Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up although trying to spend more time on GR)’s books on Goodreads (1,251 books) (original) (raw)

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| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | ------ | | | checkbox | position | cover Never Keep (Zodiac Academy #1) | title Never Keep(Zodiac Academy #1) | author Peckham, Caroline * | isbn 1916926274 | isbn13 9781916926271 | asin 1916926274 | num pages 736pp | avg rating 4.41 | num ratings 672 | date pub Sep 24, 2024 | date pub edition Oct 15, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 1 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Sep 30, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Baby Shower | title The Baby Shower | author Lynes, S.E. * | isbn 1803141417 | isbn13 9781803141411 | asin B09MSDS19B | num pages 339pp | avg rating 4.12 | num ratings 4,553 | date pub Mar 01, 2022 | date pub edition Mar 01, 2022 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Fast paced, suspenseful and packed with all the ingredients that should make a good crime / thriller - revenge and toxic relationships within a story Fast paced, suspenseful and packed with all the ingredients that should make a good crime / thriller - revenge and toxic relationships within a story that is dark and sinister. However, it didn't grip me possibly because the plot was so predictable and I had worked out the who, why and outcome too early on which in the case spoiled the enjoyment of the book.I will try to come back later with a brief summary of the plot, but please read other reviews especially from GR friends who enjoyed this much more than me.Merged review:Fast paced, suspenseful and packed with all the ingredients that should make a good crime / thriller - revenge and toxic relationships within a story that is dark and sinister. However, it didn't grip me possibly because the plot was so predictable and I had worked out the who, why and outcome too early on which in the case spoiled the enjoyment of the book.I will try to come back later with a brief summary of the plot, but please read other reviews especially from GR friends who enjoyed this much more than me. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 1 | votes 1 | # times read 2 | date started Dec 02, 2023 not set | date read Dec 02, 2023 not set | date added Sep 28, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Apples Never Fall | title Apples Never Fall | author Moriarty, Liane * | isbn 1250220254 | isbn13 9781250220257 | asin 1250220254 | num pages 467pp | avg rating 3.76 | num ratings 387,557 | date pub Sep 14, 2021 | date pub edition Sep 14, 2021 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating it was ok | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review What have you done me to me y’all. I went in to this with high hopes of an edge of your seat thriller and in the end, I regretted letting this bad ‘ap What have you done me to me y’all. I went in to this with high hopes of an edge of your seat thriller and in the end, I regretted letting this bad ‘apple fall’ onto my lap.I disliked this entirely.I knew what the plot line was from very early on. Then it was all soooooo contrived with an ending / excuses that were so farfetched and laughable that I ended up begrudging the hours I spent reading this.I found this storyline unoriginal – the Mum / wife disappears and the family unravels not because of the ‘apparent’ death but they all blame each other for past transgressions and all the times they didn’t show each other and their mother the right level of support. Then we unveil all the hidden secrets the four siblings harbour none of which were very exciting. Don’t forget the stranger who comes to stay – which just happened to be the first house they could find with the lights on!!! Yawn. Convoluted and predictable with an anti-climax of an ending. 90% of the book was a drag with so much of the 'real' story in the closing part of the book which also felt very rushed.I dislike giving reviews like this, but I will say because I am a clear outlier then please read other reviews because I obviously did not connect with this book. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 84 | votes 132 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 24, 2024 | date read Sep 24, 2024 | date added Sep 25, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Man on Hackpen Hill (DI Silas Hart, #3) | title The Man on Hackpen Hill(DI Silas Hart, #3) | author Monroe, J.S. * | isbn 1789541700 | isbn13 9781789541700 | asin B08NCWHN16 | num pages 464pp | avg rating 3.90 | num ratings 308 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Sep 02, 2021 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review What setting could be more intriguing, and perfect, for a novel involving conspiracy theories, controversial human testing, coded messages, and the cr What setting could be more intriguing, and perfect, for a novel involving conspiracy theories, controversial human testing, coded messages, and the crop circle killings than the UK’s notorious chemical facility at Porton Down. A government funded organisation housing the country's top scientists who carry out research into the world's most dangerous pathogens.The story is narrated by three people Sila, Bella and Jim, and dives straight into the death of the first victim in the opening pages. An almost ritualistic murder where the body is staged and left in the centre of a convoluted diagram stamped into the wheat fields with strange mathematical patterns, and