4 zvaigznes

Justin Somper ”Immortal War” (Vampirates book 6)

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Mana recenzija

Šajā noslēdzošajā grāmata tad nu beidzot izšķiras, vai Sidorio ar saviem spēkiem uzvarēs, vai arī tie būs pirāti ar sabiedrotajiem. Tomēr īpašs pārsteigums par to, kas beigās gūst uzvaru, nav. Vismaz nobeigums nav garlaicīgs un mierīgs, kā aptuveni vidusdaļā likās.

Patīkami pārsteidza izmaiņas Mēnesspīdekļa tēlā. Kā arī Konora un Greisas spēju attīstība. Abiem joprojām neklājas viegli, un to neatvieglo ne zināšana par pareģojumu, kurš tā īsti nepiepildās(vismaz ne burtiski, ne apkārtējo rīcība. Žēl, ka Džonijs neizmanto iespēju pievienoties noktirņiem.

Epilogā pāris faktus un situācijas attīstības gan nebūtu iepriekš iedomājies.

Vērtējums: 4/5

Justin Somper ”Blood Captain” (Vampirates book 3)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

Twins Connor and Grace Tempest are no strangers to adventure and mystery. Since being shipwrecked, each has discovered a new world of sea-faring friends and foes.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Vajadzība, ilgi negaidot, uzzināt, kas notiek tālāk pēc otrās grāmatas.

Mana recenzija

Šajā grāmatā Greisas un Konora gaitas pamatā rit atsevišķi katram atšķirīgā pasaulē. Konora pasaulē uzrodas viņa kapteiņa brālis Barbarro, kas noved pie reida Indijā, un pēc tā Konors vispār pārdomās, vai pirātisms ir domāts viņam.

Toties Greisai, kas man ļoti patika, piemīt liela izturība, un ne velti, jo jāiztur dažādās ķibeles, kuras piemeklē vampīrpirātu Kapteini(pašās beigās liels pārsteigums).

Katram no dvīņiem jāsaskaras ar riebīgu tēlu -> Konoram tas ir Barbarro dēls Mēnesspīdeklis (Moonshine), bet Greisai tā ir donore Šanti(Shanti)

Lai gan kopumā  patika notikumu gaita, tad tomēr to attīstība likās nedaudz palēna. Kā arī jāpiebilst, ka varētu likties, ka jau stipri vien agrāk būtu izveidojies vairāk nekā viens vampīrpirātu kuģis, lai kāds tas būtu.

Vērtējums: 4/5

Michael A. Draper ”Three Strikes and You’re Dead”

ISBN9781499049329 Grāmatas apraksts no Amazon: Baseball goes on strike. . . and the fans are not happy. A chat room group “Friends against the baseball strike” rants against the astronomical salaries and greed of the players who have ruined the game for the everyday fans. One member, “The Vindicator,” decides to take action to end the strike, and soon some of the highest paid baseball players are being murdered. Who will be next? Can the murderer be stopped? The action and suspense build as the FBI and a trio of clever amateur investigators rush around the country trying to predict where the murderer will strike next, and to discover his identity.   This thoroughly modern page turner uses social media in unexpected ways and will keep you enthralled until the last page. Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu? E-grāmatas kopija no autora par brīvu apmaiņā pret atsauksmi.

Mana recenzija

Grāmatas pamatā MLB lokauts, kas labi sasaucas ar nesen notikušo NHL lokautu. Dažiem tas tā nepatīk, ka ir pat gatavi rīkoties drastiski, un tā uzrodas Džozefs Skubuls(Joseph Skubul) un viņa sponsors Advokāts jeb Ahmad al Shami(imigrants no Jemenas).

No amatieriem privātdetektīviem vislabāk patika Rendijs Larkins(Randy Larkin), bet aģentūras šefs bija tik maz manāms, ka varēja arī nebūt. Izmeklēšanas gaita un arī ļaundarim veltītās nodaļas ir pat ļoti saistošas, bet atrisinājums ātrs un vienkāršs. Kā arī netiek pateikts, vai kāds saņem MLB izsludināto atlīdzību.

Vērtējums: 4/5

Frank Tayell ”Surviving The Evacuation, Zombies vs The Living Dead” (Surviving The Evacuation book 0.5)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

The outbreak began in New York. Within days the world descended into chaos as the infection spread to every corner of the globe. Across Britain, millions of people are told to leave the less defensible villages, towns and cities for the safety of one of the enclaves being established around the coast.

For George Tull and the other residents of the Waverly-Price Retirement Home, evacuation is not an option. Finding the staff have left, George has to choose between trying to save those he loathes, or abandoning the woman he loves to an uncertain fate.

