lauraloves Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 This weeks Kindle freebies Bound (Arelia LaRue #1) - Kira Saito YA Paranormal More Confessions of a Bookseller - Robin Somia-Dudley Tales out of School - Shirley Ann Howard Harry Putter and the Chamber of Cheesecakes - Timothy R O'Donnell. As a Harry Potter fan I just had to download this. Eerie Britain: Ten of Britain's Most Terrifying and Percular real life Tales - MB Forde Bismark 2013 - Hitlers Curse - Robert Walker Chard Times - Simon Cleary The Penal Colony - Richard Herley The Evacuee Experience - Michael Roberts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 The Love Trainer - Julia Llewellyn Started - 27/1/12 Finished - 10/2/12 Format - Paperback Synopsis - Katie Wallace had her heart broken once - never again. So she decides to becomes a Love Trainer, a unique service provider who can answer the following questions: 1 Should I call him even though he hasn't called me? 2 When he turns up in the middle of the night drunk and wanting a shag, should I say yes? 3 Why is it so hard when I'm not even sure he's the man I want to marry? Is Katie right? Can you train men to be better boyfriends? Or is she playing the game of love with the wrong set of rules - a game which can only lead to her and those she helps getting hurt ...? My Thoughts - Well, by pure coincidence I am posting my thoughts about a book called 'The Love Trainer' on valentines day. This is not on purpose I assure you! Well, I have to say unfortunatly I didnt like this book too much. Basically, as the cover says 'Men are like puppies, they need training' Now while I agree that men are sometimes confusing creatures, I don't think they need to be trained. I just think you should be with a person because of who they are, not who you think they should be. Anyway, back to the book. Katie becomes a love trainer and and guides a woman called Rebecca and her friends in the ways of love. I couldnt connect at all with Rebecca and her friends, I found them very spoilt and not really in tune with the rest of the population. I liked Katie but the love trainer part I found really hard to grasp. I know that this is a chick lit book, and its meant as a light hearted read, but I just couldnt grasp the message of this book, and ended up skim reading the last 50 or so pages. Rating - 2/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 The Secret Holocaust Diaries - Nonna Bannister Started - 5/2/12 Finished - 12/2/12 Format- Kindle e-book Synopsis - Nonna Bannister carried a secret almost to her Tennessee grave: the diaries she kept as a young girl experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust while learning compassion and love for her fellow human beings. Nonna's writings tell the remarkable tale of how a Russian girl, born into a family that had known wealth and privileges, was exposed to the concentration camps and learned the value of human life and the importance of forgiveness. My Thoughts - I saw this book in a list of kindle freebies and I had to download it. This book is a real life diary of a womans experience during the holocaust in world war two. What makes this different is that this book is set in and around Russia. I've not read a holocaust story from that part of the world before. This book tells her story from a young girl, all the way through the war and her life afterwards. What is also interesting is her parents and grandparents life are also told in this book. For me, this was an interesting insight into the life and culture of people in Russia during this time. This book is seriously harrowing. What I found the most upsetting is that she was the only member of her family to survive the second world war. She had a massive family and everybody was killed apart from her. For me, this is so so so sad. At times, this book is difficult to read, not the language, but the sheer subject matter, this was the most harrowing book I have read in a long time, and what made it worse was it is a true story. I just can't help but think how hard times were during that time for everybody and nobody that suffered should ever be forgotton. This is a book that maybe everyone should read, it is one that is difficult to read at times, but one that I think will stay with you forever. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Mistress Masham's Repose - T. H. White Started - 10/2/12 Finished - 15/2/12 Format - Paperback Challenges - BCF February Reading Circle 1001 Childrens Books You Must Read Synopsis - Ten-year-old orphan Maria lives in her ancestors' crumbling mansion, with warm-hearted Cook and the eccentric Professor as her only friends. Exploring the grounds one day, Maria discovers a wild, half-forgotten island in the middle of a neglected lake - and an extraordinary secret. For the island is home to a community of tiny people - the Lilliputians that Gulliver first met on his famous travels. But as Maria grows closer to her new friends, her own life is in grave danger. Her wicked governess and the cruel vicar are