I enjoyed this story that takes an original look at war and the immense power that presidents or world leaders have: how they can kill millions of peoI enjoyed this story that takes an original look at war and the immense power that presidents or world leaders have: how they can kill millions of people far away just by pressing a button (or ordering someone to press the button). They never get their hands dirty or suffer any real consequences. So thats what the core of this story is about..
We meet a young girl named Nyma who enjoys writing poetry as a hobby and she was chosen to be a companion of sorts to a president. Inside her chest is the codes he needs to launch a weapon of mass destruction...but to get it she must die. And he has to do it himself.
I think Nyma is quite brave to live with this constant threat hanging over her head...not knowing if she may die soon..she shows a range of emotions as the story goes on..I think the story does ask some good questions..
Merged review:
I enjoyed this story that takes an original look at war and the immense power that presidents or world leaders have: how they can kill millions of people far away just by pressing a button (or ordering someone to press the button). They never get their hands dirty or suffer any real consequences. So thats what the core of this story is about..
We meet a young girl named Nyma who enjoys writing poetry as a hobby and she was chosen to be a companion of sorts to a president. Inside her chest is the codes he needs to launch a weapon of mass destruction...but to get it she must die. And he has to do it himself.
I think Nyma is quite brave to live with this constant threat hanging over her head...not knowing if she may die soon..she shows a range of emotions as the story goes on..I think the story does ask some good questions.....more
So I have mixed feelings about this one. I definitely enjoyed reading it and the characters were people I could understand & relate to, but I truly haSo I have mixed feelings about this one. I definitely enjoyed reading it and the characters were people I could understand & relate to, but I truly hated the ending of the book. I guess I feel the ending was preconceived or it was just written that way as that is what the author needed / wanted to happen. But if anyone with half a brain (especially if you can relate to Jessica as a character) you just KNOW its not going to work. Not really. I mean it will sort of "work" but she will be miserable and unhappy and probably end up with lots of regrets. I know these authors like to try and write these "enemy into lovers" things but there is just too much wrong with the scenario in this book. That town is NOT good for her.. And she needs to get out of there.
This story is about two damaged people from the same town (who went to school together) who later meet up as adults. And they get into this relationship by chance. Accident. He is physically scarred from a car accident. He has a bad leg and he has scars on his face now from wrapping his car around a tree. But he is filthy rich but he wants to hide due to his current appearance. His name is Christopher but everyone calls him Topher.
She is Jessica. She designs houses and buildings. And Topher wants someone to build him a new house on this island. So he hires her. But since Jessica has moved back to town she has issues. She has mental trauma going on. From her own family. They never believe what she says (even though she tells them the truth) and they constantly pick on her. Even her pink dress is "all wrong". And she is tired of being treated this way and all of the gossip.
The various situations in here were very fascinating to read. I definitely could relate to their problems, especially to Jessica. Which is why I cannot abide that ending. It was like it was just "tacked on" at the end? Without the proper steps to actually get there? Plus its not good for her mental health to actually live there. Those people are not going to change. And you cannot avoid those townspeople if you live in the town. The book made it VERY clear how they treat her. What they think of her. It is abuse. No man - especially one who only reminds her of her father - is worth the abuse from living there.
I did like the bits in here about young Jackie and the pirate ghost he talks to.
I did enjoy reading this but I don't think the end is correct. ...more
With often lyrical sentences and great descriptions, it took me two days to read this book which is mostly about the Blue Door Band. You may ask if thWith often lyrical sentences and great descriptions, it took me two days to read this book which is mostly about the Blue Door Band. You may ask if that is some music group but no, its the name of a particular group of bighorn sheep that live in Utah. The book carries you not only through the wild spaces where the author has traveled to see these sheep but also through an entire year. And its not only sheep information in here but little fun tidbits on a wide variety of things; from tumbleweeds to the fact that cattails predate the dinosaurs! Who would have known??
So I do enjoy reading books that allow me to spend time out in the wilds without actually going there. This book does that. In here I got to visit canyons in Utah and New Mexico, visit California briefly and even stopped by a Hopi village (not to mention a very restricted military base that has those carved wall art).
I felt I learned a lot about these bighorn sheep from this book too as before I knew practically nothing. They seem to be very fussy where they live and that our modern livestock can be a great threat to them due to the diseases they carry. They also have a memory of the areas they know and are wary of new areas. Big cats and roads can be a threat.
The book is somewhat dense. Its not exactly a page turner. I did feel sometimes the description of things made it a longer read. But at the same time the author puts you right there with her as she watches the various sheep as they do sheep things: rut, eat, play, jump, climb, run, hide, fight, rub against rocks, etc. There are ewes and lambs and rams.
For some unknown reason I liked that chocolate / charcoal ram.
I found some of the desert things in here just fascinating. Things I have never seen or in some cases never even heard of before. Like tumbleweeds. She mentions those in one chapter and I had to go google what they truly are - Russian thistle - although I have seen them in movies. And then there is the boojums that she loves. I never heard of a boojum! But there is a drawing of them on page 100. What a unique plant! I had to google that too to see photos of real ones. But there are rivers and cliffs and sitting in the sun with a book, binoculars by your side in hopes of seeing a "living rock with legs"... Because these sheep have a gift for disappearing into the background so you cannot see them...
There are also a detailed history in here, including other naturalists who had studied various animals especially sheep..
But as humans spread out to claim more land there is less land for wild animals. The book is in part about that, on trying to save these small groups and to keep them safe. And as the title suggests its also about imagination. What did the ancient people see when they made those carvings on the rock? Why did they draw so many bighorn sheep? The answer is kind of surprising.
