My thoughts on Beguiled
345491
My first thought to share - AMAZING!

Is it possible to enjoy a 2nd more than the 1st? Yep, yep it is! This one like Gate Deadlock was hard to put down. I really enjoyed reading. So much suspense, keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This is written in a way it made me feel like I was right there with Emma. I love it when books are like that. I love how Emma grows throughout this series into such a strong woman, who stands up for herself and those she loves. I loved how she refused to give up on Christopher.  I started to get a little worried near the end, but as I finished the book, I was left feeling satisfied with the ending. I really liked the parts of the book, that seemed like a narration, when it was telling what was happening with Christopher showing what was happening when he was away from Emma, and what he was thinking, feeling, doing. I would have loved if it told more about Christopher and Fredrick's history. That could make a whole good book  on it's own, I think.  Thank you, for an amazing book to read.
1777414
So I went into this really excited. There is a ton of hype behind this book. And when I first started reading I could easily see why everyone loved it. I flew through half of the book in no time at all. But a little after half way I just felt a shift. I started reading a little slower and felt like things were being dragged out and like I was waiting for things to really start happening. Now don't get me wrong I still enjoyed this and plan on checking out the sequel. And it definitely has a creepiness to it that after reading you are watching your surrounds and questioning everything around you. I just wish it was a little shorter. I feel like chunks of the story could've been taken out and I wouldn't have missed them.
1738696
The first time i heard "animal i have become" i was blown away. waiting for june 13th was like being a little kid waiting for christmas. This is how i rate each song...

1:its all over- great song, awesome chorus and amazing guitar solo. 10/10

2:pain- good song, catchy chorus. 9/10

3:animal i have become- great song, i can really relate, one of my favs on album. 10/10

4:never too late- wow very sad, great song, i can easily relate to it, favorite on album. 11/10

5:on my own- good song, nice chorus. 8/10

6:riot- great song, didn't really like chorus could have been better, still great song, one of favs. 9/10

7:get out alive:good song, weak chorus, still like it. 8/10

8:let it die:alright song, reminds me of story of the year. 8/10

9:over and over:great song but didn't really like chorus. 9/10

10:time of dying:awesome song, reminded me of story of the year again, on of favs. 9/10

11:gone forever:love this song because its very relatable for me, good chorus. 9/10

12:one-x:great song but don't like the chorus that much. 8/10

I may have made this album sound really bad in my song reviews because i was focusing on the negative mainly. if i listed all the positive the review would be 5000 words long. this is a great album with some extremely good songs, worth picking it up. this cd will be in my stereo for a long time.
3184494
I listened to the audiobook for the narrator is one of my all time favorites. It was beautifully done and I loved the story. It was dark at points and lots of mature issues to deal with. Jessica deals with an ailment that isn't common, having nightmares about judgments by angels. For years she has suffered from this and can't live a normal life. When some new people enter her life, it all goes for a whirlwind ride and things must change if she's to keep herself and her family safe.

