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American Gods
American Gods
Neil Gaiman | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
There's not much I could probably add to the discussion about American Gods that hasn't already been said, but I can say that I loved this story. I had been meaning to get around to reading this, and when the show finally starting running on Starz, I thought now is as good a time as any. I'm surprised by how different the show is from the book; I can understand the updates to technology in the show as the book is over 15 years old and tech has evolved in that time, but in addition to that, there are some significant changes to how the show is being altered, and to be honest, there's a part of me that likes the show better than the book, but Gaiman's story is still marvelous. I'm very interested to see how the show will play out, especially given the story arc and character changes.

I'm wildly interested in reading Anansi Boys, but I'll be taking a short break in between the two books. I don't want to get overloaded on gods!

A note on the full cast reading of the 10th Anniversary Edition
I decided to listen to the book on my work commute, and I'm not going to lie, I loved the cast reading. They various narrators handled each of their characters perfectly and were totally believable. I'm really hoping that the audio of Anansi Boys is handled just as well.
  
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Liliannar (58 KP) May 25, 2018

The full cast reading was amazing and I can't wait to listen to it again. They played their roles incredibly well and each character was brought to life.

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Brenna (3 KP) rated Libby, by OverDrive in Apps

May 17, 2018  
Libby, by OverDrive
Libby, by OverDrive
Book, Entertainment
8
8.2 (26 Ratings)
App Rating
free to use (3 more)
pretty interface
automatic book return
both audio and ebook files!
need a library card to use (2 more)
selection can be limited
can take some getting used to
A Must-Have App for Any Book Lover
I discovered Libby at the suggestion of another internet user, and while I didn't even have a library card to begin with, I have since fallen in love.

Why I Love it: As a college student, I don't have a lot of spare money. As a college student who loves to read, this can be a problem! Libby solves some of these issues for me. It's basically an easy way to access the digital content from your local libraries. All you need is a library card. If you like audiobooks or ebooks, this is an app for you.

The Downsides: There are a few downsides to Libby. For one, you need a library card - but those are easy enough to come by, right? Second, the selection can be somewhat limited depending on what your library system houses. The best solution to this is to get multiple library cards, but while this is good for college students and out-of-towners, its not a viable option for everyone. Another issue is waiting lists on both ebooks and audibooks, much like you're actually checking out a book at a library. This is kind of annoying, but it's a small price to pay for an app that is otherwise really great.
  
Better Than I Know Myself
Better Than I Know Myself
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Did you ever have a friend who was more like family? For Regina Foster, Jewel Prescott, and Carmen Webb this is exactly true. Better Than I Know Myself starts in the late 70's when the girls are seniors in high school and making the decision on where to go to college. Three different girls from three very different backgrounds. Jewel, a former child star. Regina, the daughter of two college educated parents and little sister to older brothers who had all attended and graduated from college. And Carmen whose parents had left her at a young age.

The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.

This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.

I listened to this book through the iPod and Overdrive. The audio was read by Lisa Renee Pitts.
  
Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1)
Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1)
Harlan Coben | 1995 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Myron Bolitar is an accomplished sports agent in New York City. He doesn't have very many clients, and the ones he does have aren't very big names. His newest client, Christian Steele has been signed by the Titans this year, but trouble seems to find Christian around every turn. A year ago, his fiancee went missing and now her father has turned up dead. What is the connection of these two incidents? How can Myron help clear Christian's name and find out what happened to Cathy? With the help of Myron's best friend, Win and his ex-girlfriend Jessica, who also happens to be Cathy's sister, they will get to the bottom of this no matter what they have to do, to get to the truth.

This book is the first in the Myron Bolitar series. We are introduced to Myron and his cohorts and find out about his background. I enjoy a good series and I can't wait to find out more about these characters.

