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amandasbookreview's Reviews (966)
Why, Oh Why did I wait so long to read Circe by Madeline Miller. I actually listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Perdita Weeks. Circe is the daughter of Helios. Helios is the sun god, a Titan. Circe’s mother is a nymph. Her childhood is filled with emotional and verbal abuse from family and the gods alike. When she falls in love with a mortal, her true gift comes to light…witchcraft. When Zeus discovers her power, he banishes her to Aiaia. At first, the isolation is devastating. But she takes the opportunity to hone her power. When men come to her island, she makes a mistake. A mistake she will never make again. The novel chronicles her life and her meetings with famous names in mythology like Hermes, Scylla, the Minotaur, Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, and Telegonus.
Breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. I was hooked from the first page. There is something about the writing. It is raw and real. It felt like I was listening to a true story in a sense. Oh and the description! It is detailed and focused, so it never strays or wanders. This makes for an addicting pace.
I studied mythology while in college so I knew I would love the subject, but it is the perspective of Circe that makes this book so fascinating. We all know what men thought of Circe. Men control the stories of women and this is her way of telling her truth. I WANT MORE. If this author can give me all the female titans and goddesses perspectives that would be great. Circe’s development and strength is perfection. Again, she felt as real as you or me.
Then there is the narrator. I will officially listen to anything that Perdita Weeks narrates. She captured the essence and beauty of this story and of Circe as well.
Since I borrowed this book from the library, I loved this book so much that I just can’t live without owning my own copy. If you have this book on your TBR but keep putting it off as I did, stop what you are doing and pick up this book. It is everything I ever wanted in a mythology retelling. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. But I have to settle for 5 out of 5 stars.
Breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. I was hooked from the first page. There is something about the writing. It is raw and real. It felt like I was listening to a true story in a sense. Oh and the description! It is detailed and focused, so it never strays or wanders. This makes for an addicting pace.
I studied mythology while in college so I knew I would love the subject, but it is the perspective of Circe that makes this book so fascinating. We all know what men thought of Circe. Men control the stories of women and this is her way of telling her truth. I WANT MORE. If this author can give me all the female titans and goddesses perspectives that would be great. Circe’s development and strength is perfection. Again, she felt as real as you or me.
Then there is the narrator. I will officially listen to anything that Perdita Weeks narrates. She captured the essence and beauty of this story and of Circe as well.
Since I borrowed this book from the library, I loved this book so much that I just can’t live without owning my own copy. If you have this book on your TBR but keep putting it off as I did, stop what you are doing and pick up this book. It is everything I ever wanted in a mythology retelling. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. But I have to settle for 5 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to JKS Communications and the author for an opportunity to read this book!
Encounters Unforeseen 1492 Retold by Andrew Rowen is exactly that. 1492 Retold but with some added dramatization. The book begins in 1455 to give background to the Christopher Columbus journey. You get to read about his youth but also the political background of Isabella and Ferdinand. However, when Columbus lands, the book also goes to the perspective of the natives. Then the book ends in 1493, before the slaughter of the natives by Christopher Columbus.
So, everyone knows the story of Christopher Columbus. In America, he even has a holiday…why??? I have no idea. I have never liked the fact that we have a holiday celebrating a man who slaughtered natives for his own political gain. I mean Lief Erickson landed in North America long before Christopher Columbus anyway. I have a degree in history. So in elementary school, I got the typical teaching of the greatness and perseverance of the Christopher Columbus journey. Then in college, I studied the real history of Christopher Columbus.
I was hoping this book would bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, it didn’t. The author tried not to take a side politically. He tried to show all points of view. It felt like the same information just rehashed in a new format. So this did not feel like a novel for me. It felt like a history book with a little dialogue. I appreciate all the history and research that was obviously done. It is an incredible amount of research. However, while reading the book, it was like the book didn’t know where it fell in regards to the genre. There is no development or characterization. There is a lot of historical detail. I think this book would have made a great historical nonfiction book instead.
