The Ministry of Time is an overflowing mix of genres: Speculative and Dystopian Fiction, Romance and Historical Fiction, Thriller, and Time Travel. ItThe Ministry of Time is an overflowing mix of genres: Speculative and Dystopian Fiction, Romance and Historical Fiction, Thriller, and Time Travel. It is brimming!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had reading this book. The story is wrapped around a group of historical figures from the past who are brought to the 21st century to acclimate to the current culture and lifestyle of near-future London. It focuses primarily on the protagonist, a nameless civil servant, and the 18th-century Arctic explorer, Commander Graham Gore.
This book continues to get better the further you read. It has a couple of twists and is loaded with unexpected humor and pockets of real-world events. What I enjoyed most was the author's wicked creativity. Bradley takes well-known figures from the past, transports them to the near-future, and lets her imagination roam free.
The best thing about this book is the incredibly lyrical and mesmerizing writing. Many words are new to me, or perhaps I have never used them like she has; they take on a different sound, meaning, and effect. Her writing is urgent, as if the words are gushing from her; she can't get them out fast enough before the inspiration leaves her. Bradley's writing style is thoughtful and immersive; it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. I was truly blown away.
This was an immersion read; the audiobook has two narrators, George Weightman and Katie Leung. The story is written in the first-person voice of the protagonist, recounted flawlessly by Leung, and is an exceptional listening experience.
The Ministry of Time won the ŷ Choice Awards 2024 for Readers' Favorite Science Fiction AND was a nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel. I fully understand why now and look forward to what this author comes up with next!
5�
Thank you to Avid Reader Press and Kaliane Bradley for a physical ARC of this book through Shelf Awareness GLOW. This is my honest and voluntary review....more
"What happens to ordinary families into whose midst a child serial killer is born?"
That is the question at the center of this Classic Thriller... "What happens to ordinary families into whose midst a child serial killer is born?"
That is the question at the center of this Classic Thriller...
Charming little Rhoda Penmark, with her hangman braids, is the original creepy kid. The author uses interesting words to describe her hairdo, but as the story progresses and the plot thickens, you begin to understand its significance.
The Bad Seed was originally published in 1954 and became a bestselling novel, a successful Broadway play, and was made into a movie in 1956. I remember watching this black and white movie on TV years ago. The child actress who played Rhoda was scarily perfect for the part.
There is a 2018 color remake of the movie that is loosely based on the book. The black and white version is the real deal. Trust me on this!
I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, and of course, it follows the book word for word.
The Bad Seed, written by William March, is an intense, chilling, and suspenseful in-depth character study. The title infers that nature prevails over nurture, suggesting that some individuals are born evil.
This is how you write a Thriller, ladies and gentlemen!
The Body by Stephen King is More a Coming-of-Age Story Than Horror Fiction!
If you think you've experienced a Stephen King book by watching the film adThe Body by Stephen King is More a Coming-of-Age Story Than Horror Fiction!
If you think you've experienced a Stephen King book by watching the film adaption, I assure you, you're mistaken. There's something about his simplistic writing style that captures you and draws you into the worlds he creates that plays better in your head than on the big screen.
I'm not sure Mr. King would appreciate my description of how I perceive his writing, but to me it's simply magical. There's a familiarity to his stories that speaks to the reader in some sort of nostalgicy, twisted way. It stirs thoughts of our pasts, our dreams, and our nightmares. King is, well...The King!
The Body is said to be the one Stephen King story that is closest to semi-autobiographical. Set in fictional Castlerock, Maine, this Coming-of-Age story is told in the first-person POV of Gordie LaChance, who...wait for it...becomes a writer. He's reminiscing about the summer of 1960 when along with three close friends, all on the cusp of becoming teenagers, set out to find the body of missing Ray Brower, who is their age and rumored to have been hit by a train.
The Body is definitely more Coming-of-Age than Horror, and the adventure these four boys take on along with their individual family circumstances, blend together into a worthy read/listen. It solidifies the truth about the friendships of our childhood being the one's we remember the most fondly. King takes this story full-circle for the reader, which is quite unusual for a novella. The audiobook is a great listen with narrator, Frank Muller's voicing of the young characters and as the 'later in life' Gordie.
The Body was originally published in King's 1982 story collection Different Seasons. It was later adapted into the 1986 film Stand by Me. It's a film I've never watched despite being told it's a great movie and was nominated for Best Screen Play. I'm partial to Stephen King's written words and listening to this audiobook works just fine for me. I highly recommend it to Stephen King fans, like me, who are looking for a story that's a little different, a lot lighter, and takes you back to the cherished friendships of youth!
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel is a Speculative Fiction Short Read!
In the not-too-distant-future, Idir reports to take the British Citizenship Test. It coThe Test by Sylvain Neuvel is a Speculative Fiction Short Read!
In the not-too-distant-future, Idir reports to take the British Citizenship Test. It consists of twenty-five superfluous essential multiple choice questions. Process of elimination questions are always easier, right?
But things go haywire quickly and Idir is faced with answering questions of an entirely different nature...
The Test, a 2 hour and 12 minute audiobook is, in a word, "intense". This story turns a mundane scenario into an unexpected, unimaginable, yet powerful listen. The narrator, Neil Shah, is quite convincing in the variety of voicing skills he uses.
The author does an amazing feat of packing a huge and thought-provoking punch into such a short read/listen. This is so dang creative. It will also makes you brain sizzle and maybe even sting a lot little.
Whatever format you choose, you won't believe how many answers you'll get wrong on this test. Really, it's shocking!
"The Gift" by Freida McFadden is a Jaw-Dropping Christmas Thriller Novella!