dramatic spiralling hexagons in concentric circles. Let me strip it back to basics, someone is trying to send a coded message, but of what and who can solve the puzzle, is the basis of the riddle.We follow the events and the lives of the three main protagonists, as the story moves at pace. Jim is a scientist at the government's Porton Down laboratory, but is being followed by MI5, and is disturbed by the ever-present black Range Rover near his home and everywhere he travels. So, he enlists the help from Bella, a trainee journalist seeking to print her first ever story, and reveals all to her. But with deaths mounting, the story is no longer about one man’s conscience, instead it becomes a murder investigation into a different kind of killer who leaves unusual chemical traces and bodies evidently frozen for months. But all is not as it seems, as some of the characters appear to live in a delusional world detached from reality, whilst their minds are manipulated to the point, they no longer know who and what they are. I tried to understand the relevance of the complex mathematical equations and coded messages, that were described in some depth, only to find out at the end of the book that they have very little relevance to the story and just made the plot more elaborate and convoluted than it needed to be. Which will put some readers off. So, if you plan to read this novel, take the imagery and coded messages as symbolic. There is enough complexity in the novel to keep you going.I am a huge fan of riddles, puzzles, and love to unravel a mystery which had me interested in the book, however, this was way too convoluted when it did not add to the storyline. Nevertheless, the concept was original, and the setting was just right for a complex and gripping thriller. A little piece of trivia. Twenty thousand human guinea pigs have passed through Porton Down since the place was founded in 1916 and its volunteer programme is very much ongoing. However, the testing is not just focused on trials for things like chemical warfare but also includes testing and experiments for mental health conditions such as Schizophrenia and Psychosis.Merged review:What setting could be more intriguing, and perfect, for a novel involving conspiracy theories, controversial human testing, coded messages, and the crop circle killings than the UK’s notorious chemical facility at Porton Down. A government funded organisation housing the country's top scientists who carry out research into the world's most dangerous pathogens.The story is narrated by three people Sila, Bella and Jim, and dives straight into the death of the first victim in the opening pages. An almost ritualistic murder where the body is staged and left in the centre of a convoluted diagram stamped into the wheat fields with strange mathematical patterns, and dramatic spiralling hexagons in concentric circles. Let me strip it back to basics, someone is trying to send a coded message, but of what and who can solve the puzzle, is the basis of the riddle.We follow the events and the lives of the three main protagonists, as the story moves at pace. Jim is a scientist at the government's Porton Down laboratory, but is being followed by MI5, and is disturbed by the ever-present black Range Rover near his home and everywhere he travels. So, he enlists the help from Bella, a trainee journalist seeking to print her first ever story, and reveals all to her. But with deaths mounting, the story is no longer about one man’s conscience, instead it becomes a murder investigation into a different kind of killer who leaves unusual chemical traces and bodies evidently frozen for months. But all is not as it seems, as some of the characters appear to live in a delusional world detached from reality, whilst their minds are manipulated to the point, they no longer know who and what they are. I tried to understand the relevance of the complex mathematical equations and coded messages, that were described in some depth, only to find out at the end of the book that they have very little relevance to the story and just made the plot more elaborate and convoluted than it needed to be. Which will put some readers off. So, if you plan to read this novel, take the imagery and coded messages as symbolic. There is enough complexity in the novel to keep you going.I am a huge fan of riddles, puzzles, and love to unravel a mystery which had me interested in the book, however, this was way too convoluted when it did not add to the storyline. Nevertheless, the concept was original, and the setting was just right for a complex and gripping thriller. A little piece of trivia. Twenty thousand human guinea pigs have passed through Porton Down since the place was founded in 1916 and its volunteer programme is very much ongoing. However, the testing is not just focused on trials for things like chemical warfare but also includes testing and experiments for mental health conditions such as Schizophrenia and Psychosis. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 6 | votes 37 | # times read 2 | date started Nov 07, 2021 not set | date read Nov 08, 2021 not set | date added Sep 24, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Light Pirate | title The Light Pirate | author Brooks-Dalton, Lily * | isbn 1538708272 | isbn13 9781538708279 | asin 1538708272 | num pages 336pp | avg rating 4.04 | num ratings 33,449 | date pub Dec 06, 2022 | date pub edition Dec 06, 2022 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review ”There is a necessary tension between knowing how nature works in theory and witnessing it…… Sometimes humans need to see change, to literalize it, in _”There is a necessary tension between knowing how nature works in theory and witnessing it…… Sometimes humans need to see change, to literalize it, in order to know that it’s arrived.”