Quick review for a quick read. I think it’s difficult for me to really cover everything that Jordan Rosenfeld incorporates in this book, but I will say that I really appreciated everything she incorporates in “A Writer’s Guide to Persistence.” Not only does she offer expansions on challenges that writers of all levels face in the process, she offers concrete explanations on how to tackle such barriers and summarily addresses them per the various steps in the writing process. There are plenty of writing exercises to be had here (many of them I decided to complete in my Writing bullet journal) as well as physical/mental/emotional exercises to help refresh the writerly mind and take it away from the pressures that may keep one from writing as productively as they may.
Quick review for a quick read. To be honest, this is the first time in a while that I’ve read a book that let me down so much to expectation that I don’t know what to really say. “The Other Widow” has an intriguing premise, and there are points when it seems to build towards something greater and more substantial. But each and every time it builds to that point, it pulls back like it wants to undo the tension established and really doesn’t provide anything but false punches. I was fine trading between the POV points of Dorrie (the other woman), Karen (the wife), and Maggie (the insurance investigator who’s former cop but suffers from PTSD). The emotions are real, the way that the presentation rolls from that is not for the most part. In the aftermath of the death of Joe, whose accident raises questions as to whodunit and why, these three ladies scramble to pick up pieces of their lives in different ways. Dorrie struggles to cope with the death of the man she loved while at the same time salvaging her own home life, keeping her secrets her own, and struggling against an unknown stalker.
Continue reading “Review: The Other Widow by Susan Crawford”
Quick review for a quick read. So. Many. Tense. Misunderstandings. Even manipulations? Either way you look at it, “The Winner’s Crime” was intriguingly done in places with the back and forth tension. As engaging as it was in places, however, it felt like the book sagged in places more than it should’ve. Yet when the emotional quality of the work hit, it hit hard and quickly. Kestrel and Arin both have to live with the decisions they made in the previous book as well as the ones they make in this story, which set them directly in opposition with each other. Sometimes I wanted to throttle the both of them. There are a lot of political manipulations, caustic (from frankly immature and blind decision making) repercussions and intentional hiding of details in the mix of the danger and betrayal that happens in this book.
Kestrel reminds me of the equivalent of Marie Antoinette’s character from “Rose of Versalles”. She really doesn’t think things through at all and is grossly immature and naive. Then again, so is Arin. I don’t really care for either of the characters personally for their recklessness (which more often than not cost human lives and broken relationships.) Yet…somehow I found myself invested in the larger story to see what happens. Rutkoski does a great job with establishing character motivations and emotion and that’s what keeps me reading this rather epic series. I’m definitely intrigued to see where this tale goes in the third book of “The Winner’s Trilogy”. But for me, the book was a winner, albeit with caveats.
Overall score: 3.5/5 stars.
I know this might be well known in health communities, but it warms my heart to read articles like this and spread the word that my and others love for (and eager partaking of) books has health benefits, and that can be seen via various research studies.
I am curious to see what future studies can reveal are for reading ebooks and audiobooks, because there are so many people who read these mediums on the go. I profess that I’m someone who regularly exercises and works to audiobooks, and when I commute on public transportations – this is a medium I use as well as physical books and ebooks.
I might try sharing more articles like this in random spurts on the blog and providing discussion spaces for people to share their thoughts. But it was definitely something that caught my attention, being a self-professed bookworm (no shame). ;)
Cheers,
Rose
Quick review for a quick, enthralling read. I thought this was just as strong as “Archetype”. If there’s something to say in writing a satisfying conclusion to a duology, I thought this book did a fine job. I couldn’t help but feel like once I put the book down, it seemed as if all the threads that were established in the first book were tied nicely by the conclusion of this tale. It throws quite a few curveballs and heart-pounding events into the mix as well.
Continue reading “Review: Prototype (Archetype #2) by M.D. Waters”
