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Janeeny (200 KP) rated The Binding in Books
May 8, 2019
Emmett is a boy with a gift, he doesn’t realise it but he is a natural ‘Binder’. Binders are people who can take any memory you wish to forget and bind it in a book. So Emmett is sent as an apprentice to a local Binder, but this story isn’t about Binding, this is about Emmett and something he may have forgotten.
I do appreciate a good-looking book, and this is one good looking book. The cover art just draws the eye and the marbling effect on the inside cover is just beautiful. Then you have this little blurb
“Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever”
Captures the imagination, right?
The Binding is categorized as 'Magical Realism', although it doesn’t totally deliver on it’s promise.
The story starts out around Emmett, and you know there is a deep secret there which will eventually unravel. He is sent to an old Binder as an apprentice to learn the trade, which basically involves laying your hand on the person who wishes to forget as they tell you their memory. That is essentially it for the Binding aspect of the book. This story is predominantly about Emmett and his past, and ‘Binding’ plays a very small part in that. Don’t get me wrong I did really enjoy the direction that the book took, but as somebody in my book club pointed out, we would have liked to know more about The actual Binding and the books. Maybe if Bridget Collins releases more books based around this I may get my wish!
I do appreciate a good-looking book, and this is one good looking book. The cover art just draws the eye and the marbling effect on the inside cover is just beautiful. Then you have this little blurb
“Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever”
Captures the imagination, right?
The Binding is categorized as 'Magical Realism', although it doesn’t totally deliver on it’s promise.
The story starts out around Emmett, and you know there is a deep secret there which will eventually unravel. He is sent to an old Binder as an apprentice to learn the trade, which basically involves laying your hand on the person who wishes to forget as they tell you their memory. That is essentially it for the Binding aspect of the book. This story is predominantly about Emmett and his past, and ‘Binding’ plays a very small part in that. Don’t get me wrong I did really enjoy the direction that the book took, but as somebody in my book club pointed out, we would have liked to know more about The actual Binding and the books. Maybe if Bridget Collins releases more books based around this I may get my wish!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Less in Books
Jul 28, 2018
Less is a good name for this book, because that's how I found it. Less than the love story it is purported to be. Less interesting than people say it is. Less funny than reviews would have me believe. Less than I was expecting. It's a Pulitzer Prize winner, apparently? Maybe I just don't "get" contemporary fiction. Because unless it's YA, I very, VERY rarely like it. I didn't like Arthur Less. None of his misadventures were that funny.
The book was a little meta; Arthur is told that the book he's writing isn't that interesting because his protagonist, a middle aged gay white man, isn't interesting and no one cares about him. Which is exactly how I feel about Arthur Less. He's a middle aged gay white man with the means to travel the world, and a boyfriend who would have married him if he'd only, I don't know, asked. But he just floats through his life a little melancholy and woe is me. And not in the like actually depressed kind of way. Just - meh.
Arthur is BORING. Arthur is privileged, and boring, and annoying as all hell. This book just makes me want to avoid Pulitzer Prize winners. Who awards these prizes, and WHY? Also why does everybody rave about books like this?
Blargh. Don't bother with this book. People who say it made them laugh out loud don't know what they're talking about, or perhaps haven't read actually funny books. They should read something by Ellen, or Trevor Noah, or Tiffany Haddish. THEY'RE ACTUALLY FUNNY.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The book was a little meta; Arthur is told that the book he's writing isn't that interesting because his protagonist, a middle aged gay white man, isn't interesting and no one cares about him. Which is exactly how I feel about Arthur Less. He's a middle aged gay white man with the means to travel the world, and a boyfriend who would have married him if he'd only, I don't know, asked. But he just floats through his life a little melancholy and woe is me. And not in the like actually depressed kind of way. Just - meh.
Arthur is BORING. Arthur is privileged, and boring, and annoying as all hell. This book just makes me want to avoid Pulitzer Prize winners. Who awards these prizes, and WHY? Also why does everybody rave about books like this?
Blargh. Don't bother with this book. People who say it made them laugh out loud don't know what they're talking about, or perhaps haven't read actually funny books. They should read something by Ellen, or Trevor Noah, or Tiffany Haddish. THEY'RE ACTUALLY FUNNY.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Paperweight in Books
Jun 24, 2019
https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/book-review-paperweight/
This. Book. Is. Amazing.
There aren't enough books about such serious and common topics like this. I'm not going to lie, I found this rather hard to read due to how it brought back so many personal memories for me. I should warn any potential readers that this book includes a log of negative language about body image, mentions of self-harm and suicide, and a lot about eating disorders and behaviours.
