Anna Begins Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Revival-Stephen King, 374 pages On his face was a rage so deep and black I involuntarily fell back a step. The breeze had tumbled his thinning hair over his lined brow. He swept it back and then pressed his palms to his temples, like a man suffering a monster headache. If this book had been the last 75 pages or so and written by HG Wells, it would be great. It’s not though- written by or great. It’s an ok book from King that could have been even shorter than 374 pages and dragged on and on. Sort of a pay off at the end. Disappointed. Not recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Revival-Stephen King, 374 pages On his face was a rage so deep and black I involuntarily fell back a step. The breeze had tumbled his thinning hair over his lined brow. He swept it back and then pressed his palms to his temples, like a man suffering a monster headache. If this book had been the last 75 pages or so and written by HG Wells, it would be great. It’s not though- written by or great. It’s an ok book from King that could have been even shorter than 374 pages and dragged on and on. Sort of a pay off at the end. Disappointed. Not recommended. Ah, shame. I had thought he'd been on good form lately, but I guess he was due one duffer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) I quite enjoyed Revival, but I thought the end was abysmal. Having said that, I've often thought King has had a problem coming up with good endings. ETA: with those I've read since IT at least Edited October 7, 2015 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Revival-Stephen King, 374 pages On his face was a rage so deep and black I involuntarily fell back a step. The breeze had tumbled his thinning hair over his lined brow. He swept it back and then pressed his palms to his temples, like a man suffering a monster headache. If this book had been the last 75 pages or so and written by HG Wells, it would be great. It’s not though- written by or great. It’s an ok book from King that could have been even shorter than 374 pages and dragged on and on. Sort of a pay off at the end. Disappointed. Not recommended. Ouch! But I have to say that I agree. I was very disappointed by Revival, and also thought the ending was a bit daft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) I quite enjoyed Revival, but I thought the end was abysmal. Having said that, I've often thought King has had a problem coming up with good endings. ETA: with those I've read since IT at least And a problem with *ahem* editing. That book could've been a whole lot shorter and I am sure it was hard for him to even get it down past 400. Ouch! But I have to say that I agree. I was very disappointed by Revival, and also thought the ending was a bit daft. The ending was ridiculous! I can think of some bad ones, but this one is up there. Parts of it didn't even make sense. Edited: But I did like the part of Jamie being in the psychiatric hospital. Edited October 8, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Seed- Lisa Heathfield (353 pages) Pearl is a 15 year old teenager who lives in a religious cult in a commune; praising nature and their guru Papa S. I liked this book. A lot. I know Noll finished it not too long ago and had somethings to say, but I thought it was pretty intense, grabbed my attention, I didn’t find myself weary of the story or wanting it to be over. In fact, I read it in two days, so it was over quickly for me, too bad because I enjoyed it. But the 353 pages was just enough, so that was great too. I loved the twisted world created by Heathfield, frightening, as I wasn’t sure what was coming next. Each Papa S meeting built up tension within me and also with the cult. I liked all the characters, I thought the philosophy and rituals of the religion were well thought out and I would recommend this book. Thanks to Lisa Heathfield for an enjoyable October read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I like the sound of 'Seed', Anna, another for the wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 I like the sound of 'Seed', Anna, another for the wish list. Oh I do hope you like it... it is quite In fact, I toyed with my review as just having a as I didn't see the end coming... maybe Noll did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I didn't see the end coming at first, then I suddenly saw it and felt it was too out-of-nowhere for me to really get into/accept it. I'd rather it had been more obvious and built up. It is a good read, definitely, I too would recommend it. I'm just a very harsh critic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 And a problem with *ahem* editing. I think that's a problem with a lot of successful authors - the editors let them get away with murder. Not literally. I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 I think that's a problem with a lot of successful authors - the editors let them get away with murder. Not literally. I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 The Girl With All the Gifts- MR Carey (425 pages, including short interview with author) Wow- this was a good book. MR Carey is quite a mysterious person, his bio only saying he has one other book, a successful DC comic book line and a screenplay to his name- although that is not his name, just his pen name. Ooooh ok. This book also included an excerpt from The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by a different author and which doesn’t sound at all like “If you enjoyed The Girl With All The Gifts look out for…” And this is becoming a sore spot with me anyway so grrrr. Anyway, this book is about super intelligent 10 year old Melanie and one of her teacher’s, beloved Miss. Justinueau. The only thing is, when Melanie attends class, she is strapped down via neck, arms and legs and rolled into the classroom in a wheelchair with a gun pointed at her. When she jokes she won’t bite, no one laughs. The doctor in the book, Dr. Caldwell is a perfect villain, the book gets specific with what is up with Melanie, which makes it more convincing (although not like Anakin’s midi- chlorian count lol). Two military men, a Sargent and a Private make up the rest of the characters and the book holds with just the 5 of them really well. I also liked that there were no side stories to deviate from Melanie’s experience/ story. The book has an interesting ending, the whole book was fun to read. Pacing went well, I never felt bored, even a tad amazed when I realized I had read about 1/2 the book without knowing I had read so much. Anything more and it could spoil it, so I will leave it at that. A two day book, so that was a nice for me too. Definitely recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm glad you've been enjoying some of the books you read . Shame about the ones you enjoyed less though . It's always a pleasure to read your thread . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm glad you've been enjoying some of the books you read . Shame about the ones you enjoyed less though . It's always a pleasure to read your thread . Aw! Thanks! I have had some good reads lately- especially after the Jack Reacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I have had some good reads lately- especially after the Jack Reacher. That's great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 The White Princess (Cousins War series Book 5)- Philippa Gregory (519 pages) Book 5 of The Cousins War Series is given to us through the eyes of Elizabeth of York, Henry Tudor’s queen, although he gets a very bad rep from Gregory. Carless, ruthless, not charming and unloving. With a strange devotion to his mother, Margaret Beaufort, Tudor hardly cares for Elizabeth throughout their marriage. Gregory emphasizes this as Henry rapes Elizabeth in order for her to prove her fertility before their wedding. This is perhaps the harshest of all the books so far, as the Tudors are written so vicious. There are a lot of killings and betrayal, not much love. Not many wars, either, as Gregory paints Tudor as a battlefield coward, focusing more on traitors at home- the Yorks. The brightest moments are those Elizabeth spends with Maggie, or Margaret Pole, her cousin. As the paranoid Tudors eliminate the vast York family, Elizabeth, although coming from two strong women (Elizabeth of Woodville was her mother and Jacquetta, her grandmother) and a father who was a popular king (Edward IV), lets fate blow her here and there- she takes part in no uprisings, supports no pretenders, and is a dutiful wife to Henry Tudor. She never gets the respect she deserves, living among a court of spies. Recommended, but this one doesn’t stand on its own as well as the others. Read at least book 1, before reading this book. Very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Sounds interesting Anna. I've read a few of Gregory's novels, although mainly the ones centred around Henry VIII (The Other Boleyn Girl and those sequels). Maybe time to read the one I have waiting for me from this series. Great review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'm glad you're enjoying this series so much ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 Sounds interesting Anna. I've read a few of Gregory's novels, although mainly the ones centred around Henry VIII (The Other Boleyn Girl and those sequels). Maybe time to read the one I have waiting for me from this series. Great review I have not read the Boleyn books (although I want to read the first 3 and hope to soon, perhaps the beginning of next year), but I loved this series, they are extremely easy to read. I'm glad you're enjoying this series so much ! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 (edited) The King’s Curse- Philippa Gregory (583 pages) How could anyone write nearly 600 pages about Margaret Pole? Governess to Mary Tudor, Margaret’s book (and I do call it Margret’s book), The King's Curse is not simply about serving a future queen, quite the contrary, they are separated when Mary is declared a 'person of dubious parentage'. Gregory calls Henry VIII the “ugly portrait of a wife and child abuser and a serial killer who made war against his own people, even against his own family.” No love flows between this author and Henry. Pole is an interesting character, I don’t know how much of a role she plays in English history, so I don’t want to delve into issues of her life too greatly. At one time, Pole was the richest woman in England, held her own lands in her own right and watched over the Princess Mary- establishing a mother like bond with Her Grace. Pole spent her whole life afraid of The Tower, her father and brother having been killed there. In the end, she lives into her 60’s, but the book has a shocking and somewhat disturbing ending. Just as a side, I thought I would add a thought or two about the series as a whole. First of all, most exciting, bravely Philippa Gregory writes about 6 strong women that played major roles behind the scenes of history, helping to frame family life and explore their marriages... from the intrigue at court to the inner workings of the monarchy. Represented are Elizabeth Woodville and her mother Jacquetta Rivers, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth of York, Anne Neville and Elizabeth Pole. The other thing, that Gaia pointed out to me, was a lot of history is written by men or are about men. Gregory does not call her books historical, they are historical fiction. For this I have shied away, as I much prefer historical books. But this series by Gregory is well researched and thought out, a curse running through each book. Will the person who killed the princes in the tower suffer the curse? Philippa Gregory has an answer and many others as her imagination runs wild with history. Edited November 4, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 they are separated when Mary is declared a 'person of dubious parentage'. Oops- caught by the censor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Oops- caught by the censor! It's annoying when that happens! Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the series . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 It's annoying when that happens! Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the series . I wish I could read it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) The Taming of the Queen- Philippa Gregory (451 pages) Gregory’s wonderful insight to Kateryn Parr is stunning in The Taming of the Queen. Parr, the first English Queen to be published, fell passionately in love with Thomas Seymor, but spent four years as Henry VIII’s sixth wife and outlived him by a year. Gathering up his children from three previous queens, Kateryn lives on the edge with her Protestant views and thoughts that women can be theologians as well as men. She believes in an English bible and that women, too, can read and interpret holy scriptures. It was Henry who allowed her work, a series of prayers, Prayers or Meditations. This was no small task, as Parr threw herself in the work, trying to capture the beauty of the translation. Much is made of her writings and thoughts, refreshing, if expanded from truth. Much to do about the final years of Henry VIII’s decline, the leg wound, the smell and the weeping of the sore is particularly disgusting, but gives the reader a vivid impression of the state the King was in and what Parr had to deal with- along with being Regent, a stepmother to three children and wife to His Majesty. Great achievement to Gregory for The Taming of the Queen. Recommended, stand alone Edited November 3, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Chasing Windmills- Catherine Ryan Hyde (262 pages) Both Sebastian and Maria meet across a subway car one night and it is love at first sight. The only problems are that Sebastian lives with a controlling, homeschooling father and Maria is in an abusive relationship and has two kids. They dream of a new future and agree to run away together, only to find that each has kept a major secret from the other. This book was good, as expected from a Catherine Ryan Hyde book. However, no tears were shed during this one, usually they are very emotional novels. There were a few plot holes from this usually immaculate writer but the love Sebastian and Maria has is very passionate- and yet- they hardly ever touch. I would recommend this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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