A flip book of a novel
359773
The writing in this book moves like an animation flip book with image upon image following one after another.  It is quick, spare, and breathtaking.  It makes you vividly picture the characters and pulls you into their wild, creative journey.  Well worth the time.
2582361
Seeds of a New Birth

A techno-thriller revolving around an accident in a genetics lab and the unexpected outcome from this accident and the jump up the ladder of human evolution.

Flip MacDougal, a smooth ladies man, drops in to visit his old friend who is on the edge of a major breakthrough in a genetics lab, when there is a minor accident with a beaker. A quick trip to the men's room to clean up and then life moves on. Flip soon travels on, travelling from city to city, catching up with the various women in his life, playing his little games until he learns that the player has been being played for quite some time.

Soon after his visits, Flip's ladies start finding out that Flip has left a little parting gift with each of them and the lab quickly moves to gather all the players together.

And . . . things roll on from there.

Seeds has elements in it that you could say are taken from various stories already out there, Species 2, Stephen King's Firestarter are just a couple to come to mind, but the story here is told in a intriguing style and a freshness that belies the forms in the story. While this could have been a hackneyed pastiche of ideas from a number of stories seen before cobbled together, rehashed and churned out for the public, instead what we have is 366 paged tome that I enjoyed so much that I finished it in less that 24 hours and I am keenly waiting for the second book in this fledgling series.
2279837
This is probably a 3.7 review. I have to admit that when read the previous reviews showing how polarized were the book's readers, I felt apprehensive that I would feel empty after reading the 660 pages that the book covers.

This is certainly not a literature masterpiece but the reality is that it is a very good book. There are times when what you would call shallow and repetitious narrative make you question why you started up the book in the same place. But then you realize that the author is simply trying to bring a measure of visual effects to the story, like if the reader is watching a movie rather than reading a book. One may criticize this approach as a banal attempt to entertain but it is also true that the author also critiques in a negative way the pressure felt by nowadays writers to sell books and the, attempt to quench the easy;y digestible entertainment bits that people seem to crave in recent times.

All in all, there is simply no way to put down the book once you start it. In the book, one of the character expresses that a good book is measured by the feeling of immediate nostalgia that the reader experiences when finishes it.

Well, this book generates that feeling. It is up the the individual reader to come the same experience I had with it.

Note: the translation into Spanish is sometime atrocious so beware without stopping to enjoy.
4188506
This is a book about reading books. The author has obviously read a lot of books, and loves them. It shows.

The plot is a little bit predictable, but the characters are lovely. The protagonist, Sara, might be my least favorite; although she grows and changes, she is still a little bit passive in how she allows events to happen to her. The secondary characters, however, are a lot of fun! Grace, Caroline, Georgeeach is unique and, while quirky, a believable part of small town life.

The book reminded me somewhat of The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie and Literary Society as well as another book that I just cant put my finger on. (I, too, have read a lot of books.)

The writing is unremarkable, although honestly, at the end, I felt like there were some pages missing from the advanced reader e-book I have. The resolution just suddenly happened. Or had happened, without my really seeing it happen. I had a distinct Huh? moment.

Overall, its a fun, quick little read, perfect for those times when you don't want to feel challenged.

Possible Objectionable Material:
The town has a gay couple; bisexuality is also discussed. One f-bomb, other minor cursing. Some characters have children out of wedlock. Drinking. Sex, but not described in detail.

Who Would Like This Book:
Those who love to read, especially those who have read widely. Chick-lit fans, although it doesnt really read like, say, Shopaholic. People who like strong characters and small towns. Probably mid-teens and up. Approximate Lexile: 930

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
2859707
This book taught be the value in hanging on to a book. Usually, if I'm not completely taken in by a book in the first chapter, I throw it aside and look for something better. The book starts off at a shamble, stumbling along with prolific info-dumps and expositions supplied by characters. Despite the travel characters take part in immediately, there is a lot of telling, when there are plenty opportunities for showing.

A big frustration for me in the beginning pages was that there were lots of moments where the tension is ratcheted up but the writing makes the emotion fall flat. There are situations that should set my heart racing and make me forget my bedtime, but instead they just... happen. The opportunity to make an emotional impact is over, to very little effect. It feels unsatisfying.

