Scan barcode
dc7's reviews
483 reviews
Where Is She?: Travel to Trauma: One Woman's Journey To Completely Losing Herself by Alyshia Ford
5.0
I've been following the PsychoTraveller Youtube channel for 3-4 years and highly anticipated Aly's book.
The book basically consists of two parts. The first half of the book is a recount of Aly's adventures in Australia. It's fun to read and entertaining. The second half of the book is a lot darker as it deals with a very serious incident that happened during Aly's time in Australia. Aly's book opened my eyes to a subject that I didn't know much about before and where I - like surely many other women - had lots of misconceptions about. The book changed my opinion about an important subject matter and I am so glad Aly wrote this book. I hope it will make a difference and help shape our future.
The book basically consists of two parts. The first half of the book is a recount of Aly's adventures in Australia. It's fun to read and entertaining. The second half of the book is a lot darker as it deals with a very serious incident that happened during Aly's time in Australia. Aly's book opened my eyes to a subject that I didn't know much about before and where I - like surely many other women - had lots of misconceptions about. The book changed my opinion about an important subject matter and I am so glad Aly wrote this book. I hope it will make a difference and help shape our future.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
3.0
Robinson manages to paint an interesting picture of what life on Mars could be like. However, after an interesting beginning the book drags for a long time and wastes a lot of time discussing concepts in psychology and social sciences. At one point the author takes 5 pages to explain the four temperaments - and includes three illustrations. It mildly advances character development (which could have been done in a more engaging way!) but otherwise it's a waste of space. And that's just one example. A lot of the time I was under the impression that the author was more interested in discussing very general ideas than advancing the plot.
Around the middle the book picks up pace again. The part written from John Boone's point-of-view is quite engaging and interesting and made me wish more of the book (or all of it?) was written from his POV. I'm generally not a huge fan of Multi-POV books and especially in Red Mars I find many characters poorly developed.
The second half of the book as interesting enough but I won't be picking up the sequels.
Around the middle the book picks up pace again. The part written from John Boone's point-of-view is quite engaging and interesting and made me wish more of the book (or all of it?) was written from his POV. I'm generally not a huge fan of Multi-POV books and especially in Red Mars I find many characters poorly developed.
The second half of the book as interesting enough but I won't be picking up the sequels.
Best of Both Worlds by N.R. Walker
3.0
After reading N.R. Walker's fascinating novel "Evolved" I went and downloaded some of the free books she offers. I found "Best of Both Worlds" to be the weakest of them, by far. It's a very standard romance story that offers nothing new in terms of characters, character development or plot. It's still well written and fun enough to read but at the same time quite predictable. Read it if you love m/m romance, but don't except to be wow'd.
Learning to Feel by N.R. Walker
5.0
Nathan is a doctor from Boston and unhappy with his life. So he packs up and moves to a little town in Maine where he meets Trent who seems to be a bit of a nomad.
I like how the author establishes Nathan as a character who didn't realise what was really missing in his life and then bit by bit gives him what he needs. The attraction between Nathan and Trent is almost instantaneous (which I personally like very much, I know other readers often don't) and the physical relationships starts pretty soon, the emotional development of the story develops deliciously slow. There's lots of good old pining - thumbs up! About half-way into the book I thought the story felt like it was coming to a conclusion - but an interesting twist kept it going in a very engaging way.
I read though the book in less than a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are looking for a heart-warming m/m romance, this is the book for you.
I like how the author establishes Nathan as a character who didn't realise what was really missing in his life and then bit by bit gives him what he needs. The attraction between Nathan and Trent is almost instantaneous (which I personally like very much, I know other readers often don't) and the physical relationships starts pretty soon, the emotional development of the story develops deliciously slow. There's lots of good old pining - thumbs up! About half-way into the book I thought the story felt like it was coming to a conclusion - but an interesting twist kept it going in a very engaging way.
I read though the book in less than a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are looking for a heart-warming m/m romance, this is the book for you.
Auctioned by Cara Dee
5.0
Thriller meets m/m romance!
