12788 KP) rated Curse of the Healer (The Derbfine Series #1) in Books
Mar 30, 2018
Curse of the Healer (Derbfine, #1) by Ashley York
Curse of the Healer is the first book in the Descendants of the High King series, and introduces us to a world gone by, a world very different to our own. Aednat was born with a clubbed foot, and banished from her clan by her grandfather. Her cousin, Sean, returns her to the fold when he takes over, but Aednat is never quite welcomed. Also, as a healer, she is regarded with suspicion and mostly ignored unless her skills are needed. Sean calls for a meeting of all the clan leaders, but betrayal leads to Aednat being on the run, under the care of Diarmuid. Oengus believes she is the Great Healer, and as such, wants her power. Diarmuid will do anything he can to protect her.
This is an exceedingly well written book that will enfold you within the mists of time. There was nothing about this story that stood out as being false, or as being in the wrong time zone! There were no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, and the pace was smooth. With a very good group of main and supporting characters, I can't wait to head back and read more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
This is an exceedingly well written book that will enfold you within the mists of time. There was nothing about this story that stood out as being false, or as being in the wrong time zone! There were no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, and the pace was smooth. With a very good group of main and supporting characters, I can't wait to head back and read more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
Contains spoilers, click to show
I read this novel for the Smashbomb book club and, even though the premise is good, it missed the mark for me.
The characters were very well crafted, I particularly liked Dustfinger, because he's a complex mixture of good and evil. The interaction between the characters was very good.
The problem for me, was the plot. The idea of book characters coming to life in the real world, sounded really appealing. When I started reading this, I expected it conjure up the magic I experienced when I read stories as a child. What I found was, that the plot of this book revolved around the characters going to a location, being captured, escaping and being recaptured and taken back to where they were before. This meant that.even though this was over 500 pages, I felt this book completely lacked drive.
I liked the message of reading books being magical, but I felt like this idea was integrated into the story in a forced way. By the end it felt like it was preaching a little bit in my opinion.
I also didn't like some of the decisions the characters made. It took a long time for any kind of resolution to happen and even then, the plan they carried out, felt a bit feeble and slightly rushed.
I wanted to love this, but unfortunately, it was just an ok read for me.
The characters were very well crafted, I particularly liked Dustfinger, because he's a complex mixture of good and evil. The interaction between the characters was very good.
The problem for me, was the plot. The idea of book characters coming to life in the real world, sounded really appealing. When I started reading this, I expected it conjure up the magic I experienced when I read stories as a child. What I found was, that the plot of this book revolved around the characters going to a location, being captured, escaping and being recaptured and taken back to where they were before. This meant that.even though this was over 500 pages, I felt this book completely lacked drive.
I liked the message of reading books being magical, but I felt like this idea was integrated into the story in a forced way. By the end it felt like it was preaching a little bit in my opinion.
I also didn't like some of the decisions the characters made. It took a long time for any kind of resolution to happen and even then, the plan they carried out, felt a bit feeble and slightly rushed.
I wanted to love this, but unfortunately, it was just an ok read for me.
TS
The Subject of Experience
Book
The Subject of Experience is about the self, the person. It takes the form of a series of essays...
Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Charlie Goes to School (Adventures with Charlie #1) in Books
Sep 17, 2022
Charlie Goes to School is a story based on a true story. It is about a little boy that has some special needs. The book focuses on what Charlie can rather than what he can not do. This is a good book for children and parents alike. An to show that being different is okay. They may look and do things a bit differently.
This book goes through the adventures that Charlie does to go to school. It shows and tells us how he goes about his day at school. It shows the help and friends he does have at school and in town. Some of his favorite things he likes to do and classes. The pictures are done well.
I love reading about different children and learning what they can do with their abilities, whether they are physical or mental. This book can teach children and parents that having someone with special needs can teach and inspire others how they do things.
This little boy is an inspiration and a charmer, just being himself, and his family accepts him for being him. If you love him and do what is best for him, that is all that matters. Charlie seems like he been happy and is learning to do some adventures of his own. This series is called “Adventures with Charlie” Charlie Goes to School. Charlie seems to join the fun of trying new things. What fun will you do on a school bus and at school?
