DNF: did not like Mina or Sam, near constant reminders about how hot things are, and the only reason we know it's creepy is because we're told, not shDNF: did not like Mina or Sam, near constant reminders about how hot things are, and the only reason we know it's creepy is because we're told, not shown.
There is a YA book, Shine that covers similar ground but in the world of K-pop groups. This is more adult, with two twentysomethings given the opportuThere is a YA book, Shine that covers similar ground but in the world of K-pop groups. This is more adult, with two twentysomethings given the opportunity to join the Dollhouse -- a remote Catskills compound-cum-studio that trains actors-dancers-singers. It's like getting to be on Nickelodeon or Disney mixed with the old studio system, where the the corporation owns your image and, eventually, your life. There's creepy stuff going on, but our innocent Ramona is convinced that she can figure out a way to succeed, even though she's been surpassed by her BFF Grace (oops! Gracie). Intercut with Ramona's story is a diary written by Ivy, the Dollhouse's biggest star, exposing some of the secrets that the management is trying to hide. Sadly, the pacing is frequently off, particularly the ending.
Calling this a boarding school is just wrong: these are not teen girls, they're college graduates. Ditto calling this "dark academia": it's theatre boot camp, not an actual school (or, more accurately, while there might be teens there we meet none of them).
Jane is done with her 19-year marriage to Dan and is going to tell him during their anniversary dinner at an incredibly expensive, incredibly pretentiJane is done with her 19-year marriage to Dan and is going to tell him during their anniversary dinner at an incredibly expensive, incredibly pretentious restaurant (it honestly felt like a mockery of Noma). Enter a terrorist attack by a group of climate terrorists, a not particularly well-organized group, that seems to be basing their plan on Jane's almost non-seller novel. Coincidence? or predictable plot?
Rounded up from 2.5 stars because there are a few good chuckles, but the predictability was a huge disappointment.
I was trying to describe this series to a friend and came up with a cozy, mixed with Slow Horses and the Folly series. Maybe? Whatever it is, it's gotI was trying to describe this series to a friend and came up with a cozy, mixed with Slow Horses and the Folly series. Maybe? Whatever it is, it's got enough "something" to keep me reading and reaching for the next one.
There's a lot of esoteric trivia dumped into these books - in this case, the "hidden" (or paved over) rivers in London and how London itself has changed over the years. I'll confess I spent far too much time tracing the routes and places that get mentioned. If you're interested, there's a lot about them online. Beyond that, there's a mystery with the answer being somewhat clouded, and the murder not being a suspect you'd consider. ...more
I thought I'd made this comment when I read Bloody January but no. So I'll make it now: Harry McCoy could be a young, Glasgow-based Rebus. If you likeI thought I'd made this comment when I read Bloody January but no. So I'll make it now: Harry McCoy could be a young, Glasgow-based Rebus. If you like that series, you'll like this one: McCoy has a relationship with one of the big crime bosses, isn't afraid to use somewhat unconventional and inappropriate methods, and has a substance abuse problem. If it wasn't made clear that this was set in the 1970s, I'd have guessed even earlier, possibly 40s-50s era Scotland.
Definitely not a cozy mystery, this procedural series is one worth followung....more
I'd wondered whether this could make a good series and I'm still on the fence. Last time, Annie had to solve a murder to be able to inherit millions (I'd wondered whether this could make a good series and I'm still on the fence. Last time, Annie had to solve a murder to be able to inherit millions (millions!!) from a distant relative. This time, she's innocently heading to town and meets the fortune teller that set the events of the previous book in motion... and off we go with another mystery that relies (somewhat) on the numerous files that Frances compiled over the decades. I hope that book 3 expands on this in some way.
As mysteries go, there's a lot--too much, really--that gets revealed via Frances' diary. The relationships between people we met in the last book are further explored, and of course Annie and her policeman friend get closer. I did not love that there were some characters whose personalities/motivations suddenly changed, not in the unreliable character way but in a "oops, I created a character that needs to be/do xxx" way.
