This was as much a history lesson as a historical romance. And the romance is ...well... very hot and cold and rapey. He just rips off her gown on mulThis was as much a history lesson as a historical romance. And the romance is ...well... very hot and cold and rapey. He just rips off her gown on multiple occasions and takes her as was the custom when this was written. Still its not terrible. I learned a lot about the American Indian civil war, maybe more than I wanted and the Audible version has George. Guidall narrating so that was good....more
Interesting and thought provoking especially in the first half with the fall of London and a crumbling, blind society. (I now know where the Walking DInteresting and thought provoking especially in the first half with the fall of London and a crumbling, blind society. (I now know where the Walking Dead got its idea for Rick waking up in hospital to a very changed world) This Wyndham classic gives you pause to think on many different subjects, genetically modified crops...
I'll be honest, I struggled a bit with the middle chapters, lots of preaching, religion and politics but the beginning and ending are excellent. ...more
Liked this way better than 50 Shades even if it was just a money grab on James' partLiked this way better than 50 Shades even if it was just a money grab on James' part...more
Opening Line:“Before she became the Girl From Nowhere --the One Who Walked in, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years—she was just a Opening Line:“Before she became the Girl From Nowhere --the One Who Walked in, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years—she was just a little girl in Iowa, named Amy."
I wanted to give this 5 stars because it is pretty damn fantastic; the complex story, the imaginative and often beautiful writing, the suspense, the hopelessness but oh my god it’s long. At around 900 pages it took me over a month to read and towards the end became more of a goal to finish than anything else. I was so ready to move onto something else but didn’t want to miss a thing either.
The Passage also reads like two totally different books with the first part taking place pre-apocalypse, as the virus/cure is discovered, developed, tested on several subjects and followed through it’s epidemic. It then jumps several hundred years into the future and several generations of survivors later as we follow them in their new scary world.
There is a huge cast of characters to follow in both ‘parts’ (very Stephen Kingish that way) and I enjoyed them equally. Along those lines I would categorize this as an apocalyptic masterpiece reminiscent of Stephen Kings The Stand, or Robert McCammon's Swan Song including suggestions from 'Salem's Lot, Cormac McCarthy's The Road and a bit of The Walking Dead thrown in for good measure.
It’s definitely worth reading but you’re going to have to make a commitment.
Wow, what a brilliant book, another near 5 star read from JoJo Moyes, damn can this woman ever drop me into her stories.
I loved, loved, loved the firsWow, what a brilliant book, another near 5 star read from JoJo Moyes, damn can this woman ever drop me into her stories.
I loved, loved, loved the first part of this book which takes place in 1916 German occupied France (an apparently largely unrecorded corner of First World War history) I mean I was right there with our heroine Sophie and her family at their hotel La Coq Rouge. I could hear the German soldier’s boots marching by on the cobbled streets, I was anguished by the decisions she was forced to make, and I felt her hunger, anxiety, and the cold.
I feared for her husband fighting on the front lines and laughed with the rest of the townsfolk at the “pig baby.” And when the Kommandant started to show an interest in Sophie and the portrait her husband had painted of her I knew nothing good would come of their “arrangement” but I also didn’t expect the brutal reality of what did happen. I’m totally rambling here but this was just so good.
I was jarred back to reality when in Part 2 the book switched to 2006 London. Suddenly I’m reading texts and e-mails, riding in cabs, swearing and drinking too much wine in gay bars. It was like starting another book altogether and honestly it took me a while to get with the program, to get into Liv’s equally heartbreaking story.
I eventually did find Liv almost as interesting as Sophie as she struggles with the death of her husband and tries to hang onto the painting he bought her on their honeymoon. The painting that “TARP” is now trying to get her to return to its rightful owners as it has been earmarked as stolen by the Nazi’s. Liv was also put in an impossible situation by circumstances beyond her control and then to have the awesomely played twist of who her new boyfriend Paul is as well.
Towards the end there is a court case and the story seemed to waffle a bit and go on (and on) but I loved the outcome, especially when we get to see a glimpse of a quiet, reserved couple living in the Swiss Alps. That made me smile. Pretty excellent all in.
Moyes is a definite auto buy and I can’t wait to see what adventures await from her back list. Cheers.
