|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
283
| 
| 9780995538306
| unknown
| 3.74
| 101
| unknown
| Jul 27, 2016
|
liked it
|
We first meet Engella in New Shanghai. The year is 2074 and she's living on the streets. She's on the run from the authorities and, when she's about t
We first meet Engella in New Shanghai. The year is 2074 and she's living on the streets. She's on the run from the authorities and, when she's about to get caught, she activates a device which launches her through time. She finds herself in Scotland, the year being 1998. Annys is an elderly lady, walking her dog, Rupert. She takes Engella into her home. Both Engella and Annys are reasonably interesting characters. There's obviously a lot of back story to either of them. However, seeing as it's a short story, it feels like a lot of details are missing or simply crammed in, without fully explaining points to the reader. For example, when Engella and Annys meet. Annys simply accepts Engella into her home and they have an in-depth conversation. This would be a fantastic opportunity to introduce us further to either character. However, the author skims over the events and it feels like it was kind of a wasted opportunity. The same can be said of the rest of the story. The setting and scenes, for example; I don't think we get a reasonable explanation as to why either Engella is being chased by the authorities. It's also a bit mystifying as to why she has some sort of time device; I think they ought to go to highly trained people and not teenagers. Especially considering the effects of time and how it might change future periods if someone were to change the past. However, I suppose a lot of that might be a bit too complex for a kid's book. Another thing I've been considering is that there's nothing really special (for lack of a better word) about either time area. We visit both New Shanghai or Scotland in the book, but I don't feel like there's much to take in at either location. We don't get to take in much scenery and the author doesn't give much explanation about the qualities of either place. I feel like this is difficult to explain. Think about if you were to travel to appear in a random city, in any time period, and find yourself in an alleyway. What year is it and what city are you in? Can you tell this from your surroundings? It wouldn't always be likely. The same if you were to appear on some random beach; you mightn't be able to tell the year you are in. I feel like this is where the time travel aspects fall short. In both these cases, we know we're in a certain place and in a certain year. However, if we weren't told such things, it mightn't be obvious. If the author skipped telling us the date and place, it could even be the same year, in the same city (possibly connected to a beach), where Engella comes across a Scottish person. The illustrations are by Alison Rasmussen and very well done. They're very detailed and obviously took a lot of effort on her part. The first is the cover image and I like the delicate colours. I also like the simplicity. The second is of a cat; it's my favourite of the drawings as it's very adorable. A third is of Engella and a fourth image is of Rupert, the dog. It's a fairly original book, but I think we miss out on a lot of the important back-story and details. It has a great premise. I think it would get a lot of kids interested in time travel and science fiction. It's a short story of only ~3,700 words. However, it ends sort of abruptly and will be continued in the autumn of 2017. I don't think I would necessarily buy the next story in the series; it's just a bit too short and doesn't have a proper conclusion. Plus, I would likely then need to pay for the story after if it also has a cliff-hanger ending. I might consider purchasing it if it were novel length. I obtained free copies of this book from Smashwords and Amazon.com.au. This is an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 14, 2017
|
Apr 14, 2017
|
Apr 14, 2017
|
ebook
| ||||||||||||||
284
| 
| B0082V0ZHM
| 3.93
| 2,912
| May 13, 2012
| May 13, 2012
|
liked it
|
Justan is the son of a powerful warrior, Faldon the Fierce, someone he admires greatly. In his studies, to become a soldier, he lacks the necessary gr
Justan is the son of a powerful warrior, Faldon the Fierce, someone he admires greatly. In his studies, to become a soldier, he lacks the necessary grades to graduate the training school and ends up being held back a further year. He is given a special tutor and we see him grow into a powerful opponent. Elsewhere, there are some important events happening in the world, several which might affect Justan in his journeys. In the beginning, I found Justan to be a bit unbearable; he had a poor attitude. It kind of felt as if he didn't want to be in the academy, despite his desperation to be there. He had complaints about almost all of the training. If he were being forced there, I could understand his problems, but he was the one who wanted to be attending the academy. He also treated others poorly and had little respect towards his mentors. However, after what you might call a "training montage", he became somewhat more grateful to people and came to respect his mentors. He came to appreciate the training. I even found it quite interesting that he took much of the advice, despite still being sceptical of it. For example, the tuition in archery. Whilst he mocked the teacher for being whimsical and the lessons never amounting to anything, he actually took the advice of the teacher and found it helped. I think Ma'am seems overly violent sometimes. For example, though it's only hearsay/ gossip, in chapter 17; one character notes that he almost got hit by her for simply asking her name. By no means is that the only event of her ill temper; it's just one example. Kenn Dollie is one of two bullies against Justan. He, in Justan's words is a "buffoon who fancied himself Academy material". He mocks Kenn for failing a test. However, I thought that to be a bit hypocritical; he's doing poorly in his own studies, so I feel that he has no right to judge. I felt that much of Kenn's part in the book was a tad unnecessary and silly. The same can be said for Benjo, though it was obvious that he was somehow being manipulated by Kenn. Yes, Kenn turned out to be a violent, inappropriate person. However, a lot of his actions just didn't make sense. He spent a lot of time obsessed with trying to get Justan to fail in studies. However, he must be wasting a ridiculous amount of time doing this, plus he was ruining his own reputation. It just doesn't seem worthwhile to commit such offenses; you're just wasting your own time. I just don't understand why Kenn, Benjo, or anyone else, would bother with such revenge. I think there were just too many characters overall; after the training academy bit is done, Justan heads off on another adventure and meets a whole lot more characters. In my notes of the book, there are far too many characters that we meet once or twice and then never witness again. After the training school, I lost track of the people Justan meets. Plus, we have alternating storylines with other characters intertwined. Much of it seemed a tad inane to me. Yes, I do appreciate that each of these people has their own feelings on situations, as well as personal problems. However, a lot of it just took away from the main plot lines. There were a lot of important items to consider as well; a lot of weapons and artefacts are bestowed with importance. Many of which don't really have much part to play in the book. There was a lot of plot to get through, if I can be blunt. The author introduced a lot of storylines. Whilst they're obviously going to be finished later on in the series, it just kind of seems a little disappointing that so much goes left unexplained for now. Plus, a lot of scenes were kind of awkward and unnecessary. For example, Justan's mother gives him a pair of rings. It's meant to seem like a really important moment and these rings are obviously family heirlooms. Yet, several hours after this, he gives one away. It kind of made him seem ungrateful. I also didn't feel as if the moonrats lived up to their titular connection. Yes, there were moonrats involved in the book, but I didn't feel that they were important enough to name the entire book after them. I would also like to point out that I'm not sure that the age group is accurate. In several portions, there are some quite violent scenes. Justan loses fingers and even becomes paralysed in some portions. Though he gets healed with the help of magic, I feel like some of the scenes are a bit too mature for some people. Overall, I'm glad that I stayed with the book and didn't give up- as I had been considering; due to Justan's initial poor attitude. I feel as if he had a really good personality change; he found a lot of respect for others. I think that it's a fairly original book and the author has given thought to the backgrounds and motives of many characters. However, I don't think that I would purchase another book in the series. Book one was fairly good, but I just feel like it's a bit too complex for me. I think there are just too many people and a lot of plot to keep track of. I appreciate that he keeps going places and meeting new people, but I sometimes found it a bit difficult to follow. Especially considering that much of it felt a bit irrelevant to me. I'm choosing to rate this book three stars. I feel like it was fairly well developed, but it's not the type of book that I can easily flip through. I might re-read it later on in the future, just to see whether I can appreciate it more later on. I obtained a free copy from Amazon.com.au and this is an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 26, 2017
|
Apr 18, 2017
|
Mar 02, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
282
| 
| B01AWY8V36
| 4.02
| 157
| Mar 22, 2016
| Mar 22, 2016
|
did not like it
|
Dead and Breakfast (Cayo Hueso Mystery #1) by Kimberly G. Giarratano is about a small hotel, the Dead and Breakfast, which is marketed to people who a
Dead and Breakfast (Cayo Hueso Mystery #1) by Kimberly G. Giarratano is about a small hotel, the Dead and Breakfast, which is marketed to people who are interested in knowing about its haunted past. Autumn Abernathy and Liam Breyer both work there. Autumn is someone who has become accustomed to the ghosts. She can see and communicate with them. However, it's Liam's first day and, unfortunately for him, one of the ghosts has taken a dislike to him. Throughout the book, both teenagers try to uncover the mystery behind this unfriendly apparition. The excerpt on the Kindle Scout website is what first drew me to the book. I liked the introduction of the characters and the welcoming to the Dead and Breakfast. However, much like the events in the plot, things took a turn once I actually began reading past the excerpt after I received my copy. This review is kind of lengthy and opinionated, just to warn you. Autumn and Liam are the two narrators of the plot and it switches back and forth between them. Liam isn't the most interesting person on the planet, but he has some good thoughts here and there. The relationship between Liam and Autumn is pretty bad and somewhat cringe worthy. There are a lot of tacky areas where others keep on telling them not to be together; Autumn's mother and Victoria both have problems with it. Though neither have particular reason to be upset with the relationship. For Autumn's mother, it's pretty much just meant to seem like she doesn't want Liam turning out like her own ex-husband, though she's no reason to think it. With Victoria, the only real reason we're given is jealousy; which doesn't make much sense either. It's a fairly typical "love" story and it kind of feels like they're just together because the author has deemed it so. I don't sense much real relationship, or get the feeling that they even like being in each other's company. The most cringe worthy moment is late in the book where, for no reason, there's one of those scenes where the antagonist kisses Liam and then Autumn walks in. I hate those moments in media; it's just a bit where one character is meant to be making another one jealous. However, Autumn was already plenty jealous of her. It's all really generic. Autumn's parents have recently divorced. Autumn was brought to the Dead and Breakfast by her mother, from where they had lived in New Jersey. Autumn is desperate to return there. She longs for the memories she had there whilst growing up and would love to return to that happy point in life. She's miserable here at the hotel. It definitely shows in the entirety of the story. She's a somewhat hateful person. In the beginning, I understood it as a general dislike for her position. However, later on, I realise that she's just a spiteful person in general. No matter what goes on, there's just so much she dislikes, and she's just so angry all the time. She goes about the place and deliberately antagonises people she dislikes. There are a few antagonists, but Victoria is pretty much the primary one. She's... Not very original. She's your generic mean girl. Realistically there isn't much reason to hate her, in my opinion, but the author keeps on trying to thrust this opinion on us. Characters keep on implying that Victoria is a terrible person because she's rich and beautiful. Nothing wrong with either but, for some reason, that's cause enough for people to look down on her. So, basically it's just others being jealous of her. Just because she has money and her grandfather is an important person, doesn't mean that we should hate her, despite what the author is trying to imply. Another reason given, in Autumn's case, is that she doesn't like her because she thinks Victoria is entitled. One example, soon after we meet her, is that Victoria asks for Autumn's class notes because of a quiz and Autumn internally mocks her for not doing well in classes. Really, this just makes me look upon Autumn more negatively; she's just bullying someone who's looking for genuine help with school work. I'd like to point out that Victoria didn't actually seem that entitled to me. She hosted a party for her friends. Though it had a cover charge, that money went to charity. She even offered Liam money to help him start a business. Sure, it had strings attached, but at least she was giving him an opportunity. Really, I can sort of see why we're meant to dislike her. There is the basis for demanding and selfish behaviour. However, the majority of situations