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Routledge International Handbook of Self-Control in Health and Wellbeing
Denise De Ridder, Marieke Adriaanse and Kentaro Fujita
Book
The ability to prioritise long-term goals above short-term gratifications is crucial to living a...
Urban Horticulture
Tina Marie Waliczek and Jayne M. Zajicek
Book
In the wake of urbanization and technological advances, public green spaces within cities are...
ClareR (6096 KP) rated Mary I: Queen of Sorrows in Books
Oct 22, 2024
I always feel that Mary I gets a lot of bad press. She’s remembered for her bloodthirsty streak (aka Bloody Mary), for being a strict Catholic and for marrying a foreigner - and a Spaniard at that! Oh, and she was a woman at a time when women weren’t believed to be capable of ruling a country in their own right.
Alison Weir is writing a work of historical fiction, but she has done her research. Of course, a lot of Mary’s story could be open to interpretation, and we’ll never know her exact inner thoughts, but she wrote letters and people wrote things down about her at the time. And personally, I really like Weirs interpretation. She makes Mary a human being, with thoughts, loves, hates and responsibilities. The period in history is described so well, that the reader can understand why Mary had such an extreme reaction to those who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. And, well, Elizabeth I killed a lot more people than Mary ever did, so 🤷🏼♀️
I found the chapters on Mary’s childhood really interesting and very sad. What a traumatic childhood she had.
So, if you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out more about Mary I, then this may well be the book for you too. A totally absorbing read!
Alison Weir is writing a work of historical fiction, but she has done her research. Of course, a lot of Mary’s story could be open to interpretation, and we’ll never know her exact inner thoughts, but she wrote letters and people wrote things down about her at the time. And personally, I really like Weirs interpretation. She makes Mary a human being, with thoughts, loves, hates and responsibilities. The period in history is described so well, that the reader can understand why Mary had such an extreme reaction to those who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. And, well, Elizabeth I killed a lot more people than Mary ever did, so 🤷🏼♀️
I found the chapters on Mary’s childhood really interesting and very sad. What a traumatic childhood she had.
So, if you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out more about Mary I, then this may well be the book for you too. A totally absorbing read!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale in Books
Jun 7, 2018
An interesting take on a dystopian future
I've avoided this book (and show) as I actually thought it was some sort of religious period drama which didn't really appeal. However I'm glad I finally caved in as it's nothing like I thought and actually a very interesting take on a dystopian future.
The main issue with this book is the writing and narrative style. It's different, it takes a bit of getting used to and it's a little frustrating at times. But once you get past this, the story itself is a great one. Its a disturbing tale of a future where religious ideologies rule and women are kept as slaves, and is sadly something that could well end up being true. The story reveals just enough about Offred's past and the world before the state came into being, without being confusing or saying too much. My only issue is the ending. It was very abrupt and potentially cut a little too short. There was much more that could've been said!
The main issue with this book is the writing and narrative style. It's different, it takes a bit of getting used to and it's a little frustrating at times. But once you get past this, the story itself is a great one. Its a disturbing tale of a future where religious ideologies rule and women are kept as slaves, and is sadly something that could well end up being true. The story reveals just enough about Offred's past and the world before the state came into being, without being confusing or saying too much. My only issue is the ending. It was very abrupt and potentially cut a little too short. There was much more that could've been said!
BE
Being Ethnographic: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ethnography
Book
Being Ethnographic is an essential introductory guidebook to the methods and applications of doing...
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Jul 6, 2017
Tom Holland (2 more)
comedy
Robert Downey Jnr
Call Me A Fangirl
Is this the greatest Marvel film of all time? Honestly no. that being said this is brilliant adaptation of spiderman. It's got back to it roots, of being a young kid who happeneds to develop superhuman powers there no long drawn out love story which takes over the whole film. Yes there is a love interest but it not the main thing. The comedy in this film was outstanding. Tom Holland prefoance was brilliant the side characters was entertaing and exciting. Obviously Robert Downey Jnr just adds that extra to an already brilliant film. To the critic that say marvel have had it day you obviously aren't watching what I am. To the creator of the final end credit scence well played.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Abducted (Lizzy Gardner, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>4.25 stars</i>
I was super impressed with this book: the construction, the fleshed out characters, the plotting, just about everything. Lizzy is a great protagonist who is strong, but has her weaknesses, she's disturbed but trying to be normal, she all around feels like a real human being. And she's not the only one, all the secondary characters are done just has well and serve a purpose. The only thing I didn't like was that the cat was a victim. I didn't really feel it was necessary, and I have cats, so I don't want to read about animals being hurt or killed in books. Most especially if it doesn't add anything. Otherwise I would totally recommend the book to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers with realistic characters.
I was super impressed with this book: the construction, the fleshed out characters, the plotting, just about everything. Lizzy is a great protagonist who is strong, but has her weaknesses, she's disturbed but trying to be normal, she all around feels like a real human being. And she's not the only one, all the secondary characters are done just has well and serve a purpose. The only thing I didn't like was that the cat was a victim. I didn't really feel it was necessary, and I have cats, so I don't want to read about animals being hurt or killed in books. Most especially if it doesn't add anything. Otherwise I would totally recommend the book to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers with realistic characters.
Kimmic (814 KP) rated Living with a Serial Killer in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Slow moving (2 more)
Not what you would expect at all
Found it difficult to like the main character
The title is the most exciting bit!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well, I was very excited to read this book, and was quickly disappointed... I did finish it (with maybe scan reading towards the end). This book is about a weak woman being with a very controlling and dominating partner, there is no reference to him being a killer until the very end.
I am not sure I would even forward this book onto a Charity Shop for someone else to waste their time reading it. The title is very misleading and it was sure will for the book to get better that pushed me through to the end (p.s. it doesn't... get better that is!)
I am not sure I would even forward this book onto a Charity Shop for someone else to waste their time reading it. The title is very misleading and it was sure will for the book to get better that pushed me through to the end (p.s. it doesn't... get better that is!)
Briannabrown1019 (799 KP) rated Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1) in Books
Nov 17, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
WOW I was surprised by this one. I read this for a book club, after being recommended to read it a few times because I loved ACOTAR so much. I ended up loving this as well!! It's such an interesting story and I'm definitely going to be continuing the series. With that being said, one of the pros listed as reasons to read this book was that it was super spicy, and with that I'll have to disagree. The sexual tension is there, sure. But the actual steamy scenes didn't start until the last 100 pages and even then they weren't as outrageous as I'd been told. So if you're purely here for spice, I urge you to stay for the plot. If that doesn't matter to you then I recommend this for sure!
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Extraordinary X-Men, Vol 1: X-Haven in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.