Read this after it was recommended to me by someone who enjoyed my recommendations, and it did not disappoint!
The story follows Little Bird - the lastRead this after it was recommended to me by someone who enjoyed my recommendations, and it did not disappoint!
The story follows Little Bird - the last of her people - on her quest to save humanity. It's sci-fi but also has an apocalyptic feel to it, and the stakes feel dire.
The artwork is phenomenal, and the characters really come alive. I loved each and every one of them.
I was swept up in the story so easily and really enjoyed it from start to finish.
Highly recommend for fans of graphic novels....more
I hate cooking. I am rubbish with even just the most basic ingredients. I make a stir fry using jar sauce and I oDisclaimer: I am a terrible cook.
I hate cooking. I am rubbish with even just the most basic ingredients. I make a stir fry using jar sauce and I often eat toast for a main meal. But I want to get better, because I know learning to cook better is going to allow me to eat healthier.
That being said, this book pretty much lost me straight away with the whole, 'don't waste anything' bit. It's hard enough trying to use the actual main product without stressing about how to utilise the bits and pieces I never even realised were edible.
I mean, I get that sugar is a Big Bad in the health industry, and I like the idea of cooking delicious things that are actually nutritionally beneficial. But I bought this book AGESSSSS ago and I still don't think I've used a single recipe from it.
I think if you are actually a decent cook interested in more nutritionally sound meals, this will be a great tool, but this is like, advanced cooking.
It does come with a sh*t-ton of recipes and info, though, so I guess it's good value for money?
Also, I don't like how preachy she is. But maybe that's just me being bitter because she can cook and I can't.
Maybe one day I'll cook something from this book and rave about it so much that I have to bump up my rating, but let me try and master sauce first or something.
Merged review:
Disclaimer: I am a terrible cook.
I hate cooking. I am rubbish with even just the most basic ingredients. I make a stir fry using jar sauce and I often eat toast for a main meal. But I want to get better, because I know learning to cook better is going to allow me to eat healthier.
That being said, this book pretty much lost me straight away with the whole, 'don't waste anything' bit. It's hard enough trying to use the actual main product without stressing about how to utilise the bits and pieces I never even realised were edible.
I mean, I get that sugar is a Big Bad in the health industry, and I like the idea of cooking delicious things that are actually nutritionally beneficial. But I bought this book AGESSSSS ago and I still don't think I've used a single recipe from it.
I think if you are actually a decent cook interested in more nutritionally sound meals, this will be a great tool, but this is like, advanced cooking.
It does come with a sh*t-ton of recipes and info, though, so I guess it's good value for money?
Also, I don't like how preachy she is. But maybe that's just me being bitter because she can cook and I can't.
Maybe one day I'll cook something from this book and rave about it so much that I have to bump up my rating, but let me try and master sauce first or something....more
Narrated by Pearl Hewitt Presented by Inner Realms Publishing
A cosy fantasy perfect for Halloween season.
This was a Listen Now on NetGalley and I needeNarrated by Pearl Hewitt Presented by Inner Realms Publishing
A cosy fantasy perfect for Halloween season.
This was a Listen Now on NetGalley and I needed something to listen to, so this ticked the box.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't cosy fantasy! The story follows Hannah, who heads to Maple Hollow after the mysterious disappearance of her Aunt Jewelia (and I'm glad I was listening, because the spelling of that name alone would have done me in - yikes!)
The atmosphere is perfectly Halloween-y, with dark and stormy nights, pumpkins and cats. Hannah is a likeable enough protagonist - very wholesome and sweet. She introduces herself to everyone in the town as she meets them, and quickly becomes a friend to several. Meanwhile, she sets about trying to learn more about the town's history, in order to solve the mystery of her Aunt's disappearance.
I liked the narrator, and her voice enhanced the vibe of the story. On paper, this would likely have disappointed through lack of excitement, but with this narrator it was like I got exactly what I was supposed to out of it. Low stakes and easy clues leading to a simple resolution.
Admittedly, the easy nature of the story meant I wasn't 100% tuned in, 100% of the time. I also had to listen at 2x speed so that I didn't doze off. Still, it was easy enough to follow and I didn't seem to miss much.
Overall, it was an easy listen that was a pleasant way to kill some time. I'd recommend it for fans of cosy mysteries - particularly those who like a sprinkling of fantasy and a dash of Halloween.
This was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.
The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed byThis was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.
The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed by his master and sent to a military training camp. Here, he'll learn how to survive, and hopefully how to become a Duelist.
So, essentially the story is a training montage only lengthy and drawn out. Mateo meets a couple of other misfits that he bands together with immediately - him telling them what to do because he's a know-it-all whereas the other two are incompetent idiots. Obviously.
Mateo is definitely the kind of character that always rubs me the wrong way. He's a brown-noser who always figures things out first and is the pet of whoever is in charge, and he tells everyone else what to do and they generally obey without question. He's such a bland character.
I did like the other two, though - nothing particularly new, but I did like that they had their own things going for them. The characters on the whole are nothing particularly fresh, and as such a lot of the interactions are familiar scenes. I didn't care too much for any of the characters, but young ones who don't read a lot should find themselves relating to at least one of them.