Stevie, a 17-year-old girl who's mother left and brother died, has her self-destruction plans halted when her father sends her to an eating disorder treatment centre. This book follows her through a twenty-seven day period of pain and conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Throughout Stevie's time at the treatment centre, the reader is told about her life through little snippets here and there. We learn about her behaviours and thoughts as her eating disorder developed, about the day her mother left, and the time around her brother's death.
Stevie is carrying so much guilt and pain, and all she wants is to disappear on the anniversary of the accident. But her shrink, Anna, is desperate to help her live her life.
This book is so accurately written. The things Stevie thinks and does often reflect myself and people I've known while really struggling with eating disorders. The daunting prospect of recovery looms over her, making her unsure of what her goal really is. She was so sure she wanted to die... But now she's met Ashley, and Anna, and rethought her plan. What once seemed so simple and obvious, Stevie is no longer sure she wants.
Paperweight is so emotional, accurately telling the story of Stevie's personal experiences with an eating disorder as well as her struggles after her mother moved away and her brother was killed. It combats so many topics that I've rarely seen in other books, and is just so greatly written... I love it. 5 stars!
This. Book. Is. Amazing.
There aren't enough books about such serious and common topics like this. I'm not going to lie, I found this rather hard to read due to how it brought back so many personal memories for me. I should warn any potential readers that this book includes a log of negative language about body image, mentions of self-harm and suicide, and a lot about eating disorders and behaviours.
Stevie, a 17-year-old girl who's mother left and brother died, has her self-destruction plans halted when her father sends her to an eating disorder treatment centre. This book follows her through a twenty-seven day period of pain and conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Throughout Stevie's time at the treatment centre, the reader is told about her life through little snippets here and there. We learn about her behaviours and thoughts as her eating disorder developed, about the day her mother left, and the time around her brother's death.
Stevie is carrying so much guilt and pain, and all she wants is to disappear on the anniversary of the accident. But her shrink, Anna, is desperate to help her live her life.
This book is so accurately written. The things Stevie thinks and does often reflect myself and people I've known while really struggling with eating disorders. The daunting prospect of recovery looms over her, making her unsure of what her goal really is. She was so sure she wanted to die... But now she's met Ashley, and Anna, and rethought her plan. What once seemed so simple and obvious, Stevie is no longer sure she wants.
Paperweight is so emotional, accurately telling the story of Stevie's personal experiences with an eating disorder as well as her struggles after her mother moved away and her brother was killed. It combats so many topics that I've rarely seen in other books, and is just so greatly written... I love it. 5 stars!
ClareR (5996 KP) rated We Germans in Books
Aug 17, 2023
We Germans is told from the point of view of a German soldier on the Eastern Front. A young British man asks his German grandfather about his role in the war, and whilst his grandfather doesn’t want to talk about it with him, he does leave him a letter to read about what happened to him after his death.
That letter is the book we read, with asides and clarifications from the grandson.
We don’t have a story that covers from the beginning to the end of the war. This is told from when things have started to go wrong for the Germans. The army is fragmented. The soldiers don’t really know where they’re going, but they know that they want to try and make it back to Germany - on foot. These men are scared, confused and the acts they see committed by both sides are horrific.
The grandson helps us to see the effects of the war on his grandfather, and his subsequent imprisonment in Russia. How 70 years post-war have changed him, how the war changed him as well. He acknowledges that he was to blame for what had happened as much as anyone else, but that he was expected to toe the line as a soldier.
This is historical fiction, but its well researched and has the hint of reality about it. It really gives the reader something to think about, and I know that personally, I haven’t found many books out there that cover this period of history in this way. I can’t say as it’s something I want to avidly read lots of books about, but having read this from a more human perspective (rather than a factual history book that lists dates and places), it feels very personal.
This is a short, powerful novel, and I think it’s worth the time spent reading it if you have an interest in either the time in history, or human nature.
That letter is the book we read, with asides and clarifications from the grandson.
We don’t have a story that covers from the beginning to the end of the war. This is told from when things have started to go wrong for the Germans. The army is fragmented. The soldiers don’t really know where they’re going, but they know that they want to try and make it back to Germany - on foot. These men are scared, confused and the acts they see committed by both sides are horrific.
The grandson helps us to see the effects of the war on his grandfather, and his subsequent imprisonment in Russia. How 70 years post-war have changed him, how the war changed him as well. He acknowledges that he was to blame for what had happened as much as anyone else, but that he was expected to toe the line as a soldier.
This is historical fiction, but its well researched and has the hint of reality about it. It really gives the reader something to think about, and I know that personally, I haven’t found many books out there that cover this period of history in this way. I can’t say as it’s something I want to avidly read lots of books about, but having read this from a more human perspective (rather than a factual history book that lists dates and places), it feels very personal.