_Compelling, wonderful written and brilliantly imagined by an author who shines a light on climate change, the ever increasing destruction of nature, and volatile weather patterns. Floods, hurricanes, rising water levels, soaring temperatures, fires, and flooding evacuations can feel like ‘old’ news and constant reminders of what we all collectively need to be doing to manage the effects of a climate crisis, but what this author does is she uses magical realism story to deliver an important message.The book is not at all preachy or a blame game, but a brilliant imaging of what the future might hold without having to experience it. Communities and society starts to break down, buildings and the country’s infrastructure begins to disappear and food is more difficult to find. All this told through the eyes of a young Wanda who loses family and gains friends and reluctantly achieves her independence whilst learning new life skills that no-one has been taught. “_They've known for years. Decades. It didn't make any difference. None at all. Because now it's here and despite all that knowing, he's lost. Everyone is. They had all hung their hats on the question of proximity. Yes, it will be bad, they'd said to one another, but we have years. We have time. Somehow we'll solve this along the way. He doesn't even have the energy to be angry.”_The setting is Florida - where better?The experts predict that one in eight homes in Florida will be under water by 2100. So it won’t be in our lifetime. So no need to worry, no need to teach in schools and let’s face it, it’s a better prediction than the doomsday dystopian view portrayed in movies and on social media. Right? Totally wrong in my humble opinion. I researched this before and after reading this book. It’s not hype. The climate is changing and it’s right to have a spotlight on Florida with it’s already concerning weather changes. A wonderful quote from a real and credible president - Obama ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 103 | votes 166 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 23, 2024 | date read Sep 23, 2024 | date added Sep 23, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover All Our Yesterdays: A Novel of Lady Macbeth | title All Our Yesterdays: A Novel of Lady Macbeth | author Morris, Joel H. * | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 363pp | avg rating 3.72 | num ratings 705 | date pub Mar 12, 2024 | date pub edition Mar 12, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review One of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters but also one of history’s most misunderstood villian’s – truth or a tragic misrepresentation? Over the One of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters but also one of history’s most misunderstood villian’s – truth or a tragic misrepresentation? Over the years Lady Macbeth has been portrayed as the ‘fiend Queen’, a label awarded to her by one of the plays main characters – Malcom, but also as a witch, a highly manipulative woman, a dangerous enemy, a seductress of Macbeth himself, and the absent mother. The truth is to me Lady M is all of those things, the question is how much of this is about the character of the woman, or the woman shaped by the period she lives in and the need to do whatever is required to survive in this male dominated world, during civil unrest and in a period that was rife with lore, witchcraft, and false knowledge. Lady M, does plot the death of others but she is also widowed (some may say Macbeth did her a favour) when her older husband is murdered. Add to that the superstitions, prophecies, and the political postering that was so evident of the period, and you can begin to see how events and circumstances might have moulded this maturing woman into this villainous character. A woman who became angry at her treatment as a woman, a woman who played the ‘murder’ game better than her male rivals, and a woman who sought to protect her husband and son no matter the cost.However, the author does paint a more sensitive picture of the woman that is Lady Mabeth without abandoning all her vices that we have come to love.I loved that the author accomplished this retelling with the reader becoming more empathetic to Lady Macbeth and even embracing her cunningness. The perilous balance and relationship she conducted between mother, Queen, wife, woman and ‘power’ was perfectly portrayed in the book. _“There is something behind that honesty. A practice, an art. As though you learned that it is more powerful than the lie….. Rehearsed, as you perform what you want others to see”_This is a genuine 3.5 stars for me, and I do wish I had ‘tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’ to analyse further but unfortunately, I do not. Overall, the storyline was left wanting a little, although the storytelling was excellent, but the character and retelling of a great literary villain was terrific._“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted fools”_As it’s a debut and a great one at that I am going up to 4 stars. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 97 | votes 122 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 20, 2024 | date read Sep 20, 2024 | date added Sep 20, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover How to Summon a Fairy Godmother (Fairies and Familiars, #1) | title How to Summon a Fairy Godmother(Fairies and Familiars, #1) | author Mayo, Laura J. * | isbn 0316581151 | isbn13 9780316581158 | asin 0316581151 | num pages 384pp | avg rating 4.36 | num ratings 108 | date pub Oct 08, 2024 | date pub edition Oct 08, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 5 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Sep 19, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Homeland | title Homeland | author Aramburu, Fernando | isbn 1524747122 | isbn13 9781524747121 | asin 1524747122 | num pages 608pp | avg rating 4.40 | num ratings 44,849 | date pub Sep 06, 2016 | date pub edition Mar 05, 2019 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review “Don’t let rancor take possession of your soul.” A story of terror, tragedy, loyalty, and reconciliation – with the victims and ‘oneself’. A sweeping “Don’t let rancor take possession of your soul.” A story of terror, tragedy, loyalty, and reconciliation – with the victims and ‘oneself’. A sweeping saga affecting two families that brings to life the era of Basque nationalism, revolutionary socialism and conflicting political loyalties, in Spain. A story that brilliantly depicts the senselessness of violence in the name of ideology, its destructive nature on families and lifelong friendships, and of course the mental anguish of the victims and the guilty as all come to terms with the reality of how they contributed to the Basque cause. My 23rd stop on the world tour is to Spain. “And what for? The answer filled him with bitterness: for nothing. After all that blood, no socialism, no independence, not one fucking thing. In his heart of hearts he firmly believed he was the victim of a fraud.”Basque separatist movement in SpainThe Basque movement was an armed and political conflict that took place between 1959 to 2011 and existed between Spain and the Basque National Liberation Movement, in the North east of Spain. Having suffered under the Francoist regime, the Basque region / separatists formed a group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) in 1959, that waged a decade long war to secure the right for self-determination in Basque, Spain. This ultimately led to the death of over 800 people, before the movement disbanded in 2011, having achieved very little of their demands. Yet still to this day, some are devoted to the cause while others nurse the wounds of terror.It is easy for the reader to turn their attention to the history books and Wikipedia for a chronology of the political upheaval and events where the ETA and Spanish governing forces were pitted against each other in the name of their own ideology and in trying to carve out land for their people. However, these documentary sources do little to explore the psychological complexity, the powerful effects of a community in support off and against this Basque movement. And so, this wonderful author describes this in a very moving human story that spans decades.**The other part to the story…..**‘Homeland’ is not a vitriolic condemnation of the ETA, nor does it defend their cause. Instead, it takes two families that would otherwise have faced the same love, losses and achievements in their lives but for two things. The death of Txato, Bittori’s husband, murdered by the ETA and Joxe Mari’s involvement in ETA, the son of his friends Joxian and Miren. It is the profound consequences, of these two events, on the respective families that is to provide the searing indictment of terrorism in all its ugliness. A remarkable achievement for the book. It is the human part of this story that is to give this book its glory!!!. The characterisation of the book is superb. In particular, I loved that the two mothers in the family were to play the most important roles. It is through their eyes that we begin to appreciate the tragic deaths of some, but also the loss of a different kind – as one son is radicalised to a movement that is to cost him his freedom and the death of a friend. The fear people felt in the region during this period is palpable, some were ostracised for not supporting the movement while others were tainted for their sympathy. Even priests were drawn into the conflict, and it is thought that almost 75% of priests were sympathetic to this cause.The most agonising was the self reflection of the imprisoned Joxe, “overwhelmed by the weight of what he’d done in the name of principles created by others and which he, obediently and naively, bought into.”, then the poignancy of his words as he reflects on what he has done and must do.… “He confirmed it to himself: asking forgiveness takes more courage than firing a weapon, than setting off a bomb. Anyone can do those things. All you have to be is young and credulous, with hot blood. And it isn’t only that you need balls to sincerely make up for, even if it’s only verbally, the atrocities you’ve committed” A very long book that could have been condensed and took quite a while to get going plus the translation was off at times. However, a fantastic but heart-breaking story and a superb book that captures the effects of conflict and the fall out from it – the sacrifice, retribution, forgiveness, hatred, radicalisation, emotional scars and sheer waste of human life. Fabulous, 4.5 going up ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 68 | votes 108 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 19, 2024 | date read Sep 19, 2024 | date added Sep 19, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience (8 Keys to Mental Health) | title 