The book doesn't really focus on any one particular sheep individual but a few are mentioned more than once.
There is a scene in here I didn't like. You may not like it either. Its near the end of the book and I feel it made the author uneasy as well.
But if you want a clear picture of how these bighorn sheep live than this is the perfect book! ...more
This is the second book about Theo Cray that I have read and its another excellent story. Some stories areAnother Cleverly Plotted Serial Killer Story
This is the second book about Theo Cray that I have read and its another excellent story. Some stories are just fun but this was is so clever. It started out with what truly seemed to be an impossible case and yet somehow Theo is smart enough to actually find clues. And then he starts closing in on a suspect too... It's truly amazing! How does he do that?? And he is not scared to break rules or even the law if that is what he has to do..many of his ideas are very unorthodox as well which certainly adds more excitement to the plot.
So I read this whole book in one day. Yes it was that good! Some books make me feel sleepy but not this one. Its far too interesting. What will Theo do next? What will he find? And he certainly finds some gory stuff in here!
This particular story is about a serial killer called the Toy Man. And he is a very prolific one unfortunately. His preferred prey is young boys from disadvantaged neighborhoods. I guess he hopes they are less likely to be reported missing. But Theo is now on the case in Los Angeles California.
I like Theo in these cases as he is very smart and he isn't scared to break a few rules to catch the killer. Since he isn't law enforcement he doesn't have the power they do but then he knows stuff they certainly don't. These tales are very unpredictable which certainly makes them more fun to read. They are great for the smart reader. In here Theo uses many of his own items in the hunt, things like computer programs, various strange sprays, cameras and all sorts of stuff. Since he is a scientist he has no real idea how to trail someone properly and at times he is caught doing the most bizarre things (which is kind of funny as then how in the world do you explain that)?
These books have strange covers but the stories are so fascinating! You definitely need to try these. ...more
So this was a fun read. I truly enjoyed stepping into the tea shop and seeing what Shay was up to this time. And all too soA Delightful Murder Mystery
So this was a fun read. I truly enjoyed stepping into the tea shop and seeing what Shay was up to this time. And all too soon there was a murder, a woman dropping dead at a tea reading right before her startled eyes! The real puzzle was how did it happen? And why not to mention who? I didn't try to guess who the killer was but I just enjoyed the story.
All the stuff with crystals and magic and faeries mentioned certainly makes this a very fascinating series. And I am a tad confused as to why there isn't another book? Because there are plot elements that carry over from the first book about a larger plot involving Shay's history and I sure would like to see that carried further...
The stuff in here about the various plants from that famous old rhyme was absolutely shocking!! So "eye of newt" is actually a plant's nickname and not the eye from a lizard?? And "toe of frog" and "wool of bat" are plants too??? Here I had thought they were taking hair off of actual bats! I guess the rest of the ingredients in that song are plants too... I never would have dreamed that.
Plus how the murder had actually been carried out - in front of a large group of people - was absolutely perfect and oh so clever!!
But one reason I like this series is because I feel that I can relate to Shay. This magical stuff certainly seems rather confusing. I mean how do you know which rock is for what? And how do you use these stones \ rocks?? I know they say they have different qualities but it all seems rather confusing.
Will Shay ever get together with Liam?
The book definitely ended with a surprising twist of events so it makes me wonder what will happen next.....more
So I had picked this book up a few weeks ago and decided to read it today. My reading experience was not too good with this one. For one when I first So I had picked this book up a few weeks ago and decided to read it today. My reading experience was not too good with this one. For one when I first started it I had gotten so tired I had actually fallen asleep! So yes, I had found this book incredible dull and boring. Although I am trying to read nonfiction but this one just isn't for me.
Another thing is although the book covers a huge variety of "famous people" I had no idea who ANY of these people were. They range from CIA spies to people who decide to run bars or restaurants in Thailand, to authors from Hollywood (screen writers, etc), etc. One was famous for getting caught with videos of young children in porn. Each little chapter told a story of the person's life. The thing all of these people had in common in at some point in their life these people had come to Thailand, to Bangkok.
And even after reading this I really feel that I don't know much about Thailand or Bangkok, which is odd. I did learn its very hard to arrest foreigners for child porn there. And that bar workers learn much faster in Vietnam than they do in Thailand - but the author doesn't really explain why. He does say that the Thai are mire "group" orientated and stick together.
There were a few stories in here that I did enjoy but they were rare. The one about the priest who had to report bad ammonia smells coming out of a nearby building, the man who woke up to find a cow in his yard and people he knew sent it to a village where it could live out its life in peace instead of going to a slaughterhouse, the man - Richard Lair - and the story of Motola the elephant who had badly damaged her foot. There was also a man who was giving boat tours.
The book also mentions in one little segment that the person had to return to the US every three months to get a new visa for living abroad. But do they ALL have to do that?? The author is not clear on that at all.. For someone who has never traveled these things are not clear at all.
I should add that these biographies are not entirely set in Thailand. Many segments take place in other countries. And then for whatever reason the person ended up for awhile in Bangkok where they met the author who wrote this.
But this was very dull and it had actually put me to sleep! None of these people in my opinion have done anything all that exciting or anything. I mean I am not interested in spies or people who run restaurants / bars, etc. I had thought the book would give me an idea of what Bangkok is like but it doesn't even explain the climate / weather! How can you write a book about a place and not mention that? Nor does the author tell about his own time living there. He basically just says he met X person in the bar. He mentions slums in the chapter with the priest. He mentions that there a different types of police and they do drug tests on all the people in the girl-free bar, looking for drugs in blood. They apparently cannot understand why people go to a bar without girls ( working girls) .. But there is so much he left out about the city. There is no sense of place.
