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Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Serious Sweet: Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in Books
May 13, 2017
This novel is a work of art, l I would expect nothing less from a Man Booker contender.
‘The trouble was, that Margaret Thatcher got her drunk.’
A.L. Kennedy is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and comedian. Her most recent novel, Serious Sweet, 2016, was long listed for this year’s Man Booker prize. Prior to reading the novel, I read some reviews and was fascinated by their diversity, comments ranging from disappointing to outright marvellous. This told me that I was about to embark on a work of art, after all I would expect nothing less from a Man Booker contender.
The novel is set in the heart of contemporary London and follows its two main characters, John Sigurdsson and Meg Williams through a single day. John is a fickle character, who at 59-year of age, has recently divorced is adulterous wife, and his professional life is hanging in the balance. Working as a senior civil servant in Westminster, he is attempting to uncover some pretty immoral activity. John has a talent for letter writing, this, he finds, is a romantic way to connect to women, whilst otherwise remaining inconspicuous. This is how he meets Meg.
Meg Williams is a 45-year-old bankrupt accountant, now working in an animal shelter because, ‘people who’ve been damaged by people go and work with salvaged animals because the animals have also been damaged by people’ (128). Meg is a victim of sexual abuse from a previous partner, something that we only learn in smatterings throughout the novel. A struggling alcoholic, Meg is on the wagon then off the wagon and blames her more recent fall on Margaret Thatcher, ‘The trouble was that Margaret Thatcher got her drunk.’
While the novel itself can be read as a political satire, and political corruption is plentiful in the narrative, I feel it is simply a back-story. The real story is the unfolding of the human consciousness and the power of the mind. Kennedy shows the reader the power of will through the thoughts of each character, stripping them back to their rawest and purest selves, and showing real courage and hope.
When John and Meg eventually meet at the end of the novel, it is not without some supercharged emotional turmoil. Connecting initially through letter writing, however, allowed the characters to open up their inner thoughts and feelings and gave a platform to be open and honest without the restrictions of reality. This, I believe, is where hope is born in the story.
Watching these two characters evolve was a real delight for me and I feel that Kennedy did the novel justice. You can almost feel each character battle with their own heads while their consciousness’ begins to intertwine. And let us not forget those beautifully written vignettes between chapters. Kennedy has written a wonderful novel, and Serious Sweet, I believe was worthy of its Man Booker place.
A.L. Kennedy is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and comedian. Her most recent novel, Serious Sweet, 2016, was long listed for this year’s Man Booker prize. Prior to reading the novel, I read some reviews and was fascinated by their diversity, comments ranging from disappointing to outright marvellous. This told me that I was about to embark on a work of art, after all I would expect nothing less from a Man Booker contender.
The novel is set in the heart of contemporary London and follows its two main characters, John Sigurdsson and Meg Williams through a single day. John is a fickle character, who at 59-year of age, has recently divorced is adulterous wife, and his professional life is hanging in the balance. Working as a senior civil servant in Westminster, he is attempting to uncover some pretty immoral activity. John has a talent for letter writing, this, he finds, is a romantic way to connect to women, whilst otherwise remaining inconspicuous. This is how he meets Meg.
Meg Williams is a 45-year-old bankrupt accountant, now working in an animal shelter because, ‘people who’ve been damaged by people go and work with salvaged animals because the animals have also been damaged by people’ (128). Meg is a victim of sexual abuse from a previous partner, something that we only learn in smatterings throughout the novel. A struggling alcoholic, Meg is on the wagon then off the wagon and blames her more recent fall on Margaret Thatcher, ‘The trouble was that Margaret Thatcher got her drunk.’
While the novel itself can be read as a political satire, and political corruption is plentiful in the narrative, I feel it is simply a back-story. The real story is the unfolding of the human consciousness and the power of the mind. Kennedy shows the reader the power of will through the thoughts of each character, stripping them back to their rawest and purest selves, and showing real courage and hope.
