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ClareR (5916 KP) rated James in Books

Oct 28, 2024  
James
James
Percival Everett | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I can absolutely see why James by Percival Everett was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I haven’t read Huckleberry Finn. I know it’s a classic, but I still don’t feel a pressing need to read it - especially after reading this!

This is James’ story - the slave in Huckleberry Finn. When he finds out that he’s going to be sold to another owner and separated from his wife and daughter, James decides to hide out on a nearby island until he can work out what to do. But things go wrong, he ends up heading towards the free states with Huck Finn, gets separated - and let’s face it, a lot happens.

This made me laugh, worry a lot for James’ safety - I was well and truly captivated by the story. I’m pretty sure this will have filled in a lot of James’ story that’s left out in the original. White society is menacing and dangerous for James, and he’s constantly looking over his shoulder. They’re not bothered that he’s an intelligent, educated man.

I absolutely loved this, and I’ll be happy if it wins the Booker Prize (I could say that about most of the long list, never mind the shortlist!).
James deserves its success.
  
The Inquisition (Summoner, Book 2)
The Inquisition (Summoner, Book 2)
Taran Matharu | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Justice for Fletcher (3 more)
Past uncovered
Return of Othello, Sylva
Gremlins, Blue
It got better!
Once more I’m impressed with the Summoner books because even though I am late to the game on this series so the suspense of Fletcher’s fate was not as intense it was still thrilling to see how he would escape these false accusations and unfair trails. One can argue Fletcher has sort of put himself in this tight spot, but due to his actions in the previous book he has friends and teachers who stand by knowing there is more to what he is being accused of than what the other side would like to admit. Fletcher has become to center of a far bigger game because of who he is and the power he holds in his attempts to tie races together. Furthermore, without spoiling anything for anyone else, due to a charge which does threaten his life Fletcher is able to learn who he truly is, but he will always be Berdon’s son.

Despite the fact Fletcher was in imprisonment for a year he is game to accept a new mission that will aid Hominum in the war with the Orcs. He’s even willing to accept the challenge that comes with it to prove Elves and Dwarfs can work together in the hopes it will fix the strain on the Dwarven and Elven ties with Humans due to events that took place while he is in the hole. Results he does not doubt the Triumvirate had their hands in. All Fletcher and his friends have to do is go into Orc lands with three other teams to put an end to a Goblin breed.

It can never be easy for Fletcher.

Now, that’s all I really want to cover as important points in [i]The Inquisition[/i] because it should pull you in if my next words do not. To circle back I enjoyed the second book far more than [i]The Novice[/i] yet found a new appreciation for the first book as I realize now all the set up there is the reason the second summoner book is successful and was able to focus on the race issue a bit more

To circle back, my enjoyment of the second summoner book is due to the writing by Matharu because of how he set up [i]The Novice[/i] and there is more appreciation to be had for the first book of the series because it is after the second I realized how much had been done for [i]The Inquisition[/i] to be successful. It is within the first summoner book we’re introduced to key characters, plots (minor and major), lives of the characters, and the issues which will drive Fletcher in the second. If anything, [i]The Novice[/i] was an thick introduction to the events to come in [i]The Inquisition[/i]. So I would say be mindful if you’re thinking to begin the series of what occurs and how it will relate later.

However I want to say the character growth is still alive, for better or worse. We’re even given new characters and demons to grow fond of, or hate. Somehow 350+ pages were not enough and yet were perfect to convey where we needed to go then set up the points for the third book. And I have to say there are some twists in here I did not catch, which is nice for someone who had read so much and can predict so much to come. Even though there is some betrayal to me it was worth it as due to Fletcher’s nature we’re able to gain perspective from another race no one has probably given much thought to.

So, if you have yet to get into the Summoner Books then I suggest you go if you’re for fantasy and magic. If you’ve yet to pick up [i]The Inquisition[/i] then I have to say I have no clue what you are doing because I’m peeved at myself for not getting to it sooner. Honestly, it’s a good series to get lost in and yet think about real world issues we have today even if they’re painted a little bit different.
  
Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage
Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage
Grant Morrison | 1989 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Crime, Mystery
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
In a fandom littered with reboot after reboot, with the current ones no better than the previous 4-5 before it, I took it upon myself to finally read Morrison's much-praised mid-1980's reboot of the Doom Patrol. I did not read it when it came out originally, but I remember seeing it. At the time, I was very much about the "flashy" superhero books of 80's: the X-Men (which I will still argue were better than ANYTHING that is currently being written about them!), Wildstorm's 'Gen13' and 'WildC.A.T.s', etc. Mind you, I was also very much into 'Sandman' and "Shade the Changing Man', both of which were part of the still-in-its-infancy stage Vertigo imprint from DC Comics. Weird, right, that I skipped over 'Doom Patrol'. Not sure why I did, but I did.