Also is everyone who leaves the US to live elsewhere considered an "ex- patriot"??? He doesn't say. Which is very odd since that is what this book is supposed to be about.
But this book mentions "working girls" in bars countless times and how some end up marrying foreigners and others die of AIDS. ...more
Wow! What an exciting book and a very fast paced conclusion to the Totality trilogy. This was way better than I had ever imagined too! All the things Wow! What an exciting book and a very fast paced conclusion to the Totality trilogy. This was way better than I had ever imagined too! All the things you could possibly want was in here, including an actual showdown between two of the popular characters (which I had never expected but while I was reading it I was giggling with excitement).
So when I had started this book I had been feeling rather sleepy. But after a few pages I was totally wide awake! The action started almost immediately and from there on I was hooked! And the pages just flew by. This is without doubt the most fun and exciting book I have read this year. I had never dreamed that anything could top the daredevil excitement in the first book but this certainly does!!
So the situation in here is dire indeed and the stakes are super high... Can Kirk once again save everyone? Except this time its the whole galaxy he has to save from those evil aliens. The Totality. And they have some nasty tricks up their sleeves too. I was very shocked at what the Totality could actually do. Its very creative. And darn right insidious too. I don't want to give away too much but they pretty much make Starfleet useless! And once again Kirk is racing to the rescue! Of course Captain Picard is there to help (and hopefully he will survive Kirk's crazy schemes). As we all know Kirk is not one for following the rules - but that is why he is so much fun!
The Totality is worse than even the Borg. I kid you not. And yes that surprises me. There is some grand science fiction in here, some big ideas about aliens and alien life. Very, very creative. And it's genius how it can connect back to the original TV show too. A lot of careful thought and planning went into this story and the result is absolutely spectacular!
Kirk's character is just perfect. Both the daredevil and also a caring father. I admit a few scenes has me laughing a bit. It was just so exciting and I never dreamed I would see that in Star Trek! Totally fun!!
But at the same time the story is about love. Does love conquer all? You will have to read it to find out.
Of course in this one we find out what had happened to Spock (not that I ever doubted). Plus there are all the things you love from the classic TV show in here action wise. Fights, running, spaceship battles and the most crazy outrageous stuff! Not much Spock-McCoy chatter but lots of Kirk - Picard chatter. And we finally get to find out which captain will prevail over the other (maybe)... Haha.
Really loved this! And I like the cover too. ...more
While this may be the first book by Christopher Dunn that I have read I am already quite familiar with many of the things discussed in here because I While this may be the first book by Christopher Dunn that I have read I am already quite familiar with many of the things discussed in here because I often watch Ben van Kerkwyk's channel UnchartedX on youtube. Still I did find new interesting things in here and some of them definitely made me think. The book can not actually tell you what the Great Pyramid had powered (which I am sure everyone wants to know who reads this) as no one knows but it certainly explains the ideas rather well. Because this book is about ideas, about looking at things in a new modern way instead of the very old 18th century way of "Its a tomb".
The book not only covers the Great Pyramid in detail but also the famous Serapeum (which Ben has shown countless of times. In fact you can go on a virtual tour of the Great Pyramid on his channel which I highly recommend!!) and all of those huge boxes. And this book is the first time I have run across an idea of what those huge granite boxes may have been used for.
So I will admit the book is not perfect. There are sections that were too dry and technical for me. But other chapters set my brain on fire and I was very eager to read them. I say the exciting outweighed the dull.. And that is good. I mean this book IS about acoustics and I really know nothing about that. Still this is very readable for the average person. But a bit of it was over my head.
What I liked the best in here were both the ideas (and insights) and the personal stories. Some of the stories were really fascinating! Like the man who had taken a wine bottle to the top of the pyramid and had seen sparks! Of course that was long ago, when people had been allowed to climb it.
I have to admit I do have questions after reading this. Like how did they collect the energy? What was it used for? And even more important in my opinion is does it actually prevent earthquakes!! And if it can prevent earthquakes than why in the world don't more countries build them??? Think of the lives that could be saved.
Of course we don't have the technology to build it. And the current one certainly can't be fixed, not after that robot - camera drilled a hole in that "door" to see what was behind it. Did they (the people who made that TV special) actually think treasure would be hidden over there? I mean that tunnel is so small you are lucky your arm can fit in there! But if all you see is a tomb and you are brainwashed than that is all you can see. They see "handles" instead of copper electrodes (cathode). But how many people - especially archaeologists - know the workings of a battery?
I loved the bits where he told about the affects that different people had felt while inside the pyramid. So fascinating! And those fans running must certainly change the sound in there.
I believe that the stuff in Egypt do show signs of "modern" tools. There is no way they could have built that stuff with handheld copper hand tools. Or made the statue faces perfectly symmetrical. It would be impossible. But who were they? How did they discover the earth energy to build the pyramid? How different was their society?
But this book is about vibrations and electrons and how they can be released from rock. Igneous rock. And you collect them and then somehow the pyramid would turn it into energy. Being just a regular person I am not too clear on how all of this works (I mean do you collect it at the top as the man with the wine bottle??) Or what those chemicals in the two tunnels from the Queen's Chamber is all about. Where did they get those chemicals from?
Basically what he presents here is an idea and then others need to add to it.
But I do know I certainly wouldn't want anyone adding "ugly wires + ugly power poles" to the Great Pyramid!! I once remember reading this one fiction book and at the beginning of the book the author had the nerve to destroy the Great Pyramid and boy I got angry!!
