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Dana (24 KP) rated Howl and Other Poems in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I don't overly enjoy poetry for the most part, but I have to say, I really enjoy Allen Ginsberg's writing.
I had previously read "Howl" and "A Supermarket in California" which I very much enjoyed. The other poems, being new to me, I thoroughly enjoyed.
Ginsberg has a very interesting writing style that is very vivid. I love how he speaks directly to his fellow poets in some of his poems. In writing them in, he is giving them an even greater form of immortality.
I enjoyed the poem "America." It's asking the citizens of America what the war is worth, but America is also asking things of him that he wouldn't be able to live up to. He questions his own writing in this as well.
Ginsberg has a very musical beat to his poems that makes you have to keep reading. It pulls you along, especially when you read it out loud.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this little book of poems.
I had previously read "Howl" and "A Supermarket in California" which I very much enjoyed. The other poems, being new to me, I thoroughly enjoyed.
Ginsberg has a very interesting writing style that is very vivid. I love how he speaks directly to his fellow poets in some of his poems. In writing them in, he is giving them an even greater form of immortality.
I enjoyed the poem "America." It's asking the citizens of America what the war is worth, but America is also asking things of him that he wouldn't be able to live up to. He questions his own writing in this as well.
Ginsberg has a very musical beat to his poems that makes you have to keep reading. It pulls you along, especially when you read it out loud.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this little book of poems.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated The Syndrome (Kingdom Keepers, #7.5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Amanda can’t reach any of the Kingdom Keepers for a few days, she travels from California to Florida to try to find them – only when she arrives, she discovers it is worse than she feared. Meanwhile, Jess is having visions again that show Amanda might be in danger. What is going on?
How could this DisNerd not love this series, and the transition book to a new story is filled once again with twists, danger, and lots of fun. The scenes in the parks are exceptionally well done as always, plus I felt that we really got to know Amanda and Jess in this book. The first person narration does alternate between several people, and it works well, although at times I feel like it needlessly repeats scenes. My biggest complaint is sloppy editing, however.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-syndrome-by-ridley-pearson.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
How could this DisNerd not love this series, and the transition book to a new story is filled once again with twists, danger, and lots of fun. The scenes in the parks are exceptionally well done as always, plus I felt that we really got to know Amanda and Jess in this book. The first person narration does alternate between several people, and it works well, although at times I feel like it needlessly repeats scenes. My biggest complaint is sloppy editing, however.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-syndrome-by-ridley-pearson.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Paint the Town Dead in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Rory Anderson is thrilled about the decorative painting convention coming to Vista Beach, California, her hometown. She’s looking forward to the classes and helping her mom, one of the vendors for the event. However, she is shocked when her friend collapses and dies just as the week is getting under way. The police think it was a tragic accident, but Rory is sure it was murder. Can she prove it?
I love the beach, so the beach town setting is perfect for me. The characters are good, although I did feel they could have been just a little stronger. However, the plot was plenty strong with things progressing at a steady pace all the way to the climax. I was sure I had it completely figured out multiple times only to change my mind a couple of chapters later.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-paint-town-dead-by-sybil.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I love the beach, so the beach town setting is perfect for me. The characters are good, although I did feel they could have been just a little stronger. However, the plot was plenty strong with things progressing at a steady pace all the way to the climax. I was sure I had it completely figured out multiple times only to change my mind a couple of chapters later.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-paint-town-dead-by-sybil.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Gruff Rhys recommended California 99 by Jimmie Haskell in Music (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Winchester (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Ensconced in her sprawling California mansion, eccentric firearm heiress Sarah Winchester believes she is haunted by the souls of people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.
I find this house really interesting, it's on my list of things to do on a road trip of America. It's bizarre, and I love bizarre. Throw in Helen Mirren and I was going to be all over this film.
I did discover one thing from going to see this though... I really can't watch horror films in the cinema. I generally don't find them to be very good films, but that being said I do easily jump at things even if I know they're coming.
I love the idea behind it, and I thought the story was a good way of doing it, but the end result felt a little lacking to me. It does get some kudos for not being as predictable as some horror movies though.
I find this house really interesting, it's on my list of things to do on a road trip of America. It's bizarre, and I love bizarre. Throw in Helen Mirren and I was going to be all over this film.
I did discover one thing from going to see this though... I really can't watch horror films in the cinema. I generally don't find them to be very good films, but that being said I do easily jump at things even if I know they're coming.
I love the idea behind it, and I thought the story was a good way of doing it, but the end result felt a little lacking to me. It does get some kudos for not being as predictable as some horror movies though.
CHILLFILTR (46 KP) rated Cool City by Cary Brothers in Music
Jul 11, 2019
My old buddy Matty D used to play bass for him; Cary's been around for a while. This is how I heard this song at first: Oh really, that's the whole chorus? I mean he gives so little to start out; this whole song is a crescendo, coming from the arrangement, the production, how the chorus keeps getting slightly longer - and then you realize it's all been a set-up for the bridge.
