Chris
I love this series, but this is my least favorite of the three. Loved the world building of the first book...all of which play into the story moving forward. In this one there is a great deal of time is devoted to world building in the troll village and the sithi community...far too much time. I loathed the troll people by the time we were done with them and on our way. Happy to have this re-read behind me and am ready for the third and final installment.
This is a great series of books - but as things develop, I find I like the bits about the characters more than the mystery. This one takes place at the start of WWII. As always, I enjoyed Maisie and Billy's investigation. Am hoping the next one focuses more on Maisie and Pricilla's new endeavor with a heavy dose of Billy (I love Billy) and a little mystery sprinkled in...(or several small ones).
Enjoyed this one - it didn't grab me like Illuminae did - but enjoyed it enough to jump into book #2...and now that the characters are fleshed out, I'd say I'm enjoying #2 more.
I jumped into this one immediately after finishing book #1. As with book #1 - I listened to this one in the car while on a roadtrip. Audiobook version is done with a full cast with added sound effects (very effective, btw - plays out like a radio drama). I absolutely adored #1 - I loved this one, too - only a teeny bit less... probably partially because I was so invested in the characters from the first book - and book #2 involves a different cast of characters (mostly) as the story takes place on a different space vessel. I was initially somewhat put off by the drug cartel/ drug use aspect of the story - it seemed like a random element tossed in (and as it's a YA book...). But - like all the bits of the story - as with #1 - everything in the story is there for a reason and will be an important element later on in the book. If you're reading - don't skim over the images and diagrams. It's all important.
Loved it. Story picks up where #7 ended...and I'll say no more because spoilers. This one's a fast read - very fast. It's a script with stage directions - and well done. Didn't think I'd like that about the story, but it was fine. I enjoyed trying to wrap my head around how they'd produce the scene on a stage. Now I'd love to see it live!
Great balls of electricity! It's the gripping tale of Westinghouse, Edison, Tesla, industrial espionage, AC vs DC, the humble lightbulb, and the litigation that bound them all together. It's a novelization of actual events and very well told. Very enjoyable!
Enjoyable quick read. I'd guessed the who in the whodunnit about halfway thru... but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story.
Kids in space learn how to battle using a magical substance that responds to your thoughts. Poor kids are recruited to compete for a place on the team, which means income for life and health care for their families. I enjoyed it - not sure if I'll contine with the other books to see how it all shakes out. If you liked Enders Game, you'll probably like this one.
Loved it! Absolutely delightful. Great characters and well told. And learned something about the Guernsey occupation during WWII along the way. I will read this one again and again.
Gratuitously violent. To the point of gross. Just not my thing. Had to hit almost the halfway point before it started to click, and at that point the violence was less and the story took more of a starring role. Back half is much better than the front half. If this was a series, I wouldn't feel compelled to continue.
And there's a point in that first half where I practically shrieked, ‘tell me you don't know anything about jurisdiction without telling me you don't know anything about jurisdiction!' Find a lawyer to run the premise past and course correct the scenario as needed. Sigh.
The lack of quotation marks and dialogue indicators was jarring and a distraction at first (so much re-reading) and something I learned to work around (less rereading...but I was still re-reading). It was distracting enough that if this had been a longer story I would have bailed within the first 75 pages, and that would have been unfortunate - because ultimately I really liked the story. I did not find the shifting points of view too distracting. And...I really shouldn't have to be discussing the structure of the story telling this much...
So - short book...long read, but ultimately I liked it. I enjoyed the dry humor and descriptions.
Listened to this one. Really really enjoyed it and found I couldn't stop listening during about the last 5 hours of the story.
Firstly: I love this series. (and this is a series - not a group of stand alone books with the same main character - you really need to read them in order since each book builds on what came before it) But I'd have to say that although I enjoyed the book, this one is my least favorite. I would agree with one of the prior reviewers - it's a 3.5 - 3 seems a little harsh, and it's definitely not a 4.
I really had to completely suspend disbelief at several points. Maisie is absolutely shoehorned into this set of circumstances. Her decisions are not particularly true to the character (she's smarter than this) - and I'm still scratching my head over some of the character's decisions. I enjoyed book #11 quite a bit (many did not) - mainly because it covered a bit of history I know little about (and made me interested enough I sought out more information)
Do read the series. Maisie is a wonderful character. This installment is a bit weak - but it appears the series might be back on the rails for #13 (if there is a #13).
One of my favorites - I've lost count of how many times I've read it. Fabulous characters. Great story.
If you're jumping in to this one - be advised until they get the cattle moving it's a bit slow - just hang in there.
I enjoyed the first bit much more the second time through the book because I was so familiar with the characters.
2017 - reread by listening to the audiobook. This is still one of my favorite reads. Westerns are not my genre of choice - but this one is a great character study of two old Texas Rangers and the people they work with and encounter on their 3000 mile cattle drive to Montana. If you only read one western - it should be this one.
Really enjoyed the first half...the world building... Second half I grew a little weary of some of the characters...Jack and Jill at that top of that list. Caveat - I listened to this one, and thought it was a good audiobook... But that format can add a layer that isn't present on the page. I probably won't go further into this series.
Like the others in the series - loved it. In fact... loved it so much I am thinking about re-reading the entire series.
This one gives the back story on Mrs Hudson - and it's a doozy. She is a fully formed character by the end of the book - and could probably head off to her own independent series. I would hope to see more of her ‘what's next' in a future book.
I really enjoyed this one. The story is told through entries in the bright young heroine's diary. Joan is smart, but young and gets herself into awkward situations as she works as a hired girl in a wealthy Jewish home in 1911 Baltimore. Joan is Catholic by birth, and is learning about her faith, and learning about the faith of the family she works for (as it infuses the day to day routines of the home). The family she works for recognizes she is bright and encourages her reading. Even though religion is a backdrop to the story, this is not a religious book. The comparisons to Ann Shirley in the other reviews are correct: This is Ann Shirley cleans house and widens her horizons.
Third in the series - and it sticks the landing nicely. The action returns to Kerenza and adds two more teens to provide their perspective to the story. Relax - your favorites from the first two books have substantial parts in this tale as well - including Hal AIDAN . I really enjoyed this one - but the first in the series is my hands down favorite. As with the first two, I listened to this one in the car - the production is really well done.
I think I might have enjoyed this more if I'd read it right after book 1. I suspect I'd have really enjoyed this one as a young teen.
I only recently discovered Discworld...how did I go this long without knowing about these books! So glad I fell into the series - they are an absolute delight! Am working my way through the Witches books - this one is number 3... although each book I've read to date can work as a stand-alone - so jump in anywhere, the weather is fine. Here's the guide to reading order: http://www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2014/04/Discworld-2.21.jpg
As for this one - loved it the most out of the three Witch books I've read to date. Found I was laughing out loud as I was reading. I've now read it and listened to it in the car - good stuff!
Very enjoyable mystery set in 1970's Laos. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.