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wordsofclover
I received this book from the author/publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wishbones follows a young girl called Feather and her efforts in helping her morbidly obese mother lose weight and improve her lifestyle. On top of this, she's also dealing with friends, crushes and trying to inject the romance back into her parents relationship all the whole uncovering secrets from her family's past.
This book was alright and a quick, fun read. I did like some of the issues it brought up such as weight issues - both overeating and undereating - and how often there is an underlying issue that isn't so black and white. It did seem to take Feather a while to get this drummed into her head though. I liked her relationship with her family for the most part and how close she was with her mom. I also enjoyed her relationship with Mrs Zaz.
The book is full of some lovely characters you expect to find in a little town from the grumpy bit actually sweet Reverend to the crazy dancing instructor. I would have liked the reporter get his comeuppance though - there is an ethical code when it comes to reporting and he definitely breached it. I find it hard to believe a local paper would run a story like that about a local resident.
The LGBT themes in this didn't shock me at all. I actually guessed how that storyline would play out from the get go. I hated that Feather crushed on the new guy simple because he was new and before actually getting to know him. I hate when that happens.
This was a cute story but I felt at times there was so much happening. Within one afternoon, about 5 bombshells are dropped on poor Feather and it was just a bit much. I liked that it tackled some issues, and it was own voices as Virginia MacGregor suffered from an eating disorder when she was young. I don't think realistically everything would be solved as well as it did and that Feathers mum still had a long way to go. But a cute story, especially for younger readers.
Wishbones follows a young girl called Feather and her efforts in helping her morbidly obese mother lose weight and improve her lifestyle. On top of this, she's also dealing with friends, crushes and trying to inject the romance back into her parents relationship all the whole uncovering secrets from her family's past.
This book was alright and a quick, fun read. I did like some of the issues it brought up such as weight issues - both overeating and undereating - and how often there is an underlying issue that isn't so black and white. It did seem to take Feather a while to get this drummed into her head though. I liked her relationship with her family for the most part and how close she was with her mom. I also enjoyed her relationship with Mrs Zaz.
The book is full of some lovely characters you expect to find in a little town from the grumpy bit actually sweet Reverend to the crazy dancing instructor. I would have liked the reporter get his comeuppance though - there is an ethical code when it comes to reporting and he definitely breached it. I find it hard to believe a local paper would run a story like that about a local resident.
The LGBT themes in this didn't shock me at all. I actually guessed how that storyline would play out from the get go. I hated that Feather crushed on the new guy simple because he was new and before actually getting to know him. I hate when that happens.
This was a cute story but I felt at times there was so much happening. Within one afternoon, about 5 bombshells are dropped on poor Feather and it was just a bit much. I liked that it tackled some issues, and it was own voices as Virginia MacGregor suffered from an eating disorder when she was young. I don't think realistically everything would be solved as well as it did and that Feathers mum still had a long way to go. But a cute story, especially for younger readers.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Girl From Above: Betrayal is the first installment in a series of short stories about a rogue synthetic human and her encounter with Captain Caleb Sheppard, an ex-inmate of the notorious prison Asgard. Synth/ #1001 is on a mission to kill and brings a lot of trouble Caleb's way when she becomes a stowaway on his ship.
This was a fun story full of action and it was quick and pleasurable to read. I really liked the backstory about Caleb Sheppard and his exploits, as well as his relationships with Synth, Fran and Haley. Synth was a complex character with warring emotions and I really enjoyed seeing how she dealt with them. The story ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger and I will definitely continue on with the series as I can't wait to see what's next for Synth and Caleb, not to mention what Fran is going to do next! This was a strong 3-3.5 stars for me.
Girl From Above: Betrayal is the first installment in a series of short stories about a rogue synthetic human and her encounter with Captain Caleb Sheppard, an ex-inmate of the notorious prison Asgard. Synth/ #1001 is on a mission to kill and brings a lot of trouble Caleb's way when she becomes a stowaway on his ship.