I absolutely loved the concept of this story and I am looking forward to reading or listening to book 2. I'm not sure what direction it'll go, but there seems to be some unfinished situations in this one and I can't wait to see how they turn out.
4324448
I had trouble connecting with the voice of in some parts of this story which is disappointing because it has all the elements I adore; magic, mystery, Gods, loyalty, death, and so much more plus the author is so incredibly nice.
There plenty of times where I felt the flow of the writing and fell into the story but there were many moments where the flow stopped. The problem was mostly from the writing style, it would switch from showing us what's happening to telling us what's happening and those moments really impacted my desire to continue reading. It has all the potential in the world but feels like it was written and edited in a very short time
Despite the problems I couldn't bring myself to stop reading and after spending a few days reflecting on the overall story I believe I'll continue to the next in the series, with hope that I end up loving it or at least find out what happens.
4288629
After finishing this book I'm stuck thinking to myself "Did I read the same book as everyone else? I think I did it wrong."  Everyone I'm friends with on Goodreads LOVED it and I was struggling not to DNF it. The only reason I plowed through it was because I didn't have anything else to read. I had so many books that I was waiting on but none had arrived yet.
  I wanted to love this so bad. If you know me, you know that my favorite fairy tale of all time is Beauty and the Beast. To me it portrays the story of true love, seeing past any imperfections they may have while they're still perfect for you. And don't get me wrong, it DID have all the elements of the story I love, like the roses, the magic, the unconditional love, the Beauty, the Beast, and even the books were thrown in there, but that's about it.
  I also loved the world building. I could see all the domes and the way the new world looks in my head as I read. And the way the Monstrous were described helped me come up with the way they looked in my head. Even the desolate plains of the Desert (no mater how brief their stint there) stood out in my head. But unfortunately those were the only things I really came to care about.
  One thing I didn't like was the writing style. I found myself confused by all the time jumps. In the book it goes from them talking and then it'll say randomly that its been months. I'm not sure if its because I have a Nook Book and the pages weren't broken right, but the time jumps were weird and they threw me off. I also felt like there was nothing going on. So many times I wanted to put down the book because I was bored. The plot was literally like this /\________/\_________ Every time something happened it fell off again and I wanted to put it down. And of course that plot twist, I guessed it from the very beginning. Lastly, the beginning was an info dump. Had it been spread out through the story I might have enjoyed it more. I had to take more notes in the beginning than I did the entire story.
  Then there is the romance. I felt kind of weird about the way they hated each other one day and then fell in love the next and then he was still not be truthful with her. For it to be Beauty and the Beast it didn't feel like real love to me. Only on Isra's part. Gem was flaky and didn't end up really trusting her. And Bo was every bit a lunatic as his father. It was a lot going on with the characters for the plot to be so boring.
  I'm not sure what about this novel hooked all the other readers, but unfortunately I was not one of them. I intended to love this one, but I just couldn't get into it. And for that, I truly am sad. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer (and the year) and it did nothing for me. Hopefully everyone else will love it more than I did.
4977614
It was good, it has similar storyline as others in this. I would have like more of a descriptive view ofJames, I am not seeing him clearly in my head. I would like the feel more connected to the characters somehow. I will definitely read the second book when it comes out.
It was a freebie which was great, especially since I like it.
For all those focused on the editing, I think it was done well, maybe just a few misses here or there, it is not something I focus on, I like to focus on the story, my brain will adjust. I realty love the angstey books like this
1115198
I'm just listening to the album for the first time today and my first impression is that it's not my favorite of their albums. While it's not bad, I'm not instantly in love as I have been with their previous work. Songs that have really stood out as my favorites for this album are Velvet Covered Brick, Atonement, Losing It All & Hearing Voices. I did not like the harder sounds of We Are Destroyer and Dissenter.
However, I love Anberlin and hope this album will grow on me; still sad that it's their last!!
446414
Just wanted to add my two cents in on JSG's review:

I loved your post and your passion for one of my favorite bands.  But I don't think you're interpreting some of their lyrics correctly.  Specifically, while highlighting some of your favorite lines, you wrote:

Block: "even Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss" - how sad and true

I don't think that's how Kilbey meant it.  He has always been a bit of an eccentric (in a Robyn Hitchcock vein), his lyrics full of word play, dark romance, mystical exploration, occasional menace and deep irony.  And it's irony (perhaps tinged with sarcasm) being used at the end of Block, with it's thank you list of items he'd rather not have (its a form of word play he used similarly in his non sequitur "welcome" list on MAGICIAN AMONG THE SPIRIT).  So I don't believe he was sadly or reverently recounting the bible in that line; in fact, when you highlighted that line in your review you really pulled those words out of their greater context (including the pithy "Why" that begins that sentence).  You have to read (and hear) that line in context with the full list of things he's NOT really thankful for, which concludes this way:

Thank you to the Lord who created all this
There's a whole lot of hurt before you get to the bliss
Why, even Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
But that was long before he got in show biz

Just because they're called The Church, does not mean they're a pro-Christian band like U2 (who wear their religion quite respectfully, which is why no one minds their viewpoint).  No, The Church have always been open to darker interpretations of the meaing of existence, and I don't think they believe the Christian "lord" is any more superior to other ancient gods of myth and legend.

Didn't mean to get too deep, here.  Just wanted to clear that up for anyone interested in this magnificent album.  It's definitely their best work since Priest = Aura and the songs and guitar work are fabulous.  Don't miss it!
2417622
RHCP is appealing to younger audiences like myself (I'm 20) and I fell in love with this band when Californication came out.  Their previous albums didn't appeal to me (the alternative bad boy image).  The lyrics are beautiful as well as Anthony's voice though I think he left the bad boy in Californication.  Anyway a friend of mine told me the album was lame (but he's a hardcore AFI fan)after hearing it through once I was like wow it goes up and down. My picks: "Can't Stop" "Don't Forget Me" "Venice Queen" and "Minor Thing."
997696
I bought Jonny Diazs first label release when it came out a couple years ago, and I enjoyed it despite some weaknesses. So when I found out that his self-titled follow up was due, I pre-ordered it. As soon as it came, I popped it into the CD player. And I was underwhelmed. Knowing that sometimes thats just because I wasn't in the mood, I put it away to pull out again. Ive been doing that on and off again for two months now, and its still only okay.

This is another in a line of discs where I like the songs on their own, but as a disc they don't work for me. There are several great songs here. But despite attempts to spice things up with strings or horns upon occasion, there is a sameness to the songs. They are all pretty much mid-tempo guitar heavy songs. There is little to separate one song from another, and I find myself tuning out after one or two songs.

