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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Driftwood Dreams (Carolina Coast #2) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Driftwood Dreams is the second book in T.I. Lowe’s Carolina Coast Series. The books can be read as standalone’s, but I did see returning characters’ appearances from the previous book; I loved the first book, so I recommend going back to read that one as well. The whole series takes place in a small seaside town off the coast of Carolina (which is one of my favorite places ever) and makes you feel at home right from the first page.
Characters can make or break my interest in the story, and T.I. Lowe did a great job of capturing my interest with both main characters in a very relaxed manner. Josie is a quiet, helpful, and loyal person who is always willing to lend a helping hand. She has high expectations of herself, is a people pleaser and an artist at heart. August is something of a mystery (maybe why I liked him so much) and is a mix of a hard-working and laid-back artist. I thought that his thought process was easy to follow and engaging to read. The chemistry between August and Josie was developed at a fun and interesting pace, and from the beginning, there were hints of the end goal for them. It was a twist on the girl next door type character plot.
I thought that T.I. Lowe did a great job with the storyline movement and that the characters were genuinely relatable. The themes she wove in were great reminders that we only have this one life to live, and we need to live it how God calls us to. Also, we need to remember to follow our dreams and not be afraid of what others might think. T.I. Lowe described island life in a way that made me feel like I had sand under my feet and palm trees growing in my house. I truly loved her vivid descriptions. I think readers who like Debbie Macomber, Rachel Hauck, and Denise Hunter will love this book and the Carolina Coast series.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the relaxing storyline (So made me want to go to the beach), the interesting characters, and for the theme of following your dreams. I recommend picking up this book (or series!) to read while at the beach this summer!
*Reason for 4 instead of 5 stars: I loved the characters, I really did, however, some of their reactions or choices just did not seem believable to me.
**I volunteered to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Characters can make or break my interest in the story, and T.I. Lowe did a great job of capturing my interest with both main characters in a very relaxed manner. Josie is a quiet, helpful, and loyal person who is always willing to lend a helping hand. She has high expectations of herself, is a people pleaser and an artist at heart. August is something of a mystery (maybe why I liked him so much) and is a mix of a hard-working and laid-back artist. I thought that his thought process was easy to follow and engaging to read. The chemistry between August and Josie was developed at a fun and interesting pace, and from the beginning, there were hints of the end goal for them. It was a twist on the girl next door type character plot.
I thought that T.I. Lowe did a great job with the storyline movement and that the characters were genuinely relatable. The themes she wove in were great reminders that we only have this one life to live, and we need to live it how God calls us to. Also, we need to remember to follow our dreams and not be afraid of what others might think. T.I. Lowe described island life in a way that made me feel like I had sand under my feet and palm trees growing in my house. I truly loved her vivid descriptions. I think readers who like Debbie Macomber, Rachel Hauck, and Denise Hunter will love this book and the Carolina Coast series.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the relaxing storyline (So made me want to go to the beach), the interesting characters, and for the theme of following your dreams. I recommend picking up this book (or series!) to read while at the beach this summer!
*Reason for 4 instead of 5 stars: I loved the characters, I really did, however, some of their reactions or choices just did not seem believable to me.
**I volunteered to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Ali A (78 KP) rated They Wish They Were Us in Books
Aug 14, 2020
They Wish They Were Us is about Jill Newman and her senior year at Gold Coast Prep. Though everything looks perfect, it's far from it. Three years ago, Jill's best friend Shaila Arnold was murdered. Her boyfriend Graham confessed, the police arrested him, cased closed. Now, Jill is a senior member of the Players (a Gold Coast Prep exclusive, not-so-secret society) and she's ready to make a change. One night, she gets a text claiming Graham's innocence and her year begins to crumble. She needs to find out what really happened to her best friend, no matter the cost.
I enjoyed this book, but I think I enjoyed it most because of the character of Jill Newman. She's a badass, independent female character who knows what she wants. Her friends though, I absolutely hated them at the beginning - spoiled little rich kids who thinks the world owes them everything. But throughout the book, Jessica Goodman was able to drop hints here and there about why they are the way they are, and it made me hate them less. By the end of the book, I actually started rooting for them.
