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Morgan Sheppard (926 KP) created a post
Sep 21, 2022 (Updated Sep 21, 2022)
The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
Book
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged...
Contemporary Fiction Family Dramedy
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Platform Seven in Books
Nov 19, 2023
173 of 235
Book
Platform Seven
By Louise Doughty
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic - he's as far away from the night staff as he can get.
What the man doesn't realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge.
Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected?
No one is more desperate to understand what connects them than Lisa Evans herself. After all, she was the first of the two to die.
I really struggled with rating this book as I’m so undecided how I feel about it. First it does need a trigger warning for Suicide as it’s a heavy feature through the book also Mental abuse. Oh god i honestly don’t know how I feel it’s definitely a book that compels you to keep reading and you just need to know what happened to this woman and the lives she’s touched or visits during the book each character has a story to tell even those you only see briefly. It’s a talking point and makes you really think! I’ve settled on 3 stars as the book was so compelling in not sure enjoyed reading it is the right phase but I definitely didn’t put it down.
Book
Platform Seven
By Louise Doughty
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic - he's as far away from the night staff as he can get.
What the man doesn't realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge.
Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected?
No one is more desperate to understand what connects them than Lisa Evans herself. After all, she was the first of the two to die.
I really struggled with rating this book as I’m so undecided how I feel about it. First it does need a trigger warning for Suicide as it’s a heavy feature through the book also Mental abuse. Oh god i honestly don’t know how I feel it’s definitely a book that compels you to keep reading and you just need to know what happened to this woman and the lives she’s touched or visits during the book each character has a story to tell even those you only see briefly. It’s a talking point and makes you really think! I’ve settled on 3 stars as the book was so compelling in not sure enjoyed reading it is the right phase but I definitely didn’t put it down.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Once There Were Wolves in Books
Oct 24, 2023
Animal protection, Climate Change and a mystery - perfect Clare reading fodder! The relationship between the two sisters, Inti and Aggie, was touching, and the relationship between the main character (Inti) and the townsfolk was tense, to say the least.
The idea of reintroducing wolves to the Highlands of Scotland in order to enrich and preserve the ecosystems there, is fascinating and exciting as a reader - and as someone who doesn’t have to farm under those circumstances. The writing was sensitive to every side of the story, but as Inti was leading the project to reintroduce wild wolves, the novel leant more in her favour - and I enjoyed that.
Aggie, Inti’s twin, has had a very traumatic experience, and she has severe depression along with other mental health problems. Inti hopes that by living in the wilds of Scotland, the isolation and wild country will begin to heal her.
But when one of the townsfolk is hurt, it’s hard to know who is safe - not the wolves, that’s for sure.
There are some really deep, involved themes in this: climate change, ecology, domestic abuse, violence, relationships.
Incidentally, I went on holiday in the Cairngorms this summer. We stayed in a cottage, away from all the other cottages on the estate (we couldn’t even see them), surrounded by fields containing alpacas and deer, with the odd buzzard, peregrine and even an osprey! I half expected to see a wolf-pack!! Sadly, there aren’t any wild wolves in Scotland now, but that estate was a weeks worth of heaven for me and my family - and would have fed a wolf pack for about that long, too!
The idea of reintroducing wolves to the Highlands of Scotland in order to enrich and preserve the ecosystems there, is fascinating and exciting as a reader - and as someone who doesn’t have to farm under those circumstances. The writing was sensitive to every side of the story, but as Inti was leading the project to reintroduce wild wolves, the novel leant more in her favour - and I enjoyed that.
Aggie, Inti’s twin, has had a very traumatic experience, and she has severe depression along with other mental health problems. Inti hopes that by living in the wilds of Scotland, the isolation and wild country will begin to heal her.
But when one of the townsfolk is hurt, it’s hard to know who is safe - not the wolves, that’s for sure.
There are some really deep, involved themes in this: climate change, ecology, domestic abuse, violence, relationships.
Incidentally, I went on holiday in the Cairngorms this summer. We stayed in a cottage, away from all the other cottages on the estate (we couldn’t even see them), surrounded by fields containing alpacas and deer, with the odd buzzard, peregrine and even an osprey! I half expected to see a wolf-pack!! Sadly, there aren’t any wild wolves in Scotland now, but that estate was a weeks worth of heaven for me and my family - and would have fed a wolf pack for about that long, too!
