Shin
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Rose are Red by James Patterson
From Amazon: A series of meticulously planned bank robberies ends in murder, and detective Alex Cross must pit his wits against the bizarre and sadistic mastermind behind the crimes. Although torn between dedication to his job and commitment to his family, Cross cannot ignore the case, despite the risks he knows will come with hunting down a killer - and the heartbreaking cost.
This is book 6 in the Alex Cross series. The last time I read this series would be about 7 years ago, so some of the backstory I have sort of forgotten about and even some of the actual stories of the last 5 books which are sometimes mentioned in future Alex Cross books. So I am a little rusty on that but this book again was a page turner. It had a few twist and turns in the end and even some shockers. I had planned to get into the next book into the ACOTAR series after this one but after I read the last sentence of this book, I had to start the next one. It was quite a cliffhanger. I don't know whether all James Patterson books are like this or just the Alex Cross series but I love how the chapters are very short. Definitely another series I will continue with and there is a lot in it to keep me going.SpoilerAs I have said, it has been 7 years since I last read a book in the Alex Cross series and I believe that book 5, Pop Goes the Weasel, was the one where Christine was kidnapped. I can't remember the story but it seems that Geoffrey Shafer was not be caught at the end of it. I think I need to read some spoilers on the first 5 books. 😆 So this book was about robbery-murders all planned by the Mastermind. I did have a feeling that some bad was going to happen to Betsey especially after what happened to the other agents however I did not see it coming that there was more than one mastermind with the top one being the FBI agent, Kyle Craig!! I know he was in earlier books as I know he helped Alex in someway when his niece went missing. I can't remember how involved this character has been in previous books but I am so shocked. And this is why I had to get into the next book asap. It was lucky it was sitting on my bookshelf.
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A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J. Mass
From Amazon: Feyre is a huntress. And when she sees a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she kills the predator and takes its prey to feed herself and her family. But the wolf was not what it seemed, and Feyre cannot predict the high price she will have to pay for its death...Dragged away from her family for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding even more than his piercing green eyes suggest. As Feyre's feelings for Tamlin turn from hostility to passion, she learns that the faerie lands are a far more dangerous place than she realized. And Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
I have seen the ACOTAR series all over BookTok and so just had to buy the first book. I have to admit that I wasn't looking forward to starting it as I thought it was going to be a hard read and I was only doing it because it's a TikTok sensation. However, I was very surprised that this book had me glued from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. I am more of a vampire/werewolf type of girl and I am surprised that I was hooked on a book about faeries. But I loved this and I will continue with the series on my Kindle as I can't see it being a type of book I can pass on. I have added a bit more in a spoiler below.
SpoilerI did love the brooding Tamlin and the tension between him and Feyre. I did find it strange he seemed to like her so much so soon especially after what she did to Andras but his motive is revealed later in the book. I do love the growing friendship between Feyre and Lucien even though it doesn't seem that way at times, you know he cares for her but again that could have been all because of what they needed from her. It did get more exciting when Feyre went Under the Mountain and I have say I think I will be more a Rhysand fan than a Tamlin one. And I am very interested to see what Rhysand seen in her after she was turned High Fae at the end of the book that made him shocked. I do get a feeling she will fall in love with him.
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On 11/6/2024 at 9:56 AM, Hayley said:
I really like The Thursday Murder Club for the same reason - I loved the cast of characters
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It's a shame about the odd stripe on the kindle, but perhaps if it's not really noticeable it won't affect your reading? I hope you can still enjoy it!
I am looking forward to continuing the series. 😊
Oh it doesn't affect my reading at all. I only contacted them because of the price and to see what can be done. If they had of said return it for a refund I probably would have said I'll not bother. 🤣
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On 11/6/2024 at 7:24 AM, lunababymoonchild said:
Only you can decide whether to return or not. You could wait until near the end of the return period and then return if a fix isn’t forthcoming.
Considering the cost of the Colorsoft I thought I would see if I could get a replacement. Although I didn't purchase it directly from Amazon, I contacted their customer services just to see what they would say. The Colorsoft is out of stock so they gave me two options, either to hold onto the one I have and keep using it until a replacement is sent out or they could replace it with one of their new Paperwhite ones. I told them I will hold off until a replacement was sent out however they could not indicate how long that would be. They just said as soon as they are back in stock, I will receive an email to say it is dispatched. So I am happy enough as I do love it.
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I'm currently reading Violets are Blue by James Patterson, book 7 in the Alex Cross series.
I also have A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass going on the Kindle, 2nd book in the ACOTAR series.