This is a short, powerful novel, and I think it’s worth the time spent reading it if you have an interest in either the time in history, or human nature.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Paris Library in Books
Mar 2, 2021
The Paris Library tells the story of the occupation of Paris from a different point of view - that of the librarians. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, books are my favourite things, so it was a pretty safe bet that I’d enjoy this book!
In 1930’s - 1940’s Paris, we follow Odile, a young woman who wants to be a librarian in the American Library. She gets her dream job - much to her parents dismay. She meets and falls in love with a young police officer, but life begins to get much more difficult when the Germans invade France, occupying Paris. Odile’s twin brother is imprisoned in a camp after he is captured on the front, and her Jewish subscribers at the library are forbidden from going there. Odile’s wartime experiences are fascinating to read about, and I really enjoyed these flashbacks.
We also meet Lily in the 1980’s - Odile’s neighbour in the small Montana town that they both live in. They become good friends when Lily decides that she wants to write a school report about France during the Occupation. Odile teaches Lily to speak French, and they share a love of books. Odile becomes a grandmotherly figure in Lily’s life, and I loved the relationship between the two of them.
I found this book so interesting: when I was reading about Lily, I was desperate to know what would happen in the next Paris flashback, and when I was reading about Odile’s Paris, I wanted to know what would happen to Lily in her next section. I would say that this is the sign of a good book!
The Parisian sections weren’t gratuitously violent - in fact the Nazi heading the library department of the invading forces seemed to be a reasonable man. It’s made clear that the characters don’t like the Germans, and we’re told that Jews go missing, but the German’s themselves are very low key. This is about Odile’s experience, and Lily’s life in the 80’s. And the power of books.
The bravery of the Parisian librarians was admirable, especially as they could have been imprisoned or killed if their acts of resistance had ever been revealed.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book - it was a pleasure to read.
In 1930’s - 1940’s Paris, we follow Odile, a young woman who wants to be a librarian in the American Library. She gets her dream job - much to her parents dismay. She meets and falls in love with a young police officer, but life begins to get much more difficult when the Germans invade France, occupying Paris. Odile’s twin brother is imprisoned in a camp after he is captured on the front, and her Jewish subscribers at the library are forbidden from going there. Odile’s wartime experiences are fascinating to read about, and I really enjoyed these flashbacks.
We also meet Lily in the 1980’s - Odile’s neighbour in the small Montana town that they both live in. They become good friends when Lily decides that she wants to write a school report about France during the Occupation. Odile teaches Lily to speak French, and they share a love of books. Odile becomes a grandmotherly figure in Lily’s life, and I loved the relationship between the two of them.
I found this book so interesting: when I was reading about Lily, I was desperate to know what would happen in the next Paris flashback, and when I was reading about Odile’s Paris, I wanted to know what would happen to Lily in her next section. I would say that this is the sign of a good book!
The Parisian sections weren’t gratuitously violent - in fact the Nazi heading the library department of the invading forces seemed to be a reasonable man. It’s made clear that the characters don’t like the Germans, and we’re told that Jews go missing, but the German’s themselves are very low key. This is about Odile’s experience, and Lily’s life in the 80’s. And the power of books.
The bravery of the Parisian librarians was admirable, especially as they could have been imprisoned or killed if their acts of resistance had ever been revealed.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book - it was a pleasure to read.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons, #8) in Books
Jan 11, 2022
Another brilliantly written Bridgerton book. This one has all the elements of a thriller. Blackmail, treason, someone showing up to stop a wedding by proposing to the bride, what more could you want in a book?
This book follows Gregory and his pursuit of love, which he firmly believes in, thanks to all seven of his siblings being married and blissfully happy and in love with their chosen spouses. We start the book as he runs into a wedding and proposes to the bride and the chapter ends before we find out both who it is and what she says. It takes about half the book to find out who the bride is, and then another few chapters to find out her answer. The suspense kept me reading as I needed to find out what happened.
This book, although obviously similar to the rest of the series, was a lot faster paced and reminded me more of a thriller (without the darkness of a thriller) with the situations that the characters found themselves in.
I think that Gregory’s story may have moved up to one of my favourite Bridgerton books, although this seems to change with every book I read from the series. But this definitely seemed more like the type of book I usually read and I loved every minute of it.
As I started reading, I realised that the previous seven books didn’t really tell us a lot about Gregory, and I would put him in the same category as Francesca was when I started reading When He Was Wicked. But it was good to read about him and learn about his character so late on in the series as it meant that you didn’t really have any preconceptions about his character and how you believe he should behave in the pursuit of love which happened with all of his other siblings (again with exception of Francesca).
