Fairy Frolics (Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton)

Advantages: fun, occasionally
Disadvantages: awful writing

...Summary: reasonably enjoyable if there is nothing better, lively, trashy fantasy "Swallowing Darkness" is the seventh Meredith Gentry novel and the first one I read. Despite that I had no problems at all in following the plot - even though there isn't that much obvious exposition in the novel. Meredith NicEssus is a faerie princess in a slightly alternative world (i.e. US) where faeries are known by the humans - a treaty allowed them to settle in the US three hundred years on the condition that they don't engage in war or make humans worship them. The faerie courts are obsessed by purity of blood and even more so by purity of looks and Meredith, who is mortal, curvy and has not just human but also lesser fey ancestors, flees the Faerie and starts working as a private investigator in the human world. But her disguise ends when...

magdadh 23.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton

Swallows And Amazons - not for Duffers

Advantages: Heart warming, endearing, beautiful descriptive writing
Disadvantages: Younger readers could struggle with long description and technical sailing terms

...Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ~~~Setting~~~ Swallows and Amazons was written in 1930, an adventure story aimed at children and the first of a series of 12 novels for which their author is most well known. Set in the Lake District, it follows the adventures during one summer holiday of the Swallows (brothers and sisters John, Susan, Titty and Roger) as they camp on an island of adventure, make enemies and then friends with the Amazon pirates (Nancy and Peggy), solving mysteries and chasing thieves. It is a very tame, but very charming novel, seemingly enjoyed by children and adults alike. I bought and read it earlier this year after visiting a permanent exhibition on Arthur Ransome in the Museum of Lakeland Life in Kendal. It is so evocative of the Lake District that it is a pleasure to read for this alone. ~~~The Plot...

sonic0209 14.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

Swallow hotel (Kirlangic)

Advantages: Close to town centre and market
Disadvantages: not allowed own drink into rooms. No air conditioning

...It was last year that my wife and I stayed here. The hotel name was in Turkish which was called "The Kirlangic". This means swallow. The Hotel sits on the main road into the town and right opposite one of the entrances to the market which is on every Monday. So if you have a room facing the road you will be awake early (4 oclock ish). At the time only some rooms had air conditioning. The rooms are small in comparison to a lot of hotels in the area but you only sleep in then anyway. They are clean and fresh. I found the staff friendly, even more so if you speak a bit of Turkish (but dont let them know its only a few words, it keeps then on thier toes) they feel you are making an effort. You are close to all the bars and shops where you need a good haggling technique. The grounds of the hotel has a pool which is big enough to...

kindlyraccoon 04.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Swallow Hotel, Marmaris

Hard to swallow at first but easy to digest later

Advantages: tender and movivng
Disadvantages: The first few chapters

...An interesting or unusual title makes a book more alluring to the reader. I have often picked up a book on the strength of the title alone. When the novel "Swallowing Grandma" by Kate Long was suggested at my book group I had to vote for it, as I was curious about such an odd title. The book is a coming of age saga centred on the life of 18 year old Katherine Miller and her unconventional family in Banktop, a fictional mining village supposedly between Wigan and Bolton. Katherine lives with her professional northerner of a grandmother Poll, as her father died before she was born and then her mother abandoned her shortly afterwards. The book is about Katherine's (or Kat as she wants to be known) quest to find herself and ultimately her mother. Katherine's story is intertwined with her mother's tragic story of coming to terms...

duskmaiden 09.07.2006 (03.01.2008) · Read review
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Review of Swallowing Grandma - Kate Long

It's time for Merry to Swallow Darkness

Advantages: Good paced read, Lots of action
Disadvantages: None really

......

bohoangel 09.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton

LOOKING A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH

Advantages: Food. Service. Location. Comfort. Value. Facilities.
Disadvantages: Dated decor & Fittings. Bar Service & Prices

...Please note that whilst Ciao rates the Preston Swallow as a two star hotel - all publicity material relating to it, as well at the hotel itself, shows this as a three star hotel. WHY DID WE BOOK THE SWALLOW PRESTON? The weather turning nasty and the nights drawing in signal the time of year for RICHADA to play Santa Claus with the customers, going out and about, shaking hands and delivering calendars and company literature. The majority of our business is actually done some way north of Watford Gap, which involves us staying away from home, usually for a period of three nights at a time. Needing a base in the Preston / Blackburn / Burnley area, we usually finish up going to where most of the hotels are located, Blackpool, Lythan St Annes, or even on one, not to be repeated, occasion Southport. Without giving away any state...

RICHADA 23.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Swallow Hotel, Preston

Spit or Swallow?

Advantages: cheap, friendly, plenty to see and do
Disadvantages: not good for teetotallers

...I loved. We also visited several other places locally and it is just a very lazy, easy going way to get around. We would spend around 30 minutes in each one and sample the goods, eat the free food (there is usually a cheese tray to go along with it), buy a bottle or two then saunter along to the next one. The only taxing decision to make was "spit or swallow" but we just drank what was in front of us and got leisurely drunk which is probably what most people do. On day two, I was dedicated driver so we ventured further afield (which means driving less than 30 mins). On this trip we visited some more family owned vineyards as well as some larger commercial ones. We started at Tower Estate Wines which was just outside the entrance to our accommodation but what we had somehow missed the day before. We then went to the Wine Boutique...

TheWizardsSleeve 08.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Hunter Valley, Australia

NO NO NO DON'T BOTHER !!!!

Advantages: Helps fillmy recycle bin
Disadvantages: Sheer rubbish

...I don't know if you know about the writer Laurell K. Hamilton she is a US writer best-known for her series Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Merry Gentry is the title character of a new fantasy series There are eight books in the series, that is eight too many!! A Kiss of Shadows (2000) A Caress of Twilight (2002) Seduced by Moonlight (2004) A Stroke of Midnight (2005) Mistral's Kiss (2006) A Lick of Frost (2007) Swallowing Darkness (2008) Divine Misdemeanours (Dec 2009) Meredith NicEssus is a faerie princess turned private investigator in a world where faeries are not only known to the general public, but are also fashionable. She changes her name to "Meredith Gentry" to hide from her family and her past while hiding out in Los Angeles, California as a private investigator at Grey's Detective Agency. You might...

oldchem 10.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton

Swallowing Grandma by Kate Long - Humour

Advantages: decent sized book, interesting character depth,
Disadvantages: confusing with 2 scripts at once at times

......

macteykith 27.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Swallowing Grandma - Kate Long

Could Do Better

Advantages: Good leisure facilities
Disadvantages: Service and food not to required standard

...I have been visiting the Dundee area for about 12 years now. The first hotel I visited in the area was The Swallow Hotel, Dundee and I have been back on and off at least once a year since. The hotel has changed a lot in that time, it has got bigger, its leisure facilities have grown and of course the number on the invoice at the end of the stay has got bigger too. But consider this, in 2 hotels I have visited recently I have asked at the reception desk for a local map. At the Swallow Hotel Dundee the receptionist pointed to some maps in a dispenser and said ‘Yes we have them, we charge a pound’ whilst at the Courtyard by Marriott in Ipswich the gentleman replied ‘ Certainly Sir here is a complementary map, is there a particular place you are looking for?,if I might help you’. Now I know which of these 2 hotels...

polydeuces 08.05.2001 (07.05.2001) · Read review
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Review of Swallow, Dundee