Newlyweds, Stella and Justin Hansen are spending their first Christmas tog"The Gift" by Freida McFadden is a Jaw-Dropping Christmas Thriller Novella!
Newlyweds, Stella and Justin Hansen are spending their first Christmas together as a married couple and Stella wants it to be special.
Stella's the breadwinner and currently working two jobs, while her husband attends law school, so money is tight and right now they're broke.
On Christmas Eve, Stella is working at the diner and knows she'll be exchanging gifts with Justin tonight when she gets home.
Stella tells her co-worker, Bessie, about her plans after work, about not having a gift for Justin, and about not having the money to buy one.
Right before closing, Stella sees a strange old lady in a back booth who heard Stella telling Bessie about her dilemma.
The old lady, Helga, owns a business that is always open and she'll help Stella find the perfect gift for her husband. No money? No problem! They'll make a deal...
If you think this is a retelling of a classic Christmas story, like I did, think again. I was so wrong and so surprised!
For me, this was the perfect Holiday Fiction Novella to read during my lunch break today. The twist at the end was very unexpected. If you're looking for a Christmas story that's a bit of a jaw-dropper, this is one for you. I highly recommend!...more
"The Lighthouse Witches" by C.J. Cooke is an atmospheric, creepy, and foreboding read!
A secluded Scottish island with a century old lighthouse, is ste"The Lighthouse Witches" by C.J. Cooke is an atmospheric, creepy, and foreboding read!
A secluded Scottish island with a century old lighthouse, is steeped in a past of women accused of witchcraft in the 17th Century. The women, held in an underground prison, were tortured and burned without trials. Before the burning, these brutalized women screamed a curse on the island and its people causing fear and superstition for centuries to come.
The lighthouse, known as the Longing, was built over the underground prison in the 19th century. In 1998, a single mother and artist, Liv Stay, is commissioned to paint a mural inside the Longing by the owner, Patrick Roberts. Struggling financially, Liv jumps at the opportunity to begin anew with her three daughters, Sapphire 15, Luna 9, and Clover 7.
Liv wonders about the stories told to her by the residents about the island's history of witches, curses, and wildings. Originally skeptical of the island folklore, when Sapphire and Clover go missing, Liv is wild in her search and open to the possibility of truth behind the island's dark history.
In 2021, Clover is found and Luna is shocked when she sees that her sister isn't 29 years old, as she should be. Clover is seven years old, the age she was when she disappeared more than twenty years ago...
This story is told, primarily, in two timelines of 1998 and 2021, with a third timeline of 1662 mingled into some of the chapters. Holding onto the mystery through to the end, with its atmospheric, creepy, and foreboding narrative is everything I was looking for in an October Spooky Season read.
However, this story didn't completely work for me. I had trouble connecting to the MC characters, especially Liv, based on lack of character development and emotion. Overall, I didn't feel this story had the depth of emotion it should have based on the premise. The entire story felt like it was above-ground when much of what happened felt like it was underground. The three timelines gave this story the feel of being spliced together with gaps, rather than cohesive and complete.
The audiobook's four narrators, Eva Feiler, Lesley Harcourt, Jess Nesling, and Joshua Manning, did a remarkable job of voicing and bring this story to life. This is a prime example of how an audiobook elevates the enjoyment of a book for the reader/listener.
Although I didn't love this one, I did like it. 3 stars for the story, 4 stars for the audiobook, averaging 3.5 stars. I do recommend the audiobook as an atmospheric October Spooky Season listen!...more
"The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" by Grady Hendrix is a creative mix of Horror and Southern Fiction!
Well, yes, please and thank yo"The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" by Grady Hendrix is a creative mix of Horror and Southern Fiction!
Well, yes, please and thank you! I love Horror, Y'all! Give it to me! And, then give me some more!
Patricia Campbell is an ex-nurse who is now married to a doctor, who is never home and when he is, he ignores and stifles her. Her two kids are ungrateful complainers. She is mostly lonely and bored. Yep, she's living the dream!
Patricia does love her book club friends though. They read exciting True-Crime and Suspense Fiction books every month. Great conversations happen during their meetings, especially when the wine starts to flow!
The current discussion is about Patricia's newest neighbor, James Harris. He's handsome, charismatic and a bit mysterious. Patricia thinks he might be too mysterious. Something just doesn't ring true with James. Wasn't Ted Bundy handsome, charismatic and mysterious?
Patricia's next door neighbor dies. A friend disappears. Local school children start to go missing. All of this begins when James comes to town. Is there a connection? Patricia seems to think so!
Then Patricia sees things she can't un-see! Is it too late to do anything about it? Who would believe her? Is she no longer safe? And, what about her family?
Set in the 1990's in a small community in the South, where the pace is slow and the 1990's are reminiscent of the 1950's. Were families really like this in the 90's? Oh, wait! This is fiction and horror, right? Never mind!
There are so many things I loved about this story! I loved the characters! All of them! Yes, even James! The author's writing style was superb and that includes the ugly, gruesome and bloody stuff. With his descriptive writing, I had no trouble visualizing every single delightful gory detail!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Bahni Turpin, who also narrated 'The House Girl'. Once again, Bahni uses her spectacular voicing skills for all the characters. It's done in a very entertaining and convincing way! I love her voice!
Lastly, there are glaring stereotypes in this story. Cultural overtones of the South with racially separated communities. Sexist households where the husband is the breadwinner and the wife is subservient.
With that said, it feels a bit satirical. Who drains Patricia more? Handsome, charismatic, mysterious neighbor James? Or her nightmare of a husband, Carter? The parallels are staggering! The author's creativity delivers that correlation and more so beautifully here for the reader!
4.5 stars increased to 5 beautiful gory horror stars! I highly recommend to all who love Horror!...more
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