When John and Meg eventually meet at the end of the novel, it is not without some supercharged emotional turmoil. Connecting initially through letter writing, however, allowed the characters to open up their inner thoughts and feelings and gave a platform to be open and honest without the restrictions of reality. This, I believe, is where hope is born in the story.
Watching these two characters evolve was a real delight for me and I feel that Kennedy did the novel justice. You can almost feel each character battle with their own heads while their consciousness’ begins to intertwine. And let us not forget those beautifully written vignettes between chapters. Kennedy has written a wonderful novel, and Serious Sweet, I believe was worthy of its Man Booker place.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Blast from the Past (Where Are They Now? #3) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
In this third entry into the Where Are They Now? series, Tilda Harper finds herself doubting her abilities as a journalist after two unfortunate incidents go awry. Invited to meet and interview the star of the movie, which itself is based on a comic from the eighties that is now a cult classic, Tilda sets off. As she interviews the star, John Laryea, who was also in a musical-adventure television show as a teen, and various others involved with the film project, she witnesses the hit-and-run of Laryea and his assistant. While she discovers who was behind that "accident" and works to clear the main suspect's name, she also is hired to find out who Leviathan, the mysterious creator of the classic comic book series, Pharos, actually is.
A smart main character, Tilda may make some mistakes but she's never dumb and never annoying. She goes about her work in a very professional way even if she may have some sarcastic thoughts about someone or something. I really do like her, she's not a silly nitwit who gets by on luck or relies on a guy. The cast of characters are, as usual, interesting and incorporated very well into the plot. Along with the new faces, some familiar ones are here as well. Cooper, Tilda's best friend who always brings some lightheartedness, isn't as prominent in this book as he has been in the others, I believe it's only through phone conversations, but luckily the book doesn't suffer because of this. Tilda's sister, June is in it for a short amount of time that doesn't diminish her repartee with Tilda. Nick (Tilda's former and maybe future love interest) and his dad, Dom, are the two who feature predominantly since Dom's company is in charge of the film's security. Following the pattern of each book, a new roommate is introduced, though I'm sure she'll be gone by the next outing, this time the roommate is an animal collector, the latest being a snake Tilda's not too fond of.
The two plots are well-paced and complement each other nicely. Pretty much every page of the book was interesting, with clues so subtly embedded I didn't always pick up on them, that it held my attention to the very end. I love the concept of this series and while I liked the previous books, I believe this may just be the best one to date and hope there are many more to come.
Series order:
[b:Curse of the Kissing Cousins|2384227|Curse of the Kissing Cousins (Where are They Now?, #1)|Toni L.P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266777949s/2384227.jpg|2391239]
[b:Who Killed the Pinup Queen?|7518303|Who Killed the Pinup Queen? (Where are They Now?, #2)|Toni L.P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277167352s/7518303.jpg|9733117]
[b:Blast from the Past|8592435|Blast from the Past (Where Are They Now? #3)|Toni L. P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327922876s/8592435.jpg|13462058]
A smart main character, Tilda may make some mistakes but she's never dumb and never annoying. She goes about her work in a very professional way even if she may have some sarcastic thoughts about someone or something. I really do like her, she's not a silly nitwit who gets by on luck or relies on a guy. The cast of characters are, as usual, interesting and incorporated very well into the plot. Along with the new faces, some familiar ones are here as well. Cooper, Tilda's best friend who always brings some lightheartedness, isn't as prominent in this book as he has been in the others, I believe it's only through phone conversations, but luckily the book doesn't suffer because of this. Tilda's sister, June is in it for a short amount of time that doesn't diminish her repartee with Tilda. Nick (Tilda's former and maybe future love interest) and his dad, Dom, are the two who feature predominantly since Dom's company is in charge of the film's security. Following the pattern of each book, a new roommate is introduced, though I'm sure she'll be gone by the next outing, this time the roommate is an animal collector, the latest being a snake Tilda's not too fond of.