Towards the end of the book, I had a thought as to what the twist was, but still didn't know who the killer was, not until it was basically revealed. Goodman did an excellent job at keeping the suspense. The twist ended up being good - sometimes with murder mysteries, the killer/killing ends up being a bit out there, but this one added up.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery within. It kept me turning the pages to see what the end results were.
*Thank you Bookishfirst and Razorbill for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, but I think I enjoyed it most because of the character of Jill Newman. She's a badass, independent female character who knows what she wants. Her friends though, I absolutely hated them at the beginning - spoiled little rich kids who thinks the world owes them everything. But throughout the book, Jessica Goodman was able to drop hints here and there about why they are the way they are, and it made me hate them less. By the end of the book, I actually started rooting for them.
Towards the end of the book, I had a thought as to what the twist was, but still didn't know who the killer was, not until it was basically revealed. Goodman did an excellent job at keeping the suspense. The twist ended up being good - sometimes with murder mysteries, the killer/killing ends up being a bit out there, but this one added up.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery within. It kept me turning the pages to see what the end results were.
*Thank you Bookishfirst and Razorbill for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CKD (37 KP) rated Home Front in Books
Dec 7, 2018
This book was great! I won it through the Goodreads pre-release program and received it in the mail just a few days prior to its release to the public. The story focuses on Jolene, her family and her friendship with Tami and her family. Jolene and Tami are helicopter pilots in the Guard, raising their families on the West Coast and neighbors. Jolene's husband is an attorney and they have two daughters. Jolene's husband does not approve of the war and thinks it's something that is happening "over there" and not something that affects us here in America. Until Jolene and Tami get deployed and he has to reconfigure his entire life to be a single parent while Jolene is gone. This is a wonderful story that is beautifully told and I highly recommend it.
David McK (3233 KP) rated A Ship of the Line in Books
Jun 30, 2019
2nd published but chronologically number 7 in CS Foresters Hornblower series, that sees Horatio Hornblower in command of his first ship-of-the-line, the 74 gun HMS Sutherland.
A ship-of-the-line, by the way, is simply that: a naval ship of 2+ decks of guns that was designed to stand in the line of battle back in the days when they largely sailed astern of each other, and when the battles devolved into firing broadsides at each other.
Under the command of Admiral Leighton, who has married Hornblower's extramarital flame from the previous novel (Lady Barbara Wellesley), Hornblower finds himself sailing the coast of Catalonia (Spain) and getting - as per usual - involved in all sorts of missions both on and off land, ending with a cliff-hanger ending when he and his ship fights alone against 4 enemy vessels.
A ship-of-the-line, by the way, is simply that: a naval ship of 2+ decks of guns that was designed to stand in the line of battle back in the days when they largely sailed astern of each other, and when the battles devolved into firing broadsides at each other.
Under the command of Admiral Leighton, who has married Hornblower's extramarital flame from the previous novel (Lady Barbara Wellesley), Hornblower finds himself sailing the coast of Catalonia (Spain) and getting - as per usual - involved in all sorts of missions both on and off land, ending with a cliff-hanger ending when he and his ship fights alone against 4 enemy vessels.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Ghosts in Books
Aug 2, 2017
A cute and somewhat touching story about the bonds between sisters, told with the backdrop of Dia de los Muertos. Catrina and her family has moved to the northern coast of California so that her sister Maya, who has cystic fibrosis, has a better time breathing with the cool salty air off the ocean. Catrina does not like having to have moved away from her friends, but has done so begrudgingly for her sister. When she and Maya discover that there are ghosts in their new town, they are taught about some of the history of Dia de los Muertos and also learn a little about respecting those that have passed. I sometimes think that the explanations around Dia de los Muertos seemed maybe a little too simplistic, but that may just be me. If nothing else, it has made me want to learn a little more about the history and traditions surrounding the day.