where she's involved/ mentioned are scenes where Autumn and Liam are bullying her. They make fun of her behind her back, mocking her for not being smart or for her appearance. Things like that. I'd like to comment here that there was some negative behaviour on Victoria's part, such as pushing Autumn in the pool. That's obviously not acceptable, but nor is Autumn and Liam's behaviour. Yes, she does make fun of the hotel for being haunted, but Autumn does it more than Victoria does. Autumn absolutely loathes the place, so why should she care about some random thinking it as haunted. To be honest, Victoria's comments about the place being haunted come off as jokey to me. She comes up and tries talking to Autumn, making conversation. As much as we're meant to see Victoria as a bad person, the behaviour of both Autumn and Liam are worse, in my opinion. Going back to the "entitled" reason, I'd like to discuss Autumn's character a bit here. It seems to me that that Autumn shows far more feelings of entitlement than Victoria does. That's pretty much the basis for Autumn's entire character. I'll explain: Autumn desperately wants to go back to New Jersey because she misses it there. However, she has no money for college. Plus, she blames her mother for spending money on the Dead and Breakfast- her college fund, in particular- when she feels that she ought to go to college instead. Let me point out that, though it is her college fund, it isn't really her money. It's money that her parents have been putting aside and her mother just happens to feel that it's more important being put towards a business. Autumn has all sorts of complaints about others with this whole New Jersey thing. She blames her father for not being able to accept her back- despite the fact that he has a child on the way, which is a good enough reason for me. She hates her friend for not being able to take her in- which, I'd like to point out, she oughtn't have to; it's not her friend's fault that she's in this position. She complains at her mother for taking them to Florida in the first place. She hates the Dead and Breakfast, and any of the ideas people have to better it. Sure, Victoria might be entitled in Autumn's mind, but Autumn is pretty much the epitome of entitled. She blames everyone else and is pretty ungrateful in general. Autumn shows much more feeling of entitlement than Victoria does. I'm mystified as to how much Liam and Autumn really hate Victoria. If either of them really hates Victoria so much, they wouldn't have gone to the girl's party. Autumn even comments that Liam probably only did it to annoy Victoria. They essentially both know that they're just going to the girl's party to bother her and try and make her jealous. Even when they get there, there are a lot of complaints from both of them. Autumn, for example, has problems with the house being so big and there being a cover charge (which goes to charity, I'll point out). She's making herself miserable, and trying to make others miserable as well. The party is a particular event. It's pretty much the epitome of all teen movies. We're meant to think that Victoria's cool because she's got a mansion and catering. There's nothing wrong with that, but I don't see why Autumn's meant to be surprised by any of it. Plus, it doesn't make sense that Victoria would just push Autumn in the pool. The author has very little reason for her to do it. None of the conversations with Victoria and her friends make much sense. It's just generic mean girl stuff, but without any point. From what the author implies, Victoria doesn't like Autumn. Well, later scenes make it obvious- where she tries and pays Liam to stay away from Autumn. However, a lot of her behaviour suggests otherwise. If I'm honest, it kind of seems like Victoria is actually trying to befriend Autumn. She often tries to come and talk to her, even asking her about her life. Why would she ask for Autumn's class notes, rather than someone else's? Why would someone who supposedly dislikes Autumn so much VOLUNTARILY come up and talk to them so often? Autumn is a quite pretentious character. She's desperate to go to college but, for some reason, she's definitely against community college. It seemed odd to me; she was interested in taking a journalism course, but has no experience. Going to take courses at a community college would be great to help her along that path. Yet, for some silly reason, she was quite set against it. Jennifer is her father's girlfriend. The back-story is that the father cheated with Jennifer, Autumn's parents got divorced and now he lives with Jennifer. They're expecting a kid. Apparently Jennifer and Autumn are about the same age. Okay, I get that everyone dislikes her because she's "the other woman", but Autumn has some pretty hateful things to say about her. Again, we're led to hate someone, despite not having the full story. There's probably a LOT more behind the relationship, but the author just has these inane reasons for why we should hate her. Yet, Autumn makes contact with her father several times, wanting to move back into their house, despite hating Jennifer so much. That just makes no sense; she's desperate to move in with a woman that she hates? She just expects everyone else to accommodate her wishes, no matter how difficult or expensive it is for them. Just as long as she's happy... It's pretty *beeping* obvious that, if you dislike someone, you should probably stay away from them. The actual mystery and investigation aspect were somewhat generic. Many TV shows and other books I've read have similar plots at times. As for supernatural aspects, I could have probably done without them. I wasn't particularly interested in the actual supernatural happenings; I felt that they could have been better dealt with. For example, the reasoning the author gives for Autumn being able to sense the ghosts isn't very original. It was really reminiscent of things I've seen in some movies and TV, even in genres such as science fiction. I'm reminded, in particular, of an episode of Stargate SG:1 where it was the explanation for certain alien appearances. The primary reason she was looking into the ghost of the ring was for a potential college opportunity. However, after the initial mentions of it, that plotline was sort of dropped. We saw her researching the ghost, yes, but we never really saw her writing any notes or an indication that she was recording this for journalism purposes. If she was planning on using any of the information, she should have been at least making sure to get some evidence of it. The plot in general is alright. However, I think that there are people who don't get a proper introduction and there are a lot of portions that feel missing. For example, the areas where we're meant to hate Victoria and the father's GF. Right now, they aren't there. Some characters get kind of lost. Timothy, for example, is a character where I just seem to miss a lot of information about him and don't really feel like he fits in. The same can be said of the primary mystery aspect. I think, had the author focused a lot less on Victoria, and actually worked to build a better plot, we would have a much more intriguing mystery. I didn't particularly enjoy any of the characters. To me, the majority are just ordinary people. However, others have behaviour and feelings that don't make sense. For example, the hatred towards Victoria and Jennifer. Autumn is just such a spiteful person and she displays such a poor attitude. Yes, I get that she hated her situation. However, she could have made the best of it. College costs a LOT, so she could have been using community college as a way to build her knowledge, and a part time job to build her funds, before heading to a more expensive place. However, for some reason, she thought that she was above that. Other characters, such as Victoria, just show such weird behaviour. I know that she's just meant to be an antagonist, but the least the author could do is have Victoria's actions make some sense. To me, it just looks like she was just stuck into the book to have someone to hate. As much as I appreciate the free book, I feel like it just needed a lot more work in a variety of aspects. The character behaviour/ opinions are unbelievable and the plot/ mystery aspects are generic. I first nominated it because I thought it was an interesting premise and I liked the author's writing style in the excerpt. The thing I'm primarily disappointed at is that the rest of the novel doesn't follow through with my expectations of an original plot and characters. Overall, I wish I could rate it higher, but sadly I was very disappointed with it. I obtained a free copy for nominating the book on Kindle Scout and this is an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 20, 2017
|
Feb 24, 2017
|
Feb 20, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
280
| 
| 1477101268
| 9781477101261
| 1477101268
| 3.75
| 4
| May 03, 2012
| May 02, 2012
|
did not like it
|
Basic Food: A History of Nutrition by Harold Kalve is an essay that looks at the evolution of humans and the food we have eaten through time. It discu
Basic Food: A History of Nutrition by Harold Kalve is an essay that looks at the evolution of humans and the food we have eaten through time. It discusses a few diets as well as considers several nutritional benefits/ negatives of them. It was an interesting look into history, but I felt it to be wildly inconsistent. I’ll explain using an example. The author states, on page 46, that he "started eliminating food I could not have eaten a thousand years ago, including corn (maize), corn products, and anything with corn products in it." Moving on a sentence, he says he also cut out rice, potatoes pasta and he soon after comments that he cut out ALL grain products. To my knowledge, I was under the impression that cultures had been using corn for thousands of years. I Googled it and came up with an article from wholehealthsource.blogspot.com.au : "The first evidence of a calorically important domesticated crop I'm aware of was about 11,500 years ago in the fertile crescent. They were cultivating an early ancestor of wheat called emmer. Other grains popped up independently in what is now China (rice; ~10,000 years ago), and Central America (corn; ~9,000 years ago). That's why people say humans have been eating grains for about 10,000 years." If we're considering the foods a person could eat a thousand years ago we could still have all these things: corn, rice, other grain products, chocolate, cheese, beer... Heck, even the term "pizza" first appears in 997, according to Wikipedia / ~3000 BCE for Palm oil / ~5000 BCE: Fossilized remains of possibly cultivated potato tubers on a cave floor in Chilca Canyon.” - (Wikipedia). / “Polo ventured to China in the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the Chinese had been consuming noodles as early as 3000 B.C. in the Qinghai province. There is even some evidence there of 4,000-year-old noodles made from foxtail and broomcorn millet.” – (todayifoundout.com). Breads have been around for something like 30 thousand of years, according to the bread Wikipedia article. Articles that I just referenced: Grains and Human Evolution: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com... Pasta Is Not Originally from Italy - Today I Found Out: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.p... Timeline of food: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelin... Bread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread Anyway, my point about this is that he’s judging our diets for eating things so processed and mutated. He implies that we should go back to eating the same ways that our ancestors did. My position is that humans have been eating these things for thousands of years anyway. He himself cuts grain related products out of his own diet, yet we’ve been consuming things like bread for 30,000 years. He cuts pasta out, but we’ve been eating that for 4,000 years. Humans have been processing and farming foods for thousands of years. Obviously, to produce these things, they selectively farm to improve crops. Crops then evolve based on this. The reason the author cuts back on these foods is because of domestic farming and that these foods have been mutated a LOT in the past thousand years. However, all foods have. Whether they be meat, grain, vegetable or fruit- they've all gone through massive changes. For example, carrots used to come in all sorts of colours. However, due to selective farming, we mostly have orange ones these days. Things like crops have improved yields and animals have grown to very large sizes. Sure, the author suggests really negative things about such farming practices. But it’s only going to get worse as time goes on. Crops and animals are going to keep growing in size, especially over the next century. If you don’t like the way farmers do it, the only way you can pretty much avoid this is to grow your own animals and crops. It's an essay about real food vs processed food. But, to me, the author’s argument seems wildly un-researched. He vilifies carbohydrates in particular, and shames a lot of grain related products. However, in my knowledge, it’s fine for people to eat grains; the problem is overindulging. He suggests cutting back on processed and modern day food. By doing this, we’re meant to go back to the same food we would have eaten a thousand years ago- yet lists things (to avoid) that we actually did have a thousand years ago (pasta, corn, rice, etc)… Apart from it being here and there, I’m a bit mystified. We have a huge list of what to avoid, but that doesn’t leave much left for us to eat. It has a few interesting points about human evolution, but the book is more scare tactic than proper food advice. The bottom line: if you’re worried about your food intake, make and appointment with a health professional who can tailor make a diet for you. Note: If you also end up reading the book, I encourage you to research and form your own conclusions. I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
279
| 
| 4.20
| 81
| Oct 16, 2014
| Oct 16, 2014
|
really liked it
|
Song of the Sending (The Expatriates #1) by Corinne O'Flynn is a young adult novel, full of adventure. Despite living in a travelling carnival, James