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Body of Stars in Books
Jan 16, 2024
Body of Stars is an enjoyable YA novel set in the near future. This is a world where the markings on a woman’s body predict the future for not only themselves, but for their families as well.
Instead of this phenomenon giving women autonomy over their own lives, it seems that it’s the same old story. Their bodies are a commodity, mapped out by a government organisation, checked over by their fathers when their markings change during puberty. They are warned not to show themselves off or be by themselves, lest men can’t control themselves as they’re driven wild with lust. So far, so stereotypical.
Celeste Morton is excited by the prospect of this transition, and her brother Miles is desperate to practice his interpretation skills on his sister. But when Celeste transitions, a terrible fate is revealed. And in a desperate bid to keep this a secret, Celeste experiences the worst thing that can happen to a changeling.
I have to admit to being very frustrated whilst reading this. There’s nothing feminist about this story - there is a good argument for why feminism is necessary though. Misogyny is rife in the world of this book! To be honest, the story could have run in exactly the same direction without the need for freckles, moles and other markings. It was depressing that even in an alternative near future, women would be experiencing the same restrictions and abuse that so many live through today.
This was a novel that I loved to hate - the frustration was immense! Do I recommend it? Well yes, but be prepared for the deep breathing, calming exercises that you’ll need!
Instead of this phenomenon giving women autonomy over their own lives, it seems that it’s the same old story. Their bodies are a commodity, mapped out by a government organisation, checked over by their fathers when their markings change during puberty. They are warned not to show themselves off or be by themselves, lest men can’t control themselves as they’re driven wild with lust. So far, so stereotypical.
Celeste Morton is excited by the prospect of this transition, and her brother Miles is desperate to practice his interpretation skills on his sister. But when Celeste transitions, a terrible fate is revealed. And in a desperate bid to keep this a secret, Celeste experiences the worst thing that can happen to a changeling.
I have to admit to being very frustrated whilst reading this. There’s nothing feminist about this story - there is a good argument for why feminism is necessary though. Misogyny is rife in the world of this book! To be honest, the story could have run in exactly the same direction without the need for freckles, moles and other markings. It was depressing that even in an alternative near future, women would be experiencing the same restrictions and abuse that so many live through today.
This was a novel that I loved to hate - the frustration was immense! Do I recommend it? Well yes, but be prepared for the deep breathing, calming exercises that you’ll need!
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Grim Company in Books
Sep 27, 2017
Once I got into the swing of the book (it chops and changes between different characters each chapter) I started to really enjoy it. I like being thrown into a world without having a long made-up history lesson first and getting straight into the action.
I liked the setting for this book: numerous city states ruled by magelords who are constantly battling each other.
We join the action just as one magelord overcomes another (from a distance), but in the aftermath a third looks to capitalise on the weakened victor's defences.
I like how nobody was really the good guy here, everyone was pretty sure they would be fighting for an evil overlord against someone who would likely be just as evil. Citizens were unwilling to fight for their own magelord because their own lives couldn't possibly get any worse.
As is common in more modern, "grimdark" fantasy, none of the characters are the flawless hero of old, all have their own failings and foibles, whether it be drug abuse, being useless, being a psychopath or just generally nasty. All except Brodar Kayne, who for me was somewhat reminiscent of Logen Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. He is an aging warrior who is no longer welcome in the savage North and is looking for a new life in the baffling, more civilised South.
I found the story and characters somewhat similar to Joe Abercrombie's in other areas, but the writing style was very different, flowing much more smoothly I would say. And this is not to suggest in any way it is a rip-off of the First Law series, only that some of the characters and certain aspects of the plot bore a similarity.
Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable read with a well designed world and great characters.
I liked the setting for this book: numerous city states ruled by magelords who are constantly battling each other.
We join the action just as one magelord overcomes another (from a distance), but in the aftermath a third looks to capitalise on the weakened victor's defences.