The card/duelling system was a little too much for my fantasy tastes. Cards slot into a person somehow which I didn't totally understand, but then I was never a big Yu-Gi-Oh kid. I think collectors of 'duelling' cards like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering will understand this a little better and appreciate it on a whole other level. For me, it seemed like a bit of a gimmick that just wasn't enough to save a rather bland story from being completely unoriginal.
After reading, I can conclude that I'm very much NOT the target audience for this one. It wasn't for me at all, but I think there's plenty here that younger readers will enjoy. It's an adventure story which keeps things relatively simple while setting up for a grander adventure to come.
It's strange - the thing I liked most about the book is the same thing that cheapened it for me.
The story follows medical student, Amy, who is due to It's strange - the thing I liked most about the book is the same thing that cheapened it for me.
The story follows medical student, Amy, who is due to spend her first night on a psych ward as part of her training.
Long has mental illness been associated with horror, and it's only in recent years that that damaging narrative has started changing, so I wasn't sure how this was going to go.
So I appreciated that Amy's view of the patients is quite compassionate; it comforted me immediately and I was ready for some real twists from a more considerate viewpoint.
Unfortunately, it ends up being quite dull, with most of the 'thrill' coming from questioning who is telling the truth. The story still banks on the instability of the patients, and while I enjoyed questioning who was worth being afraid of, the conclusion soured it all for me. I kept waiting for more.
I did find it an addictive read, but it wasn't as thrilling as others by this author and I felt the treatment of mental illness to be a little contradictory. Still, an interesting read and entertaining enough for a few hours....more
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.
My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.
However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.
On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.
If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.
Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.
The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be iThis was SO GOOD. Very eerie!
The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be in the unusual town she finds herself in.
From the get-go, I had no clue what was going on and loved every second of it. The people of Withered Hill are completely nuts, but at the same time there's a sad logic to the way they behave and the choices they make. Even their bizarre rituals make their own kind of sense.
The grey morality of this book was my favourite aspect - questionable things are done that have a clear logic, making the reader question who is really in the wrong. At the same time, there is a real menace over the town, creating an atmosphere that will make your skin crawl.
The book alternates between 'Inside' and 'Outside', so we witness the days leading up to Sophie's entry to Withered Hill, which are equally menacing. I really enjoyed the contrast, and followed events in each section with rapt attention.
I did enjoy the ending, but it felt a little heavy-handed on the exposition. Honestly, the way it wrapped up was mostly perfect but I still want MORE.
This was easy to devour, and is the perfect book to snag for Halloween season. It's an extraordinary blend of horror, thriller and mystery, with a fast pace and some clever considerations.
Hello, if I am reading a book about a grown woman mating with marshmallows I am not here for serious sex scenes - IThis took itself way too seriously.
Hello, if I am reading a book about a grown woman mating with marshmallows I am not here for serious sex scenes - I'm here for ridiculousness and hilarious puns.
Some funny moments, but not nearly enough in this mercifully short novella....more
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell Presented by Harper Collins Focus
A sprawling, tangled weave of lives and stories.
I enjoyed it, but I did tune out a coupNarrated by Cassandra Campbell Presented by Harper Collins Focus
A sprawling, tangled weave of lives and stories.
I enjoyed it, but I did tune out a couple of times.
This is a historical fiction that follows three different women in two different times - Cleo in 1932, then again in 1959 alongside Frances and Audrey. They've all found themselves on Cumberland Island for different reasons, but their paths inextricably intertwine.
I enjoyed the flicking between times, and meeting Cleo at two very different points in life. It was fascinating to see how the times and events had changed her, and our first meeting left quite an impact that echoed well throughout the story.
Frances and Audrey were equally interesting characters, though admittedly not quite as fascinating to me.
There's a mystery and dead boys looming over everything, so there's a drive to get to the bottom of things there and work out what happened. Once it was solved, however, I felt the story dragged on a little. I think part of that may be because I tuned out a little, so had no burning desire to see what became of everyone afterwards.
The narration was decent and eloquent, but never particularly inspiring. The characters sounded similar, and nothing in the narration really stood out for me. It was okay, but I think it was part of the reason I found myself tuning out.
With that in mind, I think this would make a really excellent physical read. I think there's a lot of substance in the details here, so reading physically would really draw out that pleasure.
For fans of historical fiction, this is an excellent read. The characters are well rounded, and the writing will thoroughly drag you in. The fables were a little lacking for my tastes, but the story was entertaining enough to survive it and I found myself getting caught up in events easily.
Plot: a woman loves her toaster and so she LOVES her toaster. Physically.
Honestly, just impressed she cBruh.
I finally read my first unhinged romance.
Plot: a woman loves her toaster and so she LOVES her toaster. Physically.
Honestly, just impressed she could make it work.
Tears of laughter from start to finish. I may re-borrow the e-book (free on KU, if you're feeling curious) just to drop some of the quotes regarding No-No Zones and fondling of Nip Nups.
Had to skip the bits about her actual life though - come on, we all know that's not what we're here for.
Loading...