That said, after the first fourth of the book is over, the awkwardness wears off. The plot has managed to bring our characters together and they begin to turn into real people interacting in real ways. This is where Jasmine Giacomo begins to shine. These characters are interesting whether they're running naked on the beach or washing socks.

Then there's the interesting ideas the author brings up. The nature of immortality, the problems with isolationist states, the myriad of ways in which men and women interact in different cultures. This is the kind of stuff I love about fantasy and it's definitely what got the pages turning for me.

Also, this is one thing that makes me grin. The map is excellent. So many maps on Kindle come out so pixelated and  distorted that they're impossible to use. If they are usable, the the author often doesn't format it so that you can get to it through the table of contents quickly, so that you can actually use it while reading. Not this time! The map in this book is crisp, easy to read, and easy to check back to through the table of contents. Ah, it warms my heart.

While this isn't a great book, Jasmine Giacomo obviously has a ton of potential and I'm going to be picking up the next book in the sequel. Additionally, I may be gifting this book to my niece. It's interesting and culture-rich and definitely appropriate for teens, with pretty minimal violence and not much gore.
2802339
As a book editor myself, I am occasionally surprised and dismayed that a major publisher (Penguin in this case) can choose a half-baked (but probably recoverable) manuscript from all that is on offer and then fail to give it a competent edit and tone up before publishing it. I knew as early as page 30 of J.B. Stanley's "A Fatal Appraisal," when a male character, Borris, starts up a car for a short ride in Richmond and two pages later a female character, Jessica, turns off the ignition of the car that I was in for a bumpy ride in terms of a well-prepared book. Having heard the book presented at a book festival, I thought it would be a good read, with an interesting topic hook and presentation approach. The topic and approach were interesting enough--the topic being antique desks with secret compartments--and the approach was interesting enough too--juxtaposing the making of the desk and its use in hiding a Revolutionary War secret with a modern story of counterfeiting and murder. But the book was clumsily plotted and written--sometimes almost cartoonish and almost always awkward--and the publisher's edit was pretty much nonexistent, both in content and style problems. The use of flashback sections to a mystery at the time the desk was made in Williamsburg during the Revolutionary War was a good idea, but the idea was just dropped after two uses early in the book and then brought back up as sort of an afterthought at the end of the book--an opportunity indifferently used and quickly scuttled to work a double mystery together across time. Lost at the same time was a dimension of joining the mysteries into one related one. I also sort of have to wonder if the "Midwest Book Review" reviewer who gave it a glowing blurb actually read the book.
2533059
When picking a romance novel, the cover is usually a good gauge to tell if there are going to be sex scenes in it.  This cover did not fit the profile. The cover is about as innocent as they come but there are sex scenes written in the book.  If that is not your preference, pass on the book.
I picked this book because it looked like it would be an easy fun read; it was. It is set in a small coastal town.  The main characters are reinventing themselves and have a history even if he does not remember.
I liked the book. It is a nice diversion from your day.  There are grammatical errors, but that seems to be the norm in books these days.  This is a good pick if you're looking for a fun read without cursing as long as you're okay with the few sex scenes .
3333935
Title: The Red Book of Primrose House by Marty Wingate
Publisher: Random House/alibi.  pp
Genre: cosy, mystery, English historical mystery,
3.5/4 Stars ****
Author:
Marty Wingate is the author of The Potting Shed mysteries: The Garden Plot, The Red Book of Primrose House, and Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Her new mystery series, Birds of a Feather: The Rhyme of the Magpie will be published June 2, 2015.
Marty writes about gardening in the PNW and travel (she also gives European garden tours). She can be heard on A Dry Rain (adryrain.net), a free podcast available on iTunes. Wingate is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society and the Garden Writers Association.
Story line: The Potting Shed Mysteries take place in England, where Pru Parke has transplanted herself to find herself and become a head gardener. In the first book, Pru (short for Prunella, a lovely garden weed in my yard) of course finds a body in her odd job but is introduced to DCI Christopher Pearse. There is a charming developing romantic relationship as both characters are in their 50s. In the second book on Primrose house, they have a long distance relationship as she has found her dream job at an 18th century Manor house in Sussex, near the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. She is to restore the 1806 garden design by Humphrey Repton, for opening day in 6 months time. Some comic moments occur with ghastly gardening ideas from the owner (emails, postits) who want to add personal contemporary ideas to complement the original plan. But then another body mars the landscape after vandals seriously delay the project. Murder and mayhem don't help deadlines either. There is a side plot involving locating her mother's family.
Pru is a curious and interesting protagonist. Her relationship with Christopher is also a plus. These books are the definition of cosy: fast easy reads, delightful secondary characters, solvable mystery and fun. There  is a nice blend of history, gardening and romance. I would have loved a garden design and plant details.
You will want spring to come soon with all the gardening. I would be tempted to wait for the third book and read them all in a row as a summer beach read. I was glad I had read them in order.
Read on:
If you like Rosemary and Thyme or Agatha Christie
Quotes:
Pru wouldn't be surprised if Davinia seized on a fairy garden or a collection of gnomes next.
Her longing for some family relation in England has led her to dream up all sorts of connections.
He shook it firmly, with a good gardener's grip...it's always easy gardener to gardener...
...and wondered if there was a point to showering at all these days, as she seemed to be in dirt more than out of it.
You can never have too many cups of tea...it's an especially fine conversation lubricant.
It was just one cup of tea and a generous slice of bakewell tart, but it was a restorative visit.
She reminded herself to check back in about fifty years to see how it was doing.