Cara Dee did a great job here, telling a story that is emotionally taxing and goes into pretty dark territory without getting overly graphic. I appreciate that! The suspense comes from the setting, the constant feeling of imminent danger and not from gore and gruesome depictions of violence. The latter is definitely implicated but never depicted in such a way that it became unreadable for me (there's a point where I draw a firm line and refuse to consume books or films that cross it).
The story is compelling, disturbing even. The stakes feel real and I really felt for the characters. Unlike some other romance novels this one doesn't line up sex scene after sex scene - there is only one - which felt appropriate given the plot.
I read the book in one evening and the following morning, it was hard to put down. Great story telling. The novel has a satisfying ending but there is more story to be told.
Cara Dee did a great job here, telling a story that is emotionally taxing and goes into pretty dark territory without getting overly graphic. I appreciate that! The suspense comes from the setting, the constant feeling of imminent danger and not from gore and gruesome depictions of violence. The latter is definitely implicated but never depicted in such a way that it became unreadable for me (there's a point where I draw a firm line and refuse to consume books or films that cross it).
The story is compelling, disturbing even. The stakes feel real and I really felt for the characters. Unlike some other romance novels this one doesn't line up sex scene after sex scene - there is only one - which felt appropriate given the plot.
I read the book in one evening and the following morning, it was hard to put down. Great story telling. The novel has a satisfying ending but there is more story to be told.
We Are Mars by Cheryl Lawson
4.0
This is an entertaining and creative story about a Martian colony under threat.
I really enjoyed reading Cheryl Lawson’s story about a Martian colony that after initial excitement has failed to capture the interest of humanity and is now in a state of progressive deterioration.
I found the protagonists very likeable, especially Dana. Normally I’m not a fan of stories told by an omniscient narrator that presents multiple points of view but here it is executed very well and doesn’t stop the reader from caring about the characters and their fate.
The novel has great pacing (something I wasn’t able to say about James A Corey’s much praised “Leviathon Wakes”) though I have to concede that from about half-way into the book the story starts setting up the sequel.
We Are Mars is a good read if you’re interested in what a Martian colony might look like one day.
I really enjoyed reading Cheryl Lawson’s story about a Martian colony that after initial excitement has failed to capture the interest of humanity and is now in a state of progressive deterioration.
I found the protagonists very likeable, especially Dana. Normally I’m not a fan of stories told by an omniscient narrator that presents multiple points of view but here it is executed very well and doesn’t stop the reader from caring about the characters and their fate.
The novel has great pacing (something I wasn’t able to say about James A Corey’s much praised “Leviathon Wakes”) though I have to concede that from about half-way into the book the story starts setting up the sequel.
We Are Mars is a good read if you’re interested in what a Martian colony might look like one day.
Stranded by Cara Dee
4.0
I bought this book as a package deal with the first novel in the series, Auctioned. Apparently the full series is meant to consist of 5 books but at this point I am undecided whether I will keep reading the sequels. (And there is no word from the author when the next one will come out, if it ever will.)
Auctioned was a fantastic book with a gripping plot and high stakes. Stranded starts basically right after the end of Auctioned and it is unable to recreate the suspense and flavour of its predecessor. The first third of the book drags a lot and I felt little chemistry between the two main characters. It does get better as the book progresses but the story never gets up to the level of Auctioned.
There are a couple of good, steamy scenes in the second half of the book and the story promises to continue in an interesting way - but I’ll wait for the reviews of the third book when it comes out before I buy and read it.
Auctioned was a fantastic book with a gripping plot and high stakes. Stranded starts basically right after the end of Auctioned and it is unable to recreate the suspense and flavour of its predecessor. The first third of the book drags a lot and I felt little chemistry between the two main characters. It does get better as the book progresses but the story never gets up to the level of Auctioned.
There are a couple of good, steamy scenes in the second half of the book and the story promises to continue in an interesting way - but I’ll wait for the reviews of the third book when it comes out before I buy and read it.
The Wayward Prince by Hanna Dare
3.0
I really enjoyed the first book of this series, “Machine Metal Magic”, but unfortunately “The Wayward Prince” is a weak follow-up.