But I liked the new ideas in here. Like how he points out the stuff about the Italian tiles. That is very true! People can take their secrets with them. And then things are lost, sometimes forever. If there were some huge disaster today - a world wide disaster - think of the common everyday things most people have no idea how to make. And I don't mean fancy stuff like a smartphone. But basic stuff: ink pens, paper, fabric, etc. Very few know how to make that stuff from scratch. So the people who built the pyramids was hit with a disaster (maybe the Younger Dryas although Dunn does not mention it in his book) and the survivors did not have the skills required to carry on the technology - which probably looked very different from ours.
The recycling bit was also very insightful!
I also enjoyed watching that TV special he mentions in the book. I watched it last night and yes, it is on youtube!
Lots of charts, photos, drawings and all sorts of stuff in here. Some of it, especially the stuff at the back of the book, is definitely way beyond me.
And for some reason, ever since I saw the Great Pyramid in a text book in elementary school, I was totally hypnotized by it! I could barely read but that photo of it had my attention! The stuff from Greece or Rome doesn't do that. So I don't know what it is about the pyramids at Giza that draw me so much? They must have that affect on others as well.
But probably the best thing about the author's books is that more people are starting to look into this and they realize that they are not tombs. And if the estimate in here is correct, a pyramid could create tons of energy from the earth. Clean energy. ...more
I cannot believe how quickly I read this book! I was literally hooked throughout the entire story - just couldn't put it down at all. And when I pickeI cannot believe how quickly I read this book! I was literally hooked throughout the entire story - just couldn't put it down at all. And when I picked this up it was already kind of late so I certainly never expected to finish this book the same day I had started it. Yet I did! The pages kept flying by.
And the amazing twist in here!! Wow! It totally caught me off guard! Like how was that possible?? The one thing I did know and I had guessed from the very beginning - someone is watching Faith and stalking her - the identity of that person was very easy to guess. But that other twist?? Never would have even dreamed of that at all!!
So I never dreamed this book would be so powerful or so very captivating. And its kind of weird that it was so captivating because a lot of it is kind of sad and gloomy? Its about how Faith is treated horrid by others but also by her own family. Yet somehow it is written in such a way that the story is just so gripping! I am unsure how the author did that. But she did.
But a lot of this book is about superstition and how people can fear things. You know witches and soothsayers and oracles. And death. People rather not know when death is coming. But what if you just saw it and you had no control over seeing it? An unwanted gift? And then others fear you and treat you horrid all because of this unique curse / talent you have? Well that is the problem that poor Faith has.
And can I add that her family is like awful? These characters are all so well written but many of them, well, you want to hate them.. They are so cruel. Their brains are ruled by stories of witches and curses.
Parts of the book flutter between the past when Faith was 10 years old and the present day.
Since there are two different books in here I will review each separately, but I did like the first one better - the Summer on Moonlight Bay. I had a Since there are two different books in here I will review each separately, but I did like the first one better - the Summer on Moonlight Bay. I had a lot of issues with the second book - Then There Was You - as it was putting me to sleep... But both of these are stories of women going to small towns and finding love. Both of these are dramas and not much action or excitement happen in here.
Summer On Moonlight Bay By Hope Ramsay ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So between the two books I definitely preferred this one. The story features a woman named Lia who has retired from the US Navy and she drives all the way across the country hoping she can get a job with her former Chaplain who is now running an actual church (versus being a chaplain in the navy). On the way there she find an injured puppy on the road. So she takes ot to the brand new veterinary clinic only to find out they don't actually have a vet yet to see animals! Luckily the woman's grandson (who answer's the door) is a hotshot vet-surgeon from the big city. But Lia is homeless and its just before the Fourth of July.... His name is Noah. And its not his plan to stay there in that little town as he is only visiting.
So I liked Lia. Its why I read this story so quickly yesterday. She has this intuition about people and she just knows when people need her help, as that is what she was doing in the Navy: keeping an eye out for personnel who had trauma or PTSD or other issues. And she would get them help. Plus she knows how to defend others with weapons too. So she is very empathetic. And of course as soon as she starts meeting the townsfolk her radar goes off and she spots a few that need her help.
Plus some part of her really wants to have that dog. So this is also an animal story too.. But her bad past makes her think she would be a bad parent to a dog. She just doesn't trust herself. Nor does Noah trust himself. The two are similar in that regards.
The plot has some extra zing too about a few bad characters. And danger. So all of these things kept me hooked and reading.
In fact I liked this book well enough that I have ordered the next two in this series.
Oh and can I say that cover is just beautiful?? This story takes place on a little island in South Carolina.
Then There Was You By Miranda Liasson ⭐⭐
So I had hoped this one would be just as good as the first story but this one fell flat. There was virtually no mystery or excitement of any kind in here at all. Zip. Nada. The story actually had me nodding off and falling asleep!
But that is not my only problem with this book. The biggest flaw for me (besides the dull plot) is the very nature of the so called "love relationship" in here. Sara the medical doctor os supposed to end up with the police chief. The problem is they both grew up in this little town in Ohio and he used to bully her / tease her in a bad way. And I just do not see anyone getting over that sort of thing. I mean the story makes it very clear that just seeing him brings up all of these negative memories. She is having flashbacks. And then she is supposed to somehow learn to trust him? I know that sometimes this "enemy to lovers" is a thing in the romance category but I just don't see myself believing this one at all. Her trauma serms to go too deep. Do people change? Rarely I think.
I had other issues with this too. For one the characters in here had such large families with all of these brothers and sisters that I could not relate to it at all. It was all outside of my experience. And that affected it too. A lot. So if you are an only child from a very small family you may have problems with all of these family members and how they interact. It was just overwhelming to me.
