Vilandra
Really enjoyed this. Wish I’d read it before seeing the movie so I could have been surprised at the end.
I thought this was pretty good - better than I expected actually. I can’t decide if I think the end was bad because it was just explained out of left field…
Books in this genre are pretty much all the same - nothing really wrong with their writing, just nothing special. This was something different, though. The author really knows how to ramp up the tension and make you feel it. I really didn’t want to stop reading and read most if it the same day. This is the first book of this kind I’ve read in a long time where I really wanted to read another of the author’s books right away.
I enjoyed this. It had an unusual way of telling a haunted house story, but in the end and taking the two books together it worked. Written in the seventies but feels as if it was written earlier. I definitely wanted to keep reading.
I enjoyed this - it was written in the 70s but feels like something earlier. My only criticism is the way it ends - it feels unresolved. I’m happy there’s a second book to continue the story.
This is a good book for people who like to work out the details of a mystery from the clues. The format was hard to get used to, to a good idea. Some things were guessed but not the full picture.
There were a couple things I guessed but overall I thought this was very good - better than the usual of this genre.
Well I’m not exactly sure what the purpose of this was. It’s incredibly short, so I’m glad I got it from the library rather than spending money on it. It’s hard for it to not feel like a money grab. It’s also one of those “look how terrible men are” stories. It’s supposedly feminist while Galatea herself seems to lack a brain. Which, I get it, she’s a statue, but you can’t have it both ways. There was some unnecessary vulgarity I thought. It’s okay for a less than half hour read.
Enjoyable little story. I didn't guess the killer. I still don't find Miss Marple herself all that likable.
It stayed interesting and I didn't guess the murderer. Not sure I would read more in this series. Roe is too similar to Sookie.
I decided to read this because I loved the film, knowing in advance that the film was nothing like the book. It has a couple slow parts, but the last quarter of the book is delightful.
This book made me laugh out loud! But there also was lots of information about different locales around Scotland as well as snippets about Sam and Graham. Really loved it. The only drawback was it seemed like they had printed the first draft, no one having read over it for mistakes.
I enjoyed this, and didn't exactly see the twist coming. I think it's well written, but I was ready for it to finish when it did.
I expected there to be more items actually from books, not just inspired by them. But I think the recipes look yummy and I think the book is very creative.
I liked it, but I expected it to be spookier (which is my fault). The setting was wonderful though - it's just not very fast paced.
I'm not one for romances, but I really enjoyed this in spite of that (I think if you like romance, you'll like the romance-y bits). I found myself really wanting to know what happened next and find out the mystery. The only thing I didn't like about it was that I felt the antagonist was viewed through a modern day lens and so was cut more slack than they deserved. I would definitely read more from this author (and watch it if they made this i to a movie lol).
This is a very well made book with a lot of pictures and drawings. It gives a nice summary of Austen history and Regency times.
Very accessible story - not dry at all. Told with humor and drama. I really enjoyed her way of telling the story, and would definitely read other history by this author.
This book is like the lost Christmas episode of Fleabag - I dare you to not picture Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Carmen. I liked this one a lot - not saccharine sweet romancey, but more of a how real people makes choices (and mistakes). The characters, even the children, are each distinct, and the family scenes which often go very Hallmark were instead heartwarming. Also, I actually cared about what happened next. I definitely recommend as a Christmas read.
This is a short one, but I enjoyed it. Not as polished as a Christmas Carol but with those vibes.
I liked this book - the main character is a little stodgy but otherwise a good story.
I was really excited to read this book. It's beautiful, and I love finding new books I haven't read yet. But if I could get my money back for this one, and the wasted time, I would. First, it's more a collection of college newspaper book reviews than a love letter to great books. Reading it, I thought the author was some 22 year old. Come to find out, she's supposedly some highly acclaimed New York Times book critic who is old enough to know better. Second, it's boring. I wasn't inspired to add a single book to my reading list, and found myself just wanting it to be over. Third, too many quotations and too many name drops. And finally, more write ups mention Trump than don't. It's out of place in a book like this, and leaves us feeling as if the author is a petulant child - and an uneducated one at that. She needlessly inserts her political beliefs in her summaries, and with a complete unawareness of the irony. Don't waste your time on this one.
I found this book very interesting - seeing that investigations of crimes were not done all that differently from today was surprising. There was more surrounding history than I expected, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a little bit like a term paper, but my only real criticism is that he would mention something, then go into more detail at a later point, which made it seem like he was repeating himself and jumping around. The text is very accessible, not dry at all.
I enjoyed reading this, both for the discussion of 16-17th century England and 19-early 20th century America. The difference in the market today verses the turn of the 20th century for books is amazing to see. The parts of the book about the library's construction was a bit boring to me, but overall an interesting read.