Song of the Sending (The Expatriates #1) by Corinne O'Flynn is a young adult novel, full of adventure. Despite living in a travelling carnival, James "Jim" Wales feels like he doesn't belong there. He's always felt as if he's not from the Modern World. One day, he receives a bird messenger, carrying a note from someone he believed to be long gone. Black Riders soon attack the carnival, led by a terrorist named Eldred. He is what is known as a Scholar, born with a symbol. As it turns out, Jim has a similar one. He is the one that Eldred hunts. I wasn't impressed with Jim. He's an alright character, but he's kind of dull and the situations surrounding his life aren't the most original. Many are reminiscent of other young adult series that I've experienced. I thought that many of the foreground characters had interesting points to them. However, I felt like the author could have cut back a few characters. A lot of background characters were mentioned, despite having no part to play in the book. I wasn't a fan of the Jim / Charlie relationship; it didn't seem like a very important part to the plot, in my opinion. I can appreciate that he has feelings for her, but I think he had better things to think about and (to me) it kind of seemed disrespectful to the people who had died. I didn't really like Sam; as a character, some of his comments seemed depressing and I felt like some of his actions only served to make him seem like a third wheel. I didn't necessarily appreciate all of the magical happenings. Charlie's magical power development seemed odd as she had no indication of it before going across the bridge. It did have an important part to play in the book, but I think it could have been better explained. I appreciate that there are differences between Bellenor and the Modern World, but a bunch of things don't make sense. For example, Bellenor and the "Modern World" were separated centuries ago due to the "Great Shift". The Modern World has advanced to present day, with Bellenor stuck in some kind of medieval/ Middle Ages setting- or so it appears to the characters. Why has Bellenor not advanced from that point in time? More to the point, why are they able to understand each other so easily? Not to mention, the people are speaking English, no less. In centuries, the English language has changed a LOT as it's taken on new words from all sorts of countries and it mutates day to day, depending on slang and new inventions. However, the people in Bellenor speak modern day English, but that doesn't make sense; they would have a lot of differing cultures depending on their own people. So, although they have travellers from the Modern World, they would likely have their own language. I could understand similarities, but not the exact same language. I think that some other things are unclear as well. In the beginning, it almost seems as if Jim has little knowledge of Bellenor. Yet, later on, he seems to have more knowledge of it- and the events during the family's departure- than others have. Overall, it was fairly well developed and I can see that the author has put a lot of details into even small, unimportant things such as background characters. Not all of it works out, in my opinion; I feel like some of it is unnecessary. However, I admire the author's dedication to building such a comprehensive introduction to the series. Whilst I wasn't a fan of many characters or all of their actions, I found that there were some intriguing points to their personalities and some of the choices they made. I won an eBook copy of this book via a Giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
277
| 
| 9780990807940
| unknown
| 4.50
| 8
| Jul 20, 2015
| Jul 20, 2015
|
liked it
|
Restless Earth is the first in the Sky Chariots Saga by Emily Mah. It is about the Tanoa people and, due to a tribal feud, an earthquake is sent to th
Restless Earth is the first in the Sky Chariots Saga by Emily Mah. It is about the Tanoa people and, due to a tribal feud, an earthquake is sent to them and now a volcano is due to erupt. The Tanoa can only rely on one woman - Tuwa. She is an Earth Shaman and can hold the volcano at bay for now, even for a few years. However, some day it will erupt and the people will be in peril. The book focuses on two primary characters. Ahote, who is Tuwa's grandson, and Kasha, who is an engineer. These two are the ones who try their best to fix the problem of their people. I liked the plot. It's fairly detailed and the author has put a great amount of thought into the entire world, including detailing all sorts of societal and environmental based problems. I especially appreciated the technical details of Kasha's work and her attempts at fixing remedying the problem of the volcano. I think it will please a lot of people who are interested in puzzle based solutions. In fact, I felt that Kasha's character is a refreshing change from brute based types. I like how she attempts to help people using logical and mathematically based solutions rather than just rushing in without a plan. I feel like many would find her to be somewhat inspiring. Ahote is a reasonably interesting character as well. I didn't connect with him as much, but I think many will relate with his views on the world. Overall, it's an alright book. I'm impressed with the work and effort the author has put into it. Note: as it is part of a series, we don't get a conclusion to the problem, so just be aware of that when purchasing the book. I received a free copy from newsletter sign up and this is an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
Jan 09, 2017
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
ebook
| ||||||||||||||
274
| 
| B01JOL7BKC
| 4.22
| 154
| Aug 03, 2016
| Aug 03, 2016
|
really liked it
|
Dragon's Egg is the first book in the Dragon Eggs series by Emily Martha Sorensen. Rose Palmer is passionate about palaeontology, but would like her f
Dragon's Egg is the first book in the Dragon Eggs series by Emily Martha Sorensen. Rose Palmer is passionate about palaeontology, but would like her father's permission to study it; he strongly disapproves of her having choices or opinions of her own and vehemently denies her speaking at times. It's 1920, in New York City. At the current moment, a new exhibition has begun at the Museum of Natural History. It's a display of dragon eggs, something that was recently thought to be rare. However, a mass of hundreds has been found and they're in pristine condition. At first blush, there's nothing unusual about them. There's nothing live about them, right? Wrong! Rose soon finds a mental bond with an egg in particular, who thinks her suitable to be its mother. The characters are very well developed. As the story is set so far in the past, obviously they all hold values which might be considered offensive or weird nowadays. For example, the mere idea of Rose not being able to study something she's passionate about might hit a few heartstrings. Actually, it's fairly time appropriate. In a way, I appreciate that the author was able to convey the feelings on this from the side of multiple people. I think she's done it well. I like the awkward relationship between Rose and Henry Wainscott, the potential father of the egg. I appreciate that, despite being completely taken unawares of this parenthood thing, he takes to it very well and even wants to take it from the museum to take better care of it. He's a little bit too forceful towards Rose, however, but I can see it from the perspective of that day and age; he believes he has some sort of duty to his child and feels that marrying is best for their weird little family. I feel that the plot is fairly original and I enjoy that it's light hearted. Even though Rose has struggles, she remains fairly confident and strong willed, which I think will be somewhat inspiring to children who read it. The main problem is the abrupt ending of it. As it's a book for a generally child audience, I think many will be disappointed when there is no proper conclusion. I like the insights that the dragon has towards life. It doesn't know about the loss of its real mother or that the species has been missing for ages; it simply knows the mental images that have been passed on to it, without much realisation for what's going on outside the egg. I think I likely will continue on with the series in future; I look forward to reading on with the dragon's life, as well as Rose and Henry's attempts at dealing with it. Overall, it's not perfect, but it was pretty enjoyable for me. I was lucky enough to win and eCopy from a giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 09, 2016
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
270
| 
| B01M1O6RO0
| 3.69
| 16
| unknown
| Oct 04, 2016
|
did not like it
|
We begin our journey with Sarah who has just gotten a flat tire, early in the morning. Sarah is 22 years old and she talks to herself a lot. To me, sh
We begin our journey with Sarah who has just gotten a flat tire, early in the morning. Sarah is 22 years old and she talks to herself a lot. To me, she kind of seems very angry and violent. Of course, in the beginning, that's likely due to the events. However, she's even vicious towards her alarm clock; “She kicked it violently until it went silent.”. It's a somewhat messy novel. There are a lot of scenes that felt unnecessary, as well as dialogue and swearing. The bad language especially; at first it was fine because it's used to show her anger at the situation. However, later uses just get annoying and make her seem really rude, especially in conversation with others. To me, the author has paid too much time and effort trying to make Sarah good looking and sexy, rather than paying attention to setting up a proper plot and events. Overall, it was pretty dull and Sarah just felt like a really annoying character, despite being the protagonist. She's aggressive and overly sexual, neither of which have much appropriate explanation. I don't think I'll continue with the series as this still needed a lot of work. I obtained a free copy from Smashwords and this is an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
278
| 
| 1620205696
| 9781620205693
| 1620205696
| 4.05
| 19
| unknown
| Sep 06, 2016
|
it was ok
|
Astonished Beyond Measure- Surprising Responses to Jesus by Blake Western is a book that looks into several aspects of Jesus' life and how his actions
Astonished Beyond Measure- Surprising Responses to Jesus by Blake Western is a book that looks into several aspects of Jesus' life and how his actions in the Bible can relate to people's lives today. There are a lot of points dedicated to specific people in the Bible, many of which I'm not familiar with. I've not read as much of the Bible as others have and, subsequently, lack knowledge in these areas. It also has several references to things I don't know much of. I was born and raised in Australia, for example. Yet, Chapter 3 brings up the 5th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. As a foreigner, I know little of this. Yet the author doesn't explain it much. There are references to people I've never heard of and makes references to their quotes and work, without proper explanation of what the author is talking about. I found some of lessons to be intriguing. However, in the same way, some of them were kind of misleading and confusing. For example, on Page 84: the author suggests that, because Joseph was not Jesus' father, Jesus has no will to sin. "He was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit without a human father. Therefore, the tendency of sin was not passed on to Him." Ummm... What? He was still birthed by Mary. She's a human. So why wouldn't the tendency to sin be passed through her...? Overall, I think that the author has some interesting points, but it's intended for people who know more about the Bible events and people than I do. I think that many of the references need to be better explained and for some of the points to make better sense. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 09, 2017
|
Jan 10, 2017
|
Jan 02, 2017
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
268
| 
| 9781910032091
| 4.33
| 9
| Dec 31, 2013
| Dec 31, 2013
|
it was amazing
|
The Dream by Cornelius Elmore Addison. Just as the title of the book suggest, we begin with a dream. The narrator finds themself out the front of Mack
The Dream by Cornelius Elmore Addison. Just as the title of the book suggest, we begin with a dream. The narrator finds themself out the front of Mack’s One Stop Character Shop. Upon his entry he finds that, though even he doesn't know it, he's been looking for a gnome. Mack, owner of the aforementioned shop, is quite the character! I appreciate the added quirks and all the items he sells. Norbitts is Mack's helping hand, a robot with a bit of an attitude. My favourite character so far is Lady Winter, a customer with several interesting requests. There are also a few illustrations so that people can visualise some of the characters. I loved all the little trinkets and wares about the shop that the narrator takes notice of. It's interesting to read about so many unique things and how the characters interact with them. I enjoy that the narrator position is left somewhat open so that each different reader might simply pop in and imagine themself in such a position. The personality traits, thoughts and actions are all understandable and I'm sure many will find the position to be relatable. Do I think the book lived up to my great expectations of it? Yes, I think it has. The characters and scenery were all somewhat enjoyable. I think it's a great story for people of all ages. Plus, I think I'm really interested in reading the other books of the series as well; the author has quite the imagination and has left a lot of room for some pretty awesome adventures! Overall, it's great and, though it's short, it's definitely worth a read! I was lucky enough to receive a free eCopy of this book in return for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 2017
|
Jan 2017
|
Dec 31, 2016
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
265
| 
| B01KNJ941I
| unknown
| 4.14
| 7
| unknown
| Aug 18, 2016
|
liked it
|
Grimwood Crossing is a supernatural tale of the Wild West. We begin with a zombie horde about to attack. The main characters are a Sheriff (Bill) and