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On 11/4/2024 at 8:24 AM, lunababymoonchild said:
I thought that you might be interested in this article : New Kindle Colorsoft users reporting 'distracting' yellow strip on screen
Yes, I have been reading lots about this. Unfortunately mine also has the yellow strip but I think I probably wouldn't have noticed much if I had not seen all the complaints about it. Other than that. I love it but I also haven't anything to compare it to except for the app on my phone.
I do hope an update does fix it as I am also reading lots saying that it's more of a hardware issues rather than a software issue. So I'm not sure whether to return it or wait.
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On 11/1/2024 at 8:21 AM, lunababymoonchild said:
Good for you. It’s a big improvement on the apps - apart from the size consideration, I can destroy my battery (phone or tablet) using it - I read for hours a day and the Kindle reader is the only thing that can handle that (I have far too many e-books, 354 and counting).
I also prefer paper but have run out of space to store them!
I hope that you enjoy it. Are you going for the new colour one?
That's what I'm hoping that there is so much advantages to the Kindle over using the app that will make me happy I got it.
I did purchased the colour one. 😬 I know it was expensive especially not knowing I'd like a Kindle and also because I don't need it to be coloured to read, but that's one of the things I like with the app. I will be getting it Monday now.
I did the Stuff your Kindle days so I have hundreds of ebooks now and I can also listen to my Audible books on this new Kindle too.
I believe you can't read the ebooks from the Library on a Kindle which is a shame.
I'm the same with paper books. It's just the space and I'm more than likely never read a book twice so no point in keeping books after I read them.
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I also have splashed out on my very first Kindle. 🤭
I do prefer a book though.
I have only ever tried the Kindle app on my phone which is tiny or the app on an old Samsung tablet that is big, heavy and also slow. But my birthday is coming up so told my hubby he can purchase one as my gift. 🤣
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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I found it hard to get into this book but I think for me that's just the way with all books. I find it takes about 100 pages in before you get into it. Well, I have to say I don't think it will be the case when I read the second book in the series as I absolutely loved this book. 😄 There were a lot of twists and turns that I have to admit I found hard to keep up with but it kept me turning the pages. I think I really have fallen in love with the characters though and maybe that's something to do with them all being the same age as my mum. 😆 So I am putting this series into the list of series that I want to continue reading and the upside is that since I had bought this book and can now pass it onto my mum to read. 😊
Currently Reading: A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Ok, I am not giving a review of this just yet but I decided this was my next read after doom scrolling on TikTok. So far I am very surprised as my theory above about the first 100 pages doesn't apply to this book as I am a quarter way in and I think I have been hooked from the first page. 😲 So I am enjoying it so far.
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So here is my attempt to review the books I have read so far. Please bare with me as I don't think I am very good at reviewing. 🤣
Friend, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing ~ Matthew Perry
I listened to this on Audible and I really enjoyed it. I am not sure if I would have enjoyed it has much if I read the actual book as listening to Matthew narrating it. It was sad to know that although rich and famous, he really struggled with life.
False Witness by Karin Slaughter
I always loved Karin Slaughter books back when I was really into reading. They always had me gripped but I am referring to the Grant County series and Will Trent series. False Witness is one of her stand-alone novels and to be fair, this was the first physical book I had read in years. I must admit I had read the first chapter a few times and put the book aside and I don’t think this was anything to do with the story but more me trying to find my mojo. I finally got into the book and I did really enjoy it. It includes Covid-19 references which I don’t think really needed to be there but gave some sort of reality to the story which was sad in the end. I am not so sure it has had me gripped like her other books have then I don’t think anything could beat her Grant County series.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
I must admit, I had never heard of Colleen Hoover until I got on Book Tok. I didn’t even make connections with the Blake Lively movie. But I thought I would give one of her books a go and got this one from the library. I really did want to slap Tate across the head for letting Miles treat her the way he did and punch Miles in the face for that treatment. What kept me going with the book was Miles’s story. I really wanted to know what his problem was so that’s what had me hooked. I know I might sound a bit prudish when I say this but I do think there is no need for the smut. I think sometimes leaving it to the imagination is enough. But, by the end of the book I did enjoy it.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
After chatting to one of my friends about reading Ugly Love she leant me this book. I am glad I didn’t have to buy it. I know the main topic of this book is domestic violence but one of the things that really annoyed me was how quick everything happens. It sort of reminds of Fifty Shades. I simply don’t like Ryle even from the start of the book before he even has a relationship with Lily. There is no excuse for his behaviour and find it sad that Lily fell for it all. However, I did love reading about Atlas. I’m not so sure I would be in a hurry to watch the film.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
I think this book was needed after It Ends with Us otherwise, I would have found the diary entries pointless and we needed closure. This story happens about a year after she first meets Ryle so not that long. But this is more of a story of Lily and Atlas and I did enjoy it. But I am not so sure about reading more of Colleen Hoover books. I do have some on order from the library so we will see.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
I seen this book recommended by one of my friends on Goodreads. I managed to order it from the library and it was available very quickly. I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of twisted and turns that keep me turning pages and a little of a shocker at the end which I was not expecting. The only thing that I didn’t like was it was a hardback book. I do prefer paperback. But it was a very good story.