“Zombies vs The Living Dead” is the first in a series of short zombie stories recording the aftermath of the outbreak, and is a companion piece to the series “Surviving The Evacuation”, by the same author.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Lejuplādēju bez maksas iekš Amazon. Iespējams arī šobrīd.

Mana recenzija

Stāsts sākas ar Džordžu Talu(George Tull) pansionātā, kur vienīgais īstais viņa draugs ir O’Līrijas (O’Leary) kundze. Pagājusi vien nedēļa kopš slimības uzliesmojuma Ņujorkā, bet tā paspējusi ietekmēt jau visu pasauli.

Ļoti patika draudzība starp Džordžu(visai spēcīgs saviem gadiem) un O’Līriju, diemžēl beigas tādas skumīgas sanāk abiem + zombiju izskaidrojums un uzvedība šajā darbā ir ticama. Negatīvāk vērtēju tieši pašu sākumu, kurš ir visai palēns, kā arī stāstā kopumā daudz vairāk par pagātni(tuvu un tālu), un mazāk par pašreizējiem notikumiem. Jāpiebilst, ka pansionāta menedžeris Makgufrijs(McGuffrey), tika pie pelnīta gala.

Vērtējums: 4/5

Lily Lexington ”A Firefly Tale” (Fun Rhyming Children’s Books)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

If your child enjoys stories from authors like Kate DiCamillo, Cynthia Rylant,

Mem Fox or Gary Paulson then your child will love this beautiful firefly tale told by Lily Lexington in this children’s picture story book complete with a valuable lesson.

Maisy the firefly has a job to do each summer. One warm summer’s day at dusk she finds a new girl to play with. Without warning she is captured by the girl and put in a jar to be her friend forever. What will Maisy do and how will she ever escape?

The story ends with a great lesson about friendship and respect that all parents will resonate with.

– Beautiful, color illustrations that will captivate your young child.

– Rhyming lines help engage your child and sustain interest

Your younger children will enjoy the illustrations and sing-song tone of the story while your older children will particularly like the rhyming story format.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Lejuplādēju bez maksas iekš Amazon. Šobrīd par $3.62

Mana recenzija

Ļoti īss un arī pozitīvs stāsts, un varu piekrist aprakstā minētajam, ka stāsts dzejoļa veidā piesaista un uztur interesi, kā arī labas un krāsainas ilustrācijas. Vienīgais, kas vērtējams negatīvāk ir tas, ka Lūsija (Lucy) jāņtārpiņu Meiziju(Maisy) atlaida, paļaudamās vien uz mutiski dotu solījumu bez jebkāda rakstiska dokumenta.

Vērtējums: 4/5

Chris Podhola ”Twinfinity: Nethermore”

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

A powerful entity imprisoned for 150 years

A sibling betrayal

A blind and deaf girl who isn’t prepared to face any of it

But sometimes blind and deaf isn’t an obstacle

Pointed Feathers, a Cherokee stoked with vengeance after the death of his entire family, calls forth the anisgina, from beyond the shadows, only to realize his mistake before it comes completely through. He, and those that help him, pay for their mistake with their lives, but the bad spirit lives on, beneath Lake Amicolola, feeding itself, building its strength in between slumber, waiting for the one who can set it free from IT’s prison.

Whitney Leighton, blind and deaf from birth, living her life as a passenger in her twin brother Tommy’s mind, seeing through his eyes, hearing through his ears, is the only one who can help free the Anisgina. She’s brought to the Lake by her brother, who dreams of Kat, a girl with ostrich feathers woven into her hair, and falls victim, losing her soul to an unseen force, as her eyes are drained to white.

Strange things begin to happen and everyone at the lake is looking to the two new faces, with their odd and strange abilities, as the source of all that is going wrong. Whitney and Tommy must unite the campers, save the girl, and defeat the evil that lies beneath the lake before IT becomes too powerful to stop.

But success is never free.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Lejuplādēju bez maksas iekš Amazon. Šobrīd par $6.04

Mana recenzija

Sākotnēji, kad Tomijs(Tommy) un Vitnija(Whitney)(kuri patika vislabāk) ierodas nometnē, viņi uzreiz sadraudzējas ar otru dvīņu pāri, bet nav skaidrs, kas tad īsti ir tas ļaunais spēks, kam nāksies stāties pretī. Ir arī palīgi Ēriks(Erik), kurš vērtējams negatīvāk, un Mazais Džons(Little John). -> IT(ļaunais gars) visas grāmatas garumā parādās vien pa retam, bet brīdi, kad viņam tiek dots vārds, ir prieks lasīt pavisam atšķirīgu tēlu.

Pozitīvi vērtēju katras nodaļas sākumā esošo fragmentu no leģendas par Lielo Pūci(Great Owl) – Ērika iztulkots. Tas iedeva tādu kā tematu visai nodaļai.