Grimwood Crossing is a supernatural tale of the Wild West. We begin with a zombie horde about to attack. The main characters are a Sheriff (Bill) and his apprentice (Bobby), both monster hunters. Their job is to keep the town safe from the supernatural creatures that threaten it. As for originality, I'm not too impressed; it's essentially sticking zombies and vampires in a book with an old western theme. The characters are also lacking creativity; Bill and Bobby are a typical master and apprentice duo, with a bit of generic "I know better than you do" / "I don't like you" banter between them. Their scenes together don't have natural dialogue and it really feels like they're being forced together rather than an appropriate partnership. I think the thing that really makes the story worthwhile is the incredible illustrations. The work, by Atagun Ilhan, is fantastic! The shading and scenery really give the reader a realistic view of what's going on in the story. Plus, all the characters have some great facial expressions and actions that make them each quite distinct. Even the supernatural aspects like the zombies and vampires have really spooky quirks. The action scenes are really well done because there's not too much in terms of background elements to distract, which gives it a scarier effect as you focus on the fighting. I think that one of the main problems I have is that it's a little too short to get into the story. I might consider reading the series further. Overall, it's not the most creative thing I've read, but the illustrations really make up for it! I was lucky enough to receive a free eCopy of this book in return for signing up for the official website's newsletter. This is an honest review of the work. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 18, 2016
|
Oct 18, 2016
|
Oct 18, 2016
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
271
| 
| 1512747394
| 9781512747393
| 1512747394
| 3.50
| 4
| unknown
| Jul 27, 2016
|
liked it
|
Reflections of God's Grace by Michelle Hanna is a book that encourages readers to take a new view on life. There are roughly 70 chapters of a few page
Reflections of God's Grace by Michelle Hanna is a book that encourages readers to take a new view on life. There are roughly 70 chapters of a few pages each. They deal with different topics, many of which Hanna considers in her daily life. These might be due to things people have said to her, regular things or even a few very significant events such as death. It's the type of book that offers different types of meaning depending on how you look at it. One reader might not have experienced events similar to the author subsequently mightn't gain the same perspective as someone who did experience those events. Likewise, the teachings are somewhat spiritually based so a person who lives a more realistic life might not see it as eye opening. Even between each lesson; a person might take more from one lesson than they might another. There are a lot of references that one mightn't understand. Throughout many of the chapters, I noticed a lot of content dedicated to specific songs or musical artists, none of which I have actually heard of before. It might be because I'm not as religious as the author, or because we don't listen to the same music... I don't know... It's kind of distracting whilst reading, I admit. I might open up a chapter to read, find a song and to understand that chapter and those writings, I then need to go and find the song online to listen to. It's not just a few chapters, either; it's a LOT of them, especially towards the end of the book. What if someone is trying to read this book on the bus or on a break from something? It makes what ought to be a quick read into something that last five minutes (I'm just estimating the song length and how long it might take to find it) longer than it has to, every time the reader has to look up a song or reference. Obviously it is heavily religious based. However, it's not just religious points you can take from it. You can look at it without a complete consideration of religion and think about how you can apply it to your own life. For example, one lesson makes the point that, even though you exercise your body, you might also want to exercise your mind. Of course the book asks you this from a religious perspective, but you can take it without that as well. Think about each point and how you might apply it to your life, whether it is religious or not. Overall, there were some good points that the author made and I appreciated a differing insight into life and their views on God's offerings. However, I didn't take as much away from it as another might. Many lessons were ones that I didn't consider to be very original, but I do think that many others might consider them to be eye opening. My recommendation is to read the sample on Amazon. It's not very long and doesn't even provide a whole chapter, but give it a read to see whether you find it hopeful. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 02, 2017
|
Jan 04, 2017
|
Oct 09, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
267
| 
| 1504994329
| 9781504994323
| 1504994329
| 5.00
| 2
| unknown
| Nov 30, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
Band-Aids, Bullet Holes and Bleeding Words is a selection of poems by Carina Pellius. They were written since age 11 to present day. Many of the works
Band-Aids, Bullet Holes and Bleeding Words is a selection of poems by Carina Pellius. They were written since age 11 to present day. Many of the works feature some sort of taboo topic, including (but not limited to) abortion, euthanasia and suicide. There's no definite organisation that I can see and it kind of works well for the book. We begin the book with some fairly innocent poems, then we read into some eye-popping numbers, after which we go back to some fairly tame works. My favourite of the included poems is definitely "Who do you see?" on page 49 (it might vary in other editions, for future reference). It spans three pages and asks the reader to consider their appearance. How does it differ from the models and popular people that you might see on TV and in shop windows? It asks for you to consider how the media uses bullying to change and manipulate you. In my opinion, it has some honest and blatant points about appearance. I think the strangest poem is "I need to pee" on page 55. Though quite a real experience for many involved, it gave me quite a laugh. A bonus favourite is the untitled work on page 59 about long distance relationships; I appreciate the warm feelings it evoked from me. Not everyone thinks that long distance relationships will work, and I appreciate the happy and optimistic outlook on the matter. The innocent ones are fairly simplistic and give a good example of youth and naivety. Others are kind of disturbing. I'm not offended by them, I would like to mention. However, they are fairly graphic and feature some strong themes such as domestic abuse, abortion, suicidal intentions and euthanasia (and that's just to name a few). I certainly do appreciate these works; I like the way Pellius has thought to include such startling examples of life and death. It's nice to see that she isn't afraid to write about such things or to try and hide away her feelings on the matters at hand. Mind you, I'd like to also point out that not everyone is going to agree with the themes or the way the characters deal with such situations. Just be warned that you might take offense or be upset by some of the opinions and events. In that respect, I also think it's good to show such a wide range of situations that many will relate to. These days, many people will have experiences with things like suicide and domestic violence. Even if not in person, many people have seen example of such things on television. Even if you can't relate to the poetry, I think that Pellius has written good stories of the scenarios. Many of these poems are like little short stories with special characters and she evokes some pretty powerful scenes from them. Aside from the poems dealing with taboo topics, there are some really special portions. They are sweet moments that bring a smile to my face. Some of them are untitled and featured in between other works. There are also some very considerate poems such as “Sister”. I think it's one of the more stark poetry books I've read over the years. It really does have some additions that make you think “aww” or "wow!" Many might be turned off by certain themes, but I really do appreciate the insights Pellius has to offer. The writing style the author uses is easy to understand and she uses some well contorted sentences that make many portions really powerful and emotional. Even if you don't read much poetry, the book is definitely worth a read. I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 15, 2016
|
Nov 18, 2016
|
Sep 30, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
263
| 
| 1622033507
| 9781622033508
| 1622033507
| 4.24
| 410
| Sep 01, 2015
| Sep 01, 2015
|
really liked it
|
To put it simply, Shift Into Freedom by Loch Kelly is a spiritual book. Though it is quite different in comparison to others I've read. Kelly is a psy
To put it simply, Shift Into Freedom by Loch Kelly is a spiritual book. Though it is quite different in comparison to others I've read. Kelly is a psychotherapist and meditation teacher. In my view to the book, it seems he takes an information based look into meditation. It's a good thing, of course; I appreciate how the author takes a lot of points of view into account. There are references into many different types of religions, as well as examples of practices from each and how they might relate to the reader. Even if you aren't religious, there is still information to obtain from these examples as it takes into account the efforts of others and how they obtain peace and awareness. There are quotes from experts in the field and he's also provided unique stories as to how he aids his students in their own paths to meditation, offering examples into their daily lives. There's obviously a lot of work and research that the author has done. There's a lot of information to gain from the book and, subsequently it is very text-heavy. However, that's certainly not a bad thing; the author takes a very in-depth look into meditation. The information is presented well, I think. Having said that, I think that some might find the amount of information intimidating; it's a book about finding calm and it's a lot of stuff to take in. Some might find it a bit too much information to take in at once. However, if one takes it a bit at a time, I think they'll really appreciate the knowledge. My suggestion, if this is the case, is to simply take the information a little. It's worthwhile to savour the book, rereading if you feel it necessary (there's nothing wrong with doing that for such an in-depth book), and understanding these practices, in relation to yourself. In addition to the paperback copy, I also received a copy of the audio tracks related to the book. It takes, in the author's own voice, a deep look into the meditation and provides exercises. I think it's very useful considering that reading is a different practice than listening. If one is reading the book, they will likely need to put it down in order to begin their exercises. With the audio version, we can simply pop it into a player and then listen to the author guide you, whilst doing whatever feels comfortable. I think that's a great option; not everyone feels comfortable in the same places or positions as another might. The audio is well done. There isn't any white noise (that I can hear) and the author takes his explanations slowly so that the feeling is calm and people are able to understand. I also appreciate the rate of his speaking as it gives people the ability to take in each word or sentence at a reasonable rate (and leaving gaps between some portions), letting us understand each portion before moving on to the next. My only fault to the audio copy is that it might be worthwhile having a content guide with the case, that isn't printed on the discs; one can't always see the content that's printed on the disc if it's in the player. Overall, I feel that this book really does take on a different view to meditation and self help, one that I haven't found in others I've read. There's a lot of information to guide me and the author provides a lot of varying exercises to help me achieve peace. Personally, I don't think I gained all the wisdom I can from just one read, but returning to the book in future will definitely allow me to revise the information and gain new perspective into it, after initial meditation. Everyone learns at different rates, with different examples and information. The author has taken a lot of consideration into this, providing information that will help so many different people. I think it's a well done and quite unique view on meditation and peace. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Sep 20, 2016
|
Sep 25, 2016
|
Sep 25, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
269
| 
| 1504983629
| 9781504983624
| 1504983629
| 4.14
| 56
| May 19, 2005
| Jun 30, 2016
|
really liked it
|
This is a copy of the second edition, I'll mention first up. According to the introductory comments, the first edition (originally published in 2005)
