William
A rather short, fun story about Sherlock Holmes' wayward younger sister, Enola. When the Mother of Enola, Sherlock and Mycroft vanishes, the two adult brothers return to their countryside childhood home to discover that Enola is running wild amongst the roses with and has read a scandalously large amount, including the (horror of horrors) the essays of [a:Mary Wollstonecraft 1853305 Mary Wollstonecraft https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1228515449p2/1853305.jpg]. Suffice to say that the free thinking Enola is not about to be packed off to some boarding school but instead embarks on some adventures of her own.I've found that I'm sensitive to depictions of Sherlock Holmes. Many pastiches are unreadable to me because “That's just not Sherlock”. Mr Holmes is not the central character here, but except for the odd twinge, he seemed pretty acceptable to my Holmes-radar. Enola was very believable as a sister and was a very engaging character in her own right.I'll look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Another short but fun adventure following Sherlock Holmes' little known younger sister. This story was more tense and had a much tighter plot than book 1. The mystery was satisfyingly mysterious, Enola developed well as a character and Sherlock (a secondary character) was very well depicted I felt.
An enjoyable little read.
A brilliant book, wonderful character development, fascinating and original setting, excellently written action scenes that mean all the more for having characters you care about swept up in the events.
This is the second time that I've read this book and I'm not sure how to write a review that does this justice. I love it.
I really hope that Book 3 gets written when the author has finished her current (excellent) projects.
Utterly mind blowing.
Deep, thought provoking responses to spiritual questions, at first in an eloquent, poetic style, then in a very clear prose style, finally in short poetic paragraphs that leave you pondering your place in the universe.
A deeply rewarding read.
This is the second book following the young witch Nadia as she tries to save the small town of Captive's Sound (and indirectly the world) from an infernal fate.
I found this installment much more gripping than the first book, I have to admit to literally sitting on the edge on my seat and gasping at one or two tense moments.
I've given this book 3 stars - if you hover over the stars you see that that means “I liked it”. I did. This book doesn't have anything shockingly original and I think the ending, while OK, was definitely not satisfying - even bearing in mind that this is book 2 out of 3.
Claudia Grey has written much better and I encourage readers to try out her Constellation and Firebird series.
Still, the series is still worth a read and I fully intend to read book 3.
A fascinating account of a unique individual by the person who knew him best - his wife.
Shoghi Effendi is described here in detail, his staggering determination his achievements, adventures (such as travelling the length of Africa during World War II) and his very human side such as his care for others, his love of nature and his frustrations when faced with his own human frailties.
To be frank, the scope and detail of this book, and the significance of the events it describes, is so great that no mere review of mine could do it justice.
I am so grateful that this book exists.
Karen Armstrong is an amazing writer. This is a heavily referenced history book, yet is written in such a way that you are just swept along in the story, like reading an epic novel. This is not a religious polemic, it should be approached as a work of historical study, with an open and enquiring mind - it often examines different angles of interpretation and I can imagine this might upset some people. Aside from the excellent writing style the book's greatest strength is putting events in their cultural, economic and historical context. The interaction of the Byzantine and Persian empires, the Jewish colonies in Arabia, the invention of a new saddle for camels and the trade routes from India are all central to understanding this story. Too often historical narratives are told in isolation - the real world doesn't work in sealed boxes, this book tries to tell a critical moment in history and manages to bring that world to life.
Overview of Series that starts with [b:Kristy's Great Idea|233722|Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)|Ann M. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389241314l/233722.SX50.jpg|2302767]: Short novels/Chapter Books for 10-13 year olds that follow a group of friends who babysit for neighbours. The books guide the readers through social issues and challenges faced by those in this age group through stories told with humour and warmth. Strongly recommended for children of this age, also entertaining for adults.
I read some Baby-Sitters books many moons ago, but I recently became aware of how many books are in the series. Looking at the publication dates I believe I read through the 10 Baby-Sitters books in the library (pretty much all the books published at the time) and thought that that was that.
Now, decades later, I have continued the Stonybrook Saga...but as an adult I have to ask, are they any good?
Yes, yes they are.