The two plots are well-paced and complement each other nicely. Pretty much every page of the book was interesting, with clues so subtly embedded I didn't always pick up on them, that it held my attention to the very end. I love the concept of this series and while I liked the previous books, I believe this may just be the best one to date and hope there are many more to come.
Series order:
[b:Curse of the Kissing Cousins|2384227|Curse of the Kissing Cousins (Where are They Now?, #1)|Toni L.P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266777949s/2384227.jpg|2391239]
[b:Who Killed the Pinup Queen?|7518303|Who Killed the Pinup Queen? (Where are They Now?, #2)|Toni L.P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277167352s/7518303.jpg|9733117]
[b:Blast from the Past|8592435|Blast from the Past (Where Are They Now? #3)|Toni L. P. Kelner|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327922876s/8592435.jpg|13462058]
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated 99 Percent Mine in Books
Dec 2, 2018
Different to The Hating Game but equally as good
99 PERCENT MINE grabbed me in with Darcy love from the off, she's an absolute feisty female with a weakness that makes her strong. I admired her attitude, her unfiltered mouth, her inner 'oh s$$t' and her outer 'don't mess with me'. That said, it really did take 20% in for me to really get fully enmeshed into the story. The 5 star rating comes from everything that overwhelmed me and took over my life from there.
Darcy Barratt is a twin, the weaker runt and her twin Jamie, well let me say, I hated that guy and his influence on the characters in this story (even though I suspect there's a story that could come from him). Darcy and Jamie had another half to them, Tom Valeska, unofficial adoptee into the Barratt clan. Darcy has loved him forever but their life has been missed opportunities and it has always been easier for her to up and leave.
<i>"I inhale his birthday-candle pheromones. I want to know what his goddamn bones smell like. Let me start down in his DNA structure and work my way back up." </i>
Tom Valeska (I can't help saying his names together, forgive me) is solid in the friendship stakes, a support, a protector, a wannabe saviour. He comes to renovate Darcy's grandmother's house and therein starts the literal magnetism between these two. Holy chemistry, I cannot explain the draw between them and I felt right in the middle of it, like iron filings. This was a burn of slow proportions but the absolute furnace it created, blew me away.
<i>"My body is taking over. Everything is boiling up out of me-years of stolen looks and tight T-shirts and that bone-deep certainty that the animal in him wants me too."</i>
I literally shelved my Saturday, locked in my fellow arc-buddy and we read together, across the ocean, exchanging highlights, swooning alongside one another, fearing together and having a mind-blown explosion over the chemistry and banter. I could not put this book down, nor would I want to. It is very unlike me to feel drawn back to a book immediately but I just know I will have to read again on release (when I have my pretty, yellow paperback in my hand) and immerse myself once again.
Sally Thorne has followed up The Hating Game with something totally different and entirely as good. No one writes dialogue like Ms Thorne and she has amply shown her diversity and also her consistency. Sorry for the glow-y-ness but I am still riding high on feelings here and I hope you will be too.
<i>"My stomach falls down an elevator shaft. Those words, spoken aloud in his voice, crackle through my synapses, and right now, I've never been more alive. I am heartbeat and full lungs."</i>
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Darcy Barratt is a twin, the weaker runt and her twin Jamie, well let me say, I hated that guy and his influence on the characters in this story (even though I suspect there's a story that could come from him). Darcy and Jamie had another half to them, Tom Valeska, unofficial adoptee into the Barratt clan. Darcy has loved him forever but their life has been missed opportunities and it has always been easier for her to up and leave.
<i>"I inhale his birthday-candle pheromones. I want to know what his goddamn bones smell like. Let me start down in his DNA structure and work my way back up." </i>
Tom Valeska (I can't help saying his names together, forgive me) is solid in the friendship stakes, a support, a protector, a wannabe saviour. He comes to renovate Darcy's grandmother's house and therein starts the literal magnetism between these two. Holy chemistry, I cannot explain the draw between them and I felt right in the middle of it, like iron filings. This was a burn of slow proportions but the absolute furnace it created, blew me away.