Now, to the present..

Having read the first volume, which is out-of-print (like so much of DC's pre-"New 52" stuff!), I can safely say I understand all the love that the series has earned! This is mind-blowing stuff, and it's only the first 6 issues!

The book boasts a dark, moody theme at times, but it is more part of the story than about trying to "be something" like many books today try to be. The characters are well-rounded, each having a uniquely interesting personality. There are returning characters, like Robotman, and the team's leader Niles Caulder, but there are also some real creative gems like Crazy Jane, with her 64 personalities and so much more going on in her!

The cool thing about 'Doom Patrol' is it can be recommended to anyone who says they don't like comics because of the costumes, etc. DP is not about costumes, superheroes or anything like that. If it were to be compared to anyting, I would say I got a 'Fringe' (the FOX/J.J. Abrams TV series) feeling when I was reading it.

There are 5 more volumes to tackle, but I shall savor each one, as if it were a fine wine!
  
H(
Hourglass (Hourglass, #1)
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Let me just say right now that I'm glad I didn't judge this book by its cover, because I never would have requested it. The cover doesn't particularly appeal to me; for that matter, the title didn't make me curious either. Even after I read the back cover I wasn't convinced. I like to be intrigued and the cover/summary fooled me. But I saw a good review for it somewhere, so I snatched it up. I'm very happy I did.

Time travel has been done poorly so many times, but Hourglass was fantastic. It was original and creative, and it met every requirement for a perfect book: it had tension, awesome characters, a well thought out and multi-layered plot, and good writing.

There was tension in every sentence of ever paragraph of every chapter. It was nearly impossible to put down. I completely lost track of time while I read it. (haha, lost track of…get it?…. it's a time travel book…never mind.) I was forced to put it down to do things like work and chores and food, but except for things like that, it kept me reading, and there were no empty scenes.

The characters were amazing. Can I just say that I want to marry Michael right now? omigoodness. He's going on my list. Any author who can write a character like that is going on my favorites list right now. Emerson is strong-willed, kick-ass, and has to remind herself that she's short because her personality is the opposite. She was the perfect heroine because she was real and fragile and head over heels in love with someone she wasn't supposed to love. Michael was the brave proud chivalrous attractive protagonist who has a major hero complex, and of course is trying not to be in love with Em (and failing miserably). Both of them together had humorous conversations and explosive chemistry. (like, things short circuit when they touch, and light bulbs break when they kiss.)

The plot kept me guessing all the way to the end, and the last quarter of the book threw so many twists and turns at me that I found myself thinking, "Ok wait, what? are you serious?" But it wasn't overdone, there was no overkill, and it worked perfectly in the end. (I'll keep it spoiler free, but I'll just say don't worry, it does work out. Don't get mad and throw the book against the wall like I did.)

And of course, the writing. I find that many young adult novels have mediocre writing. McEntire is a good writer in the sense that she can keep the tension real and controlling, she has good descriptions and great pacing, and there are no dead words.

Hourglass was fast-paced, exciting, unique, and completely enthralling. I anxiously await more from McEntire hope for more of Michael and Emerson's story in the future.

Content/recommendation: some mild language, no sex. Ages 16+
  
Dark Truths (Kiss Her Goodbye #2)
Dark Truths (Kiss Her Goodbye #2)
Rebecca Royce | 2020 | Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I used to be Everly Marrs, then D, W, J, K, and T kidnapped me to force my father’s hand. As hard as I tried not to lose myself to their games, I couldn’t have imagined how much worse things could get.

Six months trapped in hell. Six months forgetting who I used to be. Six months just trying to survive.

I got out—eventually—and there they were, all five of them. One moment I was in hell, and then suddenly, I returned to purgatory. They keep telling me what will happen to those who took what belonged to them. They keep telling me what will be done to their enemies.

I’m not sure I can believe them. I’m not sure a word they say is true.

The Letters, they’re still at war, and I’m still in the middle of it. I was an ant, and everyone around me stomped on me.

But, I used to be Everly Marrs, and— dammit— I will be again.