Read as an ARC from Netgalley
4938545
This book is a refreshing little dip for an author looking for some snap. About one in four are really good one way or the other. It's a neat little literary field trip and a great conversation starter. I am pleased to add  it to my library.
276386
Opened it up and what was to be the first page was the last. The book has been put in its cover upside down
82267
The Flip is an easy, enjoyable summer read. The years of animosity between Sonnet and Andrew play out to a while new conclusion when they are forced to work together on the house they both inherit. There are lots of laughs, some awkward painful memories from years gone by, and the constant awareness that time truly does change all things. So grab your sunscreen and a seat in the sand and let K.L. Montgomery provide the entertainment.
2642085
I think that, sadly, this will be a polarizing book. readers will either connect or not, it will be just that simple. I found The Bookstore to be a well written, well researched, and easy to read debut novel. The premise was good, an unexpected pregnancy and the journey of personal discovery of the heroine, Esme, and a romance. I found the human characters to be a bit too formulaic. The non-human characters; The Owl Bookstore and New York City were however, enchanting and multi-dimensional. The book is full of literary references and quotes from poets, authors and history; again that will either appeal to or repel readers. The pacing was fairly even, if a little heavy on the main characters "reflections." I was rather dismayed by the abruptness of the ending, I would have liked it to be stronger with definite resolution, but that may be my personal preference. I can see this book being quite successful as a book club selection.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
2850675
Great short story stretched out to a novel. Tons of fill , you will be flipping pages to get thru the unnecessary bios of minor players and other fill. I finished the book, but it is not a great read.
1721968
OK, so the story starts off a little awkward, but shortly after it starts to twist and turn in a spiral where No One is happy.  I thought the book itself was written well and I enjoyed the characters in this book.  The ending was surprising I like books like that.  I would recommend this book
3599132
Thought it was a regular flip book and can't return.
631556
The value of the book? About what I paid $0. It has some interesting storylines to follow, a "Romance" book in nature. Light reading with some good features. Not everything is a happy Hollywood ending. This could have made a good short story.

It does make you wonder when the daughter Marina will wake-up from her Stepford Wife type of life. Marina, recent college graduate, is about to start life as an adult. She has life all planned including marrying her only boyfriend ever, Jotham, in one year's time. Her single mother Elizabeth has saved for two years to give as a surprise graduation gift, a trip for mother and daughter to Florence. Elizabeth hopes to bond more closely before Marina's new and busy life makes it too difficult. Interestingly, the characters do become quite intriguingly contemplative at times.

Florence is a lovely backdrop but is not really important, but it is beautifully conveyed.

An annoyance is that before each of the 60+ chapters, there is a silly blurb usually between a faux advice columnist and a less than intelligent reader.
4849508
I read this book in a vacation, when I wanted a page turner to read. I enjoyed it but to be honest, I expected more. The book is a page turner till half of it. The plot is interesting, the caracthers are misterious and interesting enough to keep me reading non stop. However, after half of it, it kind of loses that something that makes a book a page turner. Part of it was because the introduction of some unprobable caracthers, the sentimentality, which was totally out of place, in my opinion, and the silly romance. Besides, the end left too many unanswered questions. Maybe that was the author's goal, not to answer questions on the book and I was just frustrated.