I do applaud the author for the momentous amount of research he did. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars
Encounters Unforeseen 1492 Retold by Andrew Rowen is exactly that. 1492 Retold but with some added dramatization. The book begins in 1455 to give background to the Christopher Columbus journey. You get to read about his youth but also the political background of Isabella and Ferdinand. However, when Columbus lands, the book also goes to the perspective of the natives. Then the book ends in 1493, before the slaughter of the natives by Christopher Columbus.
So, everyone knows the story of Christopher Columbus. In America, he even has a holiday…why??? I have no idea. I have never liked the fact that we have a holiday celebrating a man who slaughtered natives for his own political gain. I mean Lief Erickson landed in North America long before Christopher Columbus anyway. I have a degree in history. So in elementary school, I got the typical teaching of the greatness and perseverance of the Christopher Columbus journey. Then in college, I studied the real history of Christopher Columbus.
I was hoping this book would bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, it didn’t. The author tried not to take a side politically. He tried to show all points of view. It felt like the same information just rehashed in a new format. So this did not feel like a novel for me. It felt like a history book with a little dialogue. I appreciate all the history and research that was obviously done. It is an incredible amount of research. However, while reading the book, it was like the book didn’t know where it fell in regards to the genre. There is no development or characterization. There is a lot of historical detail. I think this book would have made a great historical nonfiction book instead.
I do applaud the author for the momentous amount of research he did. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars
I won The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins last year on a Goodreads Giveaway. The book came out last July and sadly, I just got around to reading it. My TBR pile is no joke. This charming little story is the first book in the Dove Pond Series. Grace and her sister, Hannah are foster children. Grace has made it difficult to stay in a home. When they are placed in Mama G’s care everything changes. Years later, Grace, Mama G, and Hannah’s daughter Daisy arrive at their temporary home in Dove Pond. Hannah fell into trouble and died, leaving her daughter in the care of Mama G. However, Mama G has the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. So Grace brings them to wear Mama G grew up and takes a meager job to get by, but for only a year. Little does she know the Dove Pond is full of surprising characters. One being Sarah Dove, the town librarian. She has a gift, one where the books speak to her and she knows just which book goes to a certain person. Sarah believes that Grace will be the one who saves their small town from financial ruin. How can she convince Grace to stay?
This is such a charming little book. It was a tad slow at that the start, but I was soon hooked. I just discovered that there is a prequel which I plan to pick up. When I first picked up the book, I expected there to be more of a fantasy aspect to it. However, it is more magical realism than fantasy. While I did love the story, Sarah, The Book Charmer, is actually not a huge part of the book. Yes, she has a gift, but the book no way revolves around her. Grace is the star of the story. I absolutely adored her character. She doubts herself but holds her head high and with the courage to face each day. She comes to the town judging everyone because it is different, unfamiliar, and ultimately…temporary. She finds out what the words, “it takes a village” truly mean. She also discovers friendship and love.
I must say, all the characters are wonderful. I don’t think there was one character who didn’t make me smile while reading. I really love the relationships between the characters too. Especially, Grace and Trav. Trav is trying to rediscover life after being injured at War and dealing with PTSD. Then there is also Blake and Sarah, however, their relationship is introduced but not really concluded. In fact, there are a few details that never really feel concluded. I hope they pick back up in the next book-which (according to Goodreads) is releasing in May 2020! Don’t let my rating deter you. There are just a few things that I think could have been fixed. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
This is such a charming little book. It was a tad slow at that the start, but I was soon hooked. I just discovered that there is a prequel which I plan to pick up. When I first picked up the book, I expected there to be more of a fantasy aspect to it. However, it is more magical realism than fantasy. While I did love the story, Sarah, The Book Charmer, is actually not a huge part of the book. Yes, she has a gift, but the book no way revolves around her. Grace is the star of the story. I absolutely adored her character. She doubts herself but holds her head high and with the courage to face each day. She comes to the town judging everyone because it is different, unfamiliar, and ultimately…temporary. She finds out what the words, “it takes a village” truly mean. She also discovers friendship and love.