This book goes through the adventures that Charlie does to go to school. It shows and tells us how he goes about his day at school. It shows the help and friends he does have at school and in town. Some of his favorite things he likes to do and classes. The pictures are done well.
I love reading about different children and learning what they can do with their abilities, whether they are physical or mental. This book can teach children and parents that having someone with special needs can teach and inspire others how they do things.
This little boy is an inspiration and a charmer, just being himself, and his family accepts him for being him. If you love him and do what is best for him, that is all that matters. Charlie seems like he been happy and is learning to do some adventures of his own. This series is called “Adventures with Charlie” Charlie Goes to School. Charlie seems to join the fun of trying new things. What fun will you do on a school bus and at school?
Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated Dread Nation in Books
Oct 1, 2018
I read Dread Nation a few months ago and I thought it was just ok. I had been looking forward to it for some time before I read it so maybe because of my high expectations I didn't give it a fair shot, idk.
I did like the analogous way Ireland tackled the race and social issues for the most part but the plot was basically a mess. It just didn't flow well from the events in Maryland to being sent out west and some parts felt more like random filler than relevant to the plot. I'm generally a fan of longer books but this one could have easily been 100 pages shorter without really losing anything, at least in my opinion.
The world building wasn't anything special. I felt like she had the chance to do something truly original here but instead it relies on preconceived notions of the old south and the wild west as depicted in old westerns, just with the addition of zombies.
With the exception of Jane, I didn't really think the characters were as well developed as they could have been. Jane's sass was great, I enjoyed how clearly her personality comes through in the writing but I did find her kind of 'know-it-all,' smarter than everyone around her type of attitude a bit grating at times. I was hoping to see something more than just the enemies to friends trope with Jane and Katherine as well.
Overall, I was a little disappointed with Dread Nation. I expected it to be so much more original than it turned out to be as far as a piece of spec fiction. As commentary on slavery, racism, and social injustice issues I thought it was done well.
I'll most likely pick up the sequel though, as I believe this series will continue to improve.
I did like the analogous way Ireland tackled the race and social issues for the most part but the plot was basically a mess. It just didn't flow well from the events in Maryland to being sent out west and some parts felt more like random filler than relevant to the plot. I'm generally a fan of longer books but this one could have easily been 100 pages shorter without really losing anything, at least in my opinion.
The world building wasn't anything special. I felt like she had the chance to do something truly original here but instead it relies on preconceived notions of the old south and the wild west as depicted in old westerns, just with the addition of zombies.
With the exception of Jane, I didn't really think the characters were as well developed as they could have been. Jane's sass was great, I enjoyed how clearly her personality comes through in the writing but I did find her kind of 'know-it-all,' smarter than everyone around her type of attitude a bit grating at times. I was hoping to see something more than just the enemies to friends trope with Jane and Katherine as well.
Overall, I was a little disappointed with Dread Nation. I expected it to be so much more original than it turned out to be as far as a piece of spec fiction. As commentary on slavery, racism, and social injustice issues I thought it was done well.
I'll most likely pick up the sequel though, as I believe this series will continue to improve.
Kelly Outdoors
Podcast
Kelly Outdoors Radio was started a few years back, Partly because I wanted to reach out to folks in...
ClareR (5864 KP) rated The Hemlock Cure in Books
Apr 6, 2023
The Hemlock Cure was a fascinating insight into the lives of ordinary people during the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) epidemic of 1665-1666. The plague is very much in the background of this story for most of it, though.
The real evil isn’t a disease, it’s being shut in with people who clearly do not have good intentions.
The village of Eyam is well known for the decision to shut itself off from the outside world when its inhabitants started to become ill and die. They understood that the only way to halt the spread of the disease was to isolate themselves - a selfless act.
This novel looks at some of the families and their relationships inside and outside of their family units. The local apothecary and his daughter Mae, are one such family. Mae is desperate to be her fathers apprentice, but this isn’t a time in history where it’s safe for a woman to be working with herbs. So Mae studies with the midwife and a local wise woman (who are both also skating on thin ice, truth be told).
