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b00kw0rms0fthew0rldunite's reviews
586 reviews
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Butterfly Garden by Rachel Burton
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a lovely story of love, heartbreak and finding yourself. The characters all had their fair share of all of the above in a story set between the Cotswolds and Australia.
It is a dual timeline story that travels between Clara in the mid sixties and Meredith in the early 2000s.
I guessed the outcome very early on in the piece and enjoyed the well written telling of it in my first read from author Rachel Burton.
Thanks to Rachel, Netgalley and her publishers for a copy to read. All views and opinions are my own .
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Very rarely does a Kate Quinn book fall short of 5 stars for me. I adore the absolutely tremendous amount of research that goes into every book, setting, character and trends of the day. I love the Easter Eggs that are sprinkled throughout her books and her writing in style of Forrest Gump, where the character meets real life events or is named from a real life persona. My personal favourite was the parts that I had heard of, The All American Girls Professional Baseball League!...'There's no crying in baseball!'
The Briar club was so jam packed full of character, heart and truth. Kate Quinn describes how the little segments of her book came to be at the end and I'm amazed how those seemingly obscure things got wrapped together and tied into this awesome book. The way that each character got to tell their story in their own chapter and the ending was the climax of so many stories at once. The recipes full of wit and humour along with oozes of tastiness and a sprinkling or ire. It broke up the parts with ease. I also thoroughly loved how the house was a character, bringing together the snippets of the ending before reverting back in time to cover the character's lives.
There isn't much that I didn't love about this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is up for some history, challenged viewpoints, and hearing from women from completely different walks of life.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kate Quinn and HarperCollins Publishers Australia, for allowing me a chance to read this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Briar club was so jam packed full of character, heart and truth. Kate Quinn describes how the little segments of her book came to be at the end and I'm amazed how those seemingly obscure things got wrapped together and tied into this awesome book. The way that each character got to tell their story in their own chapter and the ending was the climax of so many stories at once. The recipes full of wit and humour along with oozes of tastiness and a sprinkling or ire. It broke up the parts with ease. I also thoroughly loved how the house was a character, bringing together the snippets of the ending before reverting back in time to cover the character's lives.
There isn't much that I didn't love about this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is up for some history, challenged viewpoints, and hearing from women from completely different walks of life.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kate Quinn and HarperCollins Publishers Australia, for allowing me a chance to read this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5 stars.
Another smash from Kendra Elliot. Honestly, she can do no wrong!
I have read the Callaghan and McLane books which share a series end with the start of the Columbia River series. I love how her characters all interact and cameo in each others stories. I now need to go back and read Mercy's stories to fill in the back story.
Another smash from Kendra Elliot. Honestly, she can do no wrong!
I have read the Callaghan and McLane books which share a series end with the start of the Columbia River series. I love how her characters all interact and cameo in each others stories. I now need to go back and read Mercy's stories to fill in the back story.
This book flows so well and never ever has the reader thinking that they know the ending but the character hasn't caught up yet. It is planned superbly and the plot, perpetrator and ending gets revealed bit by bit at just the right time.
The love stories aren't overly done and unrealistic, they are a beautiful, modern take and thoroughly well done. I really enjoyed these characters and would like to see them again, as well as Noelle, which Kendra hinted at in her acknowledgements after the story finished.
My big thanks to Netgalley, Kendra Elliot and Montlake for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.
This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is a story with more grit than route 66. An absolute mountain of different characters, all with flaws, personal demons and if their last name is McAlpine, rotten to their very core.
It was hard to go back to normal life after reading a few chapters of this as I was so taken with finding out whodunnit, and disgusted by the acts of some people and rooting for the good guys to get a move on and sort everyone out that I was very distracted indeed.
Karin Slaughter has been a fave for a while, devouring most of Sara's books and a couple of Will's. This is on a bit from those earlier titles and I see that I'll have to catch up on all of those prior to this one.
All in all, a solid read with more twists and turns than a carousel riding on a rollercoaster.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a chance to read the book. All opinions are my own.
Death in the Park by London Lovett
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Art of Murder by Fiona Walker
challenging
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was so funny! I expected a cosy mystery with a couple of laughs from the cover and the blurb, but I got so much more bang for my buck than that!
The characters were such... characters! Each could not be mistaken for each other. My favourite being the ever masculine, living corpse that was Mil! They each had their own tragic/full back stories and flaws and quirks but they complemented each other magnificently.
I can see myself in parts of Juno and Phoebe, and their growth in the book was lovely to see.
I found that Phoebe's back story was quite slow to come out and I found in most of the book I was thinking that she despised her cheating, money losing husband. That was not the case and I must have read those comments differently to intended.