Which is a shame because the messages of the song are still quite good. Delights in You starts things off reminding us that God loves us and No matter where youve been/No matter what youve done. After a cello in the intro, this one becomes guitar dependent, but is an easy melody to learn, so I find myself singing along without even thinking about it.

A similar theme is picked up in God is Watching, which talks about how God is always there even when the people we should be able to depend on like a spouse or parents abandon us.

By the time weve hit Cross the Line, Ive definitely begun to tune out. Its a call to repentance, but it sounds like the track weve just heard. Heck, the melody is hardly any different from the previous track.

There is a slightly different, upbeat rhythm to shake things up on Beauty of the Cross. I could easily see this song becoming a church standard for worship in the years to come. The upbeat works well and the lyrics about what the cross means for us.

Another song I really do like here is How Can It Be, which marvels that the God who holds the stars in His hand knows the number of hairs on my head. That truth is something I love to marvel over, so any song on that theme usually grabs me the first time through, and that was the case here the first time I really hard the lyrics.

While I really do like the last two songs Ive talked about, they still sound similar enough to everything else that it is easy for them to get lost in the shuffle. At the same time, I cant point to any particular song and say I hate it. Its just that they all sound so similar to me that I get bored with the disc.

Like his first release, this song has a bonus, humorous, track. This time around, its The Chick-fil-A Song, an ode to the fast food restaurant. Its funny and always makes me crack a smile.

As I said in the title, I want to like this disc more than I do because the individual songs are good. But as a whole, Jonny Diaz disappoints. Hopefully, hell find a way to spice things up on future releases.
1016811
Ok, I really loved Me Before You so much that it is one of my favorites books in the world. It can be even the n. 1. That's why I decided to write this review (I almost never write reviews).
MBY changed a lot of opinions I had in life and I ended up creating a lot of expectations on the sequel. I was really eager to read AY and, although beautiful and full of life go on lessons, the book isn't awesome and the reading was even boring.
Some parts of the book, the lovely Louse is boring, and I would love to kill her instead of Will for the poor decisions she made. Even mourning his accident he was much better than her. The action starts almost at the end of the book.
I love read and sometimes a saw myself jumping pages to get to the end, despite the book wasn't long, but it's reading dragged...
I have to say that the gathering at the end was beautiful and touching, remembering the perfect sensibility of MBY. (from that part came my second star to the review)
In the end, for the sake of MBY, I thought it was better not read AY at all, although read is always great for me.
If you want a great story, really amazing, challenging and perfect, read only MBY. What happens in AY is not so important and will not add to the prequel.
1745074
If you get a chance, please listen to the entire song on youtube or whatever and then buy it. There are many beautiful transitions, guitar work and so forth. It's long, but appropriate. Very good for running etc. I think it's their best song, actually. Has a sad, melancholy but kick butt vibe.
3229256
Having heard wonderful things about it, I was excited to jump into the world of Everless! Sara Hollands debut novel introduces readers to a world where time is  quite literally  money, and those who don't have it are at risk of losing everything, including their lives. The set-up is familiar: Jules, a teenage girl from a small village, tries to unravel a mystery  about the beautiful, dangerous city of Everless, as well as herself. But she has more power than she knows, and the game she thought she was playing might just turn out to be something else entirely

I really liked the world of Sempera. The details were rich, vivid, and memorable, and I think I had an easier time picturing the different settings than I did the characters. The story is very compelling. I found myself listening to this audiobook whenever I could, because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next! This was due, in part, to the mystery surrounding Jules and what really happened at Everless before she and her father fled. I can honestly say that the conclusion of this book surprised me. I wasn't expecting that twist, but I think it works very well to establish what the rest of the series will focus on. Overall, this was definitely an engaging read, and the primary thing that hooked me was the world itself and how Holland described it.

I didn't feel too attached to any of the characters. While I cared about Jules and wanted her to find the truth about herself and whats really going on at Everless, I found myself feeling frustrated whenever she made a foolish choice. I know shes only seventeen, and mistakes are bound to be made. But I just couldn't understand why she made some of the decisions she did, knowing what she knew at the time. (Id say more, but that would likely spoil a few big plot points.) I didn't find myself rooting for her to end up with Roan, because I really didn't know much about him. He seemed like a good enough guy, and it felt like he was being set up to end his engagement to Ina and choose Jules instead but I just didn't care about him. Or even Liam! Do I hate him? Do I like him? Maybe Im not even sure. (And Jules might be feeling the same way.) It felt like an attempt at a love triangle, but not quite? Im glad it wasnt, at least not in the traditional sense. But I just felt a general detachment from the characters and their relationships with one another.

Overall, this book is a well-written fantasy with impressive world-building and a great deal of potential. Im looking forward to seeing what happens to Jules in the next book! Hopefully Ill enjoy it a little more, now that Im familiar with the world and the characters. Everless does an excellent job of setting things in motion, and Id say its absolutely worth the read.
3616944
4.25 crowns. So, basically, just a really high four crowns.