I like how nobody was really the good guy here, everyone was pretty sure they would be fighting for an evil overlord against someone who would likely be just as evil. Citizens were unwilling to fight for their own magelord because their own lives couldn't possibly get any worse.
As is common in more modern, "grimdark" fantasy, none of the characters are the flawless hero of old, all have their own failings and foibles, whether it be drug abuse, being useless, being a psychopath or just generally nasty. All except Brodar Kayne, who for me was somewhat reminiscent of Logen Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. He is an aging warrior who is no longer welcome in the savage North and is looking for a new life in the baffling, more civilised South.
I found the story and characters somewhat similar to Joe Abercrombie's in other areas, but the writing style was very different, flowing much more smoothly I would say. And this is not to suggest in any way it is a rip-off of the First Law series, only that some of the characters and certain aspects of the plot bore a similarity.
Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable read with a well designed world and great characters.
Sexist, self-absorbed codswallop
This is probably one of the worst books I've read this year unfortunately. It's full of contradictions, too many to go through each and every one. But here are a few.
For one, it claims to be an anti-self-help book but in fact it is, not only that it repeats phrases that other books use often but it reiterates it in a much more uglier fashion by replacing every other word with "f**k".
Secondly, the author is actually incredibly sexist throughout the whole book - revealing that this book is for a privileged white, male audience. He flashes his wealth throughout the book by even saying "I come from a wealthy family" and 'this doesn't apply to an Indian family who need an extra $10'. And then talks about his sexual exploits with women, saying that one of his former goals was to "be with more women" - like women are collective objects. He's boastful about sleeping around throughout, referring to women in a derogatory way.
The chapter on false memories and child sexual abuse is shocking, absolutely no disclaimers, just a rookie spouting off information that he clearly had no idea about. He discounts thousands of horrific accounts as if they're something imagined up and to be gotten over with. An extremely precarious viewpoint.
The irony is that the author describes himself perfectly here: "People declare themselves experts, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, mavericks, and coaches without any real-life experience. And they do this not because they actually think they are greater than everybody else; they do it because they feel that they need to be great to be accepted in a world that broadcasts only the extraordinary." And this pretty much sums up the book.
For one, it claims to be an anti-self-help book but in fact it is, not only that it repeats phrases that other books use often but it reiterates it in a much more uglier fashion by replacing every other word with "f**k".
Secondly, the author is actually incredibly sexist throughout the whole book - revealing that this book is for a privileged white, male audience. He flashes his wealth throughout the book by even saying "I come from a wealthy family" and 'this doesn't apply to an Indian family who need an extra $10'. And then talks about his sexual exploits with women, saying that one of his former goals was to "be with more women" - like women are collective objects. He's boastful about sleeping around throughout, referring to women in a derogatory way.
The chapter on false memories and child sexual abuse is shocking, absolutely no disclaimers, just a rookie spouting off information that he clearly had no idea about. He discounts thousands of horrific accounts as if they're something imagined up and to be gotten over with. An extremely precarious viewpoint.
The irony is that the author describes himself perfectly here: "People declare themselves experts, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, mavericks, and coaches without any real-life experience. And they do this not because they actually think they are greater than everybody else; they do it because they feel that they need to be great to be accepted in a world that broadcasts only the extraordinary." And this pretty much sums up the book.
Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated One of us is Lying in Books
Jan 13, 2018
One of Us is Lying is a mix between the Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars. Five strangers walk into detention but only 4 walk out alive. The four have to work together to find the culprit, but the blame could easily be on one of them.
The book follows all 4 of the students who were in detention. They're stereotyped as the brain, beauty, jock and the criminal. But they are also so much more. The character arcs show how much they change in the weeks after the murder. One of Us is Lying also shows us insights into who they really are and the differences between public and private personas.
The characters were also likable and realistic. Unlike Pretty Little Liars, they dont do stupid things which will put themselves in worse situations. Their problems were also relatable, and their relationships felt real. Some of the issues tackled are social media usage, depression, sexuality, abuse, etc. There's so much packed into one book due to the vastly different characters involved.
The mystery of the book was so interesting and I didn't see it coming. It seems kind of obvious in hindsight, and I know a lot of people did guess. But I very rarely read mystery style books, and I often don't focus too much on the clues. That's my excuse for not figuring it out anyway.
