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An Unpresentable Glory
An Unpresentable Glory
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I trusted you, and some day, you may know just how much you hold in your hands.” Linda Jensen leads a relatively quiet life in Westchester County, New York, as the owner of a highly acclaimed garden. Inherited from her parents, the garden is her pride and joy. It is not so joyful finding a strange man sprawled near her delphiniums! The mysterious man is sick, unable to do anything more than drink water—and beg for secrecy. Ignoring all alarm bells, Linda sees to his needs, but her caring act takes on unexpected significance, and unpresentable glory. Seeds of trust, and perhaps love, are planted in Linda’s garden haven. But as secrets are revealed and scandal hits the headlines, the act of caring for this man threatens to tarnish both of their reputations. Like weeds in Linda’s garden, circumstances threaten to choke out their fledgling relationship, and small moments prove to be the biggest influencers—on a national scale.



My Thoughts: What would you do if you found a sick stranger on your doorstep? That's what Linda Jensen came home to one afternoon that changed her life. Her caring changed another persons life. It showed "Jay" what true caring and trust really was.

 This was an interesting read that keeps the readers' attention. All the characters were powerful in this novel and helped in supporting the storyline.



This novel is about trust, integrity, loyalty and loving God. It's about trusting God in every situation. The author has a way of writing to keep readers' interest throughout the book.


This is a good story for everyone.


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The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
Peter Swanson | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
46 of 235
Book
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
By Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️

George Foss never thought he'd see her again, but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack's Tavern. When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl's grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece - the one who had committed suicide - was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved - and of the things she may have done to escape her past.Now, twenty years later, she's back, and she's telling George that he's the only one who can help her...In his electrifying debut, Peter Swanson evokes the spirit of Body Heat and Double Indemnity, in a thriller about love, loss and those memories we hold closest to our hearts.'...it was like I had a secretdisease, or there was this clock inside of me, ticking like a heart,and at any moment an alarm would go off ...'

So I’ve been looking forward to this read and I was really enjoying it the deviousness of This woman and the stupidity of George I suppose some will go to all lengths to help that first love. BUT and it’s really stressed me out and annoyed me so much and that was the ending I mean really????
  
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readwithg (6 KP) rated Inward in Books

Aug 23, 2018  
Inward
Inward
yung pueblo | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
yung pueblo tells it like it is
aloha, amigos!

I've been slaving away creating wedding crafts (countdown: t-minus 44 days, sos) so I haven't been able to get 3% of the reading done that I would have usually. Seriously tho. Last year, I read 59 books or some shit. This year, EIGHT. Call the police, lock me up, throw me in the loony bin. This is a goddamn SIN, I TELL YOU. However, I've been trying to squeeze in some time in between pulling my hair out over wedding garbage to try and read as much as humanly possible. If I could read while I was sleeping, this wouldn't be a motherhecking issue. Anyways, I scored a free copy of "inward" by yung pueblo, and I'm here to let ya'll know about how amazing it is. Fasten your seat belts, ladies!

"inward" is an anthology of poems written by yung pueblo, and I love the shit out of it/him. If you're a fan of rupi kaur, stop what you're doing and put this book on your amazon wish list. The official copy won't be released until September 25, 2018 (I'm special) but the second this baby hits the shelves, it's going to sell out. Mark my words. Here's my favorite poem penned by my boy pueblo:

the forces
of the universe
support those
who work at
healing themselves

Like, okay, pueblo, we get it. You're a genius and I love you and I want to crawl inside of your brain for a day and just chill in there for a bit. You know, cuddle with your cerebellum or some shit. I love you, did I say that already? Listen to pueblo: heal yourselves, people! At least give it a shot! The universe is watching.

Set an alarm on your phones right now. Do it, I'm waiting. Because the second the hand strikes midnight on September 25, hop onto ol' amazon and pick up "inward" before the rest of the world does. And once you're finished, come back here and let's chat!
  
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Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated The Marriage Pact in Books

Dec 12, 2018 (Updated Dec 13, 2018)  
The Marriage Pact
The Marriage Pact
Michelle Richmond | 2017 | Thriller
8
7.6 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Eerie and thought provoking
Wow. I’m a ball of knotted up feelings mixed with adrenaline right now. THE MARRIAGE PACT started as an innocuous, gentle introduction to a newly married couple and turned into a twisted, dark ride. If I could sum it up, I’d describe it as ‘big brother’s stepford wife body snatching cult’ and I mean 1984-esque big brother, not the reality show. I don’t read a lot of suspense these days and this one just compelled me from start to finish, through the good, the bad, the believable and slightly stretched.