OK they are aimed at younger people (10-13ish I imagine), but they are so well written that the characters came alive and I really wanted to find out what happened next. I am deeply impressed at how the author manages to guide the reader through some complex social issues (economic disparity, sheltered/spoilt upbringings, remarriage, issues of moving to a new area and the aging and death of a pet) while avoiding any sign of this being gasp educational - it's just what happens to Kristy.
A very good book.
Fergus is a Finder - his job is to find stolen items and return them to their rightful owners. This time he's out to reacquire (rescue?) a starship that has been stolen (or kidnapped? - the ship has an AI) by a local strongman in a space settlement. Fergus is very talented in improvising plans - which is good because right from the start, nothing seems to go his way.
A rollercoaster ride told with a good sense of humour and with really likable characters. It was really hard to put this book down. I'm definitely going to be watching this author!
Overview of Series that starts with [b:Kristy's Great Idea|38424|Kristy's Great Idea|Raina Telgemeier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349053518l/38424.SY75.jpg|2008634]: Short novels/Chapter Books for 10-13 year olds that follow a group of friends who babysit for neighbours. The books guide the readers through social issues and challenges faced by those in this age group through stories told with humour and warmth. Strongly recommended for children of this age, also entertaining for adults.
This book focuses on Claudia, a girl who loves art, and the “New Girl” who puts art above all else. As with the other books in this series the author cleverly tells a great story while teaching positive values and morals to her readers.
Strongly recommended, especially to readers around Claudia's age (10-13ish).
Charlie and Tilda discover a portal back to the days of the Roman Empire and end up as slaves at a Roman Bath serving sweaty Romans! Will they be able to use their wits and puzzle solving skills to escape? With an appearance by the Emperor Severus and a possible origin of the game of rounders.
A nice shortish novel to read to children, 8 to 9 year olds seemed about right to me. Good fun and educational (though don't tell the children that ;-) )
This was a really great blending of urban fantasy* and murder mystery with just enough humour to lighten the inevitable darkness of...you know, a murder, not to mention an actual showdown with minions of Death personified.
This would be 4 stars bordering on 5, but I had to reduce it as the ending had a feature that's sort of a pet hate with me, The main character has her memories of the events of the book removed. This always leaves me with a feeling of being cheated as all of that character development is just snuffed out. It feels a bit like a bait and switch. but different things bother different people - the rest of the story was really great and I'm jumping straight into the next book in the series.
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* I've never liked the term “Urban Fantasy” as a term reffering to magic stuff happening in a modern(ish) setting. Half the stories happen in the countryside! I prefer “Paranormal Fantasy” myself, but I use the term most people understand.
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Final gripe: They put “Women's Fiction” in the title. Why try and put off half the population of the planet? If you are male and like mysteries, urban fantasy and a dose of humour - why should you be discouraged from reading this book because of your gender? I understand this is a marketing thing and more females than males may well enjoy this kind of thing, but I'm very much against gendering stuff as a male who played with dolls as a child, loves cooking, can sew and isn't really into sport - how does what I've got in my underwear have anything to do with enjoying a book about magic and murder? Don't judge.
A deeply special book to me. This is a text central to the Baha'i Faith which believes in the elimination of prejudice, a balance of science and religion and the harmony of all religion.
A moving and thought provoking read.
I really enjoyed this little mystery. Nancy Warren's books have been nice mysteries with humour and magic as a little extra spice on the side. In this one however the magic was much more at the forefront and was handled with just the right balance of creepiness and humour that I could enjoy the nerves while being totally relaxed that it was all going to turn out alright.
The literary equivalent of watching the rain outside while enjoying a nice warm tea by the fire.
Adult review: An excellent adventure story - boats, islands, castles, caves, wrecks, long lost gold, treasure maps, hidden passages, picnics and a dog. What more can you ask?
Unsolicited review from a 9 year old: “That is not a good book, it is a GREAT BOOK!...Ssssssooooooo goooood!“
After 1st Reading: A really great novella from an excellent author. This is a prequel to one of my favorite series and reading about Jarra, Issette and Keon felt like meeting up with old friends. I'm heading straight on to the next prequel [b:Earth and Air 40510471 Earth and Air (Earth Girl #0.6) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528719842l/40510471.SY75.jpg 62856375].After 3rd Reading: I returned to this one after being in Lockdown for over a month. I felt the need for a metaphorical old friend as the literal ones are all “social distancing”. [a:Janet Edwards 572591 Janet Edwards https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is pretty much the most reliable author I know. If you pick up one of her books you are guaranteed to be swept up in a fascinating story, holding your breath as the characters face the odds, and when you close the book you'll have that rosy warm glow of a book with a satisfying ending. Once more I'm heading straight on to the next prequel [b:Earth and Air 40510471 Earth and Air (Earth Girl #0.6) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528719842l/40510471.SY75.jpg 62856375].