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Everyone is so talented. I love all your work! 😍
I have done a number of creative hobbies over the years but the one I have stuck to the most is crochet.
I have done cross stitch, wedding stationery, jewellery making, wax melts, knitting and of course crochet. I did craft fairs years ago for my jewellery and then recently for my crochet pieces but after about 2 years doing that I gave the markets up this year. I hope I can post some pics soon. I do have an Instagram account showing my makes (but I haven't updated it this year and also not sure if I am allowed to post the link). But I had focused on baby wear and hats etc. Now I just focusing on making blankets and getting back to my reading. 😊
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So, after starting this blog at the beginning of August, it has taken me only to now to update my TBR list.
Again, it's not as large as it used to be but now I don't like to hold onto books as much as I used to. I am hoping to use my library lots and I do love passing on a book if I have bought it. Plus, I need space for my balls of yarn which are on a bookshelf. 😁
I also did a lot of downloading to my Kindle app with the Stuff my Kindle days. I am hoping I can do a list of those too. However, I am not a big fan of the Kindle as I do love holding a physical book. Maybe it's because I don't have an actual Kindle but use a Samsung tablet. If any of you can convince me that's worth investing in an actual Kindle then let me know. 😊
I have read a good few books since August too (well alot for me who has not read in a while) and I have updated my reading list. They are mostly Colleen Hoover books who is an author that I have only heard of since I wanted to get back into reading. I am not so sure she is my cup of tea though.
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They were for my wee dog that passed about 6 years ago.
He was smaller than the four I have now but I will see if I can dig out some pics of Alfie with him wearing the jumpers. 😊
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On 8/9/2024 at 3:52 PM, lunababymoonchild said:
I was taught to crochet and knit when I was four, my mother decided that they were skills I needed. I knitted a few baby clothes as a young adult and a soft toy as a child - as part of a crafting guide badge - and only took up crochet, amigurumi at first, in the last 5 or 6 years. I started to knit again when I saw a shawl design I liked around 18 months ago.
I am knitting a small shawlette just now. None of that means I am any good at it but I enjoy it and that’s why I do it.
I also enjoy paper crafts, some of my paper crafts and knitting are posted on the hobbies thread.
My mum taught me how to knit but it was the basics and didn't really use it until I decide to knit my wee dog some jumpers. Then I taught myself crochet and I do find it easier now but maybe that's because I have now been doing it years.
I have done a number of crafts over the years, cross stitch, wedding stationery, knitting & crochet, jewllery making and even made some wax melts. I have stuck with crochet the longes though. 😊
On 8/10/2024 at 4:20 AM, poppy said:This is the thread on hobbies ...
Thank you, I will take a look at this thread.
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On 8/7/2024 at 11:33 PM, muggle not said:
It got that I started skipping thru the sex scenes to get back to the real story which was fantastic.
I think I will be doing this too.
On 8/8/2024 at 6:33 PM, PYX said:I usually skip over those kinds of scenes in books. I think they're unnecessary fluff.
They definitely are unnecessary.
On 8/9/2024 at 10:48 AM, poppy said:I find them too fiddly and my hands get sore too. Really admire people who have the patience for making them 😁
UK/US crochet terms are confusing to start with. I read that one way of telling which was which is that if there is single crochet (sc) in the pattern it's a US one.
Yes, that's true, if a pattern has single crochet in it then it's definitely US. But the designer should really state what terminology they used in the pattern because if it doesn't have any single crochets then it gets confusing as the double crochet is used in both but in the UK, DC is SC. 🤣
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On 8/7/2024 at 6:41 PM, France said:
Apart from the sex scenes - too many, far too,detailed! Everyone I know who has read the book agrees even though they loved everything else about it.
Ah no way France, they tend to ruin a book for me. 😔 Hopefully I can get passed it when I get a chance to read it.
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5 minutes ago, Madeleine said:
Yes, I did a basic intro to crochet course at Hobbycraft, and the teacher said the same thing about using You Tube tutorials. Would obviously use UK terminology here.
I'm UK based and use US. 😂
But that's because when I started watching YT tuts I didn't know there was a difference until I bought a pattern book and wonder why everything was off and so asked in a crochet UK FB group and they told me that it was UK terminology. That's why I always mention this to anyone who is thinking of learning so they don't make the mistake I did. 😂 But now I can read both UK and US terminology patterns.