I think this edition was far more engrossing and entertaining than the first one - even though the beloved Cresswell was missing from the majority of the novel. I found myself so captivated by this, and the storyline was just so interesting. The only issue that I continue to have with it is the art. I don't think it's horrible, but I just think it didn't quite fit these characters as well as it could have. It just wasn't as pleasing. Other than that, it was just TLC goodness that involved so much fun and intrigue to the TLC canon.

I absolutely was in love with the storyline! Okay, there were a few boring parts, but I mostly enthralled. I feel like it was the perfect bridge for how Winter ended and to bridge the gap to the story in Stars Above. I felt like it was the perfect ending to this particular storyline, and I loved how it brought all of the characters together in a perfect finale. So sad that it is ending, but I loved the little adventure this brought.

I thought the characters were much more true to themselves in this story instead of the other edition. Thorne felt like himself, and LET US PAUSE FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WAS REALLY INTO JACIN AND KINNEY???? I had always had lowkey dislike for them, but I found myself really enjoying and relating to them. Jacin killed me with some of his side comments, and by the end of the novel, I was rooting for Kinney. Iko was brilliant as always along with everyone else, and I loved how Winter brought back her quirkiness which I thought was missing more in the first novel. I loved how we got to focus more on Wolflet, and all of the scenes with the entire gang was just so much perfection because their dynamic is jsut so brilliant. CAN I JUST STOP SAYING BRILLIANT? BUT IT SO TRUE.

As I said, my only real gripe was that I didn't think the art was just everything I wanted it to be. I will admit that I legit thought Cress was Jacin in one scene - which is not a good thing. As I said, it's not terrible, but I just wanted more. There were still some great scenes, though, and I didn't get as upset with this one as I did with the first one.

Overall, this was a perfect edition and finale for this small series. I thought it was such an intriguing addition to the entire series, and our characters were at their best in this. There was so much fun to be had, and I found myself enjoying this one far more than the prior edition. As I said, the only issue I had with the novel was the art, but it's honestly to each their own when it comes to artwork in graphic novels. If you're a TLC fan in anyway, you definitely need to pick this up. 4 crowns and an Ariel rating!
584358
Spoilers for those who have not read the first book.

I read Hush Hush and I didn't see what the big deal was. The angel mythology was different, the story was decent and creepy (okay, I liked the creepiness) but the relationship between Patch and Nora was so twisted, I didn't have words. For most of the book I'm like hello he is trying to kill you (therefore not to be trusted at all).

Any who, I wasn't in a big rush to read the second book and I sure in hell didn't want to pay full price for it, so I waited. Then I got into ebooks, which are a lot easier to just pick up and read here or there while I'm commuting or wait around. So I download Cresendo from my local library and I am glad I continued the story.

Cresendo picks up not to long after Hush Hush. It's summer and Nora is taking a summer class, hanging out with her best friend Vee and Patch and her are actually in a good. However after the first few chapters everything goes to complete s***. Once again Becca goes dark and creepy and I love it.

Nora and Patch are fighting, someone is out to kill her again, she's broke (no job, no money), she gets these weird creepy feelings, a guy she knew from childhood has come back into town and something is not right with him, and did I mention Nora thinks she sees her father, you know the one who was murdered not so long ago.

At this time we have background into the angelic world (because of the first book) so now we get to have a story line that has more action and mystery while we're trying to figure what the hell is happening and who is currently messing with Nora.

What I like:
There is a lot more action and mystery in this one, the story drew me in more and we get to know a little more about the angelic world. We got to see more of Nora and Vee, hanging out and being best friends. Also, did I mention the creepy factor, it is very creepy, love it.

What I don't like:
The interactions with Nora and Patch are so weird and Nora kind acts like a crazy girlfriend for a little while and I hate that. Also I really wish the relationship between Nora and Vee was shown even more and I wish the relationship was a little different. Vee at times was annoying and I'm like "what kind of friend is that" and I don't remember if she was like that in Hush Hush or not.

Overall 3.75 stars
Cresendo had a lot, there was dead dad sightings, spy-work, fighting, unexpected secrets, twists and turns, a death, a betrayal and an ending that leaves me saying "This cannot be good". I will be reading the next book in the series, Silence.
936706
I didn't love this one as much as Up To This Pointe and I really thought I would because it's about a girl that lives in a graveyard with her parents and sister. I mean it sounded so good, but I just can't put my finger on why this wasn't a 5 start book like the other one.

Maybe this is one I should re-read a little later to make sure it wasn't just my mood. I just feel like it is a book I would love and maybe I missed something, I really don't know. But, there are a lot of little things I did love about the book and I will let others find those little gems themselves.

I hope someone loves this book more than I did because that is all that matters, falling in love with a book.