Cary Brothers is quintessential Los Angeles. He's talking about cigarettes and easy parking, he looks good but not too good; the tie is not done. But the production is as good as it gets, and the voice is California all day long.
“I got her number
but she was so smart
I’m feeling stupid
at least it’s a start”
— Cary Brothers
This is a snapshot, a production relic, a grab-and-go musical fast-food. And it is delicious. Cool City indeed.
Cary Brothers is quintessential Los Angeles. He's talking about cigarettes and easy parking, he looks good but not too good; the tie is not done. But the production is as good as it gets, and the voice is California all day long.
“I got her number
but she was so smart
I’m feeling stupid
at least it’s a start”
— Cary Brothers
This is a snapshot, a production relic, a grab-and-go musical fast-food. And it is delicious. Cool City indeed.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated It's Not Like It's a Secret in Books
Jun 4, 2019
Sana is a California transplant from Wisconsin; both her parents are immigrants from Japan, so despite feeling like she's a midwesterner, none of her friends think of her as one. There's a cringe-y scene early in the book where she cheers with her friends about being "midwestern farmer's daughters" and they tell her she's cute for thinking that, but she's Japanese, obv. I felt really bad for her. When her family moves to California, suddenly she's not the only Asian girl in a sea of whiteness. It's an interesting mix of having a place with your own people but also fighting the stereotypes of sticking with your own ethnicity. It's assumed she'll be friends with the other Asian kids, which annoys her, but she also finds to be true; having not had the opportunity to have friends like her before, she finds she really likes it. But she also tries to break that mold and be friends with people she's not assumed to like - like Jamie Ramirez and her Hispanic friends, and Caleb and his white goth friends.
The book also explores the way racism hits races differently; the Hispanic kids get hassled by cops while the Asian kids don't - though they also have things expected of them that the Hispanic kids don't. The book gets into cultural expectations as well - PDAs are not really a thing in Sana's world, so she's reluctant to be public about her affections at school, which drives misunderstandings.
It's only in the last few chapters that all the secrets come out, and Sana struggles to put things right.
One thing I really liked about the book is the narrative structure. At the beginning of the school year, Sana's English teacher gives them a project, which is to keep a journal to transcribe poems into and talk about what they mean to you. Chapters from Sana's poetry journal are interspersed with chapters of the narrative, and give some nice insight to how she's feeling. Her love interest, Jamie, also loves poetry, and it plays a large part in their relationship.
I quite enjoyed this book.You can find all my reviews plus more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The book also explores the way racism hits races differently; the Hispanic kids get hassled by cops while the Asian kids don't - though they also have things expected of them that the Hispanic kids don't. The book gets into cultural expectations as well - PDAs are not really a thing in Sana's world, so she's reluctant to be public about her affections at school, which drives misunderstandings.
It's only in the last few chapters that all the secrets come out, and Sana struggles to put things right.
One thing I really liked about the book is the narrative structure. At the beginning of the school year, Sana's English teacher gives them a project, which is to keep a journal to transcribe poems into and talk about what they mean to you. Chapters from Sana's poetry journal are interspersed with chapters of the narrative, and give some nice insight to how she's feeling. Her love interest, Jamie, also loves poetry, and it plays a large part in their relationship.
I quite enjoyed this book.You can find all my reviews plus more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Hunger in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The Hunger by Alma Katsu is based on the true events of Donner Party tragedy where a party of pioneers travelling west came to a crossroads and the leader, George Donner had to make a decision to take the well documented but longer route across the desert towards California, or to take the untested path, which was rumoured to be far shorter. His decision could mean life or death to the families travelling with him.
It’s kind of funny that the first time I heard of the Donner Party was on one of my favourite horror films, The Shining, written by Stephen King and directed Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson acting as the character Jack Torrance, mentions the Donner Party and it’s how the name came about for the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 in Northern California. Since hearing about this in the film I was eager to look it up, so when I read the synopsis of The Hunger, I had to read it!
This book is broken up into monthly sections starting from June 1846 to April 1847. The latter of which is actually the prologue and supplies the details of the findings of one man, Lewis Keseberg, the last known survivor of the Donna Party event. This makes for an intriguing hook for the rest of the book and I couldn’t wait to see what had happened. Why had no one else survived?
The Hunger is an atmospheric re-imagining of the Donner Party disaster, which blends true horror with the supernatural and is ideal for historical, paranormal and even dark horror fans! It’s full of drama, mystery, intrigue and is downright spooky. The tension Alma Katsu adds, it amazing! I really sympathised for the families, those that had no idea what was going on, and even those that were forced to survive the only way they knew how. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about Westward migration that is so chilling! This is a study of human endurance tested to its very limits – and beyond. How far would YOU go in order to survive?
It’s kind of funny that the first time I heard of the Donner Party was on one of my favourite horror films, The Shining, written by Stephen King and directed Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson acting as the character Jack Torrance, mentions the Donner Party and it’s how the name came about for the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 in Northern California. Since hearing about this in the film I was eager to look it up, so when I read the synopsis of The Hunger, I had to read it!
