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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Three Days and a Life in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I'm having a little bit of a struggle coming up with the words to describe how I feel about this one. Clearly, I enjoyed it, but I can't quite work out what it was about it that I liked so much, and then how I can get that across in my review. Let's go through this one step at a time...
This book is very much about neighbourly relationships. It's based in the small village of Beauval where everyone knows everyone, there are friends in the village and there are enemies. They live everyday surrounded by people who know everything about them. There are a load of books about the small-town-mentality at the moment, it's clearly a very "in" thing for authors at the moment. Some of them I like, others I find boring or distressing. This one was just perfect for me!
We begin the novel in 1999 and this is where we get most of the small-town vibes. We meet Antoine and his mother, whose only worry is to keep up with appearances. We meet the neighbours, the Desmedt's and Mouchottes. We meet the town butcher, Monsieur Kowalski. We meet the Weiser's - the mayor and his son Theo. We meet a lot of different people, but they all have a very important role to play within the story.
It's the 23rd December 1999 and little Remi Desmedt has gone missing. There are plenty of the theories as to his disappearance, but we know what's happened to him, and we know where he is. What follows is a slow paced novel about the effects of Remi's disappearance on the town and the theories and judgments each villager makes on anyone suspected of having taken the young boy.
The majority of this novel is set in the few days after Remi's disappearance in 1999. This was definitely my favourite part of the novel. It was enjoyable to follow the story through Antoine's mind-set, who is 12 at the time. But as we move through the story, we meet Antoine again in 2011 and then again in 2015, but these parts of the book aren't as enjoyable to read.
As we progress through the novel, Antoine keeps coming up against challenges he needs to overcome. Will he do the right thing, or will he do anything to keep his secrets close?
Like I said before, this novel is slow paced, but I quite like that in a books sometimes. This is advertised as a thriller but I wouldn't think of is like that, this feels more like a general fiction novel to be honest. This was also described as "suspenseful", but again, I'm going to disagree with that. See what I mean about not being able to describe my feelings on it? I'm at a loss for words on what I feel this books was like! What I can say is that I love Lemaitre's way of writing. It really sucked me into the story and for this reason, I'm definitely checking out his other stuff!
Something I also know is that I enjoyed this book, for the most part. If it hadn't been for the 2011 and 2015 chapters, and the direction they took, this could have been a 5 star read for me.
This book is very much about neighbourly relationships. It's based in the small village of Beauval where everyone knows everyone, there are friends in the village and there are enemies. They live everyday surrounded by people who know everything about them. There are a load of books about the small-town-mentality at the moment, it's clearly a very "in" thing for authors at the moment. Some of them I like, others I find boring or distressing. This one was just perfect for me!
We begin the novel in 1999 and this is where we get most of the small-town vibes. We meet Antoine and his mother, whose only worry is to keep up with appearances. We meet the neighbours, the Desmedt's and Mouchottes. We meet the town butcher, Monsieur Kowalski. We meet the Weiser's - the mayor and his son Theo. We meet a lot of different people, but they all have a very important role to play within the story.
It's the 23rd December 1999 and little Remi Desmedt has gone missing. There are plenty of the theories as to his disappearance, but we know what's happened to him, and we know where he is. What follows is a slow paced novel about the effects of Remi's disappearance on the town and the theories and judgments each villager makes on anyone suspected of having taken the young boy.
The majority of this novel is set in the few days after Remi's disappearance in 1999. This was definitely my favourite part of the novel. It was enjoyable to follow the story through Antoine's mind-set, who is 12 at the time. But as we move through the story, we meet Antoine again in 2011 and then again in 2015, but these parts of the book aren't as enjoyable to read.
As we progress through the novel, Antoine keeps coming up against challenges he needs to overcome. Will he do the right thing, or will he do anything to keep his secrets close?
Like I said before, this novel is slow paced, but I quite like that in a books sometimes. This is advertised as a thriller but I wouldn't think of is like that, this feels more like a general fiction novel to be honest. This was also described as "suspenseful", but again, I'm going to disagree with that. See what I mean about not being able to describe my feelings on it? I'm at a loss for words on what I feel this books was like! What I can say is that I love Lemaitre's way of writing. It really sucked me into the story and for this reason, I'm definitely checking out his other stuff!