So things just got a little darker for Evelyn. There were some points I just wanted to slap her but I think her first kill kinda did that for her! I'm glad she did what she did at the end too I think some of the men are get a bit to emotional. I do love Rebecca and her writing style.
  
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi
What's not to love about an Aardman movie?

I won't go into an extended synopsis for this as it's not all that complex that it needs more background. Shaun the Sheep gets up to more antics, this time with an alien... there, we're all caught up.

The beginning surprised me as it was a little dark but filled with suspense and it had some of my favourite stop-motion bits of the whole film... those chips... it conjured up the first of many smiles throughout the film.

There are so many bits in Farmageddon that will make you happy, I loved the addition of Forever Autumn and spotting the original Wallace and Gromit, and the toaster that every one of us can identify with... these little touches really do add to the whole film. The attention to detail is epic. The other thing I love is that you can see the fine changes of the character's skin in the animation.

Who am I kidding with this "these bits are good"... I love the whole thing, it's amazing.


There's really isn't much I can say without gushing about just how wonderfully wholesome this film is. It's funny for kids and so well crafted with little touches here and there that adults will love it too... and that ending! I'm going to tell you I wasn't crying, and you're going to believe me.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/farmageddon.html
  
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Tom Jones recommended Keb' Mo by Keb' Mo' in Music (curated)

 
Keb' Mo by Keb' Mo'
Keb' Mo by Keb' Mo'
2007 | Blues, Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I was at my son's house in Henley, we were having dinner. Mark likes to play me things that he knows I'll like. So he didn't say anything, he just put it on. We were having dinner, and I hear ‘Am I Wrong' and I said, 'Who the hell is that?' He said, 'Who?' I said, 'What you're playing there!' 'Oh, a guy called Keb' Mo'.' So I said, 'Turn it up!' It's tremendous. [sings ‘Am I Wrong'] You just think, Jesus! Something that I haven't heard before, that first initial thing, is always the most exciting to me. I've heard him do other things since, but that, ‘Am I Wrong'... great. When I've listened to him singing, there's a similarity in our vocal tone and syncopation. When I was playing it in my house, funnily enough, back in LA - I play guitar, nowhere near as good as he does, but a few chords - so I'm playing it downstairs and my wife was up in the bedroom, and I said 'did you hear that thing I was playing?' She said 'you got your guitar out, right? It was you?' I said 'it's not me'. She said 'I heard you get your guitar out and start singing', I said 'no, it's not, it's a guy called Keb' Mo''. And she thought that it was me, and I thought, 'wow, that's great, that she thinks I can play as well as him'."

Source
  
American Psycho
American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/american-psycho-by-bret-easton-ellis

<b><i>”...there is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I am simply not there.”</b></i>

I have no idea how to verbalise the fact that this has become a new favourite book of mine, because I absolutely <i>love</i> it, but I don’t want people to think I’m a maniac… I wasn’t expecting to not love this, I mean the film is one of my favourites, so I was really looking forward to giving this a read, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do! I feel all kinds of wrong being so amazed by this book but I can’t help it. It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s brutal, it’s shocking and it’s eye opening.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/KYNywoibU1PQ4/giphy.gif"; width="500" height="210" alt="leo dicaprio shrug"/>

So, Patrick Bateman, our one and only POV of this story. Batemen is a young, middle class, good looking, sophisticated and intelligent stockbroker. He’s charming and arrogant, but he’s also an ax and knife and nail gun wielding mad man.

<img src="http://media0.giphy.com/media/YfdumeFM14CGc/giphy.gif"; width="500" height="213" alt="americanppsychogif"/>

But he’s also a total <b>goofy dork!</b> <i><b>””I’m clam, I mean calm,” I say, breathing in hard, trying to smile”</b></i> Bateman can’t get a grip on himself <i>at all.</i> Not only does he have moments where he’s running around Manhattan screaming like a banshee, sweating profusely, and having, what can only be described as, a mental breakdown, but he’s also just a mess at all times. He’s constantly getting himself in a tizz, experiencing panic attacks all over the place. I mean he started talking about the ozone layer and then instantly told a couple of knock knock jokes, that’s not smooth Bateman. This constant goofiness of Bateman is what makes this book so funny for me. Ellis is excellent at adding this clumsy human characteristic to an otherwise robotic man.

Bateman is troubled, in more ways than one. Not only is he a serial killer but he’s also an outsider and he knows it. <b><i>””Because,” I say, staring directly at her, “I… want… to… fit.... in.””</b></i> This is why he’s always trying so hard to impress people, and why he’s obsessed with being the best.