plotting to steal her rightful inheritance - and they will stop at nothing. How can Maria keep the Lilliputians safe, while protecting herself? My Thoughts - I picked this book up because it was the book of choice for the reading circle for February. I thought that it sounded lile a really good book and would that would really hook me in. This book is based on Guillivers Travels, a book that I have not yet read, but do have on my TBR pile. I did enjoy this book, however the writing of it was a little bit strange. I know that it was written in 1947, but it wasnt that the language was old, more a little weird. I liked how the little peoples world was described, I would love to visit that world and see how different it is to our world. I liked, than disliked, then liked again the main character of Maria. I thought to start with she came across as a poor little orphan, something that does seem quite prominent in books that I am reading at the minute. Once she started to boss the little people about I really disliked her, she was being a horrible little jealous child. However, once she had snapped out of the phase she became likeable again. You had your typical good guys and bad guys in this book. The good, The Professor and the Cook, and the bad, The Vicar and The Governess. This was quite a good part to the story and how the bad guys wanted to steal the little people. Of course, what with it being a childrens story it has the everyone lives happily ever after ending, which was a good part to this story and I don't think that any other ending would have worked with this book. I enjoyed this book, it was a nice childrens story and I really liked the little people in this story. The only downside was the strange writing, which at times I found difficult to get into. Rating - 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 25, yes 25 new e-books oops. Unspecified Correspondence - A. M. Redclif Behind the Veil - Shahzad Rizvi Plague of Coins (Judas Cronicles #1) - Aiden James Venus City (Legacy of the Sares) - Tabitha Vale Conversations with a Dead Man - Doug Lucas Loss - Glen Krish Destined - Gail Cleare Willow Ridge - Jill Newman The Pride of the School and Other Tales of Convent Life - Nicola Thorne Brothers Keeper - Glen Krish The Midgets House - Anita Bartholomew The Little Flowers - Nicola Thorne Future Queens of England - Ryan Matthews The Girl Who Lived in Colours - Robert Godfrey Dark Grid - David C. Waldron The last Bookstore in America - Amy Stewart learn me Good - John Pearson The Day the Flowers Died - Ami Blackwelder The Lunchbox Thief - Nicole Brown Best of the Dating Dad 2004-2010 - Erik Elkins Johnny Doesnt Drink Champagne - Cody Young Mrs. Tuesdays Departure - Suzanne Anderson Wraith - Angel Lawson The Power Behind the Throne - Sally Nicol The Third Floor - Judi Loren Grace now I just need to find time to read them all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Out of Time - Deborah Truscott Started - 12/2/12 Finished - 25/2/12 Format - Kindle e-book Synopsis - Kathleen Findlay is married to a cad, her mother is driving her crazy and her life is falling apart. Then her uncle dies, leaving her the family’s Revolutionary-era home and, she believes, an escape from her chaotic marriage. But one afternoon, while searching for a rake, she discovers a man in her garden shed — and a free fall through the centuries. As her life spins wildly out of control, Kathleen finds her heart and in the process, her own place in time. My Thoughts - This was on offer in the kindle store so I decided to download this and give it a go. This book is basically three books in one. It is fantasy, romance and historical fiction. To start with I almost gave up on this book, but I am so glad that I didnt, although it had quite a slow start it went on to be a really good book. Basically Kathleen (or Kathy) finds a man in a garden shed (Robert) who has fallen through time. Then there is all sorts of issues, how did he get there, why is he there and what happens now that he is? I thought that this was delt with really well and it really hooked me in. There is also a huge element of mystery within the book, who is making the mystery calls? why was the door left open? who is the man in the car? These questions really kept me reading. I am not sure if the historical facts are acurate, I never studied that era in American history, but it sounds pretty acurate and the detail that the author went into about this time period was fascinating. The ending was brilliant, I never saw that part of the story coming and thought it was the perfect ending for this book. Unfortunatly, the author hasnt written anything else, as far as my searches will allow, which is a shame because this book is good. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azcaban - J.K. Rowling Synopsis - When Harry and his best friends go back for their third year at Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass-murderer on the loose and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school. Lessons, however, must go on and there are lots of new subjects in third year - Care of Magical Creatures and Divination among others - to take Harry's mind off things! My Thoughts - I am slowly dipping in and out of The Harry Potter Series and after a couple of months I have finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azcaban. I have re-read this book probably about 50 or so times, because this is my favourite book of the series. I do understand how others say that this book doesnt fit in with all the others. It is the only book not to feature Voldemort directly, he is only mentioned, but I feel that the series would not make any sense without this book. It is kind of the stepping stone between the very child like and slim first couple of books and the very much larger and more dark next four books. I enjoy the story of this book, while there is a mass murderer on the lose there is still the magic of the world of Harry Potter. Hogwarts is still there, abit with the dementors guarding it now, and the village of Hogsmead is introducted too. One of my favourite chacters is also introduced in this book Professor Lupin, I love him and his wise words and the mystery surrounding his illness in this book. I find it very difficult to write my thoughts on the Harry Potter series, as I enjoy them so much. Basically if you havent read them, do. If you have read them, read them again. I am excited that J. K. Rowling is writing a new book, I knew in my heart of hearts that it wouldnt be another book in this series, but there will always be a little part of me that wishes that there will be. Rating - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Weekend Kindle Freebies Diary of a Lost Girl: The Autobiography of Kola Boof - Kola Boof (the autobiography of the former mistress of Osama Bin Laden. This could be fascinating) Vantastic France - Steve Bichard (follow the adventures of a family moving to France) Wings - Cynthia Lee Cartier (about a woman who joins the Woman Airforce Service Pilot Program during WW2, beautiful cover!) Paint - H. M. Mann (ghost story) Execeptinal - Jess Petosa (dystopian fiction) Entwined - Tales From the City A. J. Armitt (13 short stories) 100 Important Women in History - Rich Thomas (sounds interesting) The Chosen Blades - Peter Creighton (YA) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 I Want it Now! - Julie Dawn Cole (A Memoir of Life on the set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) Started - 25/2/12 Finished - 3/3/12 Format - Kindle e-book Synopsis - In 1970, Julie Dawn Cole was cast as the unforgettable Veruca Salt in the classic motion picture Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. Since its release in 1971, this epic musical has endured as a favorite of children from around the world with a fan base that encompasses generations of movie goers. With its unforgettable characters, chocolaty landscapes and everlasting music, this charming fairy-tale mixes these ingredients into what has been become a cinematic classic from literary legend Roald Dahl. Julie Dawn Cole has written an enchanting and richly illustrated memoir that offers a rare look behind the stage curtain to this ageless film. Splendidly illustrated with personal letters, never-seen-before photographs and documents; her mesmerizing story chronicles the entire production experience and tells of the remarkable journey of how she became known worldwide as a really bad egg. Filled with countless funny and touching memories, her story takes readers behind-the-scenes of Willy Wonka and the resulting coming of age journey that brought the cast together again after nearly a quarter century. I Want it Now takes readers beyond the world of pure imagination and behind the scenes to this universally cherished motion picture. A true-to-life Charlie Bucket tale, Julie's story is unforgettable... My Thoughts - I downloaded this book as it was on offer as a kindle freebie for a day and it seemed like a good book to give a go. I am really interested in this sort of 'on the set' and 'behind the scenes' type of book so this for me was brilliant. I am quite familar with this film having watched it a lot when I was younger. This book is set on the orginal film, not the film starring Johnny Depp. This book was fantastic. It told the story of Julie Dawn Coles life, before, during and after the movie that she first made her name in. It told the story of what it was like for her growing up in a single parent household, what it was like going to drama school and how she got the part. Then it went on to describe what it was like on the set. How it was making friends with the other 'wonka kids' what life was like when they werent filming and all other things inbetween. I personally was shocked as to how little they got paid per week, the child actors that is. I'm sure it was only about £50 or so a week, which even by todays standard is not a lot of money. Also, how she had to leave her family behind and have to live in a different country for 12 weeks. Then it went on to share what the actress went on to do after the movie ended. She has had a huge career, on stage and screen, and also a lot of voice overs too. I didnt think that I was familar with her before I read the book, but having read it I'm sure that Ive seen a couple of things with her in. There was only one downside to this book. There were a lot of beautiful photos, but having read it on Kindle the pictures were black and white and sometimes unfortunatly not too clear. I'm going to try and look out for a paper copy, just to see if the pictures are in colour. This book was a beautiful memoir, and although it was no longer free its definitaly one that I would spend money on. Recommended for fans of the movie and all others too. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Pied Piper - Neville Shute Started - 3/3/12 Finished - 3/3/12 Format - Kindle e-book Challenges - BCF Reading Circle March Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge Synopsis - Elderly John Howard goes off to the Jura in France on a fishing trip, except this is no ordinary time. Germany is at war with Europe. Friends at his hotel ask him to take their children back to England with him to safety as Germany is poised to invade France. Their harrowing journey begins by train and then proceeds on foot. My Thoughts - I read this book as part of the reading circle over on the BCF. I hadnt heard of the author (shame on me!) or this book before I read it, so it was nice to start something new to me. This book is set during my favourite time period, the second world war, so for me this was a great big plus before I even got far into it. This book tells the story of John Howard, who goes on holiday in France during the second world war. We don't find out the reason for this sudden trip until further on in the book. He spends a while in france, and then once the German occupation starts suddenly he decides that he is better off going back to England. He makes plans to go back and a couple asks him to take there children back with him. This is where it all starts with the 'pied piper' aspect of the story. I don't want to spoil it for others that havent yet read the book, but all I will say is these are not the only children that needs his help to get back to England. I really enjoyed the story, I felt it was really powerful and it made me think not just how horrible it must have been not only for adults, but for children too. I did think though, if the same thing happend in this day and age, an older man travelling with a group of children, all relative strangers to each other, than maybe the authorities wouldnt have been so forgiving. I didnt like the treatment of one of the children by some of the locals, this was a little bit harrowing to read and I felt that this was really cruel treatment. Also for me the ending was a little bit 'happily ever after' for me, with where all the children ended up, I couldnt see the parents letting them go off to live in a completely different country. This book is very good, a brilliant war story, but on top of that a lovely show of human emotion and that kindness sometimes overules everything. Rating - 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I'm so glad you enjoyed I Want it Now! as much as I did. The pictures are black and white and the book, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Pied Piper - Neville Shute ... Also for me the ending was a little bit 'happily ever after' for me, with where all the children ended up, I couldnt see the parents letting them go off to live in a completely different country. A very well written review Laura. It's 4.5 for me too. As to the ending, I thought it a bit too idealistic - it's hard for me to believe that the children would be all right with being shipped off to new place, new people - all the material comforts not withstanding. But I guess, to Howard, in the face of realities of war, survival was happiness enough. And the book can be forgiven a bit of over-simplification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Out of Time looks good. I'm off to Amazon now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 I'm so glad you enjoyed I Want it Now! as much as I did. The pictures are black and white and the book, too. Ah, I thought that that might be the case would have been nice to have a couple of colour pictures just thrown in! I do like finding these lesser known books, sometimes there are real diamonds lurking about! A very well written review Laura. It's 4.5 for me too. As to the ending, I thought it a bit too idealistic - it's hard for me to believe that the children would be all right with being shipped off to new place, new people - all the material comforts not withstanding. But I guess, to Howard, in the face of realities of war, survival was happiness enough. And the book can be forgiven a bit of over-simplification. hehe, nice to know that I wasnt the only one that didnt like the ending, if it wasnt for that I think it would have been a 5/5 review! But as you say, maybe it was