Jake and Alice are an opposites attract kind of couple but a match that seems to work. As very newly-weds they’re invited to join The Pact. Alarm bells should have been ringing at 100 decibels but no, Jake and Alice signed up. There was an innocence about their walk into married life, believing the easy road but it was oh, so different. What ensued took my breath away as I got deeper and deeper. I read going to sleep but found myself pumped full of adrenaline and unsettled. The twisty dark nature was unexpected and not in my normal taste, but I couldn’t look away.

It isn’t a perfect read, there are occasional moments of ‘as if’ and the end could have been stronger but I know I am not going to forget this book in a hurry. I enjoyed it, my skin crawled with discomfort and unease, but I enjoyed it. The characters connected with one another and to me, the writing was like a magnet. The storyline was out of the box and I am definitely wanting to try this author again.

So, if you fancy the unusual, you like the bizarre, suspense and married couples, I give you THE MARRIAGE PACT.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
  
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Butch Vig recommended track London Calling by The Clash in London Calling by The Clash in Music (curated)

 
London Calling by The Clash
London Calling by The Clash
1979 | Rock
8.8 (10 Ratings)
Album Favorite

London Calling by The Clash

(0 Ratings)

Track

"London Calling is probably my favourite rock record of all time. It’s incredibly powerful and diverse, it’s social, political and has all sorts of musical genres - punk, rock, ska, ballads, jazz and dub - rolled into the song arrangements. The Clash were at their peak when they made it and the kick-off track is the most anthemic song they ever wrote. It’s got everything, brilliant lyrics, a brilliant performance, it just sounds killer and Mick Jones’ guitar playing is phenomenal, when you hear that guitar riff it’s like a fire alarm going off. ‘London Calling’ is like a call to arms, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time I hear it, it’s that powerful. I went to see them on that tour at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago and it was absolutely rammed. The second they started playing the entire room started jumping up and down and I thought the building was going to collapse, you could feel the whole place shaking. It was an old theatre and I was watching from the balcony, thinking we should maybe get to a safer location but I became so immersed in the music I forgot about it, it was a fantastic show. There were obviously differences between the British and US punk bands and some of that is in the sound of the records. The British records had a bit of a darker sound to them and that could be due to technical stuff in the mastering, but a lot of it had to do with the performances. To me, the British bands have always been ground-breaking, as a whole there were better new wave and punk bands coming out of the UK than the US, it was like the second British invasion. There was a great scene in New York, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Television and Blondie were ground-breaking at the time, but England, a country with a much smaller population than the US, had a larger percentage of iconic bands from that era."

Source
  
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
2021 | Horror, Thriller
8
6.7 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
I feel I should start this with something like 'I watched this so you don't have to' but that wouldn't be true. I watched this because I love 'So bad they're good' movies, so how could I not watch ' Nicolas Cage vs possessed animatronics in a family restaurant'.
So lets start with the obvious, Yes this is a 'Five nights at Freddy's' clone but that's never hidden, the poster, the trailer and even the films name tells you that.
Next, is it good? Hell yes. There are a lot of people out there who will say NO but that's the point. Willy's Wonderland is a modern 80's B movie and it's down there with the likes of 'Killer Klowns from Outer space' and "the Attack of the killer tomato's' or maybe something from Troma.
The animatronic costumes are creepy, their back story has been done before (but that's the point) and a lot of things make little sense, the restaurant seems to big, especially if you take the size of the air vents into consideration.
Then there's the Janitor, played by Nicolas Cage, who doesn't speak, has an alarm set so he knows when to have his next energy drink and who easily kicks the butt of the animatronics. That's it, there is no back story, almost no motivation and almost no reason for him being there. And we don't need it.


Willy's Wonderland is full of slasher and horror tropes. We have teens having sex and getting killed, we have Satanic cults, blood and creepy animatronics and almost nothing new. Except Nicolas Cage makes it his own. His performance is heading up to 'Mandy' levels but not quite as intense.


So, if you want to see a terrifying, serious horror then this isn't for you but, if you want to see Nicolas Cage beat up and animatronic ostrich then rip out it's spine ala Predator then this is the film for you (not really a spoiler, it's mostly in the trailer.)
  
The Wife Who Knew Too Much
The Wife Who Knew Too Much
Michele Campbell | 2020 | Thriller
7
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wild thriller that keeps you on your toes!
Tabby Girard hasn't seen Connor Ford for thirteen years, since he broke her heart as a teen. Back then he was the handsome rich kid whom she fell in love with while working at his country club. But she wasn't good enough for the Ford family, especially Connor's grandmother. Tabby quickly learns Connor is richer than ever now. He's married to Nina Levitt, a wealthy and famous woman twenty years his senior. He married for money, not love, he tells Tabby, and he's miserable. He portrays Nina as a controlling and jealous wife. But if he cheats on Nina and leaves her, their prenup dictates that Connor receives nothing. Then Nina is found dead in the pool at Windswept, her Southampton mansion, where she had just thrown her annual fourth of July party. It seems like Tabby and Connor can finally be together. But Tabby quickly grows suspicious. Was Nina's death really a suicide? And if not, does that mean she's in love with a murderer?

