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Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
7.0
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A fantasy adventure with Southeast Asian themes. Disney animated feature film.
Anywhere But Here
Book
Anywhere But Here is a moving, often comic portrait of wise child Ann August and her mother, Adele,...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Behind Her Eyes in Books
Oct 1, 2020
This is the second book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Louise has a pretty boring life. A single mom and part-time secretary, most of her life revolves around her young son. But then one night she meets a man in a bar and feels an instant attraction. Though it stops with a kiss, she feels excited by the prospect of finally having met someone. So imagine Louise's surprise when, the next morning, she sees the man again. At work. He's her new boss. And he's also very married, to a beautiful younger wife, Adele. Soon, Louise accidentally runs into Adele and the two form a friendship. Louise knows it's wrong, but she feels drawn to Adele as well. She appears lonely. Plus, the more Louise learns about Adele, the more she feels something is off: Adele seems afraid and almost controlled by David. Before she knows it, Louise is spending time with Adele and David, unable to tell the other about what she's doing. She's also realizing that there's something very wrong with this marriage. But how wrong, Louise has no idea.
"You can never know everything about a person. You'd go mad trying to."
Well, this was a spellbinding thriller. It's a wild ride that keeps you guessing the entire time, wondering who is twisting whose mind and what on earth is going on between David, Adele, and even Louise. Is David an abusive husband controlling his wife? Is Adele a cowed and crazy housewife? What happened between David and Adele when they were young and Adele's parents died? Is Louise complicit in their games? I felt befuddled and mesmerized as I madly flipped the pages, trying to figure out what on earth was going on.
"The more I fall for David, the more fascinated I become with Adele. It's a vicious circle."
I knew I didn't really like any of these people, but I didn't care, as I had to know what was going to happen next. Trying to put together the pieces in this psychological puzzle is nearly impossible; it seems like everyone is playing mind games with everyone else. It's told in a Now and Then format, with perspectives from Adele and Louise. But who can we trust? Does anyone tell the truth in this book? I won't spoil it for you, but I can say that the short chapters and flip in time periods make for a captivating read.
Some of the plot is strange and again, the characters are not particularly likeable (Louise, come on, let's make better choices), but the book makes up for it in psychological thrills and twists. Behind Her Eyes has been on my shelf for a while, as I'd heard about its surprises and big ending. I'm glad I used this challenge to pick it up. It was a different read and a crazy one. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Louise has a pretty boring life. A single mom and part-time secretary, most of her life revolves around her young son. But then one night she meets a man in a bar and feels an instant attraction. Though it stops with a kiss, she feels excited by the prospect of finally having met someone. So imagine Louise's surprise when, the next morning, she sees the man again. At work. He's her new boss. And he's also very married, to a beautiful younger wife, Adele. Soon, Louise accidentally runs into Adele and the two form a friendship. Louise knows it's wrong, but she feels drawn to Adele as well. She appears lonely. Plus, the more Louise learns about Adele, the more she feels something is off: Adele seems afraid and almost controlled by David. Before she knows it, Louise is spending time with Adele and David, unable to tell the other about what she's doing. She's also realizing that there's something very wrong with this marriage. But how wrong, Louise has no idea.
"You can never know everything about a person. You'd go mad trying to."
Well, this was a spellbinding thriller. It's a wild ride that keeps you guessing the entire time, wondering who is twisting whose mind and what on earth is going on between David, Adele, and even Louise. Is David an abusive husband controlling his wife? Is Adele a cowed and crazy housewife? What happened between David and Adele when they were young and Adele's parents died? Is Louise complicit in their games? I felt befuddled and mesmerized as I madly flipped the pages, trying to figure out what on earth was going on.
"The more I fall for David, the more fascinated I become with Adele. It's a vicious circle."
I knew I didn't really like any of these people, but I didn't care, as I had to know what was going to happen next. Trying to put together the pieces in this psychological puzzle is nearly impossible; it seems like everyone is playing mind games with everyone else. It's told in a Now and Then format, with perspectives from Adele and Louise. But who can we trust? Does anyone tell the truth in this book? I won't spoil it for you, but I can say that the short chapters and flip in time periods make for a captivating read.
Some of the plot is strange and again, the characters are not particularly likeable (Louise, come on, let's make better choices), but the book makes up for it in psychological thrills and twists. Behind Her Eyes has been on my shelf for a while, as I'd heard about its surprises and big ending. I'm glad I used this challenge to pick it up. It was a different read and a crazy one. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Comeback Cowboy in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The book starts out with much promise, as Ty and Adele have instant chemistry. Even though both have reservations about their relationship, it is obvious to the reader that the pair are good for each other, both romantically and on the ranch.
Ty is easily a rather likable guy, as he is able to humble himself enough to seek help for his career, as well as put aside his own competitiveness for the sake of the concerns of others. Adele, on the other hand, never really seems to mature beyond who is she is introduced in the beginning as. She uses the demise of her parents' marriage and her mother's promiscuous behavior to validate her avoidance of Ty, and later, her lies to him. Even when her mother comes to make amends and change her lifestyle, and she learns more about her parents' marriage, Adele still continues in her own bad behavior. Her behavior is also rather hypocritical from what she claims to want from life.
The ending was a disappointment simply because Adele never really changed her behavior - she only did what she was supposed to thanks to her meddling grandpa. If she had actually managed to make herself stop telling lies without being cornered into it, I likely would have liked her more.
Ty is easily a rather likable guy, as he is able to humble himself enough to seek help for his career, as well as put aside his own competitiveness for the sake of the concerns of others. Adele, on the other hand, never really seems to mature beyond who is she is introduced in the beginning as. She uses the demise of her parents' marriage and her mother's promiscuous behavior to validate her avoidance of Ty, and later, her lies to him. Even when her mother comes to make amends and change her lifestyle, and she learns more about her parents' marriage, Adele still continues in her own bad behavior. Her behavior is also rather hypocritical from what she claims to want from life.
The ending was a disappointment simply because Adele never really changed her behavior - she only did what she was supposed to thanks to her meddling grandpa. If she had actually managed to make herself stop telling lies without being cornered into it, I likely would have liked her more.
Tiny Desk Concerts - Video
6.0
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Podcast
Tiny Desk Concerts from NPR's All Songs Considered features your favorite musicians performing at...