These three things just combined in such a way that I could not enjoy this story at all. I pretty much gave up on it near the end and I didn't care what had happened to Sara and Colton the police chief.
What a book! The ending ended up being vastly different than what I was expecting and it certainly has left me a tad surprised? Its like one of those What a book! The ending ended up being vastly different than what I was expecting and it certainly has left me a tad surprised? Its like one of those movies with a big twist on the end! And then I am sitting here wondering what I just read. But this sure was a page turner all right. Tons of action, dangerous scenes, fights and of course lots of tricky puzzles! The book also deals a lot with history too which is a nice touch. The puzzles themselves were a bit way beyond me but that is OK - they are explained on the pages as you read.. Some of it was actually very fascinating!
So this is the story of a man whose life suddenly changes after he has an accident. He becomes this rare type of genius where he can instantly see patterns. And he uses this skill to become a master puzzle maker. Along the way he gets involved with this woman who is locked up in a prison and she has actually created a puzzle he cannot solve. But he is determined to help her and to solve the unique circular puzzle.
So this story ended up being much better than I had thought. It had way more action and dangerous scenes. Plus there is definitely some creepy stuff in here! Parts of the plot slide into the horror category. In fact it certainly brought a very popular horror movie series to mind (but if I tell you which it will give a lot of it away). Most of the horror stuff happens off scene but it sure is there as if the aftermath.
This is a very complex story. Its well planned and thought out. Nothing simple here at all.. Its definitely worth a read. Plus parts of the plot reach back into history and even theology (I believe that is the word) so expect some big thoughts & ideas in here.
There are some nasty very powerful bad guys in here and practically throughout the whole story they are chasing after the main character, Mike Brink. And while Mike is a genius at puzzles, these bad guys seem to hold all the power and weapons. I just didn't see how he could win at all. And I think that is sort of rare in a book. Most of the times you just know that the hero will win. But in here its very uncertain. In fact even as I was getting super close to the end I had no idea how this would end at all...!
To be honest I am unsure how I feel about the end. I am definitely surprised. Not by the scene on the very end but what had happened before that. There is just this one big monumental scene that seemed to come out of nowhere and it was shocking!
But if you want a unique page turner than maybe try this one. It has some mind altering themes in here and the history stuff was fun. ...more
I decided to read another nonfiction book today and chose this one. It sounds fascinating, doesn't it? Stuff floating, levitating... Even big huge traI decided to read another nonfiction book today and chose this one. It sounds fascinating, doesn't it? Stuff floating, levitating... Even big huge trains. Makes you wonder how it does it. Or it makes me wonder... While I did enjoy the beginning of this book the later parts of the book were very literally putting me to sleep... There just wasn't enough to hold my attention. Mainly the book seems to repeat the same stuff over and over - because that is how these magnets float. Too dry and technical for the average reader who doesn't work in a science field. I understood the stuff but it was just very dull.
But let's go back to the beginning. The author starts out by mentioning many popular series / shows where people fly: Peter Pan, Harry Potter, Star Wars where the Jedi can lift objects with the Force, Mary Poppins... Then he names people from history and covers many floating items like hot air balloons. He appears to use this as a "hook" to get you to read the book - but later he doesn't really speculate on how the witches or wizards at Hogwarts may be messing around with the Earth's eletromagneticsphere in order to fly.
Oh and there was fascinating stories about magicians too! Now that was very interesting, how they used to do those tricks...i mean real ones. Like Copperfield and Houdini. He explains the tricks they used to "float". Because before you can actually do a thing you need the idea to do a thing.
I actually enjoyed the beginning of the book where he was talking about magnets. Although he doesn't exactly explain how the magnets you see in the store are made (my grandfather had lots of magnets too including a big "U" shaped one) he does describe how to make one using coiled wire and electricity. But I don't think the big U or O shaped magnets are coiled wires. So how are those made?? I don't see why he left this part out?? He does say some are "permanent" magnets. Does that mean others are UN-permanent ones ? Temporary??
Mainly I liked the beginning of the book because it made me remember something I had not thought about for a long time: playing as a little kid with my grandfather's magnets. It made me remember trying to shove the two wrong ends together and feeling them repeal each other. And he had some big ones too. I don't mean the dinky things you stick on a refrigerator. I mean ones as big as your hand. Solid heavy ones.
Then he talks about the idea of one magnet repelling another to create levitation. But its not as easy as it sounds. Apparently you cannot just put one directly above the other as the force will shove it sideways. But over the decades determined people had created these levitating "toys" which of course the author had bought.. His description of trying to use these - to get the item to actually float - sounds like more trouble than its worth.. At this point I still found the book interesting.
But then it seemed to start repeating itself. Same story but different toys. Some little changes were made. And that is where it got boring and the book started to put me to sleep... After this some of it gets more technical too and the human interest just fell away...
But to be honest, I would never buy these floating toys. As I would think its all a "hoax". But apparently stuff does actually float with the help of magnets.
He also mentions those trains too. Floating trains that can go crazy fast.. China and Japan. And Germany. I googled it and apparently the US doesn't have one of these floating trains yet. There are photos of them in the book but to be honest you cannot really tell from the photo if the train is floating. The distance between the two magnets is very small...
The author did a good job of explaining stuff but there is just not enough to keep my interest high throughout the entire book. Its the subject matter. The latter half was just too dry and dull for the average person. He also mentions these school experiments that "everyone has done" - but no my school has never done any of those experiments. So he is presuming stuff. Different schools in different areas may teach vastly different things??