Maksimālo vērtējumu nedodu, jo reizēm tieši vajadzīgajā brīdī notikumu gaita pavērsās par labu galvenajiem varoņiem.

Vērtējums: 4/5

P.S Pēc kāda ieteikuma mēģinu rakstu veidot atšķirīgāk. Komentāros dodiet ziņu, kā labāk : )

Zoe Cannon, Katie French, S.K. Falls, Megan Thomason, A.G. Henley ”Darkest Worlds: A Dystopian Anthology”

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

An anthology that explores what humans are made of when society falls to its knees. Darkest Worlds includes five original novellas by award-winning authors and best sellers of Young Adult and New Adult dystopia.

Nessa: A Breeders Story by Katie French, author of The Breeders: Eighteen-year-old Nessa knows what it’s like to be an endangered species. Growing up in a dying world where nine out of ten babies are born male, she survives by trusting no one. When Marlin, the nineteen-year-old gunslinger, kills the man who has been keeping her enslaved, Nessa decides he might be her meal ticket. What she doesn’t realize is love is still possible, even in their decimated world.

MOON by S.K. Falls, author of World of Shell and Bone: Loyalty. Obedience. Patriotism. Moon Stewart has no doubt that the New Amanian way of life is the right way. The only way. But was there ever a time when she felt differently? In this companion novella to the dystopian bestseller World of Shell and Bone, the secrets of Moon’s past are revealed, giving readers a glimpse into the mind of their favorite antagonist.

The First Unforgivable Thing by Zoe Cannon, author of The Torturer’s Daughter: When a dissident working undercover as an interrogator is ordered to torture a confession from the only girl he’s ever loved, he chooses to defy both the totalitarian regime and the resistance by helping her escape–but she has an agenda of her own…

The Keeper by A.G. Henley, author of The Scourge, a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award: Peree knows his duty as the new Keeper of the Water Bearer, Fennel, is to make sure his people get every drop of their share of the water she collects when the flesh-eating Scourge roam the forest. He will motivate her, distract her, do anything he can to keep her working. He knows his duty is to his people and his people alone. What he doesn’t know is that he’s falling in love with her.

clean slate complex by Megan Thomason, author of the daynight series: Homeless Alexa Knight agrees to help the do-gooder non-profit The Second Chance Institute in return for medical care for her sick mother. The SCI is wooing the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes–where “everything is provided” from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there’s a catch…

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Lejuplādēju bez maksas iekš Amazon. Iespējams arī šobrīd.

Kas grāmatā patika:

  • Piedāvāto pasauļu dažādība.

Kas grāmatā nepatika:

  • Ne vienmēr galveno tēlu gadi šķiet tie atbilstošākie.

Citi aspekti:

  • Grūtāk saprast, kas ir kas, ja ir daudz vārdu + dažādi jauni termini.
  • Neuzskatu, ka Pretošanās kustība šādos darbos ir obligāti nepieciešama.

Novele, kura patika visvairāk: A.G. Henley ‘’ The Keeper. A Brilliant Darkness Story’’

Novele, kura patika vismazāk: S.K. Falss ‘’ Moon. A Glimpsing Stars Novella’’

Vērtējums: 4/5

S.K. Epperson ”Green Lake”

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

The suicide of Madeleine Heron’s husband leaves her at her sister’s lake house for the summer, until she can ‘sort things out’ for herself and find a new direction, but life in the lake community is anything but conducive to calm; right away a three year old girl goes missing from the dam, Madeleine is nearly assaulted when her truck breaks down, and she discovers her neighbors have an affinity for digging holes and burying things in their yard, usually things they find floating in the lake, like a hand, or an arm… Native American conservation officer Eris Renard appears to be the only sane person around, and without warning Madeleine finds herself falling for him, but he’s an adopted Indian who’s just found his birth mother, a famous artist who hates Madeleine.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Lejuplādēju bez maksas iekš Amazon. Iespējams arī šobrīd.

Kas grāmatā patika:

  • Labs romantiskā un trilleriskā apvienojums.
  • Darbības vides apraksts.

Kas grāmatā nepatika:

  • Gandrīz visu negatīvā attieksme pret Erisu.

Citi aspekti:

  • Ja būtu tādi kaimiņi, tad visdrīzāk pārvāktos.