The plague wasn’t a constant in London it appears, and we travel there with one of the main characters. The contrast between the country village and London was quite something to read. I could almost smell the difference off the page!!
I enjoyed the pacing of this book: in Eyam the time crawls, whilst in London everything is all hustle and bustle.
The slow reveal of the terrible secrets in Mae’s family are not so much shocking as terrifying. Wulfric, Mae’s father, is not a well man. It seems to be a race against time for Mae.
I would most definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans - and if you like a mystery, you may well like this as well.
The real evil isn’t a disease, it’s being shut in with people who clearly do not have good intentions.
The village of Eyam is well known for the decision to shut itself off from the outside world when its inhabitants started to become ill and die. They understood that the only way to halt the spread of the disease was to isolate themselves - a selfless act.
This novel looks at some of the families and their relationships inside and outside of their family units. The local apothecary and his daughter Mae, are one such family. Mae is desperate to be her fathers apprentice, but this isn’t a time in history where it’s safe for a woman to be working with herbs. So Mae studies with the midwife and a local wise woman (who are both also skating on thin ice, truth be told).
The plague wasn’t a constant in London it appears, and we travel there with one of the main characters. The contrast between the country village and London was quite something to read. I could almost smell the difference off the page!!
I enjoyed the pacing of this book: in Eyam the time crawls, whilst in London everything is all hustle and bustle.
The slow reveal of the terrible secrets in Mae’s family are not so much shocking as terrifying. Wulfric, Mae’s father, is not a well man. It seems to be a race against time for Mae.
I would most definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans - and if you like a mystery, you may well like this as well.
Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Let's Talk! Going to the Zoo in Books
Jun 26, 2022
Are you looking for a good sports book for your newest little one? Well, HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is good to have along with the others in the small sports set. This one is a funny game of baseball for young children and toddlers.
This lovely board book will teach them about baseball and baseball term words. It is adorable and will be enjoyable for children.; It a game between Cows and Bears? Who will win in the ninth inning?
Want to take your youngest fans of baseball to a game? Well, this book can do that without leaving your home—what a time for me to be reading this book. However, the baseball season starts in April, which is Spring. This sports season is still going on, as I write. I thought this book was quite an adorable read. I love the back and forth of the story—it is like being at a real ball game.
Children will learn about baseball and enjoy the rhyming as your read. Parents can help young readers learn to read and learn about a sport. The book is a fast and quick read. Who will win the game of the year? Young fans will enjoy the story, and the pictures stand done well. Baseball is a good family event as well. If you are a baseball fan, you might have a little fan of your own and HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is terrific to have your child or children's bookshelf. They can learn a little about the game through this lovely book.
Anyone can enjoy a book about baseball. It is a good summer sports event to go to and have family fun. You do not need to worry about your toddler holding and to play with this book. It is a board book and sturdy for them.
This lovely board book will teach them about baseball and baseball term words. It is adorable and will be enjoyable for children.; It a game between Cows and Bears? Who will win in the ninth inning?
Want to take your youngest fans of baseball to a game? Well, this book can do that without leaving your home—what a time for me to be reading this book. However, the baseball season starts in April, which is Spring. This sports season is still going on, as I write. I thought this book was quite an adorable read. I love the back and forth of the story—it is like being at a real ball game.
Children will learn about baseball and enjoy the rhyming as your read. Parents can help young readers learn to read and learn about a sport. The book is a fast and quick read. Who will win the game of the year? Young fans will enjoy the story, and the pictures stand done well. Baseball is a good family event as well. If you are a baseball fan, you might have a little fan of your own and HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is terrific to have your child or children's bookshelf. They can learn a little about the game through this lovely book.
Anyone can enjoy a book about baseball. It is a good summer sports event to go to and have family fun. You do not need to worry about your toddler holding and to play with this book. It is a board book and sturdy for them.
Lindsay (1760 KP) rated HomeRun! My First Baseball Game in Books
Jun 14, 2022
Are you looking for a good sports book for your newest little one? Well, HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is good to have along with the others in the small sports set. This one is a funny game of baseball for young children and toddlers.
This lovely board book will teach them about baseball and baseball term words. It is adorable and will be enjoyable for children.; It a game between Cows and Bears? Who will win in the ninth inning?