This is a copy of the second edition, I'll mention first up. According to the introductory comments, the first edition (originally published in 2005) was very critically acclaimed. Though sold out, it was brought back for popular demand. Hence this edition. I'd like to take some time to focus on the range of things that the book includes. Firstly, it has pronunciations and translations for foreign words and aims to introduce the readers to differing methods. There are diagrams for certain preparations of ingredients and techniques. For example, butterflying a chicken breast, carving and trussing chicken/ turkey, preparing fish fillets, preparing varying vegetables. Information about cooking various fish and meats- temperatures it takes for something to be done. Many details on cooking methods (braising, roasting, frying, etc) and tips on each type. Information about various tools and the best options for each + a few tips on how to use them. As for the ingredients in particular, the book takes you through varying types of ingredients and how to make the best of them. It introduces you to a few different varieties and, in some cases, there are diagrams of them Interestingly, there are also bits of information about sourcing ingredients. For example, Page 163 has a table of an experiment: Blind Tasting of Four Chickens. In which case, the chickens are from different places (supermarket, organic, etc) and have been prepared using the same recipe. Then the meat was given to 8 people, who then critiqued them and determined which was more flavourful. The book also includes a few notations about pesticides (which types of fruit and vegetables are likely to have more). It takes you through types of salt and the other origins of certain ingredients (saffron, olive oils). It gives you a few suggestions of places that you might be able to purchase these ingredients. I really appreciated many of the Frequently Asked Questions included; they contain some very interesting answers. There are 100 recipes, featuring many of these ingredients and preparation methods. These recipes are things such as soups, salads, main meals and desserts. The information doesn't stop once these begin. Throughout the recipe pages, there are still heaps of tips and tricks that will help with each meal and the preparation of it. There aren't any pictures of the finished recipes. Mind you, generally not everyone's preparation / presentation turns out the same way as it does in books. So, if there were pictures, it might be kind of wasted. If any reader would like to see what the recipes ought to look like, you could try looking online for similar menu items. I think it was a good option for the author to have the recipes in tables. In such a format, they've been able to present the information with the notations MA (Make Ahead of time), Q (Quick; 45mins or less), Q2 (Quick; 30mins or less), V (Vegetarian), RT (Servable at Room Temperature, LM (Last Minute). There are also a few quick meal plans at the back. I'll take a moment to talk about the negative things... It's focused primarily on American ways. People in alternating parts of the world will likely need to change recipe measurements and temperatures to suit their own kitchens and ingredients. In addition to that remark, I'd like to mention to readers that ingredients are likely to change in different parts of the world. In other parts of the world, there are different varieties of ingredients. Even with those varieties, the product will likely be different depending on the country you're in. There's also cost involved. Even within the one country, prices will differ depending on your location. For example, a person living near the ocean will have access to more seafood, with cheaper prices. However, a person inland will likely have less access with steeper prices, because of the cost of transportation. Another thing to consider is what cost you'd like to put into your food creation. If you're just a beginner, you might want to limit the amount you spend on ingredients until you've practiced a little more and experimented with some of the recipes; else it might seem like just a waste of time and money. If you're a beginner, or even intermediate, just don't get your hopes up; you won't instantly be perfect at cooking- even after reading this book. Give it time and do your best. It's a very good source of information for cooks of all experience level. I am a reasonably experienced cook. I have no professional experience, obviously, but I am able to follow a recipe and I already know a lot of basic and intermediate level skills in the kitchen. Even if you're the best chef in the world, I still think that there are a few tips you might pick up from it. Overall, there weren't a lot of recipes that I personally feel like I would enjoy. However, I might give a few of them a go. Otherwise, I feel it's a valuable book for any kitchen. Obviously, after just one read, I don't think that I've obtained ALL the knowledge. I'll likely gain further information on later readings. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 2017
|
Jan 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
272
| 
| 1499067283
| 9781499067286
| 1499067283
| 3.38
| 8
| Aug 29, 2014
| Aug 29, 2014
|
it was ok
|
Absolute Truth: Grace of God by Amrik Binapal is a book which aims to share the author's views on the world through poetry. More than 170 pages long,
Absolute Truth: Grace of God by Amrik Binapal is a book which aims to share the author's views on the world through poetry. More than 170 pages long, 105 poems in total, and split into the following sections: 1- Self, 2- Social, 3- Spiritual, 4- Political and 5- General. The text is primarily written in all caps, which kind of seems like it takes away some of the poetic spirit; it just feels like the book is shouting opinions at me. In other poetry book I've read, text and the way you display it can be very helpful to the poem. It can have background points and then an author might use caps to EMPHASISE certain points to make it stand out... In Absolute Truth, however, having all caps really does detract from the meaning and makes it a bit difficult to read for me (but that's just me). For now, I’ll ignore the capitalised text and get on with my other opinions towards the actual content of the book. The poems are neatly structured. Many have guidance for the reader on how to improve their life, or to perhaps take a different perspective to the world. For example, poem 34 "Follow the Sun" is a somewhat spiritual work, but it also encourages the reader to take the well lit path, rather than that of shadow. Other poems, such as 45 “Truth is not Mathematics” take a more in depth view on life, leaving a poem that might take a bit more understanding. With the content, I feel as if there is a lot of background subtext and I appreciate that the author includes all sorts of levels to the work. Rather than take a poem at face value, readers can look through many of the depths of this work and find varying emotional meanings, depending on who they are and what they’ve experienced. Overall, it had some interesting points but I think it might be better suited to someone other than me. I will likely refer back to it on a later date for more guidance, when necessary. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
273
| 
| 1482884151
| 9781482884159
| 1482884151
| 2.00
| 2
| unknown
| Jul 26, 2016
|
it was ok
|
What I Lost in His Grave by Ragini Gupta is about the short escape of a girl, Caitlyn who has recently lost her brother, William. It is a story of lov
What I Lost in His Grave by Ragini Gupta is about the short escape of a girl, Caitlyn who has recently lost her brother, William. It is a story of love, art and an Austrian adventure. In the first few chapters, I feel that the author's explanations are somewhat poetic and we are blessed with well described scenes. I can feel the levels of sadness and pain that Caitlyn must be feeling, as well as the distress. However, after the funeral, it feels as if I lose that attachment. The scenes are still well described, but I personally don't feel as if I am experiencing the emotions and sense of wonderment that I ought to be feeling during her adventure. Yes, I experienced sadness in the book's beginning. However, during the trip to Austria, I don't really feel any of the emotional connection I ought to be feeling. The biggest and most important event, of course, is the death of Will. However, in later instances, it almost feels like it didn't happen because later notations of it don't carry the similar weight or emotional reaction to it. Even the people she meets whilst there feel almost empty, despite being very spiritual. Theophilus is a man she meets who takes her in. He has a lot of massively sad and monumental events going on in his own life, but I just don't feel that I can connect to him, either. It almost feels like Caitlyn's just taken a mediocre holiday to Austria. On another point, her Austrian adventure seems just a little too easy for Caitlyn; that she can just drop everything at a moment's notice and run away. Because of her talent for busking, she has money for the trip, she finds a place to stay and is able to get a busking licence very easily, as well as a job- that has a salary which exceeded her expectations, I might point out. I understand that the author is trying to encourage the reader to take a break from normal life and experience new things, but not every journey would go as well as this. Caitlyn was very lucky in her journey to find a good place to stay and have enough money to live on, but many people don't have the same talent as she does and won't likely be as well off. Sure, there's the death in the beginning, but later at the end of the book she has a realisation to it (I won't spoil it). It seems to me that she would likely have figured it out without having gone to Austria for it. Yes, she met some people, but I don't feel as if any of them made an important change to her life. She could probably have met similar people in London, going through similar problems. Overall, despite the varying massive events in the book, it kind of feels like nothing really happened and that she didn't even need to make the journey. It's a quick book. I read it in less than an hour. Despite the initial sadness I felt whilst reading it, I felt the later portions lacking in emotion. It was an alright book, but I feel like there was something I was missing... I might read more of the author's work; as she has a talent for description. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
264
| 
| 1490771514
| 9781490771519
| 1490771514
| 3.64
| 14
| unknown
| Mar 31, 2016
|
really liked it
|
A Hero in Gray takes a look at the challenges that a young boy must face. Cherie L Braham's book features Grayson (also known as Gray), a young boy wi
A Hero in Gray takes a look at the challenges that a young boy must face. Cherie L Braham's book features Grayson (also known as Gray), a young boy with cancer. Throughout his struggles, Gray keeps a strong mind, has a lot of help from those around him and tries to keep the illness from negatively affecting his life. The images are a fantastic view into Grayson's life and we get to experience the joys of his surroundings. Children will love to take a look into the many activities he does. We get a glimpse into the farm life and in the kitchen. We get to see the things he does with his mother and his father. It's also great for children to see the hobbies he has; children with illnesses of their own might be limited in some ways, but it ought to encourage them to try something different that they might enjoy. I think many children will find something similar to their own lives and consider him to be relatable. I appreciate that the author doesn't go into too much detail with any symptoms Gray experiences; it's limited to things like being tired and not feeling well. I think this is very appropriate as many children might feel somewhat uncomfortable or confused if it were more in-depth. My only real problem with the book is that the text isn't very engaging as others are and doesn't seem to be a "join in" book like others are. With many other picture books I've read, there is often poetry and invitations for the readers to play along through the experience. The way Braham writes is a little bit stiff. In the first block of text, it just seems like Grayson's appearance is being listed to us, rather than a proper introduction. Through Grayson's life, I think there will be a lot of topics that a parent or guardian might discuss with their child. Obviously some might not understand things like cancer, but I think this book will help children to understand that there are all sorts of people battling the illness, even other children just like them. Primarily, it's a book that will raise confidence in a youth. It can be used as a gateway to teach your child a little bit about the struggles of others or to keep a confident attitude. Also, to those around him, Gray is seen as a hero. I think that it's a very sentimental quality as it teaches children that there are a multitude of heroes in the world that you can look to for inspiration and support. Another thought is that I think it might make some a little more considerate of others' problems; if a friend doesn't want to play anymore, the child might respect those wishes even if they don't fully understand them. Even if cancer isn't involved in the readers' life, I still think that 'A Hero in Gray' will teach any child a few valuable lessons. Just another note for people wanting to avoid such things: there are religious references. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 05, 2016
|
Oct 05, 2016
|
Sep 11, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
260
| 
| 1682640124
| 9781682640128
| 3.67
| 3
| unknown
| Jun 16, 2016
|
liked it
|
Nebular Hypothesis is a book of poems by Bradley Hoge, a thoughtful commitment to the ones close to him- his family. The theme is the solar system. Th
Nebular Hypothesis is a book of poems by Bradley Hoge, a thoughtful commitment to the ones close to him- his family. The theme is the solar system. The author uses this as a way to symbolise his life and the events that go on in it. It's quite an interesting approach to a book and I enjoyed the author's works surrounding the varying features such as the planets. My favourite poem features Venus, a look into a difficult personality. I felt that the author has well characterised the planets, each with its own traits and unique touches. Other poems feature scenes of the author's life and are observations to every day life. My favourite of these is "Heart Beats in a Dusty Box". There are also a few reviews to others' works. The things I didn't necessarily appreciate were the grammatical and visual choices in some poems. I know the poems are stylised, but it makes it difficult for me to understand. Geometry of poetry, as an example, appears like a huge block of text without a pause. Human Genome Project, on the other hand is created in a double helix appearance. It's an interesting approach to the message, but the spacing makes it difficult to read. Overall, it is an interesting look into the life and world of Bradley Hoge. I think his love for his family is quite apparent and he dedicates these great works to them. Though I didn't enjoy every piece, I think the book is a pretty good compilation of the author's talent. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Sep 06, 2016
|
Sep 06, 2016
|
Aug 13, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
261
| 
| 4.52
| 56
| Sep 09, 2014
| Nov 24, 2015
|
liked it
|
Red Wheelbarrow by Terry R. Barca is a selection of short stories. There are a variety of subjects, many of which have an interesting premise. I think