This was a book that kept my attention the whole time. There are times when listening to an audio book that the story gets lost along the way. But not for this one. I found myself wanting to listen and find out what was going to happen next. I definitely didn't see the ending coming. I can't wait to see what Book 2 in the series has in store.
  
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Trevor Noah | 2017 | Biography
8
9.2 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
A highly entertaining account of an unusual childhood
I read this book, though I'd really like to listen to the audio book version. It's narrated by Trevor Noah himself, and apparently very, very good. I totally believe that - the man is hilarious on The Daily Show. I still really enjoyed the stories Noah told, though I wish he'd gotten more into his journey as a comedian, and not just his childhood and teenage years.

Noah has an uncanny way of explaining background information that you need to know while not giving away the (actually somewhat obvious in hindsight) punchline. Even the background information is told in an extremely entertaining way - you can feel Noah's everpresent grin through the pages. Even though the book begins (and sort of ends) on a sad note, the book itself is a happy, optimistic one. I didn't laugh myself silly, like the next book I read (Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy), but I did have to giggle and read parts to my husband. (And he actually laughed at them, instead of looking at me like I was insane, which is what happened with Furiously Happy.)

I've been a fan of Trevor Noah's since shortly after he took over The Daily Show, and this was an interesting peek at his background, and the very different culture he grew up in. I highly recommend this book.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
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Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Birdemic: Shock And Terror (2008) in Movies

Jul 9, 2018 (Updated Jan 23, 2019)  
Birdemic: Shock And Terror (2008)
Birdemic: Shock And Terror (2008)
2008 | Horror, Mystery, Romance
8
5.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The horrible acting is fun to laugh at (2 more)
It actually has a song that got stuck in my head
You can have fun with the bad editing and camera work
Would constantly ask myself "where are the birds?" (0 more)
One of the best "so bad it's good"
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'm not quite sure what rating I'm meant to give. It's a bad movie so should be low but It's to the point I love it so I had to give it a 8
It takes roughly about a hour for actual birds to appear and before that it's all about a guy with a blue car going about his daily life to work.

It may sound boring but it's too funny for you to be bored. The camera work is horrible, you can hear into he audio every single editing cut which is awkward. Characters have no chemistry (im pretty sure the main guy is a robot).

Even the opening scene spends about 10 minutes in a car, the music on a loop and yet all of this adds together to become 1 of the funniest movies.

There is 1 moment in the film where they dance and you can't help but sing along to the song. It's so catchy "we're hanging out, hanging out....hanging out with my family, having ourselves a party!)

This is by far my favourite of bad movies. Who attacks a bird with a coat hanger? Haha

I would recommend watching it at least once.
  
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Tracy (238 KP) Jan 19, 2019

Hanging out..Hanging out with my family!

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Kevin Wilson (179 KP) Jan 23, 2019

Having ourselves a paaaaaaarty! XD

Heartless
Heartless
Marissa Meyer | 2017 | Children
10
8.3 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
Heartless is WAAAAAY different than Marissa's Lunar Chronicles. Different style, different feel...But just as spectacular! Set in the land of Hearts, before Alice ever came through the looking glass...We meet all our favorite (and maybe not so favorite) Wonderland characters in a way that we have never seen them before. I absolutely LOVE getting glimpses into the lives of well known characters...BEFORE the story starts.



Personally, this is my FAVORITE story about the Queen of Hearts that I have encountered. Romance, suspense, heartbreak...this is a thrilling tale that you won't want to put down. And even though we know who she becomes in the end...You can't help hoping that the story will end differently...Because your heart breaks for Cath and Jest. Marissa has painted a character that I want to love...That I want to cheer for...



If you love fairytales with happy endings that are all cupcakes and rainbows...This is probably not going to suit your style. But if you are like me, meaning you are a glutton for punishment and read books back to back that rip your heart apart and cause the river of emotions to flow in a torrential downpour. Then THIS is definitely the book for you!



I received a complimentary print copy of Heartless. I borrowed the audio version from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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