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience(8 Keys to Mental Health) | author Costin, Carolyn * | isbn 0393706958 | isbn13 9780393706956 | asin 0393706958 | num pages 296pp | avg rating 4.31 | num ratings 797 | date pub Nov 07, 2011 | date pub edition Nov 07, 2011 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Sep 15, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Sourdough | title Sourdough | author Sloan, Robin * | isbn 1427295999 | isbn13 9781427295996 | asin 1427295999 | num pages unknown | avg rating 3.76 | num ratings 58,531 | date pub Aug 01, 2017 | date pub edition Sep 05, 2017 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A chance encounter with a new ‘culture’ changes the life, tastes and culinary focus of Lois Clary - welcome to the world and craze of sourdough making A chance encounter with a new ‘culture’ changes the life, tastes and culinary focus of Lois Clary - welcome to the world and craze of sourdough making. Like many others (including me) the fascination and obsession of creating that rise and fall of the perfect sourdough starter and obtaining the perfect tapping sound on the crust is like nurturing a child. Yes it affected me too not to the extent that I would play music and talk to it but I did move these cultures round my house seeking the perfect temperature to not just keep my sourdough starters alive but in fine shape too ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 45 | votes 86 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 14, 2024 | date read Sep 14, 2024 | date added Sep 13, 2024 | owned | format Audio | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Story Spinner | title The Story Spinner | author Erskine, Barbara | isbn 0008560927 | isbn13 9780008560928 | asin B0CR9H3T9G | num pages 513pp | avg rating 4.43 | num ratings 475 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Aug 01, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review _“All you have to do is listen...read your own narrative and trust your inspiration”_The story spinner is a young poet living in Wales who finds herself _“All you have to do is listen...read your own narrative and trust your inspiration”_The story spinner is a young poet living in Wales who finds herself writing a poem that is telling a story of a Welsh princess once married to a great Roman Emperor. A link that spans a time period of sixteen hundred years.“It all started with a story.The dream of a handsome manThe Emperor of Roman, no less.His name was MacsenAnd he came to Wales to find a wife.Or that is what they say….”_Cadi is a woman with a talent she hasn’t fully realised until she hears the sounds of armoured Roman troops echoing across the meadow close to her cottage and so begins her journey of discovery. Combine that with the legendary tale of Excalibur, the legendary sword, the holy grail, early Saxon invaders, Celtic Christianity, the Viking invasion of Britannia, the knights of King Arthur, and Magnus Maximus and Flavius Victor early Roman Emperor’s all of which combine to make this a rich tapestry of history and fantasy.As for Cadi, her automatic writing, a sign of being a seer, was her way of channelling something she didn’t want. In addition to that Cadi was trying to cope the anguish of real life - having divorced her husband and long term ally, dealing with a former lover who has turned out to be controlling with psychopathic tendencies and success in a career that doesn’t pay well.Review and commentsThis was such a delightful story especially when it combined so many legends, folk lores, and tales into the modern day which brought trouble and healing to so many of the books characters. It felt like Cadi needed to delve into the past to come to terms with the future and in doing so committed to paper one of those periods in history that was lost to future generations – the story of Elen the Welch princess. How wonderful when so many morals and fables can be linked to the messaging that is dominant through the book. Of greed, power, jealousy, infidelity, love, honour and war.The author writes these stories so well, but it was a bit too long in places and it felt we spun in circles at times. However, I really loved how the author tied all the threads of the story together without rushing to close the book.I will certainly read more from this author. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 68 | votes 107 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 13, 2024 | date read Sep 13, 2024 | date added Sep 13, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Renaissance (Assassin's Creed, #1) | title Renaissance(Assassin's Creed, #1) | author Bowden, Oliver | isbn 0718156021 | isbn13 9780718156022 | asin 0718156021 | num pages 516pp | avg rating 3.72 | num ratings 18,197 | date pub Nov 01, 2009 | date pub edition Nov 11, 2009 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I haven't connected with this first book of the series. So I won't be continuing at the moment anyway. I haven't connected with this first book of the series. So I won't be continuing at the moment anyway. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 7 | votes 41 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 06, 2024 | date read Sep 06, 2024 | date added Sep 09, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Marlow Murder Club (Marlow Murder Club, #1) | title The Marlow Murder Club(Marlow Murder Club, #1) | author Thorogood, Robert | isbn 0008238243 | isbn13 9780008238247 | asin 0008238243 | num pages 340pp | avg rating 3.79 | num ratings 46,287 | date pub Jan 07, 2021 | date pub edition Jan 07, 2021 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A good easy to read book. I liked but didn't love A good easy to read book. I liked but didn't love ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 5 | votes 33 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 06, 2024 | date read Sep 06, 2024 | date added Sep 09, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The God of the Woods | title The God of the Woods | author Moore, Liz * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B0CL1YQLB5 | num pages 490pp | avg rating 4.24 | num ratings 106,968 | date pub Jul 02, 2024 | date pub edition Jul 02, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A family mystery, a tragic loss and a thriller that will satisfy most crime / mystery readers. The year is 1975 when thirteen year old Barbara Van Laa A family mystery, a tragic loss and a thriller that will satisfy most crime / mystery readers. The year is 1975 when thirteen year old Barbara Van Laar goes missing from Camp Emerson next to her home. The fear that strikes at the heart of this small community, however, is not just about the missing and sometimes unruly Barbara, but it also reignites the horrors of the previous 14 years when her brother, Bear, went missing. A cold case because he was never found and an explanation of what happened has never been forthcoming, and so the mystery gathers its own momentum, speculation and accusations of cover up’s by the family. There is even room for the ghostly stories to play a characterful role.Review and CommentsCharacterisation - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great range of characters if not typical – the problem child who is misunderstood. I also wasn’t particularly invested in any of the characters which brought the scoring down a little for me although all the characters added to the story.Plot / Twists - ⭐⭐⭐ Some of the Plot twists were excellent and multilayered creating such expectation for the outcome. However, I knew who it was very early on in the story but not how and why and then the final reveal was a bit light.Dual Timeline - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The dual timeline was superb. I find one tends to be stronger than the other in most novels. Not this one. The multiple timelines provided so much context and was brilliantly written and woven into the story.Writing Style - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love this authors writing style. The slow burn worked, the backdrop of the Camp Emerson and the surrounding woodlands created the ideal theatre of nightmares, and the story kept giving. So, I would certainly read more because I read this in such a short time. I don’t get the relevance of the title and the 'God'– or should I say I don’t think the story has a strong connection with the title.Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book. A thrilling thriller and an immersive multilayered story. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 58 | votes 125 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 09, 2024 | date read Sep 09, 2024 | date added Sep 09, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Suite Française | title Suite Française | author Némirovsky, Irène | isbn 0099488787 | isbn13 9780099488781 | asin 0099488787 | num pages 405pp | avg rating 3.86 | num ratings 75,445 | date pub Sep 2004 | date pub edition Jan 01, 2007 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review This iconic French novel is my 22nd stop on the world tour and one that delivered such a powerful, simple but heartbreaking story - not just through t This iconic French novel is my 22nd stop on the world tour and one that delivered such a powerful, simple but heartbreaking story - not just through the lives of the three main characters - some who fled France whilst others recounted the horrific events and living in their rural community during the occupation of Germany in June 1940, under a new regime, but it is the authors own story that captured my attention.Irene Némirovsky’s story Némirovsky wrote two novels in this series before being arrested for being Jewish and she herself was to become a victim of the Holocaust at Auschwitz. So this thought never leaves you as you begrudgingly turn the pages of this profoundly moving story because there was to be no happy ending for the author.In fact the notes at the end of her novel, along with a the heartbreaking recap of her last few days add so much to these works. Far from having illusions that everything would be alright, Irene was to have a premonition about her early death - evident in the lucid and cynical remarks made about the French who collaborated with the Germans to survive, something Nemirovsky would not and could not contemplate. She was alone and in her loneliness denounced fear, cowardice, acceptance of humiliation, of persecution and massacre. In her last letter to her publisher on the 11th July 1942, Irene writes My dear friend think of me sometimes. I have done a lot of writing. I suppose they will be posthumous works.” How gut wrenching are these words because this wonderful author was executed on 17th August 1942 a few weeks later. Passing the manuscript to her daughters, they carried them around for years believing them to be the last thoughts of their mother making them unbearable to read. Instead they were to be become ‘Suite Francaise’ the fabulous masterpiece that held a mirror up to many. The wealthy who tried in vain to save their riches, the German soldier who fell in love, Cars piled high