"I'm writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself, let alone to the world. My husband is planning to kill me. For obvious reasons. He's in love with someone else. And he wants my money."

It's funny, the writing in this book felt simple and stilted at times. However, I cannot deny that this is a thrilling read. It's fast-paced, and I flew through the pages. Campbell kept me guessing--something that isn't always easy to do--and offered some excellent twists. Kudos to her there. Alternating perspectives between Connor and Tabby works well, as does throwing in some flashbacks from Nina. It all adds up to a very suspenseful, slightly crazy, and quite enjoyable thriller.

Best written book? No. Wild and crazy ride with lots of surprises? Yes. (And also, make better life choices, Tabby.) 3.75 stars.
  
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ClareR (5572 KP) rated Things In Jars in Books

Sep 22, 2019  
Things In Jars
Things In Jars
Jess Kidd | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Victorian England, a female detective and a touch of the supernatural - what’s not to like?
Things in Jars is set in Victorian London. Bridie Devine is a female detective who is called on by Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, a baronet, to find his secret daughter, Christabel, who has been kidnapped. However, he doesn’t want to involve the police (this is where alarm bells start to go off!). Very few people in his household know about the existence of Christabel, and she is shut away, ostensibly to protect them from her. Because Christabel is not an ordinary child: she has supernatural powers that can harm people. Bridie doesn’t believe this, of course. So with the help of Cora, her 7 foot tall housemaid and Ruby, the ghost of a prizefighter, she sets out to rescue the child.

I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.

Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.

Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
  
The Blood Demon's Pet (Demon Daddy #1)
The Blood Demon's Pet (Demon Daddy #1)
KD Ellis | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE BLOOD DEMON'S PET is the first book in the Demon Daddy series. We have Levi, the blood demon, and Eryn, the werewolf. There are a multitude of supporting characters that I adored, who did their job superbly.

Levi has been alone for quite a while. The last time he thought he'd found a long-term love, he was betrayed and stolen from. Since then, when he needs to feed, he keeps it as clinical as possible. Eryn is a werewolf who can't control either his shifts or the wolf inside. He gets told by the Beta that he has killed the Alpha, but he will help him escape. Can you hear the alarm bells ringing? I could and I hated what poor Eryn went through.

The attraction is instant but Levi tries to keep it clinical, even though he doesn't know Eryn's whole story. He isn't prepared to take a risk. In fact, when things move on between them, he is the one to put on the brakes and take a step back. I didn't like his behaviour (as I wasn't meant to) but I did understand it.

When he and Eryn are together, make sure you've got a fan because these two are H.O.T! Slowly, slowly in every way but s€x. And just when it gets even better, everything goes to hell in a handbasket, thanks to the ex. And...

...then it ends. So be prepared. I knew it ended on a cliffhanger and it still caught me by surprise.

I loved this story and will be re-reading it in the time I have to wait for the next part. Absolutely brilliant and definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 31, 2023
  
The Grinch (2018)
The Grinch (2018)
2018 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
After watching The Grinch my heart grew three times.

This is the first time that I've ever encountered The Grinch... yes, ever. Apart from calling people a grinch when they moan about Christmas. Never read the book, never seen previous incarnations. I really don't know how.

I'm really pleased that this film was good. After most of Secret Life Of Pets and all of Sing I was starting to lose faith in Illumination. This is a much better offering and genuinely a nice film. It's funny, it's thoughtful and it's Christmassy all rolled into one.

Despite the film being called The Grinch the stars of the show were Max and Fred. Max shows you just how happy a dog can be all of the time even if they're surrounded by negative feelings, and Fred, well... those puppy dog eyes... good boys! I did also love Cindy-Lou Who. That kids has a fantastic eye for gadgets that must come from repeated viewings of other holiday classics like Home Alone.



There really isn't a lot else to say about this other than it's a great film. Cindy-Lou is a great motivational speaker and the whole film in general fills you with the desire to do good things and take a new perspective on things... well it did for me... this film might have brainwashed me.

As a little extra we also take a step back to the good old days where you got a cartoon before the main screening! Yellow Is The New Black. An amusing diversion. Those poor little minions.

(P.S. The reason this is getting four and a half stars and not five is that the alarm clock. If you've seen the trailer you'll understand my slight disappointment... I suppose what they've done is more in keeping though. *grumpy sigh*)

What you should do

Don't be a Grinch. You should go and see this... kids, no kids, it doesn't really matter. It's brilliant animation with a wonderful story to tell.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I'll take a giant portion of Cindy-Lou's ingenuity please!