<i>"My body is taking over. Everything is boiling up out of me-years of stolen looks and tight T-shirts and that bone-deep certainty that the animal in him wants me too."</i>
I literally shelved my Saturday, locked in my fellow arc-buddy and we read together, across the ocean, exchanging highlights, swooning alongside one another, fearing together and having a mind-blown explosion over the chemistry and banter. I could not put this book down, nor would I want to. It is very unlike me to feel drawn back to a book immediately but I just know I will have to read again on release (when I have my pretty, yellow paperback in my hand) and immerse myself once again.
Sally Thorne has followed up The Hating Game with something totally different and entirely as good. No one writes dialogue like Ms Thorne and she has amply shown her diversity and also her consistency. Sorry for the glow-y-ness but I am still riding high on feelings here and I hope you will be too.
<i>"My stomach falls down an elevator shaft. Those words, spoken aloud in his voice, crackle through my synapses, and right now, I've never been more alive. I am heartbeat and full lungs."</i>
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Oryx and Crake (Madd Addam #1) in Books
Aug 14, 2019
Oryx and Crake is a dystopian style post-apocalyptic novel which for the majority focuses on one character, Jimmy, otherwise known as Snowman. The book centres on his life before the fall of a modern civilisation as well as how he move through life afterwards. This world (before the fall) is a perverted but in my opinion not too farfetched realisation of our future. The rich live in compounds with access to all sorts of medications and rejuvenating procedures to lengthen youth and help them remain beautiful. The poor live in the pleeblands, which appears to be not to different from the world we live in now. Food production has been streamlined with scientists creating ‘chicken’ style life forms that have no head/legs as these are not necessary, they just exist in a basic form with no brain function other than to grow. Also in this would entertainment has taken a leap and reality style TV has been twisted so much that it is almost incomprehensible that anyone would watch these shows. It is on one of these shows that Jimmy and his friend Crake first come across Oryx as a young girl. Jimmy and Crake grow up, go to different Universities and begin very different careers. Crake is an enigma, never really part of the human race, although he really does seem to be Jimmy’s friend. He is a genius and begins to develop science in leaps and bounds that could be the end of everything.
This book really got my mind asking questions of myself and science. Often at times it also made me feel anxious and tense in a way not many books have. I don’t see this as a negative, on the contrary I believe it was a positive element to the book. I personally am not a fan of reality shows, and the way entertainment is shown in the book doesn’t seem like a far stretch from what we are currently doing anyway. How many people only watch these shows to see people come to blows? When something horrendous happens on the news, how many people go and try and watch the act online? I am not say in the next few years I expect to see live executions on the TV, but it doesn’t seem like it could never happen. Which is more than worrying. The animal/food production element also doesn’t seem too far off, we can already grow meat in a lab, so how long till we can produce a chicken style organism like in this book. How long till science tries to combine different genes from animals to create new ones.
This is one of the best books I have come across this year and I fully intend to carry on the series. Fully entertaining, fully engrossing, horrific in an addictive way. There is no way to read it without questioning it. I would highly recommend.
This book really got my mind asking questions of myself and science. Often at times it also made me feel anxious and tense in a way not many books have. I don’t see this as a negative, on the contrary I believe it was a positive element to the book. I personally am not a fan of reality shows, and the way entertainment is shown in the book doesn’t seem like a far stretch from what we are currently doing anyway. How many people only watch these shows to see people come to blows? When something horrendous happens on the news, how many people go and try and watch the act online? I am not say in the next few years I expect to see live executions on the TV, but it doesn’t seem like it could never happen. Which is more than worrying. The animal/food production element also doesn’t seem too far off, we can already grow meat in a lab, so how long till we can produce a chicken style organism like in this book. How long till science tries to combine different genes from animals to create new ones.