This was a fun story full of action and it was quick and pleasurable to read. I really liked the backstory about Caleb Sheppard and his exploits, as well as his relationships with Synth, Fran and Haley. Synth was a complex character with warring emotions and I really enjoyed seeing how she dealt with them. The story ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger and I will definitely continue on with the series as I can't wait to see what's next for Synth and Caleb, not to mention what Fran is going to do next! This was a strong 3-3.5 stars for me.
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Taking the Reins is the second book in the Hearts & Horse Trials series and follows on with groom Elsa, who we originally met in Just a Groom, and her on/off relationship with up and coming eventer Frederick. Things get even more heated in this book as there's new characters introduced to drive a further wedge between the two, and as things improve for Elsa and Sophia's careers, Frederick's appears to be going down the swanny.
I enjoyed the second book in this series for the most part, and I genuinely really enjoy seeing Elsa go about her daily life as a groom, and her life in the show arena with Sophia. I liked how many shows were a part of this book, and I loved the strengthening friendship between Elsa, Ava and Sophia. It's always great to see strong representations of female friendships in books and all the girls really supported each other no matter what!
Frederick definitely became a bit annoying in this book. He was very hot and cold, and I didn't like that Elsa seemed happy to just be led on by him - no matter how good-looking he is.Some of his actions didn't make much sense in comparison to the type of guy he seemed in the first book. In Taking the Reins, he appeared to be very defeatist and allowed everyone to walk all over him instead of just standing up for himself. The end of this one frustrated me quite a bit, as I honestly just can't seem to understand how he allowed it to happy and the character I met in the first book wouldn't have allowed it.
I hope the read Frederick comes back soon in the third book, and is ready to sweep Elsa off her feet again. But I'm looking forward to more time with Timber Bear, Drop Kick, Nobby and all the horsey lovelies from this series in the next book.
I enjoyed the second book in this series for the most part, and I genuinely really enjoy seeing Elsa go about her daily life as a groom, and her life in the show arena with Sophia. I liked how many shows were a part of this book, and I loved the strengthening friendship between Elsa, Ava and Sophia. It's always great to see strong representations of female friendships in books and all the girls really supported each other no matter what!
Frederick definitely became a bit annoying in this book. He was very hot and cold, and I didn't like that Elsa seemed happy to just be led on by him - no matter how good-looking he is.Some of his actions didn't make much sense in comparison to the type of guy he seemed in the first book. In Taking the Reins, he appeared to be very defeatist and allowed everyone to walk all over him instead of just standing up for himself. The end of this one frustrated me quite a bit, as I honestly just can't seem to understand how he allowed it to happy and the character I met in the first book wouldn't have allowed it.
I hope the read Frederick comes back soon in the third book, and is ready to sweep Elsa off her feet again. But I'm looking forward to more time with Timber Bear, Drop Kick, Nobby and all the horsey lovelies from this series in the next book.
I received this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Violence against women, child abuse, childhood sexual trauma
Women are being killed, and ominous chestnut man dolls are being left at the scene of the crimes as part of the killer's calling card. Police detective Naia Thulin is assigned the case, alongside ex-Europol invetigator Mark Hess. As the two of them race against the clock before more women are murdered, they find a connection between the chestnut dolls, and a missing girl from a year earlier, who happens to be the daughter of a Danish politician.
This book was extremely intricate and was the type of thriller that you had to bundle down with and just swamp yourself in. It's a long one at close to 500 pages but the story is really addicting, and it's easy to turn the pages at a lightning speed as you race to find out what happened and who is the cause of it all.
This is a book that I would advise people read with doors closed, no chance of creepy shadows and loud noises, and possibly a dog at your side to guard you because the action scenes are quite intense and it's easy to start feeling a bit uneasy and paranoid - even while safe at home! The atmosphere delivered is perfection.
I think the story played out really nicely, and I definitely didn't guess the killer until quite late along when it was pretty much delivered to be on a plate by the author. The translation of the story from Danish into English also didn't serve up any problems and seems to have been done well.