Tēli, kuri patika visvairāk: Madeleine un Eriss

Tēli, kuri patika vismazāk: Deils Rasels (Dale Russell) un Sāra Benta Horna (Sara Bent Horn)

Vērtējums: 4/5

Nancy Madore ”The Hidden Ones” (Legacy of the Watchers book 1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS (the series)

A historical, speculative, science fiction adventure

Thousands of years ago, something came out of the sky that changed the course of human history. Testimonies abound of these ‘angels’ and their hybrid offspring, the ‘Nephilim’ giants. These mighty ‘gods’ quickly rose to power, and the ancient world came alive with industry and culture. Many consider this period in history to be the ‘dawn’ of our civilization. People who lived as hunters and gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years suddenly began settling in one place, cultivating the land and even governing themselves. They invented irrigation, the wheel, protective armor and algebra. They somehow acquired knowledge of our solar system that even modern technology wasn’t able to confirm until the 1970s. Most importantly, they began to read and write. Yet an undercurrent of terror was spreading like wildfire, carrying whispers of ‘djinn,’ ‘daeva’ and ‘demons.’

The Watchers were supposed to do just that: watch. But humankind proved far too tempting and they ‘fell’ to earth, taking wives for themselves and even having children. But their children grew into unruly giants whose souls didn’t ascend like human souls, but remained here, on this earth. These errant Nephilim souls haunt the earth to this day. They are the ‘djinn,’ the ‘hidden ones,’ also known as ‘daeva’ and ‘demon.’ They have one purpose—to live. But to live they need bodies.

This chain of events has now reached the point where the djinn need more than just our bodies to survive. They must take back control of the earth, just as in the days when they ruled as gods.

THE HIDDEN ONES (book one)

As CEO of her own thriving company, Nadia Adeire is flush with success, but a secret society dating back to the Essenes believes her to be one of the ancient djinn—the notorious demoness of Hebrew legend, Lilith. What’s more, they have reason to believe that she’s plotting a catastrophic attack on the world.

Nadia is snatched from her ‘perfect’ life and trapped in a maze between a present day disaster and the ancient legends of the djinn. The only way out is to retrace the steps of her deceased grandmother, Helene. The deeper Nadia goes into the past, the harder it will be for her return unscathed. But it is the only way to stop the impending disaster that was set in motion five thousand years ago.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

E-grāmatas kopija no autores par brīvu apmaiņā pret atsauksmi.

Kas grāmatā patika:

  • Trīs laika līnijas, un tas, kā visas bija savstarpēji vienotas.
  • Versija par to, kas bija par iemeslu cilvēku progresam un civilizāciju attīstībai pagātnē.

Kas grāmatā nepatika:

  • Nadja visai ātri aprada ar saviem nolaupītājiem un pat sadraudzējās + romantiskas jūtas pret Vilu (Will)
  • Lilitas (Lilith) tēla un rakstura izmainīšanās grāmatas gaitā.

Citi aspekti:

  • Šī grāmata šķita kā ievads nākamajai.

Tēli, kuri patika visvairāk: Nadja (Nadia) un Helēna (Helene)

Tēli, kuri patika vismazāk: Abids (Aabid) un Klaivs (Clive)

Vērtējums: 4/5

Michio Kaku ”The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind”

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads:

Recording memories, mind reading, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis – no longer are these feats of the mind solely the province of overheated science fiction. As Michio Kaku reveals, not only are they possible, but with the latest advances in brain science and recent astonishing breakthroughs in technology, they already exist. In The Future of the Mind, the New York Times-bestselling author takes us on a stunning, provocative and exhilarating tour of the top laboratories around the world to meet the scientists who are already revolutionising the way we think about the brain – and ourselves.

Kāpēc lasīju/izvēlējos šo grāmatu?

Ieguvu Goodreads izlozē.

Kas grāmatā patika:

  • Iespēja ārstēt garīgās saslimšanas ar daudz dažādām metodēm.
  • Nemirstības ideja, augšupielādējot apziņu datorā(eksoskeleti), vai nanoboti.
  • Ja arī pastāv inteliģentas dzīvības formas citur Visumā, tad Zeme un cilvēki viņiem nešķiet tik interesanti.
  • Iespējamība ierakstīt sapņus.
  • Kkas līdzīgs NZT-48 filmā ‘’Limitless’’.
  • Ja arī eksistē attīstītākas citplanētiešu civilizācijas, tad cilvēki viņiem visticamāk ir vienaldzīgi un neinteresanti.
  • Arī robotu sacelšanās ir mazticama, bet tas vairāk atkarīgs no paša cilvēka.

Kas grāmatā nepatika:

  • Apziņas ceļošanu pa Visumu uz lāzera stara tik un tā ierobežotu gaismas ātrums, kaut arī tam, kas ceļo to nemanītu.
  • Varbūtība, ka kāds varētu radīt viltus atmiņas, vai bez tavas ziņas tām piekļūt.
  • Jānodzīvo vismaz līdz gadsimta beigām, lai piedzīvotu kaut daļu no prognozētā.
  • Nedaudz sanāca atkārtoties.

Citi aspekti:

  • Daudz gudru vārdu :D

Vērtējums: 4/5