I must say, all the characters are wonderful. I don’t think there was one character who didn’t make me smile while reading. I really love the relationships between the characters too. Especially, Grace and Trav. Trav is trying to rediscover life after being injured at War and dealing with PTSD. Then there is also Blake and Sarah, however, their relationship is introduced but not really concluded. In fact, there are a few details that never really feel concluded. I hope they pick back up in the next book-which (according to Goodreads) is releasing in May 2020! Don’t let my rating deter you. There are just a few things that I think could have been fixed. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
I selected the Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth while waiting for another audiobook to come in from Libby. I was in the mood for a thriller. The story follows two main storylines. The perspective of Lucy and Diana. Lucy is married to Oliver, or Ollie. Diana is Lucy’s mother-in-law. Diana is quite…uptight. No, that isn’t the right word. Stern, perhaps? Anyway, Lucy’s own mother died years ago and she wants nothing more than a mother figure. However, Diana is not exactly the warmest person. Their relationship is pretty predictable when it comes to mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships. Until Diana is murdered and Lucy is the most likely suspect…
So I got this book as a filler until my next book arrived. Well, I must say I was pleasantly surprised! I would say that this book leans more towards mystery than thriller. There wasn’t a single moment where I was scared or uneasy. But it is a decent mystery. And it wasn’t too predictable which I always enjoy.
Although, that is not the point of the story. At first, I was angry. The book was too relatable. The passive-aggressiveness is off the charts. About halfway through, I thought I was going to hate this book. I was so wrong. The character development is amazing! Also, there are multiple perspectives but it completely works for this story. Everything makes sense, and it comes together perfectly!
The narrator of this audiobook is Barrie Kreinik and she did an absolutely amazing job! There are a lot of accents in this story and she made the story flow perfectly. So overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
So I got this book as a filler until my next book arrived. Well, I must say I was pleasantly surprised! I would say that this book leans more towards mystery than thriller. There wasn’t a single moment where I was scared or uneasy. But it is a decent mystery. And it wasn’t too predictable which I always enjoy.
Although, that is not the point of the story. At first, I was angry. The book was too relatable. The passive-aggressiveness is off the charts. About halfway through, I thought I was going to hate this book. I was so wrong. The character development is amazing! Also, there are multiple perspectives but it completely works for this story. Everything makes sense, and it comes together perfectly!
The narrator of this audiobook is Barrie Kreinik and she did an absolutely amazing job! There are a lot of accents in this story and she made the story flow perfectly. So overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
"Grab those tissues, this story packs so much raw emotion!"
Check out my full review at:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2019/december-january/viewer/desktop/#page/62
Check out my full review at:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2019/december-january/viewer/desktop/#page/62
"This book does not feel like a historical fiction novel, but like a historical nonfiction novel."
Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/february/viewer/desktop/#page/58
Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2020/february/viewer/desktop/#page/58
The Whisper Man by Alex North is my book club’s selection for the month of October. We wanted a thriller. Something creepy. Did we find it? Keep on reading and find out.
* WARNING: POSSIBLE TRIGGERS INVOLVING MENTAL ILLNESS, DARK CRIMES AND GRUESOME DEATH.*
The story follows multiple points of view. Tom Kennedy is a writer and father of a young boy named Jake. Tom Kennedy’s wife had died and he still grieves for her. He also doesn’t know how to be a good father to Jake. Jake is an unusual child. He is scarred from discovering the body of his mother. He has an imaginary friend, draws most of the time and rarely talks. They move in order to leave the past behind and start a new life. However, the house that they move into has a dark history. Not just the house, but the town itself. The town was the home to Frank Carter, the infamous Whisper Man. He was a serial killer who killed young boys before he was caught and put in prison. But twenty years later, another boy disappears and the evidence is similar to The Whisper Man, but how? He is in jail. Is it a copycat or an accomplice? That is what Detective Amanda Beck and Pete Willis have to figure out. They work tirelessly to find the young boy. Meanwhile, Jake tells Tom that he has heard whispers outside his window.