Red Wheelbarrow by Terry R. Barca is a selection of short stories. There are a variety of subjects, many of which have an interesting premise. I think the thing I like most about many of the stories is that quite a few of them are ordinary people and the plots uncover what they might do in a situation. For example, a found money type of scenario; some of the stories feature the characters finding a bit of money and their intentions are questioned. It doesn't necessarily ask me what I would do in the situations presented to me, but Barca's characters are so lifelike and relatable that I ask myself anyway. What might I do if I were to find a bit of money? What would I do if I found people trying to steal my car? Admittedly, they're not the most original story ideas on the planet, but the author imparts a lot of stylisation to his work so it's still quite unique. There are a few negative things about the book, I must admit. In cases, there are minor spelling mistakes (desert instead of dessert, page 15; "during the desert course") and a few areas with missing bits of punctuation. Though I appreciate the photographs included with each story, I don't think that they're all necessarily relevant. In some cases, there are also bits which aren't exactly clear to the reader. An example of this is the story beginning on page 161, Never Say Never. It features some sort of private investigator, taking on a client. They're to photograph an affair in a restaurant. However, once the prints are revealed, we find a mysterious reflection of someone in a mirror behind the photographer. I think we're meant to assume that something nasty happened, "it got messy after that"; however it's not quite obvious. It kind of feels unfinished, much like some of the other stories. A lot of them are concluded with throwaway endings, summarised in only a few lines. I'm not angry about it, obviously; the stories are short so it's not like I've invested too much time in them. However, it does feel like some of the stories could be expanded to include better details. Overall, I appreciate that the stories are quite whimsical in nature. Even though not every portion is relevant, that flaw makes it feel so natural; it's like a real person rambling on about points in their life in a sense. I think the main thing that bothers me about the book is that the stories are quite contained and we're meant to make the rest up ourselves. I think that some of these stories could be lengthened well into novella (or even a full length novel) form. For example, the titular story might make an interesting full length book; there's so much untouched information that we don't have. The stories that I particularly enjoyed were the private investigator sort. There's nothing particularly fascinating or unusual about them, but the author writes them well. So I also think that those would work well as a longer story. I think that there are some stories that will stay with me and I do intend to read more of the author's work. I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 07, 2016
|
Sep 12, 2016
|
Jul 07, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
275
| 
| 1480227994
| 9781480227996
| 1480227994
| 3.37
| 43
| 2012
| Nov 21, 2012
|
it was ok
|
Legend of the Stone: Chapter I by L.R. Ballard features the beginning of Lucas' story. He was taken hostage at only 8 years. Since then, he has been e
Legend of the Stone: Chapter I by L.R. Ballard features the beginning of Lucas' story. He was taken hostage at only 8 years. Since then, he has been experimented on many times and has endured a lot of physical and mental torture. He is now 22 and has lived the majority of his life as a test subject. Let's just ignore the grammatical errors; other reviewers have touched on that. My personal feeling is that it's fairly readable, even with the errors. My main problem with the book is that he has a fairly calm personality and an easy escape. Realistically, the base security seems pretty terrible; in the confusion, he manages to get to a ship and even get clearance cards. But what if the military had been better managed? I find it unlikely that a real military would let such a valuable test subject escape so easily; they've probably spent a LOT of time and money in experimenting on him. Even in context, the author notes "It was as if the allies wouldn't believe the Projects could escape." This is confusing to me; how could they not think that? How would he even know such important facts about the ship during his escape? I could believe it if he were one of the old soldiers that had been tested on. However, Lucas was taken in at a young age, so where would he get all this knowledge about a ship from? Realistically, he wouldn't know his way about; military bases are very complex places. Let me point out that he was essentially raised as this project, given only religious books to read. I would like to make the same point about his personality. Despite having been tortured and experimented on for YEARS, Lucas is surprisingly a fairly blasé person. His personality is cold, but it doesn't seem to be otherwise affected by any of the physical and mental problems he ought to be dealing with. Also, when the author describes him, he sounds normal as well; the author even notes that he's good looking. What about scars? What about mental ticks? He's been kept away from society since he was a kid, but he somehow acts just fine around people. He was taken at such a young age and, from then on, he was treated terribly. In realistic circumstances, he likely wouldn't have any trust of anyone and he would be scared of most people. However, he takes refuge with the first stranger he meets, Juan, and trusts him implicitly. The relationship between Lucas and Juan is somewhat generic and I think it's odd that they're able to trust each other so easily. In a realistic point of view, Juan doesn't know who the heck this guy is and just takes him in without full consideration of his own safety. Also, I don't really understand why he would take some random rock with him; he even says that it's "...just part of the explosion that hit the base..." I'm confused as to why he put so much effort into taking a rock that means little to him. I know it's the titular "stone", but I just don't think the reasoning behind it is explained as well as it could have been. I'd like to clarify; I appreciate that Lucas is a smart guy, but my problem is with the fact that he has specific knowledge and behaviour that he oughtn't have. For example, the gun turret knowledge; how would he know such information when he had been locked away for so long? How is it possible that he's able to get around the base so easily? At first blush, it's fairly simplistic. I know it might sound rude, but I mean it in a non offensive way. The simple writing makes it a short read. Plus, it's easy for kids. The plot is pretty interesting and has some great potential. Despite the incredible events of a war, the events are broken down to simple points so that kids can understand easily. I did like the introduction featuring Merlin but, in the same way, I kind of felt it kind of irrelevant; he wasn't mentioned in the book after that point. I think, for improvement, there just needs to be more explanation as to how Lucas gets all this knowledge. It's a decent book, but there are way too many inconsistencies for my liking. Another consideration for those buying this book; it doesn't have a proper conclusion. The book ends without finishing (or even continuing) with the Merlin stuff or even giving a proper explanation as to why this stone is so important. I feel like many kids might find it disappointing to get excited about the story and then have no definite ending. My advice for other people is not to take it too seriously. Sure, I have problems with the book, but keep your mind open and form your own opinion about it. Just a warning for those looking to buy it for kids: there is death and even points where the main character kills people himself. It's not detailed violence, but it is still prominent to the plot. There are also religious references, which are also prominent. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Jul 01, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
258
| 
| 9781922134493
| 192213449X
| 4.43
| 7
| Jun 2014
| Jun 2014
|
it was amazing
|
Coastal Chef is an interesting look into an ingredient that is culturally intertwined with many cuisines. Many people are likely to have tried it in s
Coastal Chef is an interesting look into an ingredient that is culturally intertwined with many cuisines. Many people are likely to have tried it in sushi, but seaweed and algae can be used in so many different types of meals. It provides information about many authors and locations dedicated to showcasing such a diverse ingredient. My first thought of the book is that it's really eye catching. There are beautiful photographs of scenery and recipes, showcasing the wonder of seaweed and algae. There are a wide range of colours and textures, with well-plated food. It is sure to inspire many a cook to give a recipe or two a try. The first thing the book does is take a short look at the history of the product and takes us through some of the health benefits. It also provides little explanations about several types and the locations where you might find them. After we move on from the chefs and other introductions, we take a look at the recipes. In order, we can see seaweed and algaes featured in cocktails, accompaniments/ canapés, entrees, mains, and desserts. In addition to the range of meals you can feature it in, there are a variety of types of cuisine. Even if you chose not to use seaweed and algae in the recipes (either by choice or lack of product), you could still likely make the recipes using the ingredients you have available or try your own variants. The only real problem about the cosmetic portion of the book is that the title font is a bit difficult to read in some instances, in my opinion. It's featured on most pages and isn't always legible. For example, the Accompaniments / canapés page- it takes a few moments to determine what it says and the same for some other instances as well. You might not be able to get some of the other ingredients, for example: pink Murray River salt, Thai basil, Vietnamese mint. Those, and several others, seem a bit obscure for me to obtain myself. Though, I'm sure you might be able to use other varieties depending on your need and the availability. The seaweed and algae might also be difficult to obtain, depending on where you live and the complexity of shops in your area. I imagine that speciality shops might indeed have such ingredients available, or per request. So you could always try asking shop keepers if they could perhaps obtain some for you. Many of the recipes have the type specified, though I imagine there is some cost in trying to obtain it whichever you need. In addition, you might not be able to get it in the right form for each recipe, nor the right type of seaweed. Some recipes use whole seaweed, whilst others specify that they use specific powder or extract. Having said that, it might be possible to make our own powder or extract. If you dried certain types of seaweed and used a spice grinder to turn it to powder, it might be similar to the texture necessary. I've seen online guides on how to make ingredients into extracts before, for example something like vanilla. It might be possible to do the same for seaweed yourself. I like a lot about the book and it's a very captivating introduction to a product I've never really tried before. I think these recipes are all very encouraging and I certainly will give some of these recipes a try in future. Though some feature products I don't necessarily like (fish, for example, but others might have different requirements), one can simply swap it for something they might agree with. The only major downside is that seaweed and algae isn't more widely available. However, I will be keeping my eyes out in future. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 22, 2016
|
Jun 22, 2016
|
Jun 18, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
259
| 
| 9781743792148
| 174379214X
| 4.19
| 85
| 2007
| Jun 01, 2016
|
it was amazing
|
Prior to reading this book, I admit that I had not known much of the events of July, 1916. Nor do I think that I had known much of the Battle of Frome
Prior to reading this book, I admit that I had not known much of the events of July, 1916. Nor do I think that I had known much of the Battle of Fromelles. This book was an eye opening experience and an incredible look into such a devastating loss to Australia. Fromelles, a village in France, is the location of a battle that spanned from the 19th to the 20th of July, 1916. With 5,533 Australian soldiers dead in a matter of just days, there's a lot to be explained. Our Darkest Day discusses a lot of aspects of the battle in question, providing various evidence of the goings on. We can view numerous photographs, letters and other sorts of research. Not only does it take a look into the historical aspects of the battle, but also takes a look into more recent effects. My favourite example of this is the epilogue featuring the story Harry Willis, a soldier who was lost in the war and how his family found him. In my opinion, I'm pretty impressed by the amount of information provided to me by this book. As I admitted prior, I didn't really know much about the battle before reading Our Darkest Day. I appreciate that the book took multiple peoples' perspective of the battle. It's interesting to see how such an event had such a huge impact on such a range of people. Even nowadays, people are still baffled by certain portions of it and some families are still missing loved ones. Overall, I found that the book was an emotional journey. Fromelles: Our Darkest Day provided me with a valuable look to Australia's past and an insight to our loss. I found some links on Google that one might like to view if you are interested in reading a little bit more about it. The Fromelles Project aims to identify soldiers lost at Fromelles using forensics and historical information. http://www.army.gov.au/our-work/unrec... The Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/f... https://www.awm.gov.au/military-event... Graves tell story of the forgotten battle of Fromelles https://www.theguardian.com/world/200... 'Dear Mother, I lost all but my life' http://www.smh.com.au/national/dear-m... I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways, thanks to Hardie Grant Books, and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 30, 2016
|
Jul 18, 2016
|
Jun 16, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
281
| 
| 151186933X
| 9781511869331
| 151186933X
| 3.92
| 13
| Jun 28, 2015
| Jun 18, 2015
|
really liked it
|
Candace Carson is a fan of Grateful Dead, a well known band. Diary of a Deadhead quickly goes through her life and follows her dedication to the band.