The good parts first: Sebastian is a great character and I’m glad he got his own book. He has a very intriguing personality. It was also nice to see Jaime and Rylan, the main characters of the first book, again.
One of the main problems for me however was, that I didn’t like Ren that much and I felt very little chemistry between him and Sebastian. So that was disappointing.
Another major problem is the plot itself. First of all, my suspension of disbelieve was broken when the people who stole Ren’s royal family jewel didn’t recognise the prince they stole it from. That’s just implausible. Then there was a plot twist near the middle that virtually came out of nowhere - some foreshadowing could have made it believable, but there was none. Otherwise the plot is pretty predictable. Also - didn’t Sebastian have an (ex-) wife in the first book? Here she isn’t even mentioned once which is odd.
Overall it's an okay read.
The good parts first: Sebastian is a great character and I’m glad he got his own book. He has a very intriguing personality. It was also nice to see Jaime and Rylan, the main characters of the first book, again.
One of the main problems for me however was, that I didn’t like Ren that much and I felt very little chemistry between him and Sebastian. So that was disappointing.
Another major problem is the plot itself. First of all, my suspension of disbelieve was broken when the people who stole Ren’s royal family jewel didn’t recognise the prince they stole it from. That’s just implausible. Then there was a plot twist near the middle that virtually came out of nowhere - some foreshadowing could have made it believable, but there was none. Otherwise the plot is pretty predictable. Also - didn’t Sebastian have an (ex-) wife in the first book? Here she isn’t even mentioned once which is odd.
Overall it's an okay read.
Martian Plague by Brandon Ellis
2.0
Ozzy Mack is the protagonist of Martian Plague and it’s been a long time since I disliked the main character of a book that much. In fact I can’t even remember the last time a protagonist was so annoying and unlikable. Ozzy is sexist and throughout the book he repeatedly calls women “sweetheart”, “wench”, “hot chick” and the like. It’s in stark contrast to his undying love for his daughter. He is also incompetent in many areas so he gets a female sidekick (who he calls “sweetheart”) to fix things for him, it left me thinking that she would have made a better main character.
The plot is fairly predictable and offers little new, the writing is okay. At least the story was fast-paced and never boring, so I was entertained throughout and that’s the only reason why I’m giving the book 2 stars. I can’t recommend Martian Plague.
The plot is fairly predictable and offers little new, the writing is okay. At least the story was fast-paced and never boring, so I was entertained throughout and that’s the only reason why I’m giving the book 2 stars. I can’t recommend Martian Plague.
Transport 4: Mondbeben by Phillip P. Peterson
4.0
Reading “Transport” was fun and the first two-thirds are good, but it’s a shame that the book gets a bit boring towards the climax of all places. The book also tries to politicise the fact that death row inmates are used to test the transporter but does so in an unconvincing way.
The beginning and middle sections develop in a fast-paced, exciting way and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. The story starts to drag and didn’t finish the book as quickly as I had started it.
There is little to no diversity amongst the characters in regards to gender, race, age, etc. Amongst a dozen plus middle-aged straight white male characters there is a single female character and the only reason why she is in the story is that she serves as the love interest for the main character. I’m sick of reading casts of characters like that.
Reading “Transport” I got the impression that the book was also pushing a bit of a current era American political agenda with the character of President Bigby but then I figured out the book was written by a German author in 2014, way before Trump. So that I found quite interesting.
Overall it’s a good read and I’d give it a shot if you like Science Fiction. I enjoyed it, but not enough to hang around for the sequel.
The beginning and middle sections develop in a fast-paced, exciting way and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. The story starts to drag and didn’t finish the book as quickly as I had started it.
There is little to no diversity amongst the characters in regards to gender, race, age, etc. Amongst a dozen plus middle-aged straight white male characters there is a single female character and the only reason why she is in the story is that she serves as the love interest for the main character. I’m sick of reading casts of characters like that.
Reading “Transport” I got the impression that the book was also pushing a bit of a current era American political agenda with the character of President Bigby but then I figured out the book was written by a German author in 2014, way before Trump. So that I found quite interesting.
Overall it’s a good read and I’d give it a shot if you like Science Fiction. I enjoyed it, but not enough to hang around for the sequel.