There were mentions of diverse, ethnic communities in the book at times and there were a couple of times the way characters would talk about others of a different race and/or gender would make me slightly uncomfortable. The word "Paki" was used a good bit by characters but I think in a way that was suppose to make the reader flinch a bit and feel uncomfortable, and there was some crude sexism from certain characters as well.
CW: Violence against women, child abuse, childhood sexual trauma
Women are being killed, and ominous chestnut man dolls are being left at the scene of the crimes as part of the killer's calling card. Police detective Naia Thulin is assigned the case, alongside ex-Europol invetigator Mark Hess. As the two of them race against the clock before more women are murdered, they find a connection between the chestnut dolls, and a missing girl from a year earlier, who happens to be the daughter of a Danish politician.
This book was extremely intricate and was the type of thriller that you had to bundle down with and just swamp yourself in. It's a long one at close to 500 pages but the story is really addicting, and it's easy to turn the pages at a lightning speed as you race to find out what happened and who is the cause of it all.
This is a book that I would advise people read with doors closed, no chance of creepy shadows and loud noises, and possibly a dog at your side to guard you because the action scenes are quite intense and it's easy to start feeling a bit uneasy and paranoid - even while safe at home! The atmosphere delivered is perfection.
I think the story played out really nicely, and I definitely didn't guess the killer until quite late along when it was pretty much delivered to be on a plate by the author. The translation of the story from Danish into English also didn't serve up any problems and seems to have been done well.
There were mentions of diverse, ethnic communities in the book at times and there were a couple of times the way characters would talk about others of a different race and/or gender would make me slightly uncomfortable. The word "Paki" was used a good bit by characters but I think in a way that was suppose to make the reader flinch a bit and feel uncomfortable, and there was some crude sexism from certain characters as well.
I received this book from the author/publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But she was what all truly loved dogs are: She was, to someone, the best thing ever
This is a sweet memoir about a dog called Shirelle and all the lovely lessons she taught her human companion during her life.
This was a sweet book and while I don't think I got all the life lessons the author probably wanted me to from the text, I did just enjoy reading about a man who really, really loved his dog and who was his dog's world in return. The relationship between Shirelle and Douglas bordered more on life partner more so than parent/child the way you see in other dog/owner relationships and I like how much of a treasured yet respected companion Shirelle was in Douglas's life.
There were parts of this book that definitely bordered on tangents for me, and I did find myself wanting to skim through these parts before we got back to Shirelle and what she was doing at the time. I will say as well, I didn't really like how Douglas talked about the women in his life - I understand why he chose not to mention any of them by name but the way he used 'she' or 'her' rubbed me up the wrong way and I definitely would have preferred pseudonyms.
I did connect a good bit at the end of this book as Shirelle got older and little ailments began to affect her a bit more. As the owner of two aging dogs (16 and 11), I definitely understand the terrifying dilemma right now of a dog owner who isn't sure of when to draw the line between helping a dog and being selfish because I always need them around. Probably a part I'd recommend keeping some tissues beside you.
But she was what all truly loved dogs are: She was, to someone, the best thing ever
This is a sweet memoir about a dog called Shirelle and all the lovely lessons she taught her human companion during her life.
This was a sweet book and while I don't think I got all the life lessons the author probably wanted me to from the text, I did just enjoy reading about a man who really, really loved his dog and who was his dog's world in return. The relationship between Shirelle and Douglas bordered more on life partner more so than parent/child the way you see in other dog/owner relationships and I like how much of a treasured yet respected companion Shirelle was in Douglas's life.
There were parts of this book that definitely bordered on tangents for me, and I did find myself wanting to skim through these parts before we got back to Shirelle and what she was doing at the time. I will say as well, I didn't really like how Douglas talked about the women in his life - I understand why he chose not to mention any of them by name but the way he used 'she' or 'her' rubbed me up the wrong way and I definitely would have preferred pseudonyms.