Normally I hate when there are long paragraphs in books that simply list things about what a person is doing or wearing, for example in Maestra I couldn’t care less, but this excessive listing of things, unimportant materialist things, is such an important element of this book. These tiresome, obsessive lists give us such a clear insight, right from the start of the novel, into the incredibly paranoid, jealous and demented mind of Bateman. When we near the end of the novel Ellis does something absolutely mind blowing; he changes to third person. This sudden change on narrative has such a strong impact on the reader and is the perfect, <i>perfect</i> way of representing Patrick’s detachment to life.

Please, please, please do not read this book if you’re faint hearted or you’ve gone through some terrible things in your life. I don’t think this book needs specific trigger warnings, but in case you haven’t already guessed it, this book includes some very, <i>very</i> graphic and grotesque descriptions of torture, murder and rape. I think it’s quite hard to shock me, but this book made me wince and gasp quite often. I even had to put the book down briefly after reading some of the descriptions, breathe, and then get back to reading. It can be really tough on your imagination, that’s for sure. <b>The rat scene…</b> <spoiler>I mean I thought the scene with Bethany was bad but I had a whole other thing coming! It seriously worries me how well Ellis can describe this brutal torture. I could actually feel the bile rising in my throat when I was reading about the things Bateman did to Tiffany.</spoiler>

<img src="http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Jim-From-Office-Shiver.gif"; width="300" height="169" alt="jim from office shudder"/>

I’m not going to go in depth on the claim that this is a misogynistic book, all you need to know is that I don’t agree with that statement in the slightest. If you want to read some more on why that notion is ridiculous please look at <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/109385399?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">karen’s review.</a>

This book is definitely a new favourite of mine and I can feel it becoming one of those books I read over and over again. I’m so happy I finally sat down and read this, I don’t regret a moment of it, plus I got it for only £2.99. Thank you Ellis for this wonderful piece of literature, I hope your other novels brings me the same joy as this did.

<i>P.S. Isn’t it funny how Donald Trump is mentioned in this book over and over and over… because Trump is the greatest example of everything this book represents.</i>
  
Initiated (Daywalker Academy #4)
Initiated (Daywalker Academy #4)
Maya Daniels | 2020 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Initiated is the fourth book in the Daywalker Academy series and, yes, I know I've said this before but, it should definitely be read as a series or you just won't get what's happening.

So first off, thank you Ms. Daniels for giving me Zoltan back. I really do appreciate it! Sigh, every page he was on was just... *insert another sigh*. Now, if you could just get Franky and Zoltan to see eye-to-eye and stop giving me whiplash, that would be fantastic!

We are introduced to a major character in this book - and it's not very often I get the chance to say THAT with book four in a series! Tenebris, the black panther. You know, he hasn't spoken a single word (for obvious reasons) and yet he may just match the Queen of Snark, Maya, oops I mean, Franky, herself!

As with this whole series, this is a non-stop-action story. Franky is tired in one part and, to be honest, so was I! Honestly, I have no idea where she gets her stamina from. Maybe it's being a half-blood or maybe it's the dragon blood. Either way, I'm exhausted from reading but I wouldn't change a thing!

As always, it ends on one helluva cliffhanger. I really need to understand just what happened in those last couple of action-packed pages. All I can say is "Poor Franky!!!"

So... do I recommend this book? Abso-frickin'-lutely!!! Just, don't start here but back at book one so you get the full experience. You won't regret it. I promise you that!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Shifter Woods: Growl (Esposito County Shifters #3)
Shifter Woods: Growl (Esposito County Shifters #3)
Nicola M. Cameron | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
its only short but packs quite the punch!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.


This is a short, slotting into the series after book 3, I think. (I'm a little puzzled by the listings on some sites about the order!) I've not read those, and I'll come back to that shortly. I didn't think I missed anything by not reading them, though, and so I would say this can be read as a stand alone.


I liked this, a lot. It gives you an insight into Esposito County, and the people who live in it.


It;s steamy and smexy. It's dark and dangerous. It's only short but packs a punch! I loved the twist with the magic spell that was shielding Marco, and what that was doing just a tad too well!


Going back to not reading the other books. I didn't feel I missed anything, and you know I'm all about sharing my book feelings, but what I am left with is a NEED to read those books. Not because I missed anything, but because I want to read everyone else's story!


So, my KU shelf needs clearing for those books 🙂


4 solid stars


*same worded review will appear elsewhere