Ross (3282 KP) rated How It Ends (2018) in Movies
Apr 1, 2019
The end of the world is the only thing that would make me go on a road trip with my father-in-law!
This Netflix original film revolves around the story of a mysterious cataclysmic event on the East coast of America, and a husband trying to travel home to ensure his pregnant wife's safety. He travels with her father (who he does not get on with) as they try to drive across the country.
The film focuses on their relationship and how very different their backgrounds are, but they soon start to bond over their main shared love - his wife / his daughter.
There are some good action scenes which stick to the theme of the film - human civilisation going to pot and everyone out for himself; and strength versus apparent weakness.
The ending of the film seemed a little abrupt, and unsatisfying. Ironically, given the name of the film, my wife fell asleep so doesn't know "how it ends".
The film focuses on their relationship and how very different their backgrounds are, but they soon start to bond over their main shared love - his wife / his daughter.
There are some good action scenes which stick to the theme of the film - human civilisation going to pot and everyone out for himself; and strength versus apparent weakness.
The ending of the film seemed a little abrupt, and unsatisfying. Ironically, given the name of the film, my wife fell asleep so doesn't know "how it ends".
Christine Allard (22 KP) rated The Secret History in Books
Jan 26, 2018
Coming of age, why dunnit, college, and flawed characters
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book has been one of my all-time favorites for years, and one of the few I re-read about every year or two.
A clique of "gifted misfits" find one another and form a clique at a liberal arts school (think Middlebury) on the East Coast. One is dead very early on. The rest of the book unfolds with. their incredibly intertwined, co-dependant, and complex relationships as you slowly learn what happened, why it did, and what's going to go down after.
A clique of "gifted misfits" find one another and form a clique at a liberal arts school (think Middlebury) on the East Coast. One is dead very early on. The rest of the book unfolds with. their incredibly intertwined, co-dependant, and complex relationships as you slowly learn what happened, why it did, and what's going to go down after.
Dana (24 KP) rated Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This was a very sad and true tale about the disappearances of women in the North Eastern coast of America. If you know me, you will know I love true crime stories. I don't know why, I just find them so interesting and compelling. That being said, this one was incredibly sad. These women who were abducted, killed, and buried without any feeling for their lives or their families lives is heinous and callous. The fact that these women's killer still has yet to be found is just as horrifying. I am definitely planning on looking into these murders more, not really to see if I can help, because I don't think I can. But I would like to see if there is more information that can be gathered on it.
To the friends and families involved, I hope you are able to find peace in knowing your childrens' stories are getting out into the world. Thank you for sharing their stories.
To the friends and families involved, I hope you are able to find peace in knowing your childrens' stories are getting out into the world. Thank you for sharing their stories.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Lighthouse (2019) in Movies
Jan 31, 2020
Distinctively weird period horror movie. Two men are posted to operate a remote lighthouse off the New England coast. One of them is young and inexperienced; the other is old and annoying. Isolation, terrible weather, and perhaps something else all take their toll; there is madness in the air.
Another one of those really peculiar art-house takes on a genre movie that Robert Pattinson seems to enjoy doing: God knows what his take on Batman is going to end up like. I imagine that not many stranger films than this will get a major release this year, but it is still an impressive piece of film-making: well-played, very atmospheric, with strong performances. In the end it's kind of up to the viewer to work out what's really going on in this movie, but the challenge is worth the effort. In the end this resembles Steptoe and Son as written by H. P. Lovecraft; not quite as awesome as that sounds, but still very watchable.
Another one of those really peculiar art-house takes on a genre movie that Robert Pattinson seems to enjoy doing: God knows what his take on Batman is going to end up like. I imagine that not many stranger films than this will get a major release this year, but it is still an impressive piece of film-making: well-played, very atmospheric, with strong performances. In the end it's kind of up to the viewer to work out what's really going on in this movie, but the challenge is worth the effort. In the end this resembles Steptoe and Son as written by H. P. Lovecraft; not quite as awesome as that sounds, but still very watchable.