I needed something light and fun, but engaging. A secret witch navigating a TV baking show competition while investigating her parentage and getting mixed up in a murder mystery while trying to pick really good gooseberries...well that really hit the spot :-)
Overview: So good! Longer Overview: Directly continuing the story of [b:Hera 2781 28259047 Hera 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #0.5) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450710941l/28259047.SY75.jpg 48298865] this is an excellent work of character and world building, clearly laying the foundations for the climactic third story [b:Sol 2781 57183948 Sol 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #3) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614072335l/57183948.SY75.jpg 88055472].Detailed thoughts (avoiding spoilers): I'm a big fan of Science Fiction (SF), really getting into it by diving in at the deep end with [b:Second Foundation 13457053 Second Foundation (Foundation, #3) Isaac Asimov https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355355187l/13457053.SY75.jpg 64823] by Isaac Asimov and [b:Rendezvous with Rama 112537 Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1) Arthur C. Clarke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405456427l/112537.SY75.jpg 1882772] by Arthur C. Clarke. These so-called “Golden Age”, “Hard SF” books aren't exactly famous for character development or action sequences - they go in for big ideas that blow your mind or amazing scenes that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up due to the sense of wonder that they bring.I later stumbled onto [a:Anne McCaffrey 26 Anne McCaffrey https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1599324585p2/26.jpg]'s SF stories. These were totally different. Ms McCaffrey still made you think, but she wrote about characters that you really cared for, that became almost real in your mind. When a book finished I really missed them. She wrote about complex societies that by the end of a book felt like somewhere you could actually visit. Clarke and Asimov were brilliant thinkers, but I feel that McCaffrey was far and away the better storyteller. [b:Hera 28259047 Hera 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #0.5) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450710941l/28259047.SY75.jpg 48298865] and [b:Hestia 58435981 Hestia 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #1) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624976040l/58435981.SY75.jpg 91705539] (they really are one story) really combine the best of “Hard SF” with McCaffrey's genius for storytelling. Hestia has moments in it which felt almost pure Asimov gold, early in the story there is a long conversation over a game of chess, it's basically just two people talking - no action, no explosions, and yet it had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath as I discovered point after point about the world and a complex puzzle was slowly built. The pacing was perfect and I really think that this is the best example of this sort of scene since Asimov.This book also gave me a huge dose of the “sense of wonder” as well, there are some moments when Drago looks out on the solar sails that really gave me that magical feel, almost like when the astronauts enter Rama for the first time. It was just wow. These scenes had no explosions, but the book has plenty of action too. In her recent releases Ms Edwards has flexed her action writing muscles, practically giving me a heart attack in her last book, [b:Earth Prime 55119019 Earth Prime (The Earth Girl Aftermath Stories #1) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598362606l/55119019.SY75.jpg 85923167]. The action and adventure scenes in this book are spaced out... I tried to think of how to explain the pacing and I came up with “it's like a fireworks show”. Good fireworks shows go “crackle, crackle, spark, BOOM, whoosh, crackle...pause....BOOM BOOM BOOM...pause...BOOM” the quiet moments make the loud more exciting, and the glorious explosions make the quiet moments more magical. That's how I felt about the structure of the book. I can confirm that the action scenes were well written due to the actual genuine sweat-hand-prints on my ereader cover. (OK, it may be gross, but it's physical evidence).What really makes the action scenes work is Ms Edwards' greatest skill - creating characters you care about. I mean if a character is a cardboard cut-out I'm not fussed if they are in danger - but this is Drago, I know him! He's a good guy! I don't want him hurt! Not again, that poor doctor has enough on her plate without having to patch him up again. It's the characters, their backgrounds, their fears passions and growth that drive this book, and all of Ms Edwards stories. Combine this with a world that is just utterly fascinating and getting more complex and interesting with every page turn and you can see why I was annoyed about things like having to sleep for getting in the way of reading. I didn't want to finish this book because I knew what was going to happen. I keep feeling like I have to check in with my friends Drago and Jaxon to see how they are doing. I've got to be honest and say that I can't place my finger on how she does it, but when Ms Edwards writes a character they really come alive. In this way, and in her worldbuilding, I find Ms Edwards reminds me of Anne McCaffrey more than any other writer. Then again, Ms Edwards is my favorite writer publishing books today.I'm waiting with excitement for the next Drago book: [b:Sol 2781: A Drago Novel 57183948 Sol 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #3) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614072335l/57183948.SY75.jpg 88055472], I want to spend more time exploring this universe (I need to invest in a cloak...) and I can't wait to see what trouble Drago gets himself into (and out of) this time!Thank you Janet Edwards!