Well, folks. Here we are again. Another book that received all the praise. In fact, it has a 4.11 star average on Goodreads. But am I one of those people? Nope. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to be scared out of my wits. I have a weird fascination with crime books, movies, and shows. (Seriously, I binge-watched Mindhunter on Netflix in less than a week.) However, I found this book so cliche and rather dull. It was one of those books that if I put it down, it was hard to pick back up again because I was not invested. I will say, that the concept of The Whisper Man is unbelievably creepy. But we don’t see him! In fact, he is only in a scene or two. I wanted to know more about how his case. The ending result of the story felt pretty lackluster.
Ok, but my biggest issue with this book…WHY ARE NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS IN THERAPY!!!!!! Jesus! Come on! A kid finds his dead mother on the floor in his home, and the Dad just wonders why he has a disturbing imaginary friend? Hmmm, I wonder why?!?! He also suffers from grief and PTSD from child abuse he experienced as a child. Does he seek help? NOPE. He just keeps suffering and wondering why the nightmares keep coming back. Then there is Detective Pete Willis, who is a recovering alcoholic and is SEVERELY scarred from working the original Whisper Man case. You would think that a police department would require their officers and detectives to seek counseling after finding a bunch of dead bodies of young boys. Again…NOPE. They all just meander around, actually asking themselves why they feel this way and trying to just ignore that there is a problem. It made absolutely no sense to me that they are wondering what is wrong with them when they experienced so much severe trauma. I recommend everyone go to therapy, even if you haven’t experienced severe trauma. It is a healthy option and nothing to be ashamed of. I do and it is life-changing. Ok, I got that off my chest.
I have a few other issues, but discussing those would involve spoilers. In all, it was not scary. It was not suspenseful. I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next or how the book would end. There is also a lot of repetitive information. If there are going to be several points of view. I want them to come together to make a cohesive story and let me discover something new. Unfortunately, that does not happen in this book. Most of the different points of view just felt unnecessary and repetitive. Sadly, I have to rate this book 2 out of 5 stars. It just did not work for me even though I know that is an unpopular opinion.
* WARNING: POSSIBLE TRIGGERS INVOLVING MENTAL ILLNESS, DARK CRIMES AND GRUESOME DEATH.*
The story follows multiple points of view. Tom Kennedy is a writer and father of a young boy named Jake. Tom Kennedy’s wife had died and he still grieves for her. He also doesn’t know how to be a good father to Jake. Jake is an unusual child. He is scarred from discovering the body of his mother. He has an imaginary friend, draws most of the time and rarely talks. They move in order to leave the past behind and start a new life. However, the house that they move into has a dark history. Not just the house, but the town itself. The town was the home to Frank Carter, the infamous Whisper Man. He was a serial killer who killed young boys before he was caught and put in prison. But twenty years later, another boy disappears and the evidence is similar to The Whisper Man, but how? He is in jail. Is it a copycat or an accomplice? That is what Detective Amanda Beck and Pete Willis have to figure out. They work tirelessly to find the young boy. Meanwhile, Jake tells Tom that he has heard whispers outside his window.
Well, folks. Here we are again. Another book that received all the praise. In fact, it has a 4.11 star average on Goodreads. But am I one of those people? Nope. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to be scared out of my wits. I have a weird fascination with crime books, movies, and shows. (Seriously, I binge-watched Mindhunter on Netflix in less than a week.) However, I found this book so cliche and rather dull. It was one of those books that if I put it down, it was hard to pick back up again because I was not invested. I will say, that the concept of The Whisper Man is unbelievably creepy. But we don’t see him! In fact, he is only in a scene or two. I wanted to know more about how his case. The ending result of the story felt pretty lackluster.