with furniture, so much abandoned by the roadside because the poor were so tired and hungry to carry them further. A snapshot of France and the French as Irene described as ‘spineless, defeated and occupied’ in the ‘Exodus of Paris’.Review and Comments I have read so many books set during WWII and so it is hard for any to stand out or offer anything different. However, although I knew this to be one of the most celebrated works of WWII, it gripped me in a way that I wasn't expecting. The beauty of this novel is in its simplicity, everything is stripped back so that the events and tumultuous lives of the characters speak for themselves. The subtle expression of emotions is evident in every page yet this book is not overly sentimental. I found myself teary so many times, when the stories were revealed about people trying to pack up their valuables, food and whatever it was they could carry to start a new life, who knows where but thousands headed into the unknown anyway. Many wouldn't make it through the years of torture, abuse, war and such savagery inflicted on the sufferers of WWII. “Paris had its sweetest smell, the smell of chestnut trees in bloom and of petrol with a few grains of dust that crack under your teeth like pepper. In the darknes the danger seemed to grow. You could smell the suffering in the air, in the silence. Everyone looked at their house and thought, "Tomorrow it will be in ruins, tomorrow I'll have nothing left.” A lot has been written about the Holocaust but none so simply whilst at the same time leaving nothing to imagination about the dreadful treatment of people. As a reader I was totally immersed in what the characters were feeling and experiencing, the decisions they were making and the limited choices they had. I lived through some surreal moments when it felt like the fictional characters were actually speaking to me direct explaining their rationale. Now that is sobering, powerful and genius.An outstanding book for all the material it includes - the fictional story, the author’s own notes and the chronological sequence of events that led to the author being imprisoned in Auschwitz, which has earned its rightful place in literature and in history.Some powerful quotes_“After all, people judge one another according to their own feelings. It is only the miser who sees other enticed by money, the lustful who see others obsessed by desire.” “...because all happiness is contagious, and disarms the spirit of hatred.” _“After the calm comes the storm; it starts out slowly, reaches its peak, then it's over and other periods of calm, some longer, some shorter, come along. It's just been our bad luck to be born in a century full of storms, that's all. They'll die down.”_Your choice but if I could make one recommendation, please read the appendix first if you choose to read this book. It doesn’t spoil the novel but you will get a much better sense of what this young woman experienced as she wrote these two books in the series during the war. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 91 | votes 166 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 07, 2024 | date read Sep 08, 2024 | date added Sep 08, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent, #12) | title This Is Why We Lied(Will Trent, #12) | author Slaughter, Karin * | isbn 0063336723 | isbn13 9780063336728 | asin 0063336723 | num pages 464pp | avg rating 4.38 | num ratings 15,750 | date pub Aug 20, 2024 | date pub edition Aug 20, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 2 | votes 26 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 30, 2024 | date read Aug 30, 2024 | date added Aug 30, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Talking at Night | title Talking at Night | author Daverley, Claire * | isbn 0593653483 | isbn13 9780593653487 | asin 0593653483 | num pages 400pp | avg rating 3.96 | num ratings 36,819 | date pub Jun 06, 2023 | date pub edition Jun 20, 2023 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 17 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 27, 2024 | date read Aug 27, 2024 | date added Aug 30, 2024 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover What If? | title What If? | author Low, Shari * | isbn 1838891277 | isbn13 9781838891275 | asin B08BJ6MFXH | num pages 362pp | avg rating 4.16 | num ratings 9,498 | date pub Jan 25, 2001 | date pub edition Sep 29, 2020 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 7 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 28, 2024 | date read Aug 28, 2024 | date added Aug 30, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Seven Year Slip | title The Seven Year Slip | author Poston, Ashley * | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 352pp | avg rating 4.21 | num ratings 284,962 | date pub Jun 27, 2023 | date pub edition Jun 27, 2023 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 3.5 stars rounded up | notes Notes are private! | comments 2 | votes 38 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 29, 2024 | date read Aug 29, 2024 | date added Aug 30, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) | title Phantasma(Wicked Games, #1) | author Smith, Kaylie * | isbn 1538769255 | isbn13 9781538769256 | asin 1538769255 | num pages 512pp | avg rating 4.26 | num ratings 11,213 | date pub Sep 03, 2024 | date pub edition Sep 03, 2024 | Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 1 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Aug 20, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | |

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