This book is broken up into monthly sections starting from June 1846 to April 1847. The latter of which is actually the prologue and supplies the details of the findings of one man, Lewis Keseberg, the last known survivor of the Donna Party event. This makes for an intriguing hook for the rest of the book and I couldn’t wait to see what had happened. Why had no one else survived?
The Hunger is an atmospheric re-imagining of the Donner Party disaster, which blends true horror with the supernatural and is ideal for historical, paranormal and even dark horror fans! It’s full of drama, mystery, intrigue and is downright spooky. The tension Alma Katsu adds, it amazing! I really sympathised for the families, those that had no idea what was going on, and even those that were forced to survive the only way they knew how. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about Westward migration that is so chilling! This is a study of human endurance tested to its very limits – and beyond. How far would YOU go in order to survive?
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Four Winds in Books
Feb 28, 2021
The Four Winds is about one woman’s determination to keep her family safe in extremely difficult circumstances. It was a tough, emotional read - and I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a period of history that I know little about. I mean, I’ve watched films set in this period where people live on ramshackle farms, or in shanty-type towns, and I knew that it was something to do with the Great Depression. This book describes the side of the story of a family of farmers who lived in the Dust Bowl of Texas.
Elsa lives with her husband, children and his parents on a farm in Texas. Two children later and with the farm failing, Elsa’s husband leaves them to pursue a better life - on his own. Elsa struggles on with her in-laws and children, determined to give Loreda and Ant (her children) a home where they feel loved. But when Ant nearly dies from dust pneumonia, and the farm fails completely, they make plans to leave for California. Elsa reluctantly leaves her in-laws behind (they refuse to leave their farm), because it’s the only way to save Ant.
California isn’t the promised land of milk and honey. They arrive with little money, nowhere to stay, and Californians don’t want to help them. In fact they believe ‘Okeys’ are feckless, lazy, dirty; they refuse to house or employ them. Elsa’s only choice is to live in a tent in an encampment where poverty and typhoid are rife.
I admired Elsa’s tenacity - she works tirelessly for little money to feed her children. It’s a story of one woman’s survival and her need to protect her family.
I didn’t know anything about the Dust Bowl before I read this. I’d heard the term, but I didn’t know about the dust storms, animals dying after being filled up with dust, and people dying from dust pneumonia. This sounds like an exaggerated story, doesn’t it? But it’s not. None of this was unusual.
The Four Winds is a hard, yet compelling read. This is only the third Kristin Hannah book I’ve read, and it won’t be my last!
Many thanks to St Martin’s Press for my e-copy.
It’s a period of history that I know little about. I mean, I’ve watched films set in this period where people live on ramshackle farms, or in shanty-type towns, and I knew that it was something to do with the Great Depression. This book describes the side of the story of a family of farmers who lived in the Dust Bowl of Texas.
Elsa lives with her husband, children and his parents on a farm in Texas. Two children later and with the farm failing, Elsa’s husband leaves them to pursue a better life - on his own. Elsa struggles on with her in-laws and children, determined to give Loreda and Ant (her children) a home where they feel loved. But when Ant nearly dies from dust pneumonia, and the farm fails completely, they make plans to leave for California. Elsa reluctantly leaves her in-laws behind (they refuse to leave their farm), because it’s the only way to save Ant.
California isn’t the promised land of milk and honey. They arrive with little money, nowhere to stay, and Californians don’t want to help them. In fact they believe ‘Okeys’ are feckless, lazy, dirty; they refuse to house or employ them. Elsa’s only choice is to live in a tent in an encampment where poverty and typhoid are rife.
I admired Elsa’s tenacity - she works tirelessly for little money to feed her children. It’s a story of one woman’s survival and her need to protect her family.
I didn’t know anything about the Dust Bowl before I read this. I’d heard the term, but I didn’t know about the dust storms, animals dying after being filled up with dust, and people dying from dust pneumonia. This sounds like an exaggerated story, doesn’t it? But it’s not. None of this was unusual.
The Four Winds is a hard, yet compelling read. This is only the third Kristin Hannah book I’ve read, and it won’t be my last!
Many thanks to St Martin’s Press for my e-copy.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The 6th Extinction (Sigma Force, #10) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I enjoyed the story and the exotic locations the story takes place across the globe from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, to the remote tepuis of Brazil, and all the way to Antarctica. It was a very fast-paced thriller, with less investigation and more diving-right-in-and-doing than some of the other books in this series. The returning characters from previous novels were a nice surprise, but I wont names in case you are a fan of the series and havent read this one yet. Jenna, Nikko, and Drake were nice additions to the team, and I wouldnt mind seeing them pop up again in future volumes. I do wish that Seichan had a bigger part in this one though.
As always with James Rollinss books, be sure to read / listen to the Notes to the Reader at the end of the novel. He always explains what out of the book is science, and what is fiction. In this novel particularly, that is the scariest part of all.
As always with James Rollinss books, be sure to read / listen to the Notes to the Reader at the end of the novel. He always explains what out of the book is science, and what is fiction. In this novel particularly, that is the scariest part of all.