the realities of war that maybe made the ending a bit. and yay for having the same rating too Out of Time looks good. I'm off to Amazon now It was free when I downloaded it, but I'm not sure if it is now, hopefully it is hope you enjoy it as much as I did too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Sold In Savannah - Tarrin P. Lupo (Pirates of the Savannah #1) Started - 3/3/12 Finished - 4/3/12 Format - Kindle e-book Synopsis - This is the first book in the "Pirates of Savannah" trilogy .Follow a group of English prisoners as they are sold at auction to the highest bidder. The odd collection of fellows battle inhumane living conditions, sail the salty seas, and fight deadly pirates to try their hand at a new life in General Oglethorpe's colony of Savannah, GA. Can they escape the stigma of their past and survive in this New World? This historical fiction trilogy is a fun adventure in a Pre-Revolutionary War setting. It follows fictional characters through an actual timeline and is packed full of real people, places and events. This novel is appropriate for young adult and beyond. My Thoughts - I downloaded this book as the whole trilogy was free on amazon for a little while. While its not my usual genre, I was craving something different and wanted to try something new. I was right. This book is most definitaly different. Now to start with it does have a graphic warning that the first chapter is quite gruesome. Now, while I understand that this is what times were like, I felt that as this book was being marketed as young adult, this was just a bit too graphic for my liking. The story was good. It centres on Patrick who is imprisioned in England. In order for him to start a new life he is shipped across the world as a prisoner to start a new life in America. There are various trials and issues surrounding the crossing but I wont go into them and spoil them for anyone else. This book was alright, some parts of the book I didnt like, for example I did think a few parts dragged on a bit (I have read more of the series now and I enjoyed the second book a lot more) Rating - 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Ah, I thought that that might be the case would have been nice to have a couple of colour pictures just thrown in! I do like finding these lesser known books, sometimes there are real diamonds lurking about! Indeed there are! And I must thank you once again for bringing this book to my attention (and thanks to Frankie for noticing and buying it for me!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Indeed there are! And I must thank you once again for bringing this book to my attention (and thanks to Frankie for noticing and buying it for me!) hehe thats ok when I mentioned it I wasnt sure that anyone ould be interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Battle Rats - Tarrin P. Lupo (Pirates of the Savannah #2) Started - 4/3/12 Finished - 5/3/12 Format - Kindle e-book Synopsis - Battle Rats is the second book in the Pirates of Savannah trilogy and is the follow up novel to Sold in Savannah. Join the group of ex-convicts as they try and establish a new life in Savannah and escape their pasts. Follow the gang through duels, battles, and heists while trying to avoid the corrupt Redcoats at every turn. This historical fiction trilogy is a fun adventure in a Pre-Revolutionary War setting. It follows fictional characters through an actual timeline and is packed full of real people, places, and events. This novel is appropriate for young adult and beyond. My Thoughts - I downloaded this book as part of a trilogy (Pirates of the Savannah) that was free on the kindle store for a day. This book is no longer free, but in my opinion it is well worth buying because I enjoyed this a lot more than the first in the trilogy. This book follows Patrick again and his struggle for freedom, not against the family that he lives with, but against the government, or the redcoats. There are more trials and tribulations in this book, like stolen cannons and mules and many other things too. In this book Patrick has his first dealings with a woman, and I think that this was delt with really well as part of a young adult trilogy, it wasnt graphic in any way. As with the first book, the first chapter was really graphic and gruesome, something that I really struggled with again, as it was maybe a little too graphic for the audience intended. Reading this book out of sequence would be really difficult as the books directly follow on from each other and probably wouldnt make much sense. A great second book in a so far great trilogy, I really enjoyed this book a lot more than the first. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Emotional Geology - Linda Gillard Started - 15/2/12 Finished - 7/3/12 Format - paperback Synopsis - Rose Leonard is on the run from her life. Taking refuge in a remote island community, she cocoons herself in work, silence and solitude in a house by the sea. But she is haunted by her past, by memories and desires she'd hoped were long dead. Rose must decide whether she has in fact chosen a new life or just a different kind of death. Life and love are offered by new friends, her lonely daughter, and most of all Calum, a fragile younger man who has his own demons to exorcise. But does Rose, with her tenuous hold on life and sanity, have the courage to say yes to life and put her past behind her? My Thoughts - I won a competion on the BCF back in 2010 and this book was one of the prizes, yes it does take me that long to reach the end of my TBR pile. This book centres on Rose who moves to a small island community. Here she meets Calum who on the surface seems like a normal guy, as Rose seems like a normal woman. However, they both have hidden demons, serious ones. It is a story of whether the two of them can overcome their demons and live not only their own lives, but maybe even a life together, and I felt like the two of them could only have got over their demons together. Rose's daughter. Megan, makes an appearance during the book and their is a lot of mystery as to why she and her mother don't see eye to eye. When this was revealed in the book I was seriously shoocked to the reason, and it really shocked me as to how a daughter could have done that to her mother, but I think it was the 'spell' she was put under by somebody. I don't want to say what incase it spoils it for anyone who hasnt yet read the book. the character of Gavin was a very complex one. I even felt like he was actually present, when he couldnt really be. I felt that he was quite a horrible person for what he did too. This book was so poetic and beautiful, if at sometimes haunting. I took my time reading this book some parts over and over again. It is a beautiful story that I was so sorry that it ended. The relationship between Rose and Calum was so complex,but also so simple, I really enjoyed reading the stages of it develop. This is my first experience with this author and it will most definitaly not be my last. I can't wait to read more by this author, I'm going to put these up to the top of my wishlist Rating - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Witchfinder: Dawn of the Demontide - William Hussey Started - 7/3/12 Finished - 14/3/12 Format - Paperback Synopsis - The first in a terrifying trilogy, read on if you dare: Jake could now see the demon fully. Its body was a mass of steely sinew, its arms roped with muscle. Six fingers sprouted from its hands, each ending in lethal talons. The thing did not possess a nose; instead a large hole, bubbling with green mucus, occupied the middle of its face. Mr Pinch's tongue flickered between his teeth and slurped across his fat lips. He was hungry. When a violent storm rages around the little village of Hobarron's Hollow, a young boy is sacrificed 'for the greater good'. His blood is used to seal a mystical doorway and prevent an apocalyptic disaster known only as the Demontide. Twenty-five years later, another boy, Jake Harker, is about to be drawn into the nightmare of the Demontide. Witches and their demon familiars stalk his every move, and his dreams are plagued by visions of a 17th Century figure known only as the Witchfinder. When his father is abducted, Jake must face the terrible secrets kept by those closest to him and a shocking truth that will change his life forever . . . My Thoughts - I won this book in a competition back in 2010 on the BCF. This was a new book and author to me. This book is about Jake, who is launched into an adventure with demons, magic and strangeness. He looses someone very dear to him and because of that he is moved away to stay with an 'aunt' for a while. This is where things start to change for Jake and he needs to solve the puzzle left to him by his father before it is too late for him and all of humankind. This book is good, its young adult, probably geared towards male readers, but as a girl I enjoyed it a lot too. I did think parts of it were quite gorey, but for a younger audience this is probably right up the street for them. The only real critism was for me the characters were a little bit confusing and who was who. There seemed to be a lot of characters for the book, but as this is a trilogy maybe some more of the charcters will be explored a bit as the series progresses. I really enjoyed this book, its not just for the young adult market, I think adults will enjoy it too. After reading the book I found out that the author is actually quite local to me, so for me this is a litlle bit of a bonus. I will definiatly be getting my hands on the next in the trilogy. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 my latest downloads EDEN2 - Matthew J. Drury Seeding - Maurice Haywood Dangers, Toils and Snares: Confessions of a Firefighter - Tim Casey The LieDeck Revolution - Jim Stark Learn Me Gooder - John Pearson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 The Rise of April - Tarrin P Lupo (Pirates of the Savannah #3) Started - 5/3/12 Finished - 20/3/12 Format - Kindle E-book Synopsis - The Rise of April is the third book in the Pirates of Savannah: Trilogy. Follow our heroine and her crew on daring pirate ship raids, smuggling runs, and deadly sea battles. Join the group of adventurers as they engage in swashbuckling sword fights and take to the high seas to break free from the clutches of the redcoats and the rule of the British Crown. This historical fiction trilogy is a fun adventure in a Pre-Revolutionary War setting. It follows fictional characters through an actual timeline and is packed full of real people, places and events. This novel is appropriate for young adult and beyond. My Thoughts - I have read this trilogy back to back on my kindle and I have to say this is my least favourite book out of them all. I still enjoyed it, but for some reason this book just didnt hold my attention as well as the other two. This book still focuses on Patrick and his life in Savannah, however now he is a free man and can do as he pleases. He still has many adventures and people seem to come out of the woodwork when you least expect it. This book is all about April, as the title suggests, and unfortunatly I just didnt like her as a character. I just wasnt sure that her attitude was all the nice and I just couldnt warm to her. Along with the surprise of Tracy, I just didnt think that this added much to the story. I also thought that this book was very rushed through as the others had been a lot slower paced and the build up was better in those. I didnt think the ending was the ending and thought that this could have been eeked out a little more. However, I did like the fact that there was a whole section about what was true and what was not at the back of the book. I found this fascinating and I really thought that this added to the book and I was able to learn a lot about that time period through this book. Now I'm not sa\ying this book was not enjoyable, it was, but maybe I am a bit too old for the book and it would have been better aimed at a different reader, for example a teenage boy. This contained lots of gore that I think would appeal. Rating - 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Nothing But The Truth (A Policemans Tale) - John Bates Started - 20/3/12 Finished - 21/3/12 Format - Kindle e-book Synopsis - Originally written for the benefit of the author’s daughters and grandchildren, ‘A Policeman’s Tale’ has been extensively re-written for publication. It is really much more than an account of his time as a detective in London. It encompasses his childhood during the war, his schooldays, his RAF service and, following his police career, his time as a private investigator. As well as describing the many crimes he investigated the book deals with some of the scrapes he got into and amusing experiences he had. It should prove to be a light-hearted but compelling read. My Thoughts - I downloaded this book as my dad is in the police force and due to this I have quite an interest in the police. I thought that this would be a nice lighthearted read and I was right. I really enjoy reading memoirs, its one of my new favourite genres and this one was no exeption. This book was orginally only written for the authors family, so he was just an ordinary person, which for me made the memoir very interesting reading. Also, he wasnt just an ordinary police constable, he got to almost the top rank within the british police force and this made very interesting reading what with all the different jobs he has done and all of the different police stations he has worked in. I also liked the family parts of his story. This really did add a human aspect to the book and really made it seem like a proper memoir. The different stories that he told during his police life were very inciteful, and really gave a look in, into what policing was like 30 or so years ago. Although there was a bit of name dropping, there wasnt too much, unlike many of the memoirs that I have read, I do find the name dropping quite tiresome sometimes, but this was not the case in this book. I only have a couple of bits that I didnt like. I did think that it was a little bit jumbled up, but this could be put down to the author not being a professional author, and it wasnt too noticable. Also their were some names of the 'criminals' in the book and I didnt know if this was a little bit of personal privacy. This is a good book, recommended to both fans of the memoir genre and others interested in the subject matter. Rating - 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Sounds really interesting Laura, I can see how it would have extra interest for you with your father being a policeman as well. Thanks for the review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Sounds really interesting Laura, I can see how it would have extra interest for you with your father being a policeman as well. Thanks for the review Thanks it was very interesting and it kind of gave me an insight into what my dad does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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