I really will be sad to say goodbye to this family when I read the final book in the Bridgerton series, but I hope that the Netflix adaption stays true to the tones of the books and that we get an adaptation of each book as I believe they will work very well on screen as well as in print.
This book follows Gregory and his pursuit of love, which he firmly believes in, thanks to all seven of his siblings being married and blissfully happy and in love with their chosen spouses. We start the book as he runs into a wedding and proposes to the bride and the chapter ends before we find out both who it is and what she says. It takes about half the book to find out who the bride is, and then another few chapters to find out her answer. The suspense kept me reading as I needed to find out what happened.
This book, although obviously similar to the rest of the series, was a lot faster paced and reminded me more of a thriller (without the darkness of a thriller) with the situations that the characters found themselves in.
I think that Gregory’s story may have moved up to one of my favourite Bridgerton books, although this seems to change with every book I read from the series. But this definitely seemed more like the type of book I usually read and I loved every minute of it.
As I started reading, I realised that the previous seven books didn’t really tell us a lot about Gregory, and I would put him in the same category as Francesca was when I started reading When He Was Wicked. But it was good to read about him and learn about his character so late on in the series as it meant that you didn’t really have any preconceptions about his character and how you believe he should behave in the pursuit of love which happened with all of his other siblings (again with exception of Francesca).
I really will be sad to say goodbye to this family when I read the final book in the Bridgerton series, but I hope that the Netflix adaption stays true to the tones of the books and that we get an adaptation of each book as I believe they will work very well on screen as well as in print.
Subject B will do anything to get his life back. But the dead have other plans
Kidnapped by the brilliant Professor Worthe, Vietnam vet Marcus Holt is forced to take part in a sadistic experiment. Worthe's game has one objective: to see how much fear a man can survive. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is about to discover the answer to that question Whether he likes it or not.
Trapped in Worthes haunted village, Marcus and his team stumble across Subject H, a frightened young mother eager to reunite with her child. She soon becomes the target of a ghost drawn to her fear and anguish. A wrathful spirit that stalks them all from the shadows, waiting for a chance to wield his razor-sharp knifeto carve out the heart of any mother he can find
Marcus must call on every ounce of strength and courage to protect Subject H from the terror that hunts her. But even if they can escape Worthes latest horror, another enemy lurks in the village a deadly spirit Marcus has faced before.
This vicious ghost is about to end Worthes experiment once and for all By killing Marcus Holt.
I have read every single one of Ron Ripley's books and I love them all!!
I would definitely recommend these books to anybody who loves horror; these books are the ones for you.
I'm hoping there will be one more to give some closure to this one.
I get so involved with the characters that the ghosts are expected. I can't get enough!
The plot and pace are perfectly tuned.
Definitely recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kidnapped by the brilliant Professor Worthe, Vietnam vet Marcus Holt is forced to take part in a sadistic experiment. Worthe's game has one objective: to see how much fear a man can survive. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is about to discover the answer to that question Whether he likes it or not.
Trapped in Worthes haunted village, Marcus and his team stumble across Subject H, a frightened young mother eager to reunite with her child. She soon becomes the target of a ghost drawn to her fear and anguish. A wrathful spirit that stalks them all from the shadows, waiting for a chance to wield his razor-sharp knifeto carve out the heart of any mother he can find
Marcus must call on every ounce of strength and courage to protect Subject H from the terror that hunts her. But even if they can escape Worthes latest horror, another enemy lurks in the village a deadly spirit Marcus has faced before.
This vicious ghost is about to end Worthes experiment once and for all By killing Marcus Holt.
I have read every single one of Ron Ripley's books and I love them all!!
I would definitely recommend these books to anybody who loves horror; these books are the ones for you.
I'm hoping there will be one more to give some closure to this one.
I get so involved with the characters that the ghosts are expected. I can't get enough!
The plot and pace are perfectly tuned.
Definitely recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Night (The Night Trilogy #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
My heart broke while listening to this novel. I cannot even imagine what this experience was like to live. Just reading this book made me thankful for the life that I have lived. I can only hope that we will never again let anyone experience these atrocious acts again.
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
Connemara: A Little Gaelic Kingdom
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The triumphant conclusion to Tim Robinson's extraordinary Connemara trilogy, which Robert Macfarlane...
How Not to Get Published: Teach Yourself
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LEARN HOW TO GET PUBLISHING BY AVOIDING THE MISTAKES THAT OTHERS MADE BEFORE YOU. There are many...