I did connect a good bit at the end of this book as Shirelle got older and little ailments began to affect her a bit more. As the owner of two aging dogs (16 and 11), I definitely understand the terrifying dilemma right now of a dog owner who isn't sure of when to draw the line between helping a dog and being selfish because I always need them around. Probably a part I'd recommend keeping some tissues beside you.
3.5 Stars.
12-year-old Peadar has lived with his Granny almost all his life, with his best friend - a white goat called Billy Bán. When Peadar has a special dream one night, he realises that his parents aren't dead like he thought - but trapped in fairyland by a wicked magician. Now Peadar and Billy Bán must take on a great adventure (which could end up with a showdown against evil magician Duodecimus!) to help save Peadar's parents before it's too late.
This was a really fun, cute children's book that not only was a lovely little adventure full of great characters and wonderful scenery (who doesn't love a fairyland with all sorts of magical roads - it feels like there's a lot more adventures to be had here too with the different roads!) but it also held some wonderful messages that are so important for young readers like the importance of kindness, gentleness and love always triumphing over evil.
Peadar was a great character to follow. He's wicked smart and took on everything he could, while still showing a lot of caring and empathy for others (Billy Bán and Lucy especially). I loved all the different characters Peadar met in Fairyland, and I feel like there was a nod in this book to a lot of other well-loved side characters from other tales like Mr Tumnus and Tom Bombadil and maybe even The Good Witch of Oz in Lady Lavendar.
The story was full of little riddles and puzzles which I think younger readers would really love, though I wonder if some kids might need to get parents to help them understand them, or it could be a but too much for them - but it all depends on the type of reader too. The story had lots of ups and downs and twists and turns and I think it was paced really nicely. There was obviously a lot of thought put into this story and it felt really well-detailed and well-edited (which can sometimes not be the case with self-published books).
The narration of the story felt a little bit formal at times but I didn't mind that too much. Peadar could be a formal little boy sometimes too!
I think this is great for young readers but I also feel like this might be a great book for parents to read to kids aged 9/10 until they really want to grab the book and read for themselves. I feel like we met lots of great characters who deserve their own stories in this world (Lucy and Fionn for example) and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for everyone.
12-year-old Peadar has lived with his Granny almost all his life, with his best friend - a white goat called Billy Bán. When Peadar has a special dream one night, he realises that his parents aren't dead like he thought - but trapped in fairyland by a wicked magician. Now Peadar and Billy Bán must take on a great adventure (which could end up with a showdown against evil magician Duodecimus!) to help save Peadar's parents before it's too late.
This was a really fun, cute children's book that not only was a lovely little adventure full of great characters and wonderful scenery (who doesn't love a fairyland with all sorts of magical roads - it feels like there's a lot more adventures to be had here too with the different roads!) but it also held some wonderful messages that are so important for young readers like the importance of kindness, gentleness and love always triumphing over evil.
Peadar was a great character to follow. He's wicked smart and took on everything he could, while still showing a lot of caring and empathy for others (Billy Bán and Lucy especially). I loved all the different characters Peadar met in Fairyland, and I feel like there was a nod in this book to a lot of other well-loved side characters from other tales like Mr Tumnus and Tom Bombadil and maybe even The Good Witch of Oz in Lady Lavendar.
The story was full of little riddles and puzzles which I think younger readers would really love, though I wonder if some kids might need to get parents to help them understand them, or it could be a but too much for them - but it all depends on the type of reader too. The story had lots of ups and downs and twists and turns and I think it was paced really nicely. There was obviously a lot of thought put into this story and it felt really well-detailed and well-edited (which can sometimes not be the case with self-published books).
The narration of the story felt a little bit formal at times but I didn't mind that too much. Peadar could be a formal little boy sometimes too!
I think this is great for young readers but I also feel like this might be a great book for parents to read to kids aged 9/10 until they really want to grab the book and read for themselves. I feel like we met lots of great characters who deserve their own stories in this world (Lucy and Fionn for example) and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for everyone.