This is one of the best books I have come across this year and I fully intend to carry on the series. Fully entertaining, fully engrossing, horrific in an addictive way. There is no way to read it without questioning it. I would highly recommend.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Ronaldo: The Phantom Carrot Snatcher in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Ronaldo: The Phantom Carrot Snatcher by Maxine Sylvester was a wonderful children's book. It is a cute story about a reindeer and his friend at the Flying Academy. The story teaches about the value of friendship and what it means to put your friend's well being before personal gain. It alos brings up judging someone on their personality and not on how they look.
Ronaldo is a level two cadet at the Reindeer Flying Academy and wears his two snowflakes that show his rank on his jacket with pride. He consistently stays at the top of his class and is in the running for getting the Golden Snowflake for having the best speed overall for the year. His best friend, Rudi is in fourth place but that dose not seem to affect their friendship.
One day after completing his flying challenge Ronaldo sets down his bag with camrots in it to watch Rudi finish his challenge. When the friends return to eat the carots they find the carrots are
missing and this is not the first time this has happened. On the way home the two friends discuss how to find the animal responsible for the missing carrots. Not too far from his home Ronaldo meets Ernie who is lost. He agrees to help Emie find her family again in secret. Rudi helps develop a plan to get a message to Ernie's family but it will cost Ronaldo the speed record. Ronaldo decides that helping a friend is more important than breaking a record and takes the risk to help her.an award for himself.
What I liked best about his book was how Ronaldo chooses to put his new friend over getting an award for himself. Ronaldo and Rudi also overcome their fear of The Forest of Doom in order to help Ernie and Ernie saves Ronaldo from bullies. There really isn't much that I did not like about this
book. If I had to pick something it would be that I could have done without the fart jokes, but I understand the appeal they have to younger children.
Target readers for this book are elementary students. Second grade students shoulhandle this book without a problem. Some words may need to be looked up but not too many of them. Having to look up a few words would help expand a young child's vocabulary so that is just another plus for this book. I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4. This book has a great story line that moves along steadily and the chapters are short enough that they do not discourage young readers. The characters are cute and even the artwork is done nicely.
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Ronaldo is a level two cadet at the Reindeer Flying Academy and wears his two snowflakes that show his rank on his jacket with pride. He consistently stays at the top of his class and is in the running for getting the Golden Snowflake for having the best speed overall for the year. His best friend, Rudi is in fourth place but that dose not seem to affect their friendship.
One day after completing his flying challenge Ronaldo sets down his bag with camrots in it to watch Rudi finish his challenge. When the friends return to eat the carots they find the carrots are
missing and this is not the first time this has happened. On the way home the two friends discuss how to find the animal responsible for the missing carrots. Not too far from his home Ronaldo meets Ernie who is lost. He agrees to help Emie find her family again in secret. Rudi helps develop a plan to get a message to Ernie's family but it will cost Ronaldo the speed record. Ronaldo decides that helping a friend is more important than breaking a record and takes the risk to help her.an award for himself.
What I liked best about his book was how Ronaldo chooses to put his new friend over getting an award for himself. Ronaldo and Rudi also overcome their fear of The Forest of Doom in order to help Ernie and Ernie saves Ronaldo from bullies. There really isn't much that I did not like about this
book. If I had to pick something it would be that I could have done without the fart jokes, but I understand the appeal they have to younger children.
Target readers for this book are elementary students. Second grade students shoulhandle this book without a problem. Some words may need to be looked up but not too many of them. Having to look up a few words would help expand a young child's vocabulary so that is just another plus for this book. I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4. This book has a great story line that moves along steadily and the chapters are short enough that they do not discourage young readers. The characters are cute and even the artwork is done nicely.
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Revenant (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The movie The Revenant is a new release starring Leonardo DiCaprio
(playing Hugh Glass), Tom Hardy (playing John Fitzgerald), Will Poulter
(playing Jim Bridger), and Forrest Goodluck (playing Glass’ half Indian
son Hawk). It is directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu and Mark L Smith.
Based on previews and ads I had seen for the film; I was really looking
forward to screening this movie.