Hmmm... I just realized one floating thing from a very popular movie he did NOT mention: the hoverboard from Back to the Future. Wonder why? So would that be magnets too? But how would you get it to just float anywhere, above sidewalks and all? Hmm... The movie did say it wouldn't work over water and the book says that the magnets are limited by distance. I guess one good thing is the book can make you think + ponder these things. That is presuming you have a curious mind.
Hmmm... Just noticed another thing about this book. It has an index in the back but none of the movie related stuff is actually in the index? He certainly mentions Harry Potter with flying brooms and even quotes the Wingardium Leviosa! but none of it is in the index. That is just sloppy in my opinion... Especially since he was quoting the movie scene. ...more
So this was a fun read. I was very surprised by not only a huge twist but by the fact this book also made me laugDangers Underground & Lots of Action!
So this was a fun read. I was very surprised by not only a huge twist but by the fact this book also made me laugh a few times. The laughter I most definitely did not expect at all. Now I cannot say if others will laugh at this or not but sometimes really stupid stuff seems very funny to me and there is a character in here who is very stupid (but he thinks himself to be very important). But this is actually a very serious story. Not only does the fate of the whole world rest on the shoulders of a few people but the fate of New York as well.
So the story pretty much continues from Relic. You definitely need to read that first or else you won't understand this. But if you read that no doubt you remember the creature in the museum that was stealing heads and killing people. Well it's the same thing again except its not in the museum. Its the subway and bodies are found in the river. Lots of deaths in here. The massacres continue. The location changes.
There are some decent scary scenes in here underground. Tunnels. Miles and miles of tunnels. You definitely get the sense of the place. Endless darkness, dripping water, old abandoned stuff all rusty just waiting to be found again. And its a horrible maze. And something is after you. And the surface is so far away. You may never see the sun again. Its so very vivid. The descriptions truly brings the environment to life. I actually had some doubts if all of the main characters would survive the events underground, especially near the end. It certainly seems hopeless with so many different things against them.
Plus a clock is ticking down too. Because there is a deadline. Because the story is just not only about a creature. Its more complicated than that. There is a race to save the world.
Of course everything that can go wrong in here goes wrong. I kind of expected that. And I was not disappointed. All of these errors leads to tons of excitement. And danger. The characters are forced to go into the worst spots imagined. And as the story races to its climax there was a huge shock! Ok, I did notice something earlier in the book that I had thought was odd and out of character for one of the characters but I really didn't think too much about it. But then the revelation at the end! The shock!!! So a huge twist! I would say out of the 140+ books I have read since January 1st this is probably the most shocking twist.
I believe the story continues in the third book which I definitely look forward to reading.
So I never read a book like this before, where the main character actually has a bunch of different people (ages, sex, personality) living inside her So I never read a book like this before, where the main character actually has a bunch of different people (ages, sex, personality) living inside her head. At first I found this kind of distracting as it was so new to me. I have heard of "multiple personality disorder" before and I am unsure if that is the same thing as the Dissociative identity disorder that the main character (Ken) has? I would think they are very similar if not the same thing? Anyway Ken has all of these people living in hers head and they can talk to each other and take turns controlling the one body they share.
Now this disorder definitely creates many unusual plot problems. You have one of the personalities doing something that the others may know nothing about. Imagine waking up in a strange place and you have no idea how you got there. Or why. That is what poor Ken faces often in here. That is how she found herself having this new job as a caretaker of this castle on an isolated island as one of the other ones had applied without her knowledge. Its a very difficult way to live.
So the first half of the book was pretty much me getting used to the unique situation and with Ken going to the island, trying to decide what to do. And poor Ken definitely has fears and anxiety too.. There were hints of creepy stuff to come.
The story really took off a tad later. And i just knew bad stuff was going to happen. Once a certain term was used, I just knew exactly what it was going to be too. And I was correct! It actually reminds me of a old short story that I read in the high school literature book... A very popular creepy, dark story. I certainly have never forgotten that story and this is a new twist on that old tale.
Then there is lots of action and scary stuff going on. It's definitely a well written story...
Like I said it was easy to guess but then maybe if you never read that old story you may not be able to guess it??? I did enjoy it. ...more
The Perfect Book for Intellectuals: Ciphers and a Complex Story
So sometimes I find the most amazing books by searching for a book to fit a challenge IThe Perfect Book for Intellectuals: Ciphers and a Complex Story
So sometimes I find the most amazing books by searching for a book to fit a challenge I am doing on Goodreads. This is such a book... And something about the description was appealing to me; the stuff about the ciphers and codes. Then once I started reading it got even better! The main character, Alice Butler, is an introvert like me. So I could relate to her even though she lives in the UK. Plus how the book is written, the first person writing style, just pulled me right in. I was hooked! And no matter what the book was talking about I was never bored at all - even when it was going on about all of this prime number stuff (I am bad at math) or about very complex codes that I really didn't understand. And that alone is very amazing!! because normally I should get bored or frustrated. But I didn't! Alice had my full attention.
And this book is way more than just about a woman (who is 29 years old) going down on a special retreat for the toy company she works for. Its about ideas. Idea generating and lateral thinking. And its also about lies and propaganda; about how ads convince you that yes you really need that new thing when in reality you don't need that thing at all. And mixed into these themes is a historical story about a man who went off to sea; a treasure. And a treasure map! Plus its about Alice when she was a girl and a teenager too. We learn so much about her.