Another excellent adventure with Julian, Dick and Anne, George and Timmy the dog!
Snow, plots, codes, hidden compartments, long lost maps, espionage, a Secret Way...and poor Timmy out in the cold!
What a gripping tale!
Another fun mystery in the countryside with witches, ghosts and baking.
This book felt gentler than most, the inevitable death was well into the book so there was plenty of time for plot and setting to deepen before the actual investigation kicked off.
I read these books for fun - not for great mental workouts, however I've read quite a few mystery books and it's gotten to the slightly annoying point where I can often guess the culprit, not by solving the crime, which is satisfying, but by looking at how the story is written (“He's the least likely person who we're not overly invested in...so it's probably him”), which is not satisfying at all.
This book bucked the trend and I was absolutely shocked by the big reveal - yet looking back, all the clues were there!
And the story was jolly good fun too (and made me fancy a scone).
That's the sign of really good writing.
Another wonderful, light hearted, baking/detective story with a little wich & ghost spice to liven things up.
This author has really grown in skill. The characters and storytelling get better and better with each book and she manages to make the baking scenes almost as riveting as the murder investigation. As someone who finds the attraction of competitive baking to be borderline incomprehensible - the fact that I was on the edge of my seat during these scenes is a real testament to Nancy Warren's writing skills!
Another awesome adventure involving boats, islands , caves, thefts, smuggling, wrecks, secret signals at night, dungeons, kidnapping, rescues, mud flinging invisible cows, and plenty of ginger beer.
What more could you ask for really?
SO GOOD! I'm sorry, if I'm going to write an honest review I'm going to have to gush a bit.A lot of books these days are very formulaic: Start with something to grab your attention, then enter a standard three part story focused on a single issue ending with a climactic scene and possibly an epilogue. this is not that book. Yes, there's stuff happening - there's a problem that gets solved in a really satisfying way, but that's not what makes this great, it's not really the point of the book.I'll try and explain - book reminded me of a really great mystery like [b:The Hound of the Baskervilles 8921 The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5) Arthur Conan Doyle https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355929358l/8921.SX50.jpg 3311984] in which you are slowly piecing together facts dropped here and there. The fun is looking at the information you have and trying to fill in the blanks. But instead of a murder (or glowing dog) when you are reading this book you are discovering an amazing universe with an epic history.This book slowly reveals events that literally made my hairs stand on end - they would make such brilliant series in themselves.Drawing us through these revelations is Drago, a very likable and well meaning character who you can't help rooting for. Exactly the sort of character that I miss the moment I finish the book.If you like discovering new worlds - read this book. If you like reading about characters you care about - read this book. If you like puzzles to get your brain working - read this book. If you like utterly brilliantly written action scenes - read this book. Actually, if you've got an ounce of imagination - read this book.... but start at the beginning, read [b:Hera 2781 28259047 Hera 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis #0.5) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450710941l/28259047.SY75.jpg 48298865], it's short and really good.I've said it before, of all the authors writing today, [a:Janet Edwards 5415711 Janet Edwards https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1657263898p2/5415711.jpg] is my favourite. [End of Gush]And now the wait for the next book begins. With this author, it's always worth it.
A really fun adventure with plenty of humour, a really fascinating setting and characters you just want to find out more about. While the plot is resolved by the end of the book, the ending sets up what would be an excellent series. I SO hope Ms Carriger returns to tell us the continuing story and lets us discover more of this mind-blowing world!