Opening Line: "That inner part of a soldier that tells him when he’s being watched was going off big-time in Wes Holden’s head.”
This was actually my fOpening Line: "That inner part of a soldier that tells him when he’s being watched was going off big-time in Wes Holden’s head.”
This was actually my first book from author Sharon Sala but I can see now why she’s so popular. It was a very good read, well parts of it were; I mean the beginning is just excellent, grabbing you right away as we watch Army Special Ops soldier Wes Holden struggle with PTSD before losing his wife and son in an on-base suicide bombing and then subsequently giving up his hold on reality. If you have a thing for the tortured heroes (like I do), then it doesn’t get much more heartbreaking than this.
On the other hand right after the gripping opening chapters we jump straight into the heroines head and I suddenly felt like I was reading a different book. Her POV’s (before she meets the hero) read like a historical romance. Ally Monroe lives in an isolated mountain community and spends her days cooking and cleaning for her strict father and two brothers. Attending church on Sundays and trying to get out of marrying any of the potential suitors her Pa brings home in an attempt to marry her off before she’s completely passed her sell by date and despite her club foot. It all just seemed a little far-fetched, and I honestly wondered how these two were going to have any kind of romance.
Speaking of which… just when I’m getting on board with these two fitting together in a slow-going courtshipy kind of way it was like Sala suddenly ran out of page time and thought I better get these two into bed and wrap this up. There was zero chemistry pre getting-it-on and therefore all the ONE love scene did was make me uncomfortable because it was so out of the blue. Poor naïve virgin Ally, her first night in a hotel and she has to spout lines like “are we going to make love now?” Yeah I was surprised too honey, especially with Wes still missing his wife, barely able to function in the world and without any condoms. Anyways, it was pretty horrible.
On the other, (other) hand, the mad scientist, bad guy in this was excellent. Well actually he wasn’t all that interesting but the bioterrorism he engages in scared the shit out of me. Creating a “super weed” that is so toxic and addictive that it makes anything that touches it go mad (animals, insects, stray deer, the men paid to harvest it) trying to get more, more, more before they die an agonizing death. This plot line was clever and interesting and realistically scary.
So yeah, I would definitely give Sharon Sala another shot. MISSING was well written with engaging secondary characters, plenty of suspense, some twists and surprises and a great broken hero.
Oh, one other thing; I agree with another reviewer who questioned the title. Nobody is “missing” in this book unless you count the heroes mind but that’s just misleading, anyways Cheers. 368jb4...more
Opening Line: “I am dead, but it’s not so bad. I’ve learned to live with it.”
I absolutely loved the first half of Warm Bodies. Meeting "R" was just a Opening Line: “I am dead, but it’s not so bad. I’ve learned to live with it.”
I absolutely loved the first half of Warm Bodies. Meeting "R" was just a joy, I mean he's hilarious in an unassuming and very undead sort of way and I can't say that I've ever read anything quite like him or this before. Dubbed a "Zombie romance" my initial thought was come-on how the hell is that going to work? I mean ewww but it does, in an innocent and sweet sort of way.
We meet "R" in an airport hangar, riding the escalator up and down (when the power is on) and doing pretty much nothing the rest of the time. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but lately he has been feeling a bit different from his fellow dead, having thoughts and dreams and speaking with more than 6 syllables.
One day R and the rest of his groaning, stumbling hoard go out for lunch in the city and its there that he meets Julie. Julie is different and for reasons he can't understand, he decides not to eat her but to save her and take her back to his place. (he does however eat her boyfriend and his delicious brain begins to change everything)
So Julie and R get to know each other and the plot takes on a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe as the "Boneys" (evil leader zombies) don't like this arrangement. Julie and R decide to go back to her place (a survivor city in one of the sports domes) but that's not exactly a great idea either. Julie’s dad wants to kill him and the makeup he's forced to wear keeps coming off, plus he still can't walk or talk very well but he is changing, slowly coming back as something new.
It was about here that the story lost me a bit. It just seemed to lose its sense of humour and get a little out there for my tastes, as the two worlds collided and a new future was born. I enjoyed the vision of the world inside the dome but R’s connection with Perry and all his dreams lost me. The Boney's didn't make much sense either and it just kinda went into fantasy land, not that a zombie romance isn’t there to begin with. Can’t wait to see the movie. Cheers
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