And I basically loved all parts of this book - except for one thing. And that is why I am rating this 4 stars and not 5 stars. I got really annoyed at the constant vegan - vegetarian stuff in here. I mean it was practically shoved down my throat. Now I have friends who are vegetarian. It doesn't bother me. But when a book is saying that one should go out and commit crimes (knock over egg displays at store to break the eggs, etc) then it is going way too far. And it was near the end of the book where these "friends" of hers was telling her how to do these things. They also thought it was ok to tear open toy packages in the store so the store could not sell the products. That just really bothered me. And I was think about that last night when I was trying to fall asleep. Its just very disturbing. Do these "friends" want Alice to go to jail? That whole part of the book soured for me and it made me feel that she had not learned anything.
Otherwise I would have rated this 5 stars.
But this is a very deep book. And I absolutely loved reading all of the adventures Alice had when she was a teenager and even later when she was in college. The historical parts with Francis Stevenson were excellent too!
In many ways this book is about peer pressure and standing up for what you believe in. But you need courage to do that.
Many of the codes and ciphers were way above my head but that did not stop me from reading this. You don't need to understand it. But this is a very creative character driven story that is very complex and it has very detailed backgrounds too. Even way back to the 1600s.
But be aware its more drama than thriller. Its not exciting. But it did totally grip my attention. I even found myself doing lateral thinking! But what the book says in here about ads is correct. Ads often lie. They try to influence you. And if you can understand that then maybe you will enjoy this book. ...more
So this is the second book in the series and its packed full of horse action. plus I finally found out that this series Lots of Horse Drama and Action
So this is the second book in the series and its packed full of horse action. plus I finally found out that this series takes place in Australia. I was sort of thinking that when I had read the first book the other month but wasn't sure. But if you want all sorts of horse drama than this might be the right one.
This story is a very fast read. And there is never a dull moment as all sorts of stuff is always going on. There are many highs and lows... But the story in a way is realistic as with horses you just never know. One moment they are fine and performing their best but the next day they are sick. And of course there are accidents too. Because they are horses.
The story also includes Pony Club and going to gymkhanas. If you are lucky you can win ribbons. The events seem to have different names like Bounce Pony. Most of the events are briefly described so you have an idea of what they are. That was a nice touch.
There was another new thing in here called pig-rooting. I never heard of that before so I had to go Google it. Apparently its when the horse or pony kicks the back legs without actually bucking with a head toss? Another definition said the horse kicks the legs sideways? Whatever it is, it clearly is dangerous! I do wonder why her pony suddenly has such troubles?
I did have a few problems with this story. They include a scene of "arson" near the beginning. I do not approve of that due to the material used. The other thing - which is much lesser - is it was not mentioned how the trailer loading problem was fixed.
But yes, I was shocked about what they had used in the pasture in regards to that "arson". That stuff is very toxic. Why would you pour that in a horse pasture where the grass is going to get eaten? No wonder their pony later gets those issues.
Besides this is a book for kids. Do you want to tell kids how to do that??? ...more
So I had decided to read this today. It's one of the nonfiction books I had picked up yesterday. I admit I was curious as to what this book would say So I had decided to read this today. It's one of the nonfiction books I had picked up yesterday. I admit I was curious as to what this book would say and how easy it would be to understand. And for the record I am not a scientist or anything nor have I ever studied physics. And like with any review this is just my opinion. And take note I do have autism so my view is not the typical view.
I do feel this book has explained to me some ideas of quantum mechanics and how the observer fits in. I do indeed grasp it. But I had to take notes and certain sentences stood out way more than others. You CAN grasp the idea from this book BUT I do feel it can be difficult as there is too much "other stuff" in here clogging it up. That is the author likes to go on about what this guy said and then what this lady said and then what a third, fourth, fifth person said. Its like you have to hunt the book for the core ideas. And I think for many people that would be very difficult. Especially if you don't know anything about the subject. But I stuck it out and the idea came together.
So the Ontology is " being" and epistemology is "knowledge". Then there is "potentia" which can mean power or energy. You get an idea. Maybe you have a giant rock you want to carve into something or you have an idea for a book. You use the potentia to bring the object into being... That is part of it. You could call this manifesting too I believe... You think about a thing and you draw it to yourself.
The other bit is about the observer. He has tons of stuff in here about the observer. I did find some of these ideas fascinating. It certainly gave me new things to ponder. But one thing he says is about being " objective". But no one can truly be objective because we are all part of one group or another. And groups have ideas. They teach you to think a certain way since you were born. For example people raised in the Middle East think differently than those living in the USA. So how can anyone be truly objective?
Then there is mimesis. Everyone is supposed to have this. It means you are supposed to want the things others in your group want. Your neighbor has a car so you want a car. Your coworkers go on vacation so you want to go on vacation too. Even kids have it when they all want that particular toy. Well I must be weird because I never wanted the things that most people desire. I don't think the author had considered autistics when he wrote this? I guess maybe it's because I am not really in a group? But then I never cared about cars or learning to drive or any of that common stuff that "everyone" is supposed to want. Hmmm...
He also talks a bit about the "cat in the box" and the other common idea of "the tree falling and does it make a sound if no one is there to see it". Also if stuff can happen without an observer. I thought about this on my own earlier today while I sat in the park. And I came to the conclusion that yes, stuff CAN happen without an observer. Because people have electrical fires start up in the walls don't they? There is no one inside the wall to see that first spark. Yet it still happens.
Oh and the term " interdividual" means to be both an individual and to be part of the collective ( society, a group, etc)...
I also noticed the book was full of very simple basic ideas but you had to read a lot of pages to get to them. None of these ideas are new or groundbreaking. They include stuff like (i am putting them into my own words here):
1. Everyone is different 2. Different people see things differently as they have a different background, family, experiences 3. There is conflict if people do not agree 4. People tend to think like the others in their group 5. During conflict people search for a scapegoat to blame stuff on - the actual truth doesn't matter
He also mentioned something in here about a computer learning to build with blocks.. He did not state if these were virtual blocks or real ones. But in my opinion if you program a computer to do something that is not "learning". And I don't see how a computer can assemble real blocks as it has no hands. So the writing is often vague, unclear...