I am a huge DiCaprio fan, and I have liked most of the recent roles I
have seen Tom Hardy in as well.
The story is based off of true events and follows a novel by Michael
Punke about an actual 19th-century incident in the days of the Western
fur trade. It involves Indian attacks, animal attacks, the struggle for
survival and vengeance.
The background and scenery in the move are breathtaking. The acting is
believable, mostly. The emotions of the characters definitely come
shining through.
Some of the camera shots that the director chooses to hone in on, are
not to my taste. There are only so many up close and personal tight
angle shots of snot running from someone’s nose in a movie that I really
care to see. One time is plenty. There are far more than one of those
types of shots though, and it sort of turned me off.
One of the major scenes involves a vicious bear attack. It was gruesome
and believable and horrifying… the entire audience gasped and squirmed
in their seats uncomfortably.
As much as I wanted to like the film, it just seemed like it dragged on
and on for me. I kept wondering when it was going to end. I’m not sure
if that was because I didn’t like some of the gorier close up shots, or
some of the bouncy camera footage (it makes me feel sick to my stomach)
or if each individual piece of the story itself was just a bit too long
which just added up throughout the movie, but I feel like I spent more
time wondering whether it was going to be over soon, than really truly
getting into the movie. In many longer movies, I am so into the story
that I don’t even notice the passage of time, but that was definitely
not the case for this film.
DiCaprio did a great job portraying a broken, beaten man trying to
survive and ultimately seeking vengeance upon the man who did him wrong,
and Tom Hardy did a great job portraying a man sucked in by greed, but
the performances couldn’t overcome the amount of time spent on getting
from one pint to the next in the film.
I would personally give this movie 2.5 out of 5 stars, but can see how
others would give it a higher rating. It just didn’t turn out to be my
cup of tea.
(playing Hugh Glass), Tom Hardy (playing John Fitzgerald), Will Poulter
(playing Jim Bridger), and Forrest Goodluck (playing Glass’ half Indian
son Hawk). It is directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu and Mark L Smith.
Based on previews and ads I had seen for the film; I was really looking
forward to screening this movie.
I am a huge DiCaprio fan, and I have liked most of the recent roles I
have seen Tom Hardy in as well.
The story is based off of true events and follows a novel by Michael
Punke about an actual 19th-century incident in the days of the Western
fur trade. It involves Indian attacks, animal attacks, the struggle for
survival and vengeance.
The background and scenery in the move are breathtaking. The acting is
believable, mostly. The emotions of the characters definitely come
shining through.
Some of the camera shots that the director chooses to hone in on, are
not to my taste. There are only so many up close and personal tight
angle shots of snot running from someone’s nose in a movie that I really
care to see. One time is plenty. There are far more than one of those
types of shots though, and it sort of turned me off.
One of the major scenes involves a vicious bear attack. It was gruesome
and believable and horrifying… the entire audience gasped and squirmed
in their seats uncomfortably.
As much as I wanted to like the film, it just seemed like it dragged on
and on for me. I kept wondering when it was going to end. I’m not sure
if that was because I didn’t like some of the gorier close up shots, or
some of the bouncy camera footage (it makes me feel sick to my stomach)
or if each individual piece of the story itself was just a bit too long
which just added up throughout the movie, but I feel like I spent more
time wondering whether it was going to be over soon, than really truly
getting into the movie. In many longer movies, I am so into the story
that I don’t even notice the passage of time, but that was definitely
not the case for this film.
DiCaprio did a great job portraying a broken, beaten man trying to
survive and ultimately seeking vengeance upon the man who did him wrong,
and Tom Hardy did a great job portraying a man sucked in by greed, but
the performances couldn’t overcome the amount of time spent on getting
from one pint to the next in the film.
I would personally give this movie 2.5 out of 5 stars, but can see how
others would give it a higher rating. It just didn’t turn out to be my
cup of tea.
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NEW! Fun pirate train game. Chug and toot into some true train fun and have a toot-riffic time...
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