It always seems to happen this way. I’d placed holds on three library e-books and all three became available within a few days of each other! On my reading list I now have: Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort by J.K. Rowling. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in French). For some reason it really amuses me to see how the Potter-specific terms were translated into French; “Muggle” becomes “Moldu”, “Squib” becomes “Cracmol” and “Crumple-Horned Snorkack” becomes “Ronflak Cornu.” However, Quidditch remains Quidditch. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen. I think this was a recommendation I picked up from GoodReads. I don’t know much about it, other than that it’s a well written memoir by a Pulitzer prize winning author but it seemed an interesting read. It was free to borrow from the library, so I thought I’d give it a go. Rapture by Kate Lauren. This is the fourth and final part of Lauren’s Young Adult fantasy series about angels and demons. It’s not the best series in the world, and probably not one I’ll invest in to buy, but again, I don’t mind borrowing it from the library to see how it ends….
It always seems to happen this way. I’d placed holds on three library e-books and all three became available within a few days of each other! On my reading list I now have: Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort by J.K. Rowling. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in French). For some reason it really amuses me to see how the Potter-specific terms were translated into French; “Muggle” becomes “Moldu”, “Squib” becomes “Cracmol” and “Crumple-Horned Snorkack” becomes “Ronflak Cornu.” However, Quidditch remains Quidditch. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen. I think this was a recommendation I picked up from GoodReads. I don’t know much about it, other than that it’s a well written memoir by a Pulitzer prize winning author but it seemed an interesting read. It was free to borrow from the library, so I thought I’d give it a go. Rapture by Kate Lauren. This is the fourth and final part of Lauren’s Young Adult fantasy series about angels and demons. It’s not the best series in the world, and probably not one I’ll invest in to buy, but again, I don’t mind borrowing it from the library to see how it ends….
I have read Colfer’s first Artemis Fowl and found it quite a fun read. The Supernaturalist was reasonably priced on Kindle so I decided to pick it up. Both the story (some nice twists and turns) and the characters appealed to me. I found Colfer’s world building to be excellent, too. His light, witty style reminds me a lot of Rick Riordan, whose series I also enjoy. This book isn’t going to provide you with much food for thought, but it will pass a few pleasant hours. I gave The Supernaturalist 5 stars out of 5
I have read Colfer’s first Artemis Fowl and found it quite a fun read. The Supernaturalist was reasonably priced on Kindle so I decided to pick it up. Both the story (some nice twists and turns) and the characters appealed to me. I found Colfer’s world building to be excellent, too. His light, witty style reminds me a lot of Rick Riordan, whose series I also enjoy. This book isn’t going to provide you with much food for thought, but it will pass a few pleasant hours. I gave The Supernaturalist 5 stars out of 5
This is a mystery thriller in the style of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, so if you enjoyed it you might find this book interesting. It borrows some themes from Dan Brown's work, notably SangReal referring to Royal Blood and Jesus' progeny rather than the cup of the Last Supper. The novel is fast paced, and the action keeps on coming. The characters are sympathetic if somewhat black and white. I did find myself engaged by the protagonists and wanting to read more of their story. This is the first in a series of novels, and I will likely read the others to find out what happens next. I gave The Return three and a half stars out of five.
This is a mystery thriller in the style of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, so if you enjoyed it you might find this book interesting. It borrows some themes from Dan Brown’s work, notably SangReal referring to Royal Blood and Jesus’ progeny rather than the cup of the Last Supper. The novel is fast paced, and the action keeps on coming. The characters are sympathetic if somewhat black and white. I did find myself engaged by the protagonists and wanting to read more of their story. This is the first in a series of novels, and I will likely read the others to find out what happens next. I gave The Return three and a half stars out of five. buy from Amazon, Kobo, iTunes Here is a trailer
I learned about this book because I followed the YouTube book reviews of the author, Will Jordan. Sadly, his reviews are no longer available online, but I had been very impressed with his sharp commentary and his clear understanding of character, plot and pacing. The fact that he was able to present it in a fun and amusing way was an added bonus. Naturally, when he announced he had been awarded his first publishing contract, I was keen to see if his skills as a reviewer would translate into those of an author. The novel most certainly did not disappoint. It is a riveting roller–coaster ride with interesting, well written characters. Jordan switches easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, with each character having his or her own motivations and voice. Although it is not a world I personally inhabit, the characters were believable and realistic. The plot was well thought out, with one twist after another and kept me turning page after page. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It's clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation,…
I learned about this book because I followed the YouTube book reviews of the author, Will Jordan. Sadly, his reviews are no longer available online, but I had been very impressed with his sharp commentary and his clear understanding of character, plot and pacing. The fact that he was able to present it in a fun and amusing way was an added bonus. Naturally, when he announced he had been awarded his first publishing contract, I was keen to see if his skills as a reviewer would translate into those of an author. The novel most certainly did not disappoint. It is a riveting roller–coaster ride with interesting, well written characters. Jordan switches easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, with each character having his or her own motivations and voice. Although it is not a world I personally inhabit, the characters were believable and realistic. The plot was well thought out, with one twist after another and kept me turning page after page. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It’s clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation,…
I would love to say I loved this book, and indeed there was much I did enjoy about it. I found the main characters to be engaging and well written. The world building I thought was excellent. I enjoyed reading it and will certainly read the sequel, Bitterblue. What really let the novel down in my opinion was the poor pacing. I felt too much time was spent on the wrong things. For example we seem to spend several chapters wandering around in the snow with Katsa and Bitterblue and yet the final confrontation with Leck, to which the entire book has been leading, is over within half a page or so. This left me feeling somewhat cheated. In addition, this confrontation occurs still some way from the end of the novel; I kept expecting another twist, not setup for the next novel. I also felt the author missed some golden opportunities to explore some interesting themes, such as how do those who have grown used to power cope when they are powerless? It is touched upon briefly, but I would have welcomed a deeper exploration of these. Having said that, I think these are things the novelist will…
I would love to say I loved this book, and indeed there was much I did enjoy about it. I found the main characters to be engaging and well written. The world building I thought was excellent. I enjoyed reading it and will certainly read the sequel, Bitterblue. What really let the novel down in my opinion was the poor pacing. I felt too much time was spent on the wrong things. For example we seem to spend several chapters wandering around in the snow with Katsa and Bitterblue and yet the final confrontation with Leck, to which the entire book has been leading, is over within half a page or so. This left me feeling somewhat cheated. In addition, this confrontation occurs still some way from the end of the novel; I kept expecting another twist, not setup for the next novel. I also felt the author missed some golden opportunities to explore some interesting themes, such as how do those who have grown used to power cope when they are powerless? It is touched upon briefly, but I would have welcomed a deeper exploration of these. Having said that, I think these are things the novelist will become…