Something I also know is that I enjoyed this book, for the most part. If it hadn't been for the 2011 and 2015 chapters, and the direction they took, this could have been a 5 star read for me.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Orange is the New Black: My Time in a Women's Prison in Books
May 14, 2017
Better that the netflix series
When I lifted this book from the shelve I thought it had been put in the wrong section as I was looking for memoir. I was delighted however, when I turned the book over and the blurb revealed that is was in fact a memoir. I had just finished watching all three series of 'Orange is the New Black' on Netflex and had quickly become a fan. The TV program is very thinly based on Kerman's actual experience and because of this I cannot make comparisons. The novel stands alone as an intelligent and well structured memoir that reads like fiction. The author portrays her time in prison through her connection with the other female prisoners and the way in which they were/are forced to endure prison life. The book is emotional, funny and heartbreaking. Kerman has captured a time in her life with precision that only a true writer can. I feel like I could have been there with her. Well done.
ClareR (6106 KP) rated This Motherless Land in Books
Nov 23, 2025
This Motherless Land is a modern day retelling based loosely on Mansfield Park. Instead of the differences between a poor working class girl and a rich upperclass family, TML shows the differences between family split between Lagos and Somerset.
Funke is by no means from a poor family in Lagos, in fact quite the opposite. Instead of ‘just’ class (as in Mansfield Park), this novel shows the attitudes and racism towards Funke, and the class they perceive her to be based on that racism, when she is sent to live with her grandparents in England. Instead of the love and support she needs and deserves, her family are detached and racist. Her cousin Liv is the only one who makes an effort, and they form a special relationship as children. But even this relationship isn’t safe, and after a misunderstanding, Funke faces more tragedy.
I loved this book. Told over three decades, I really got to know the characters (although I could have really done without ever knowing Funke’s English aunt). There are emotional highs and lows for Funke and her family. Grief and loss are central themes. I loved the cultural contrasts between Nigeria and England and the way they were described - these countries are worlds apart.
I was RAGING at some parts of this book - such was the frankly excellent writing. I was all in!!
Funke is by no means from a poor family in Lagos, in fact quite the opposite. Instead of ‘just’ class (as in Mansfield Park), this novel shows the attitudes and racism towards Funke, and the class they perceive her to be based on that racism, when she is sent to live with her grandparents in England. Instead of the love and support she needs and deserves, her family are detached and racist. Her cousin Liv is the only one who makes an effort, and they form a special relationship as children. But even this relationship isn’t safe, and after a misunderstanding, Funke faces more tragedy.
I loved this book. Told over three decades, I really got to know the characters (although I could have really done without ever knowing Funke’s English aunt). There are emotional highs and lows for Funke and her family. Grief and loss are central themes. I loved the cultural contrasts between Nigeria and England and the way they were described - these countries are worlds apart.
I was RAGING at some parts of this book - such was the frankly excellent writing. I was all in!!
Anna Karenina
Rosamund Bartlett and Leo Tolstoy
6.4
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Book
At its simplest, Anna Karenina is a love story. It is a portrait of a beautiful and intelligent...
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Dec 3, 2019 (Updated Dec 3, 2019)
Here's my quick review for this one:
I had zero idea this movie was based on a DC graphic novel; I was just intrigued by the premise of mob wives taking over. I enjoyed the story line. Margo Martindale is always great, no exception here. Melissa McCarthy felt weak, acting-wise and character-wise. Elizabeth Moss was EVERYTHING, and I don't normally care about her one way or the other. Her character's story arc was by far my favorite, her acting the most believable.
And then we come to Tiffany Haddish. She makes me cringe, and her voice makes me want to puncture my own eardrums. I just do not like her, and this movie did nothing to change my opinion. But if you can get past her, the movie was worth a watch.
I had zero idea this movie was based on a DC graphic novel; I was just intrigued by the premise of mob wives taking over. I enjoyed the story line. Margo Martindale is always great, no exception here. Melissa McCarthy felt weak, acting-wise and character-wise. Elizabeth Moss was EVERYTHING, and I don't normally care about her one way or the other. Her character's story arc was by far my favorite, her acting the most believable.
And then we come to Tiffany Haddish. She makes me cringe, and her voice makes me want to puncture my own eardrums. I just do not like her, and this movie did nothing to change my opinion. But if you can get past her, the movie was worth a watch.
Flash Fiction International
James Thomas, Robert Shapard and Christopher Merrill
Book
What is a flash fiction called in other countries? In Latin America it is a micro, in Denmark...
L.A. Confidential (1997)
8.8
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Movie Watch
Based on the seminal James Ellroy crime novel, L.A. Confidential is a hard-boiled tale of crime and...
The Handmaid's Tale
8.5
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TV Show Watch
Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, this series is set in Gilead, a totalitarian...