For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Nothing to …
Short, but a bit unsatisfying
3 stars
A novel reminiscent, in some ways, of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Diagnosed as a child with spinal muscular atrophy much of the book is preoccupied with the effects this has and continues to have on the protagonist's life. This was also the aspect I enjoyed the most.
Though, overall, a relatively enjoyable and readable book I found the ending too abrupt and quite meh, with the "mystery" driving the plot uninteresting and lacking a satisfactory dénouement.
Touted as a modern-day "Peter Pan"-flavoured dark romance. Definitely not a retelling, more an AU take. The writing was fair but I didn't enjoy the overly simplistic characterisations. I found the violence tediously cartoonish, the plot paper-thin, the characters bland and the twist not only telegraphed but semaphored, phoned and texted at me.
Unrealistically beautiful people falling in "Twue Wuv" practically instantaneously is just not something I can suspend my disbelief for, and don't enjoy it. I also have Thoughts about the sex scenes when seen in context of the time frame they're portrayed as occurring. Maybe Romance just isn't the genre for me. All in all, meh.
If you ask, she must answer. A steerswoman's knowledge is shared with any who request …
Not as enjoyable the second time
3 stars
This was a re-read to get me ready for the sequels. In 2016 I rather enjoyed it, liking the world building, the Steerswoman conceit and the writing, even if I found the plot a little lacking and the "villains" too reasonable.
This time it just didn't work for me, finding it tedious and meandering. Just goes to show how much my mood influences how I feel about a book. Not sure I like that about me.
On the brink of losing her position as a maid and with no prospects to …
Not quite what I expected
3 stars
Not the book I expected. Thought I was getting a victorian historical novel, turns out it's actually a monster fucker porn-with-very-little-plot book. This will teach me to actually read dedications and blurb. The writing was fine and it was a quick read. However, I did not like the protagonist, a hyper-sexual "pick me girl", who is perfect in every way, and the immediate and total lack of any actual tension in her "arrangement" strained all credulity. Not for me.
Whalefall is a scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who’s been swallowed by an …
Not the thriller for me
2 stars
This short novel, described as a scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale, was not for me. It seemed to be chapter after chapter of either repetitive daddy issues, long-winded descriptions of diving and diving equipment, or tedious descriptions of escape attempts. The writing was marred by flourishes clearly meant to ramp up tension but which just became extremely annoying. I almost put it down multiple times, but forced my way to the end. I wish I hadn't bothered.
A selection of short stories billed as a collection of erotica. The stories definitely had erotic elements and overtones, but I'm not sure I'd classify them as erotica per se. However, I found the prose lush and the stories odd and interesting. Erotica that isn't up your alley can often be rather tedious but I enjoyed these stories quite a lot.
A short historical romance novella that moves along at a very snappy pace with a plot less straightforward than the title implies. The romance felt a bit rushed, very "love at first sight", and the male protagonist was a little too good to be true.
I love historical fiction, but I haven't read much romance and don't understand the conventions of the genre. Perhaps this book fits into a specific sub-genre thus written perfectly to fit a category? Personally, I'd have liked a bit more character development and more historical bits, but it was a fun enough read. Unsure whether I'll read the rest of the series however.
Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Modern Still Life: From Fruit Bowls to Disco Balls by Sari Shryack.
The book is comprised of a short introduction, then ten chapters covering supplies and mindset, still life setup, drawing for painting, value studies, colour, warming and cooling, discoballs, modern still life, style sandwiches, and cleanup and closure, before ending with a conclusion and an index.
The chapters are short and succinct with examples clearly showing the various principles. Some would have benefited from a little more instruction. Almost all of them contain handy tips, such as using a hand mirror as an analogue version of flipping the canvas when using digital painting methods.
I liked this book. It's very pretty and full of colourful images. Techniques covered are not necessarily explained sufficiently for complete novices. For instance, various drawing tools are mentioned, but no actual instruction …
Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a digital ARC of Modern Still Life: From Fruit Bowls to Disco Balls by Sari Shryack.
The book is comprised of a short introduction, then ten chapters covering supplies and mindset, still life setup, drawing for painting, value studies, colour, warming and cooling, discoballs, modern still life, style sandwiches, and cleanup and closure, before ending with a conclusion and an index.
The chapters are short and succinct with examples clearly showing the various principles. Some would have benefited from a little more instruction. Almost all of them contain handy tips, such as using a hand mirror as an analogue version of flipping the canvas when using digital painting methods.
I liked this book. It's very pretty and full of colourful images. Techniques covered are not necessarily explained sufficiently for complete novices. For instance, various drawing tools are mentioned, but no actual instruction is given so if you don't know how to measure with a rod/pencil/whatever it's not something you'll learn here.
I am not at the point where I'm interested in actually painting with acrylic/gouache/oils, but still found it an interesting read as some chapters offer valuable information regardless of medium, such as the ones on composition, value and colour studies.
In summary, this is a lovely book but not one for total beginners. Nor does it offer much to the advanced painter.
"17 years ago: A girl in South Dakota falls through the earth, then wakes up …
Starts interesting, peters out towards the end
3 stars
Beginning with an intriguing mystery, Sleeping Giants uses interviews, journal entries, transcripts and articles to slowly inform the reader. I quite enjoy this style of epistolary-like storytelling, though I would have liked to see stronger "voices". It was a fine read, but because the plot ultimately didn't particularly interest me and I hadn't come to care for or about any of the characters, I probably won't read the sequels. I'm just not invested enough.
In his highly acclaimed debut, A Pale View of Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story …
Too subtle for me by far
2 stars
The second Kazuo Ishiguro book I've read, and had it been my first it would also have been my last. I found the story lacking and the dialogue irrelevant and banal. The characters felt flat and affectless. There was just nothing here for me. Apparently a book too subtle for me to enjoy.
The biggest surprise about it was how much I disliked it after really enjoying Never Let Me Go.
"A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, …
Not for me
3 stars
Novella about a man who grew up the son of an unwed mother in 1940s Ireland. Mainly concerning his inner life as he goes about the daily grind of life, and how something in him changes after some chance encounters at the local nunnery (aka Magdalen Laundry). This one was not for me. The writing was fine, and the topic something I feel strongly about, but I didn’t enjoy this nor did it elicit any strong feelings in me. Found it vaguely tedious.
This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you …
Overall an enjoyable read
3 stars
I enjoyed the characters, the worldbuilding, and found it a fresh and interesting take on Holmesian fiction, and I really liked Crow in particular. At times it felt a little disjointed, and though I really liked some parts, there were other parts that didn't appeal quite so much. Overall an enjoyable read.
Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by …
Not quite to my tastes
3 stars
The fates of a Godkiller, a baker, and a young girl and her pet God intertwine in this fantasy novel. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but for some reason neither the world, the story nor the characters really captured my interest. However, it really picked up by the end and pushed me into probable sequel-reading territory.