The full backstory of Juno is yet to come out but I appreciate the effort and sheer research that must have gone into her song list and musical knowledge.
All in all, a first read of Fiona Walker but it definitely won't be my last!
Thank you to Netgalley, Fiona Walker and Boldwood Books for gifting me a copy of this ebook to read. This review and all of it's opinions are my own.
The characters were such... characters! Each could not be mistaken for each other. My favourite being the ever masculine, living corpse that was Mil! They each had their own tragic/full back stories and flaws and quirks but they complemented each other magnificently.
I can see myself in parts of Juno and Phoebe, and their growth in the book was lovely to see.
I found that Phoebe's back story was quite slow to come out and I found in most of the book I was thinking that she despised her cheating, money losing husband. That was not the case and I must have read those comments differently to intended.
The full backstory of Juno is yet to come out but I appreciate the effort and sheer research that must have gone into her song list and musical knowledge.
All in all, a first read of Fiona Walker but it definitely won't be my last!
Thank you to Netgalley, Fiona Walker and Boldwood Books for gifting me a copy of this ebook to read. This review and all of it's opinions are my own.
Death of a Spy by M.C. Beaton
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
R.W. Green is an amazing asset to M.C. Beaton's works! This was an incredibly funny tale and I found it hard to stop listening. All the previous characters had a cameo and the addition of James Bland in his second book was ingenious. I loved Hamish in a equal partnership, bouncing ideas off Bland. I hope to see much more of him.
David Monteath is nothing short of superb as usual, with his narration. Nothing is too hard and the multiple accents all at once do him a credit.
Thank you R.W. Green. Long live Hamish and Agatha!
David Monteath is nothing short of superb as usual, with his narration. Nothing is too hard and the multiple accents all at once do him a credit.
Thank you R.W. Green. Long live Hamish and Agatha!
Death of a Flying Nightingale by Laura Jensen Walker
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What an amazing story based on the lives of real heroes!
The first time that I had heard of women accompanying flights to nurse soldiers was a book by Soraya Lane about the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. I remember thinking that for someone who devours any book set during WW2, how had I not heard of these medics before?
When I read this book, not only did it contain stories from a group I had never heard of but they were my countrymen too. I devoured it like I would toast with Betty's mum's jam!
The 3 female leads had strong distinguishable characters and were extremely likable. I followed their stories hoping for their happy endings and feeling every high and low right along with them. I enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters and feel like everyone had endings that I would want for them. The Sister is one character that I feel didn't get the consequences that I thought her indiscretions would and should give her.
The story flowed so well and didn't get slow or dull in any section. It was very well written and I feel the author had done a tremendous amount of research in preparation for such a seamlessly written book. I'm not quite sure that the title is the right fit for the story as it refers to a singular Nightingale. Maybe Death of THE Flying Nightingales would be more accurate, and if I'm honest, more of a draw. The fact that this is the start of a series is very exciting. Maybe the next books will be based at different bases to the Down Ampney crew.
I appreciate any book that highlights heroic actions or people. Especially so, when so little is published about them already. Reading the authors note at the end and hearing how so much of it was based on true memoirs from the Nightingales, made me feel closer and more appreciative of these brave women. I loved the little Easter Eggs that were included. It makes the characters even more real when they act through history that we know is real. I am very interested in exploring what else Laura Jensen Walker has written.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a chance to read a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
The first time that I had heard of women accompanying flights to nurse soldiers was a book by Soraya Lane about the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. I remember thinking that for someone who devours any book set during WW2, how had I not heard of these medics before?
When I read this book, not only did it contain stories from a group I had never heard of but they were my countrymen too. I devoured it like I would toast with Betty's mum's jam!
The 3 female leads had strong distinguishable characters and were extremely likable. I followed their stories hoping for their happy endings and feeling every high and low right along with them. I enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters and feel like everyone had endings that I would want for them. The Sister is one character that I feel didn't get the consequences that I thought her indiscretions would and should give her.
The story flowed so well and didn't get slow or dull in any section. It was very well written and I feel the author had done a tremendous amount of research in preparation for such a seamlessly written book. I'm not quite sure that the title is the right fit for the story as it refers to a singular Nightingale. Maybe Death of THE Flying Nightingales would be more accurate, and if I'm honest, more of a draw. The fact that this is the start of a series is very exciting. Maybe the next books will be based at different bases to the Down Ampney crew.
I appreciate any book that highlights heroic actions or people. Especially so, when so little is published about them already. Reading the authors note at the end and hearing how so much of it was based on true memoirs from the Nightingales, made me feel closer and more appreciative of these brave women. I loved the little Easter Eggs that were included. It makes the characters even more real when they act through history that we know is real. I am very interested in exploring what else Laura Jensen Walker has written.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a chance to read a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.