#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 14-05-20

A good library will never be too neat, or dusty. Somebody will always be in it ,staying up late and reading.
~Lemony Snicket

Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!

*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.

Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?

• Reading:

This week I finished reading the fifth "Outlander" book, started the sixth, and read a book I was given to do an advanced review of, which I thought the review was due for this week, but it turns out it's not due until June.  Never mind, at least it's done before the official release date, which is the point of having books for advanced reviews anyhow, so that's OK. Anyway, here are the reviews for the two books I finished.

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've seen reviews from friends who haven't been so keen on this one because it's not as action-packed, seems to drag, etc, but I personally found those slower scenes interesting. I was especially interested in all the historical and medical information, which I found fascinating. There were some thought-provoking philosophical questions brought up too. Besides, this book is one of the middle books of the series, and there's usually a bit of a lull in the action somewhere in the middle. So, though this is a slower-paced read than the previous books, I personally feel it was a wonderful addition to the series.

Truth Hunter by Katrina Cope
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the most part, I thought this was an excellent addition to the series. I enjoyed reading Ava's story, and loved the ending. I only hesitate to give this book the full five stars because of two plot issues I personally don't agree with: the fact a certain relative of Ava's was so quick to side with her from their very first meeting, even if it meant going against everyone he knows and loves (his being so quick to do so didn't feel right to me) and the fact Ava moved someone as seriously injured as one character was at one point before tending to their wounds (anyone with even the most basic of first aid skills knows you shouldn't do that, especially if it looks like possible neck or spinal injuries might be involved). Those may seem like minor issues - and they are, I suppose - but the first of those influenced parts of the story, and the two combined felt like enough of an issue to prevent me feeling I could give this book the full five stars, despite it being an otherwise excellent read. I still recommend this book though. In fact, if you enjoy the kinds of stories involving angels and demons, witches and shifters, and the like, I recommend that you read this whole series.
*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book, or the contents of this review.

• Watching:

This week I've focussed more on reading than anything else, so the only thing I watched was a couple of "Game Of Thrones" episodes.

• Listening:

This week I've been listening to a variety of music again.  In particular songs by The Beetles though, since Alexa mentioned one of the songs as part of her random pieces of information for the day (she gives you a random piece of information if you say, "Good morning," to her, and some of them are quite interesting) and it made me want to listen to The Beetles' music.  The song Alexa mentioned was "Let It Be" - it was the anniversary of when that song was released, I believe - so that was the one I was going to share with you today, but I was having trouble finding a decent copy of it to add here.  So, I'm sharing "All You Need Is Love" instead, since it's a favourite of mine.  Enjoy!