Candace Carson is a fan of Grateful Dead, a well known band. Diary of a Deadhead quickly goes through her life and follows her dedication to the band. From her childhood, we get a brief look into some very memorable moments in her perspective. It wasn't just about the Grateful Dead; it was a look into what it was like to grow up in America during those eras. I found it interesting to think about her brother, Robin and his experience with the army. I also liked getting to experience those concerts through her explanations of them; what it felt like to be there and do the same things she did. I felt it interesting as the author's emotions changed during differing events. We get to experiences highs, lows, love and loss. I don't think I've ever heard their music, but I still found it to be an interesting read. It was a good look into the author's life. It's a quick book and worth the read! I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
May 02, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
257
| 
| 145253070X
| 9781452530703
| 145253070X
| 1.50
| 2
| unknown
| Oct 24, 2015
|
it was ok
|
Black Swan: Who Am I? is a book about the self awakening of Diann Maree. Covering six weeks, Black Swan is a series of journey entries and reflections
Black Swan: Who Am I? is a book about the self awakening of Diann Maree. Covering six weeks, Black Swan is a series of journey entries and reflections as she makes a transformation. Following a seminar, she takes on a new outlook to life, finding new ways to deal with her experiences and life. Despite being about the author's inspirational and spiritual moments, it's not really an inspirational or spiritual book to me, in my opinion. It's more the documentation of what the author goes through, rather than trying to help the reader to a similar stage of their own lives. That is, unless you feel like attending one of the seminars of this Van person. Mind you, I don't necessarily think you'll have such an awakening in your own life. It's not really explained completely as to what this seminar is, except that it has to do with stocks and investments. Later that night, the author wakes and is instructed to deliver a message. However, when she makes the phone call to the person, she has no idea what the message is. I can't help being sceptical about this book, despite being a reasonably spiritual person, because a lot of it reads like an advertisement for the Van and Libby seminar/ course. She thanks them multiple times throughout the book. A lot of the entries mention work with partners and what's essentially homework (she mentions writing up reviews and doing questionnaires / responses to various things). However, we don't get much information as to what these tasks are. This is a bit bothersome because she finds certain inspirations from them and it causes a lot of thought to her. Yet, obviously this is a loss for the reader because we don't know what has caused these "a-ha!" moments or insights. I'd also like to take this moment to make a point. It's very based on this seminar, held by Van and Libby (plus the 28 day TFM course). This is the primary reason that the author has had these spiritual insights, her inner guide even encouraging her to further communicating with the pair. It's not just a mental thing, either; she writes of the burning feeling in her third eye and the heightened senses (she discusses being more aware of smells for a stage). Also, I think some of the messages get a bit convoluted; for example, she mentions being a more loving person. Though, personally, I don't see scenes supporting that (though I'm not denying that she might be). However, it just doesn't seem that way (but that could be due to missing information). One memory she writes about (on pages 34-36, though it might be different in other editions) is that she goes checking waters with someone (though she didn't really explain who he was). At one point, he begins to skinny dip, she's ashamed and threatens to leave him walking home (they were in a utility vehicle). After this point, on another event, he mentions marriage to her (that her parents think they would be good together). However, for some reason she's upset about this and threatens him with a pitch fork. She mentions that she feels negatively about this person, but I can't help but find that it is she being the negative one instead; making threats in both of these examples, rather than talking her feelings out. He was wanting a little bit of fun with the skinny dipping and he was kind of proposing the idea of marriage. I'd like to point out that she, with the pitchfork, threatens to do bodily harm. I think there's a lot missing and that some of these revelations cause me to look upon the author with a negative light. It's an alright book. However, as mentioned, I feel like there's a lot of information that I'm just not getting. I don't think that many of these things are very spiritual, either. I think it's just odd events (coincidences, new experiences, etc) that the author chooses to take in a new light. They might still have happened, had she not attended this seminar and/or had that spiritual experience, but her new information provides her with a different outlook of it. I think the message that has been clear to me throughout the book is that, if you want to find some level of spirituality, attend a seminar about stocks/ investing, make odd phone calls at weird times (bonus points if you have someone come to your door at an strange hour, questioning your pizza ordering habits). If you're looking for a book guiding you to spirituality, this won't be as helpful as you might think; it relies on coincidence and it's unlikely that readers will have the same experiences as the author. Apart from those faults, it's not a terrible book, but I think it still needs a lot more information to make some bits understandable. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 26, 2016
|
Apr 26, 2016
|
Apr 17, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
256
| 
| 099681910X
| 9780996819107
| 099681910X
| 4.23
| 13
| unknown
| Jan 2016
|
really liked it
|
High Tides is a short book that looks into depression, from the perspective of author Candace Andrews. I would classify this book as an introduction t
High Tides is a short book that looks into depression, from the perspective of author Candace Andrews. I would classify this book as an introduction to depression and its effects on people. Though it's not a complete manual for dealing with it, it includes varying aspects on what one might deal with. It has information about varying forms of depression and similar mental illnesses as well as a little bit about the drugs one might be prescribed. It includes varying personal experiences that the author has been through; including examples of family members and people they've also met with similar problems. There are several quotes from books, as well as a bit of information about famous people who have suffered from depression and similar things. It also has what I would consider to be tips; it encourages people to do what they enjoy or to make plans for their future (even if they might not feel like it). As a further comment to that last point, I appreciate that the author has shared some of her personal writings such as the diary entries and poetry; it's an outlet that she's used to help her through her own problems. Overall, I did like the book. Though, not every aspect spoke to me- I didn't particularly find a fascination with the discussion of medicines or similar things, but I did find some other, very interesting portions that I might find useful in future life. The portions I enjoyed most were the snippets of her life when growing up. Though I do have to admit that they sometimes felt a bit disjointed and didn't always have relevance, I did like reading about the varying things she and her family have been through during the struggle. Other people would, of course, like different aspects of the book. It's only a little more than a hundred pages, including acknowledgements and notes. I think that if you can get yourself a copy, you may as well give it a go and you might find something useful to you or someone you know. For people who want to avoid such things; this book does include religious references. It also includes references to suicide. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Mar 18, 2016
|
Mar 18, 2016
|
Mar 18, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
254
| 
| 0986129771
| 9780986129773
| 0986129771
| unknown
| 4.29
| 14
| unknown
| Dec 18, 2015
|
liked it
|
Saving Allison is a book by J. Stoute which speaks the story of Allison Perkins. She's a fourteen year old girl who has been dealt some difficult card
Saving Allison is a book by J. Stoute which speaks the story of Allison Perkins. She's a fourteen year old girl who has been dealt some difficult cards. Having been battling with self image and bullying, she's decided to take her own life and we begin the book with the preparation for her suicide. As she hangs from a rope and begins to suffocate, Jordan steps in. He's a guardian angel who has come to talk some things over with her and to show her the life she might be missing out on if she continues. The characters are interesting, but most are fairly stereotypical. The mother and father of Allison love her dearly and seem to do no wrong. The bullies in the book are said to do it for no reason (that people would trip her just to watch her fall) and, later on in life, they would experience hardships like one boy always regretting what he'd done to her (forever punishing himself, or something to that extent) and that the popular girl would get left with a child and get fat. I don't have much problem with the characters apart from them being stereotypical. I just think that we don't see enough of each character, other than Allison and her parents. Even with her friends, they're said to be really good friends to her, but the conversations we experience with them just seem really bland and don't seem as if they are friends. They just seem more like acquaintances in a forced situation (it’s explained that they only really hang out together because none of them fit in elsewhere). I think, had we spent more time with them, there might be a better feeling between them and they might seem friendlier. More on that point, I think that it just seems like even Allison doesn't care that much about them. When Jordan is discussing the friends' lives apart from her and their visit to her funeral, she's confused that they would be there or even care that she's gone. It just seems like even she didn't think that they were good friends. A lot of Allison's life was a bit generic (typical baby and growing up stuff) and I wish we'd have gotten more reason for the kids bullying her. It just seems like there was no reason at all and just doesn't make sense to me. I know kids can be cruel, but it just seems beyond ridiculous. Apart from those points, the characters were okay. Not brilliant and many actions just didn't make sense, but they were fine otherwise. The plot reminds me a lot of A Christmas Carol, where she sees both the past, present and future of the situation and how her decisions can change such things. I think that she had a lot of other options, though. The choice she made, to commit suicide, was very extreme. A lot of her problems could have been solved, like Jordan tries to tell her, with simply talking to others. If she'd spoken to people, than a lot of her problems might have been fixed a lot sooner. The bullying could have been fixed by speaking to teachers who might have punished the other children. The bullying might have been fixed by changing schools or even by being home schooled (her mother was a stay at home mum so it's a reasonable idea). I think the author did a reasonable job of trying to put together a lot of reasons for Allison's suicide (bullying, body image, rape), but because of the way it's written, it just doesn't feel like she's committed to it and that this is what she wants. I guess that's the moral of the book, that you always have other options. However, in the same way, that's what's confusing about the book; the author doesn't really explain properly why Allison doesn't take these other options, beside the fact that she's kind of embarrassed and she thinks it's awkward to talk to people about her problems. One thing that