Want to take your youngest fans of baseball to a game? Well, this book can do that without leaving your home—what a time for me to be reading this book. However, the baseball season starts in April, which is Spring. This sports season is still going on, as I write. I thought this book was quite an adorable read. I love the back and forth of the story—it is like being at a real ball game.
Children will learn about baseball and enjoy the rhyming as your read. Parents can help young readers learn to read and learn about a sport. The book is a fast and quick read. Who will win the game of the year? Young fans will enjoy the story, and the pictures stand done well. Baseball is a good family event as well. If you are a baseball fan, you might have a little fan of your own and HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is terrific to have your child or children's bookshelf. They can learn a little about the game through this lovely book.
Anyone can enjoy a book about baseball. It is a good summer sports event to go to and have family fun. You do not need to worry about your toddler holding and to play with this book. It is a board book and sturdy for them.
This lovely board book will teach them about baseball and baseball term words. It is adorable and will be enjoyable for children.; It a game between Cows and Bears? Who will win in the ninth inning?
Want to take your youngest fans of baseball to a game? Well, this book can do that without leaving your home—what a time for me to be reading this book. However, the baseball season starts in April, which is Spring. This sports season is still going on, as I write. I thought this book was quite an adorable read. I love the back and forth of the story—it is like being at a real ball game.
Children will learn about baseball and enjoy the rhyming as your read. Parents can help young readers learn to read and learn about a sport. The book is a fast and quick read. Who will win the game of the year? Young fans will enjoy the story, and the pictures stand done well. Baseball is a good family event as well. If you are a baseball fan, you might have a little fan of your own and HomeRun! My First Baseball Game is terrific to have your child or children's bookshelf. They can learn a little about the game through this lovely book.
Anyone can enjoy a book about baseball. It is a good summer sports event to go to and have family fun. You do not need to worry about your toddler holding and to play with this book. It is a board book and sturdy for them.
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Thanos is badass
Starring - EVERYONE!! (almost)
Plot - Mad Titan Thanos is hunting down the infinity stones to add to his gauntlet so he can kill half the universe. Avengers, Guardians and co must stop him.
First impressions - Holy crap this film looks excellent. As expected the trailer was the unfinished article and this film looks amazing.
The plot is thin but with 10years of back story, I'd say that's allowed. Thanos is an excellent villain who is fleshed out and well motivated. Something that has been lacking from most MCU Villians.
Were the Russo brothers able to pull off so many characters being in one film?
- in a word, yes. True that some characters get more time than others but the way they jump between plot lines and sub plots feels incredibly well stitched together.
Action?
Action a plenty and very well done. Inventive and on a cosmic scale.
Is it a clever film?
....it has plot holes but they could be explained away if you so wish. My advice, just go with it. It's a universe with rage monsters, Gods and Titans.
Is it worthy of the MCU?
This is the MCU at some of its finest.
Sum up:
This is balls to the wall crazy. Some of the most fun I've had at the cinema in years. I cheered on multiple occasions, found myself holding my breath and gave it a standing ovation.
Plot - Mad Titan Thanos is hunting down the infinity stones to add to his gauntlet so he can kill half the universe. Avengers, Guardians and co must stop him.
First impressions - Holy crap this film looks excellent. As expected the trailer was the unfinished article and this film looks amazing.
The plot is thin but with 10years of back story, I'd say that's allowed. Thanos is an excellent villain who is fleshed out and well motivated. Something that has been lacking from most MCU Villians.
Were the Russo brothers able to pull off so many characters being in one film?
- in a word, yes. True that some characters get more time than others but the way they jump between plot lines and sub plots feels incredibly well stitched together.
Action?
Action a plenty and very well done. Inventive and on a cosmic scale.
Is it a clever film?
....it has plot holes but they could be explained away if you so wish. My advice, just go with it. It's a universe with rage monsters, Gods and Titans.
Is it worthy of the MCU?
This is the MCU at some of its finest.
Sum up:
This is balls to the wall crazy. Some of the most fun I've had at the cinema in years. I cheered on multiple occasions, found myself holding my breath and gave it a standing ovation.