Given the political climate and the questions of what (and how) things should be taught in schools, this is a very timely book. A little less on BryanGiven the political climate and the questions of what (and how) things should be taught in schools, this is a very timely book. A little less on Bryan and Darrow and more on the law, and what was happening in other jurisdictions, would have made this a 5 star....more
The overall story was good, but using the "talking to a person in a coma" trope just annoyed me. I loved the cooking and the way Dizzy creates dishes.The overall story was good, but using the "talking to a person in a coma" trope just annoyed me. I loved the cooking and the way Dizzy creates dishes. Watching her realize that Perfect Miles isn't, well, Perfect was great. It's also wonderful how much she cares and cares for her family. I also enjoyed Cassidy and her story.
Without spoilers, let me just say some of this felt a little like the author was picking pieces that fit into the awards playlist. The history of the Fell family curse, the missing father, the overworked mother, etc. Plus the ending ties everything up nicely. Sigh....more
I've always been a sucker for the "strange world that exists right next to ours" genre, and this author does a great job.I've always been a sucker for the "strange world that exists right next to ours" genre, and this author does a great job....more
The ending is soooo annoying. It's almost like the author had a complete chapter and just cut half, all in service of providing a cliffhanger and reasThe ending is soooo annoying. It's almost like the author had a complete chapter and just cut half, all in service of providing a cliffhanger and reason to read the next book. As for the characters, I guess having the mother be neglectful and only interested in finding a man is better than killing her off?
This is a decent(ish) middle grade version of The Inheritance Games, which isn't a bad thing overall.
There are times that serving on the Excellence in Non-Fiction award committee doesn't do books any favors.
The author covers the materials competently,There are times that serving on the Excellence in Non-Fiction award committee doesn't do books any favors.
The author covers the materials competently, starting with the Foxes and their knocking and ending in the 1900s and how things haven't much changed (esp. when you go to a psychic or tarot reader). More about Lily Dale and other spiritualist towns or areas could have helped; I live near a Spiritualist Church and showing how they still exist today would have been a great addition. We spend too much time with Houdini and Rose Mackenberg, which makes the plurals in the title questionable.
And then, there's the production. Ugh. First, that trim size is horrible. Too many of the images are blown up and thus fuzzy, while a smaller trim would have changed that. If you're adding that kind of matter to a book, the readability is important! Adding more modern images showing (clearly, crisply) how the various scams were produced would also have helped. I've never been a fan of the way YA non-fiction does citations, as that's contrary to what they'll be taught in school and adult NF has the more academic citations.
Still, it's a decent starting place for teen researchers....more
How do you transport a group of people to a far-distant place on a journey of centuries? You create a technology to upload a consciousness into a compHow do you transport a group of people to a far-distant place on a journey of centuries? You create a technology to upload a consciousness into a computer and the ability to then download it into a new body, almost resetting your life. Honestly, there were a few holes in how that all worked but I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure it out.
Instead, we have a murder and an unplanned "wakening" of our detective, Dorothy, who finds herself in a body that she hasn't chosen and was the previous host of the victim. The mystery is slight, as is the investigation, but the world of the ship and the society were interesting enough for me to rate it higher. How this fares in Book Two will be the critical thing: can the author come up with more mysteries that don't repeat but expand on the world that has been created? (I'm thinking of Chaos Theory and how that series has expanded nicely).
A former nun visits a rundown seaside resort looking for a former novice who has stopped writing. Meets quirky boarding house residents and possibly sA former nun visits a rundown seaside resort looking for a former novice who has stopped writing. Meets quirky boarding house residents and possibly starts a relationship with the town detective. Great beach reading mystery with the potential to be a fun series.
I can see this becoming a "must read" for anyone who likes the Inheritance Games, Luminaries, House of Marionne and other series. We're in another worI can see this becoming a "must read" for anyone who likes the Inheritance Games, Luminaries, House of Marionne and other series. We're in another world, where there are decided Haves and Have Nots, and the Haves are led by a family with magic. But to be the leader of the family, there's a contest to be won... and of course the flighty heir to the heir now has competition. It will be interesting to see how this stretches to more than one book.
Meh. Standard enemies-to-married couple fare, with some BDSM shoehorned in to try to make a boring plot interesting (spoiler: it doesn't work). The whMeh. Standard enemies-to-married couple fare, with some BDSM shoehorned in to try to make a boring plot interesting (spoiler: it doesn't work). The whole plot behind the one year only marriage made no sense, which really didn't help.
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