Ok, but my biggest issue with this book…WHY ARE NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS IN THERAPY!!!!!! Jesus! Come on! A kid finds his dead mother on the floor in his home, and the Dad just wonders why he has a disturbing imaginary friend? Hmmm, I wonder why?!?! He also suffers from grief and PTSD from child abuse he experienced as a child. Does he seek help? NOPE. He just keeps suffering and wondering why the nightmares keep coming back. Then there is Detective Pete Willis, who is a recovering alcoholic and is SEVERELY scarred from working the original Whisper Man case. You would think that a police department would require their officers and detectives to seek counseling after finding a bunch of dead bodies of young boys. Again…NOPE. They all just meander around, actually asking themselves why they feel this way and trying to just ignore that there is a problem. It made absolutely no sense to me that they are wondering what is wrong with them when they experienced so much severe trauma. I recommend everyone go to therapy, even if you haven’t experienced severe trauma. It is a healthy option and nothing to be ashamed of. I do and it is life-changing. Ok, I got that off my chest.
I have a few other issues, but discussing those would involve spoilers. In all, it was not scary. It was not suspenseful. I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next or how the book would end. There is also a lot of repetitive information. If there are going to be several points of view. I want them to come together to make a cohesive story and let me discover something new. Unfortunately, that does not happen in this book. Most of the different points of view just felt unnecessary and repetitive. Sadly, I have to rate this book 2 out of 5 stars. It just did not work for me even though I know that is an unpopular opinion.
It has been a while, but yes, my son and I are still reading the Harry Potter books. We started Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when he started 1st grade. We have finally finished it and now he is starting second grade. We can only get through about 5-10 pages a night before he starts to fall asleep. (He is my good sleeper, he could sleep through the end of the world.)
Should I say spoiler alert? Well, just in case…SPOILER ALERT!
The Goblet of Fire really changed the dynamics of the series. My son realized that when Cedric died, nothing would be the same. He is 7 years old now, so a lot of the themes when over his head. For instance, the whole Cho-Harry fling. He did not get that and he had zero interest in that aspect of the storyline. Also, he wasn’t fully grasping the deep political transformation in the Ministry. However, he knew something is wrong.
One thing that really affected him, is the treatment of Harry. Bullying and isolation is something almost everyone can relate to, even a 7-year-old. Most people complain about the 5th book, saying that Harry is so melodramatic. My son did not feel that way. He realized that Harry was lonely.
My son also knows that Sirius Black is my favorite character. When I started crying during that battle, (I always do) he didn’t understand why. He thought Sirius was hurt and that he would be back. When we watched the movie, he had a deeper understanding of what happened to Sirius.
Lastly, he was very vocal about not liking Umbridge. He didn’t understand what she was trying to do but he knows she was not a nice person. We just started reading The Half-Blood Prince and I am eager to see how he will react.
I love making posts like this because it shows how much our kids do pay attention and understand more than we give them credit for. They are able to expand their imagination and empathize with the characters which I believe is critical growing up.
Should I say spoiler alert? Well, just in case…SPOILER ALERT!
The Goblet of Fire really changed the dynamics of the series. My son realized that when Cedric died, nothing would be the same. He is 7 years old now, so a lot of the themes when over his head. For instance, the whole Cho-Harry fling. He did not get that and he had zero interest in that aspect of the storyline. Also, he wasn’t fully grasping the deep political transformation in the Ministry. However, he knew something is wrong.
One thing that really affected him, is the treatment of Harry. Bullying and isolation is something almost everyone can relate to, even a 7-year-old. Most people complain about the 5th book, saying that Harry is so melodramatic. My son did not feel that way. He realized that Harry was lonely.
My son also knows that Sirius Black is my favorite character. When I started crying during that battle, (I always do) he didn’t understand why. He thought Sirius was hurt and that he would be back. When we watched the movie, he had a deeper understanding of what happened to Sirius.
Lastly, he was very vocal about not liking Umbridge. He didn’t understand what she was trying to do but he knows she was not a nice person. We just started reading The Half-Blood Prince and I am eager to see how he will react.
I love making posts like this because it shows how much our kids do pay attention and understand more than we give them credit for. They are able to expand their imagination and empathize with the characters which I believe is critical growing up.
Today’s review will be a short one. Snatched by Karin Slaughter is a novella and technically book number 5.5 in the Will Trent series. Karin Slaughter’s books are already fast and suspenseful reads but I finished reading this book in just over an hour. This book begins with Will Trent hanging out in an airport bathroom trying to catch sex solicitors. Soon a man roughly drags a girl to the bathroom. Something doesn’t sit right with Will but the man could be her father. The man proceeds to drag the girl out of the bathroom. Will follows, soon the man makes it evident that the girl is not his daughter. Will, Faith, Amanda, and the airport team shut the airport down in hopes of finding the girl before it is too late.