does bother me is that, when Jordan shames her for what she's done to her parents and friends (by committing suicide), it feels like that's just the wrong thing to say. It's not really her fault that she's been having suicidal feelings and by trying to chastise her like that is just bound to make her feel worse about her life. I, personally, hate when people say things like that, though it's a fairly common for people to say to suicidal people (many people call them weak and selfish). Apart from those points, the plot was somewhat generic, but had some interesting points. The following paragraph is about the ninth chapter and will be hidden because of spoilers. (view spoiler)[.On the other hand, the book does seem to have a sort of psychological portion about it. If you read the ninth chapter, as I did, I guess that all this can be seen in another light. That the stories and visions she had about the other characters futures (the boy regretting what he'd done and the girl growing old and overweight) are just in her own head, probably what she wishes would happen once she's passed on. In some way, it might be Allison hoping that those two would simply get punished to some extent. I appreciate the second ending and think it does give an interesting second look. In a way, it sort of explains to us that (at the very last minute) she's realised what she could have done and how her choices will affect other people, but now it's too late. (hide spoiler)] It's a quick book and it only took me about an hour to read this morning. It's fairly sad, but if you stop at the happily ever after ending, it has a lighter and more hopeful feeling, I would imagine. It's a bit preachy and, in many cases, does seem like it puts down suicidal people (in my opinion). Though I appreciate the moral that it tries to teach, that there's always other options and things you can do. Overall, it was alright, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it. As mentioned above, I didn't think that it was particularly original in either plot or characters. However, it was a decent book and I think some people might be helped by the story, even if I'm not. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 18, 2016
|
Feb 18, 2016
|
Jan 26, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||
255
| 
| 9781785450655
| 1785450654
| 4.09
| 32
| Oct 22, 2015
| Oct 22, 2015
|
really liked it
|
Ratchet the Reluctant Witch by Sara Pascoe is about a few witches and a cat. Rachel Hollingsworth, also known as "Ratchet", is a young, teenage girl w
Ratchet the Reluctant Witch by Sara Pascoe is about a few witches and a cat. Rachel Hollingsworth, also known as "Ratchet", is a young, teenage girl who lives in the foster care system. At the beginning of the book, she doesn't know that she's a witch and it freaks her out when she begins developing some powers. Bryony Braxton is Ratchet's social worker, a witch. She has a cat, Oscar who can communicate to both of the witches and has a few snarky comments to add at each twist and turn. Ratchet runs away from her foster parent and finds herself living with a of pair siblings, Ian and Emma, who run a cafe. After an accident, Ratchet and Oscar are transported back in time, with Bryony eventually following to try and help. The characters are interesting, but I think that they could have used a bit of fine tuning. I didn't particularly find myself being able to relate to Ratchet, and I found her to be somewhat unlikeable. For the majority of the book, she has an attitude and is often kind of rude or disrespectful to people. Especially with Bryony. Though it's essentially Ratchet's fault that they're back in time, she had a tendency to blame Bryony for not being able to do much about it. Obviously there's not much Bryony could have done, but I think what Ratchet didn't see is that Bryony did a lot to help. She did her best to help them "fit in" better during each strange location and did try to make sure that they kept in contact with others that could help. Oscar is a reasonably interesting character, but I thought that he ultimately didn't really add much to the book, apart from the smarminess. He has a microchip which helps the witches contact the future, but I felt that portion was essentially just a device to keep him in the story further when he didn't have much to add. It could be that Bryony could be micro chipped and it would go just as well. As for Bryony, I think that she was made to look a little bit too useless. For a main character, it just seemed like she was being put down too much and that the author didn't have much for her to do apart from being a comedic aspect. Apart from that, each of them has some good points. The other characters were pretty interesting. Ian and Emma were certainly my favourites. I appreciated their bright outlook and their generosity. Pavel was a bit weird and I felt that he had more to offer to the story than being left in the future. It might have been interesting if he were to help train her further during the time travel, with the mind connection. Jake had some interesting scenes, but I didn't feel like he added much; other than to create guilt for Ratchet. I suppose that was a potential reason for her to experience character development, but she didn't change that much over the course of the book. By the end, she still had a poor attitude and chose to make selfish decisions, rather than considering how they might affect others. The scenes the author creates are almost magical in themselves. She creates beautiful imagery of the places the trio visit and we go on an adventure with them. The plot is interesting and I appreciate that the author has attempted to give a bit of hope to a character which sort of seems to be a lost cause for other characters. I would have liked a bit more focus to be put on Ratchet's mother and to have learnt more of her in the storyline. For the supernatural and magical aspects in the book, I think a lot of them were not explained very well. For example, Ratchet's time travelling was initially explained as related to her emotions and that she experiences the event because she had been severely distraught at the time. Yet, if that were the case, why was she not able to travel again sooner? She was caught by witch hunters and kept in prison, fed only gruel and experiencing a very tragic time. Surely she would be in extreme emotional stress in this portion as well, especially considering that she knew she would be put to death at the end of it. Her next portion of time travel finds her, Bryony and Oscar in Istanbul at around the same period in time. With no real trying, she finds that she's able to understand the local language and speak it back. Bryony makes comment that this is "time traveller's advantage". So essentially, Ratchet took them there so she gets to speak the language. The author manages to create brilliant scenery and explain the displays at great length, but I would trade much of that in order for a better explanation to these magical events. It just seems that any of these magical happenings are just because that's what's fitting at the time. Another example I can think of is Ratchet's abilities to read peoples' coffee cups. It serves a heap of importance to the story, but it also lacks proper explanation as to why she can do such a thing. Overall, I liked the book. The main characters were misused in my opinion, but there were some interesting characters in the background. I also think that the supernatural aspects could use a bit more work and I would have appreciated better explanations to them. However, I think the book overall is fairly successful and a less critical person than myself should be fairly pleased with it. At the end of the book, it seems like there are several openings for future books in a potential series. I think many of them might work well, not just from a series that might follow Ratchet, but I think it might be interesting to also look into other witches and magical people in the same universe. Should there be a next book, I think I might like to read it. I won a copy of this book via a First Reads giveaway and these are just my honest thoughts on it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 05, 2016
|
Feb 21, 2016
|
Jan 15, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
253
| 
| 1497404584
| 9781497404588
| 1497404584
| 4.83
| 18
| May 16, 2015
| May 16, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
Ten Zany Birds is a short, beautiful book by Sherry Ellis with amazing illustrations by Charu Jain! It tells the story of birds in a tree through rhym
Ten Zany Birds is a short, beautiful book by Sherry Ellis with amazing illustrations by Charu Jain! It tells the story of birds in a tree through rhyme. As we follow the events, we encounter visitors to their home and what happens, counting down as each bird leaves for various reasons. The pictures are just gorgeous and are brilliant displays of colour, sure to please any reader. The rhymes introduce the children to varying colours, counting and actions. Overall, it's a very enjoyable book.
...more
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 11, 2016
|
Jan 11, 2016
|
Jan 10, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
252
| 
| 1631590162
| 9781631590160
| 1631590162
| 3.46
| 41
| Apr 01, 2015
| Apr 15, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
As a late Christmas present, my mother gifted me Duct Tape by Forest Walker Davis. It presents the reader with many beautiful and interesting ideas of
As a late Christmas present, my mother gifted me Duct Tape by Forest Walker Davis. It presents the reader with many beautiful and interesting ideas of things to make with duct tape. From flowers and sculptures to wallets and belts, this book is guaranteed to give you some great ideas on what to make! With some portions, there are also short tutorials on how to create them, others with explanations on how they're made. Overall, it's a great little craft book, featuring an incredibly versatile product!
...more
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 07, 2016
|
Jan 07, 2016
|
Jan 06, 2016
|
Paperback
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
283
|
| 3.74
|
liked it
|
Apr 14, 2017
|
Apr 14, 2017
|
|||||
284
|
| 3.93
|
liked it
|
Apr 18, 2017
|
Mar 02, 2017
|
|||||
282
|
| 4.02
|
did not like it
|
Feb 24, 2017
|
Feb 20, 2017
|
|||||
280
|
| 3.75
|
did not like it
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
|||||
279
|
| 4.20
|
really liked it
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
|||||
277
|
| 4.50
|
liked it
|
Jan 09, 2017
|
Jan 08, 2017
|
|||||
274
|
| 4.22
|
really liked it
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
|||||
270
|
| 3.69
|
did not like it
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
|||||
278
|
| 4.05
|
it was ok
|
Jan 10, 2017
|
Jan 02, 2017
|
|||||
268
|
| 4.33
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 2017
|
Dec 31, 2016
|
|||||
265
|
| 4.14
|
liked it
|
Oct 18, 2016
|
Oct 18, 2016
|
|||||
271
|
| 3.50
|
liked it
|
Jan 04, 2017
|
Oct 09, 2016
|
|||||
267
|
| 5.00
|
it was amazing
|
Nov 18, 2016
|
Sep 30, 2016
|
|||||
263
|
| 4.24
|
really liked it
|
Sep 25, 2016
|
Sep 25, 2016
|
|||||
269
|
| 4.14
|
really liked it
|
Jan 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
|||||
272
|
| 3.38
|
it was ok
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
|||||
273
|
| 2.00
|
it was ok
|
Jan 06, 2017
|
Sep 18, 2016
|
|||||
264
|
| 3.64
|
really liked it
|
Oct 05, 2016
|
Sep 11, 2016
|
|||||
260
|
| 3.67
|
liked it
|
Sep 06, 2016
|
Aug 13, 2016
|
|||||
261
|
| 4.52
|
liked it
|
Sep 12, 2016
|
Jul 07, 2016
|
|||||
275
|
| 3.37
|
it was ok
|
Jan 07, 2017
|
Jul 01, 2016
|
|||||
258
|
| 4.43
|
it was amazing
|
Jun 22, 2016
|
Jun 18, 2016
|
|||||
259
|
| 4.19
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 18, 2016
|
Jun 16, 2016
|
|||||
281
|
| 3.92
|
really liked it
|
Jan 12, 2017
|
May 02, 2016
|
|||||
257
|
| 1.50
|
it was ok
|
Apr 26, 2016
|
Apr 17, 2016
|
|||||
256
|
| 4.23
|
really liked it
|
Mar 18, 2016
|
Mar 18, 2016
|
|||||
254
|
| 4.29
|
liked it
|
Feb 18, 2016
|
Jan 26, 2016
|
|||||
255
|
| 4.09
|
really liked it
|
Feb 21, 2016
|
Jan 15, 2016
|
|||||
253
|
| 4.83
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 11, 2016
|
Jan 10, 2016
|
|||||
252
|
| 3.46
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 07, 2016
|
Jan 06, 2016
|
Loading...
