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ClareR (5726 KP) rated Nightshade in Books
Jan 15, 2023
As much as I loved reading this book, the main character Eve Laing is not a character to like. She’s self-centred, driven and oblivious to anything other than her work. She’s an artist,, but better known as the muse to an infamous male artist, much to her disgust.
Eve seems to be set on self-destruction, and over the course of a night walk through London (she’s braver than me!) from her former family home to the studio she now lives in, Eve tells her story. She’s an unlikeable and unreliable narrator. I will admit that I did feel some sympathy for her when her young lover shows his true colours.
And I kept thinking: why shouldn’t she want more? Because she’s married? Because she’s in her 60’s? Because she’s a mother? She’s clearly not a happy person and envies the life she imagines that she could have had.
I don’t think I’m giving too much away when I say that this is a book that can’t end well. And it may well say something about me when I say that I rather liked the ending.
Eve seems to be set on self-destruction, and over the course of a night walk through London (she’s braver than me!) from her former family home to the studio she now lives in, Eve tells her story. She’s an unlikeable and unreliable narrator. I will admit that I did feel some sympathy for her when her young lover shows his true colours.
And I kept thinking: why shouldn’t she want more? Because she’s married? Because she’s in her 60’s? Because she’s a mother? She’s clearly not a happy person and envies the life she imagines that she could have had.
I don’t think I’m giving too much away when I say that this is a book that can’t end well. And it may well say something about me when I say that I rather liked the ending.
Sebastian's Fate (Etherya's Earth #7.5)
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She was in love with a man who didn’t know she existed… Vampyre aristocrat Celine has eyes...
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Readers should not be fooled by the title The Geek Who Came From The Cold: Surviving The Post-USSR Era On A Hollywood Diet by Leon Kaminsky has nothing to do with food or dieting at all. The “Hollywood Diet” mentioned in the title is movies, mainly those from the US. A little bit of knowledge about Russia and their policies would be helpful when reading this book but is not required.
Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Unofficial Doctor Who: The Big Book of Lists
Andrew Skilleter and Cameron K. McEwan
Book
Whovians rejoice! Blogtor Who is back...Known for his popular lists, Cameron K. McEwan, author of...
The Pocket Book of Craft Beer: A Guide to Over 300 of the Finest Beers Known to Man
Book
Covering more than 50 different beer styles, The Pocket Book of Craft Beer cracks open the finest,...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Thirteen Weddings in Books
Sep 6, 2019
I suppose I should say that I'm not normally a lover of chick-lit but Paige Toon is an author I will buy happily.
CONTAINS SPOILERS, SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
I feel a bit like I'm in limbo. Is there going to be a second book? I WANT there to be a second book! I NEED there to be a second book.
I'm sorry but I was pretty much Team Alex all the way through this. Okay at the end he didn't help himself when he went through with his stupid wedding, but for me the attraction and connection between him and Bronte was amazing. He told her he loved her, messaged her everyday, she phones him up to tell him to stop and he does? Really? It seems too easy. I never really saw Alex as a quitter.
And Lackie...I liked you. Just not as a couple with Bronte. You were fun, charming, sexy...but I can't say I felt the chemistry between you as much as I could with Alex.
AND considering I tend to want my girl to go with the first guy...then that would be Alex.
I loved the first 75%. It was the author's usual witty book with great, likeable characters and an interesting plotline which I loved. I would have gladly given it 5 stars if not for the ending.
I know the author can't please everyone with her story, and that it's terrible of me to rate it down an entire star just because she didn't write the ending I wanted, but that's the kind of mood I'm in right now.
CONTAINS SPOILERS, SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
I feel a bit like I'm in limbo. Is there going to be a second book? I WANT there to be a second book! I NEED there to be a second book.
I'm sorry but I was pretty much Team Alex all the way through this. Okay at the end he didn't help himself when he went through with his stupid wedding, but for me the attraction and connection between him and Bronte was amazing. He told her he loved her, messaged her everyday, she phones him up to tell him to stop and he does? Really? It seems too easy. I never really saw Alex as a quitter.
And Lackie...I liked you. Just not as a couple with Bronte. You were fun, charming, sexy...but I can't say I felt the chemistry between you as much as I could with Alex.
AND considering I tend to want my girl to go with the first guy...then that would be Alex.
I loved the first 75%. It was the author's usual witty book with great, likeable characters and an interesting plotline which I loved. I would have gladly given it 5 stars if not for the ending.
I know the author can't please everyone with her story, and that it's terrible of me to rate it down an entire star just because she didn't write the ending I wanted, but that's the kind of mood I'm in right now.
Kirsty Marie Allen (0 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Jan 5, 2019
Amazing Whirlwind Ride From Start to End
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is one of the most honestly thrill seeking adaptations I have seen for a long time. I am a big lover of original novel based stories and when these stories are made into on screen adaptations, it is easy for things to go terribly wrong and the story to become lost within flashy CGI ect. This is one of the best TV shows I have watched for a long time, to be honest I binged watch it within 3 days. The crew and cast of 'The Haunting of Hill House' created a modern day masterpiece whilst staying true to the original paper back.
Little Lady Liberty: Over 20 Simple Sewing Projects for Little Girls
Book
Make little girls' dreams come true with the prettiest sewing projects ever imagined! Sewn in...
Return to Night: A Virago Modern Classic
Book
Losing out on a promotion to her ex lover, Hilary Mansell, a talented doctor, moves to a rural...