So the "secrets of the universe" is on page 137. There are a few good sentences there which if you put them together (and cut out the extra crud between) you end up with a few core wisdoms of quantum mechanics - in my opinion...
And don't forget the universe is a bit spooky. Down at those tiny levels all sorts of stuff is possible. Its not this or that. Its the possibility of a thing. The power is apparently with the observer. And you are the observer. ...more
It was the beautiful cover that drew me to this book but the story itself kept me reading. It certainly has suA Beautifully Written Historical Mystery
It was the beautiful cover that drew me to this book but the story itself kept me reading. It certainly has surpassed all of my expectations. The characters and the plot are so well thought out, with meticulous planning. And incredible detail too!
So this is a sort of ghost story. Charlie has the unique ability to see images from the past. Imagine seeing scenes that had happened decades ago and they play in front of you. You can hear the conversations too. But they are not really "ghosts". And seeing these spectral scenes can take a toll on you too because you have no control over what you see. And so Charlie goes to France to meet a client, one Anne Marie Devine. Poor Anne has stage fright which is truly an awful thing for an actress to have. And she believes that her problem may be related to her ancestor, Minnie Etherege Devine.. No one knows what had happened to Minnie so Charlie uses his gift to track her down and discover her fate.
Part of this is historical fiction set during World War 2 and the other half is in the present day. This is part drama and part mystery.
The story truly captivated me. Never was bored during this at all. All the details of Minnie's life brought the time and place to life. And all the places that Charlie travel to, even Paris! He certainly has to be a fast thinker at times to get into places where the ghosts go.
Wow! Kirk has never faced an enemy like this before and the bit way at the back of the book - the very last chapter that hints at what will be in bookWow! Kirk has never faced an enemy like this before and the bit way at the back of the book - the very last chapter that hints at what will be in book #3 - I don't see how Kirk could ever defeat something like that! This is way beyond what he faced in the TV series... That last chapter is such a shocker!!
But back to this book. So as you may have guessed by the bird on the cover, this story is about the Romulans. Well, to be more precise its about the slaves of the Romulans called the Remans. I don't believe we ever met them in the original TV series but they play a huge part in here. Basically bad things are brewing. And Spock wants to bring peace. But things of course go horribly wrong and he gets killed. This is not a plot secret as it's mentioned on the book flap.
The news hits Kirk and McCoy hard. With the help of Picard and LaForge, Dr. Crusher and the holographic doctor from Janeway's crew they set off to investigate Spock's murder. Picard also has another mission from Starfleet that he has to carry out: to hopefully stop a civil war that could kill countless people and destroy several quadrants. But there is no Enterprise. Instead its the Calypso. And she is no shiny starship. Will they succeed? Kirk also has his young 5-year-old son with him, Joseph.
So first I should admit I never cared for any of the classic TV episodes that featured the Romulans. For some reason I always found them boring. Was it maybe because they were more politics or something? I cannot say. So I was at first a tad worried when I started this book and realized it was a Romulan based story. Still my fears were not justified. It ended up being a very good story. There is certainly politics mentioned and stuff about a possible civil war. Luckily Kirk's mission kind of overpowers any of the possible "bad" stuff in here.
And both Kirk and Picard certainly face tough situations. There is lots of danger and even injury. They are not immune from that. And sometimes the two captains face off as well. Kirk technically is not a captain as he is a civilian now but sometimes he is still addressed as captain. And he certainly is the senior officer on this mission. Still, he is pulled between his two tasks: to keep his young son safe or to investigate Spock's murder. Due to certain elements it seems he can do one or the other.
This is one of those missions where everything goes wrong. Starfleet Command thought they knew what would happen. But they were wrong. And so once again Kirk has to figure things out on his own, flying spur of the moment. And 150 year old Bones is along for the ride. Their age does affect things but Kirk is still the dare devil that we all love and Bones still makes wisecracks. And Spock is definitely missed.
Janeway is in here too. And from the brief scenes with her, I have decided I definitely do not like her!! The things she says just is very sour.
But this is a great action story. They even do sneaking around and all sorts of exciting stuff. You know how Kirk is. He definitely goes where he's not supposed to go! There isn't exactly anything as thrilling as the dive he did at the start of Captain's Peril - but then it would be almost impossible to top that!
I did try to guess a few times what would happen in this plot as I was reading and I was wrong every time - except for my very first guess. That was an easy one. I don't think anyone will be fooled by it. But the other stuff? Cannot guess it at all.
But can love stop a war? Can it end slavery? Can it make everyone the same ?? That is what Norina believes. And yes, you need to read the first book in this trilogy about Norina before you read this one!
I look forward to read the final book in this series to see how it ends. ...more
I had really loved the first book in this series called Front Desk. But this one is a lot more glum. Mia seems too grown up for a 6th grader. And the I had really loved the first book in this series called Front Desk. But this one is a lot more glum. Mia seems too grown up for a 6th grader. And the light hearted stuff I had enjoyed in the first book is missing from this one.
In fact she and her school friends deal with very adult problems in here. Stuff like immigration and the legal system. Its actually kind of depressing. And generally that is not what I expect in a middle grade book at all. I read these middle grade books to relax and this one certainly is not for relaxing.
But Mia helps to teach her friends to stand up for themselves. Even if they have problems doing that.
But this story is about a time and a place - California - and a law. Its well written. But its a very glum story and nothing like the first one....more
Loading...