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On 8/6/2024 at 12:57 PM, France said:
I enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club too MN!
Shin, I was absent from the form for about 12 years I think, it was s nice that it was still here when I came looking!
I've only tried one Karin Slaughter and it was so gory that I've never been able to read another but Fourth Wing is terrific (my daughters adored it too).
Maybe we were on together France back in the day. 🤣
Yes it is nice to know it's still here and I really hope it is an incentive for me to get my mojo back.
I do love Karin Slaughter books. I have read all her Grant County Series and a good bit of the Trent series and a few novels.
What book of her did you try?
Really looking forward to giving Fourth Wing a go. I don't think I have heard a bad word about that book.
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On 8/6/2024 at 11:37 AM, lunababymoonchild said:
If it's any help at all the first thing I learnt to crochet was an amigurumi. It was a monster and I decided that I couldn't go wrong with that. It was just one stitch, double crochet and wasn't difficult at all.
I haven't crocheted in ages!
That's fantastic. I have to say I hate doing amigurumi. I have did a few but my fingers get sore. 😂
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On 8/6/2024 at 9:19 AM, poppy said:
Welcome back Shin, hope you really enjoy reading more again 😊
What do you like to crochet? ( I'm a crocheter too, I mostly make blankets).
Thanks Poppy. I hope so too. 😊
Ah a fellow crocheter so not only is your house falling down with books but it also falling down with yarn? 😂
I have to admit my bookshelves store my yarn. 🙈
Well I did alot of making and selling my items over the last 4 years. It was mainly hats and earwarmers especially for babies but I also did rompers, cardigans, booties and the odd blanket. It takes me forever to do a blanket but I have a few on the go at the moment. I think I prefer to make things that don't have too much finishing to do like buttons so you can tell I hate sewing in ends. 😂 Would love to see some of your stuff sometime.
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On 8/5/2024 at 11:55 PM, muggle not said:
I have read 3 of your books on the list. The 2 by Karin Slaughter and The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarrows. I thought The Fourth Wing was really great.
I do love Karin Slaughter books. I have read all the Grant County Series and most of the Trent series. I think I have a few to catch up on before I read the one on my list. I am currently reading False Witness which so far is good.
I have seen The Fourth Wing on BookTok lots so seen it in Tesco and nabbed it. 😂
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On 8/5/2024 at 8:38 PM, Madeleine said:
I've been trying to get into crochet too, a bit stop start at the moment, well more stop than start! I also got a kit for my birthday, of a sunflower in a pot, a bit complicated for a beginner who's still trying to master double crochet! Harry Potter sounds fun but as you say you need to master the basics first, good luck.
100%
As I mentioned above I have been crocheting for about 13 years and definitely would not recommend doing a kit like that until you know the basics. I know when I started and it was with the basics that was just difficult. But some tips...use YouTube and learn the basic stitches. This depends on what terminology you want to learn in...US and UK are the most popular. I taught myself in US terminology as I didn't know there was a difference. So that means I work single crochet, double crochet but with UK the single crochet is know as double crochet. 😂
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On 8/5/2024 at 7:56 PM, Hayley said:
Welcome back!!! 😄
Thank you. 😊 I do hope to stay a bit longer since my last comeback attempt.
On 8/5/2024 at 7:56 PM, Hayley said:Oooh that sounds exciting, what are you going to be doing first!?
I have my eye on a few courses but they are more holistic based. But at the moment I am focusing on retraining in Reiki, Mindfulness & Meditation and Canine Communication. 😂
On 8/5/2024 at 7:56 PM, Hayley said:I am determined to learn how to crochet. My friend bought a kit for me for my birthday. It’s characters from Harry Potter, but I need to work out the basics first! I’d love to see your projects. Was the hobbies thread around when you were last here? I can’t remember how long it’s been going!
Oooo, that would be hard to do if you haven't done the basics of crochet. I have been crocheting for probably about 13 years now and I have to say crocheting characters would not be my favourite to do. 😂 I'm not sure if the hobby thread was around. If it was then I might not have started crochet back then as my main hobby was reading. 😂 But I can certainly have a look and post some pics. I did make to sell at markets too and mainly it was baby items particulary hats but unfortunately I stopped enjoying crochet because I didn't see it as a hobby any longer and then aches in my hands started too. So I have since quit doing the markets and only making for my own pleasure when I can.
On 8/5/2024 at 7:56 PM, Hayley said:I just finished this, it’s really good!
Oh that's good. I have to admit I kept seeing it on BookTok 🙈 and thought it would be good. I'm currently reading False Witness by Karin Slaughter so will probably pick this one up next.
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