This book is only 73 pages. I was nervous at first because Karin Slaughter’s books are always planned out, suspenseful but the plots are always deeply developed. With this book, I was worried that the plot would be rushed. NOPE. It is suspenseful from beginning to end and is still developed. I was sad when it ended because I finished reading it in just over an hour.
As always the characters are fantastic. Will feels so much guilt with this case. He made a mistake in judgment and now the girl’s life could be in danger. Even though he is not to blame, this guilt makes him so relatable. We often feel guilty for our actions or inactions. However, that ending though. Don’t worry–no spoilers.
This novella gets 5 out of 5 stars from me!
This book is only 73 pages. I was nervous at first because Karin Slaughter’s books are always planned out, suspenseful but the plots are always deeply developed. With this book, I was worried that the plot would be rushed. NOPE. It is suspenseful from beginning to end and is still developed. I was sad when it ended because I finished reading it in just over an hour.
As always the characters are fantastic. Will feels so much guilt with this case. He made a mistake in judgment and now the girl’s life could be in danger. Even though he is not to blame, this guilt makes him so relatable. We often feel guilty for our actions or inactions. However, that ending though. Don’t worry–no spoilers.
This novella gets 5 out of 5 stars from me!
I fell in love with A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan last year and I was ecstatic when my hold came in for The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan. Both books are standalone novels but share similar witchy themes. The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest and introduces Barrie Ann Blythe, post WWII. She lives alone on a farm. One day, her dog Willow brings her a baby that she pulled from the water, wrapped in a blanket. That is mysterious enough but it doesn’t take long to see the baby has other mysterious qualities. Barrie Ann only trusts one person, her aunt Charlotte. Charlotte has a way of knowing things. Over the years Charlotte has told Barrie about the family trait, a trait that could be dangerous if anyone ever found out. Now they must protect the baby at all costs.
Louisa Morgan’s books speak to my soul. I can never find anything that I don’t like about them. Her writing is utterly enchanting as if there is magic in the words themselves. The pace is steady and enjoyable. The story does jump back and forth between WWII and post WWII but it is not jarring and it flows perfectly from one scene to the next.
The characters are delightful. I absolutely adored Barrie and found that I could relate to her. She makes mistakes but she learns. She also finds herself struggling to understand the world around her, which anyone could relate to. Her development is perfection. Then there is Charlotte. She is Barrie’s rock. She is the embodiment of wisdom and comfort. She will go above and beyond for family.
One of the things I love most about Louisa Morgan’s books is the themes of life experience, love, acceptance, and family. The witchy theme while very much present isn’t the main theme. It just accents the other themes. Now, be warned this book does explore issues like pregnancy loss and domestic violence and manipulation. However, I couldn’t have loved this book more. Out of the 2 books I have read by Louisa Morgan, I have loved both. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Louisa Morgan’s books speak to my soul. I can never find anything that I don’t like about them. Her writing is utterly enchanting as if there is magic in the words themselves. The pace is steady and enjoyable. The story does jump back and forth between WWII and post WWII but it is not jarring and it flows perfectly from one scene to the next.
The characters are delightful. I absolutely adored Barrie and found that I could relate to her. She makes mistakes but she learns. She also finds herself struggling to understand the world around her, which anyone could relate to. Her development is perfection. Then there is Charlotte. She is Barrie’s rock. She is the embodiment of wisdom and comfort. She will go above and beyond for family.
One of the things I love most about Louisa Morgan’s books is the themes of life experience, love, acceptance, and family. The witchy theme while very much present isn’t the main theme. It just accents the other themes. Now, be warned this book does explore issues like pregnancy loss and domestic violence and manipulation. However, I couldn’t have loved this book more. Out of the 2 books I have read by Louisa Morgan, I have loved both. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.