Overall I really loved the book. There was exploration of different societal themes. The writing was good. Characters were likable and interesting. An all round good read. I would definitely recommend.
I received One of Us is Lying* by Karen M. McManus as an e-book from the publisher, Penguin Random House, via Netgalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Uptown Oracle Reviews
The book follows all 4 of the students who were in detention. They're stereotyped as the brain, beauty, jock and the criminal. But they are also so much more. The character arcs show how much they change in the weeks after the murder. One of Us is Lying also shows us insights into who they really are and the differences between public and private personas.
The characters were also likable and realistic. Unlike Pretty Little Liars, they dont do stupid things which will put themselves in worse situations. Their problems were also relatable, and their relationships felt real. Some of the issues tackled are social media usage, depression, sexuality, abuse, etc. There's so much packed into one book due to the vastly different characters involved.
The mystery of the book was so interesting and I didn't see it coming. It seems kind of obvious in hindsight, and I know a lot of people did guess. But I very rarely read mystery style books, and I often don't focus too much on the clues. That's my excuse for not figuring it out anyway.
Overall I really loved the book. There was exploration of different societal themes. The writing was good. Characters were likable and interesting. An all round good read. I would definitely recommend.
I received One of Us is Lying* by Karen M. McManus as an e-book from the publisher, Penguin Random House, via Netgalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Uptown Oracle Reviews
Erika (17788 KP) rated Lorena in TV
Feb 16, 2019
Warning: I am a true crime fiend and thought that this was so well done. I've also included something explicit at the end because it was really relevant.
Even if you don't know her by name, Lorena Bobbitt is the wife that cut off her abusive husband's man part. Even I remember it, and I was a kid at the time. The media painted her as a crazy, jealous woman.
Originally, that's what I thought too, until I watched a 20/20 special, in response to this special being shown at Sundance. They interviewed the husband, and I'm not even going to dignify this dude by using his name. I absolutely have nothing nice to say about this skeezball, so I won't say anything at all.
This special showed the testimony of Lorena, and various witnesses that testified to the violence/abuse that she received at the hands of her husband. The dude said all along that she was lying, and that she was just crazy. She did end up being not guilty for reason of insanity.
While I might have originally thought she was making it up (I'm a cynic), actually hearing the testimonies, and not just interpretations of it, made me believe her. I have to admit, I cried during some of it.
This is definitely a mature documentary, it shows pictures of the severed dude part, and there was also a barrage of photos of abused women.
The documentary also tackles the fact that women and men reacted very differently to this case.
(Explicit):
One of the quotes from a prostitute interviewed sums it up (how I remember it): Thousands of girls in Africa get their clits cut off, but one guy gets his penis cut off and the media loses its mind.
Now that's the truth.
Even if you don't know her by name, Lorena Bobbitt is the wife that cut off her abusive husband's man part. Even I remember it, and I was a kid at the time. The media painted her as a crazy, jealous woman.
Originally, that's what I thought too, until I watched a 20/20 special, in response to this special being shown at Sundance. They interviewed the husband, and I'm not even going to dignify this dude by using his name. I absolutely have nothing nice to say about this skeezball, so I won't say anything at all.
This special showed the testimony of Lorena, and various witnesses that testified to the violence/abuse that she received at the hands of her husband. The dude said all along that she was lying, and that she was just crazy. She did end up being not guilty for reason of insanity.
While I might have originally thought she was making it up (I'm a cynic), actually hearing the testimonies, and not just interpretations of it, made me believe her. I have to admit, I cried during some of it.
This is definitely a mature documentary, it shows pictures of the severed dude part, and there was also a barrage of photos of abused women.
The documentary also tackles the fact that women and men reacted very differently to this case.
(Explicit):
One of the quotes from a prostitute interviewed sums it up (how I remember it): Thousands of girls in Africa get their clits cut off, but one guy gets his penis cut off and the media loses its mind.
Now that's the truth.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Owned in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I wasn't quite sure what to read so I turned to my extremely large Kindle library to find a book that would hold my attention. I've never read a book by M. Never so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.