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Plain Perfect (Daughters of the Promise, #1)
Beth Wiseman | 2008 | Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A wunderbaar Amish novel set in the quaint Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Beth Wiseman combines love, faith in God, friendship and family in a way that captures the reader and holds them to the very end!
 
Lillian Miller, trying to escape a life of lies and a relationship she doesn't need, flees to her Amish grandparents' home in Lancaster County, knowing all along that she will never fit in with her modern style. While there, she discovers truths about her past...things her mother never told her.
 
Samuel Stoltzfus is a young Amish widow, trying to raise his young son. He meets the young Englischer, the granddaughter of his close friends. He knows the rules of the Ordnung, but can he truly deny what he feels in his heart???
 
She's forced to choose between two worlds...one of lies and abuse, and one of simple, family oriented, Godly, plain living...and a life with a wunderbaar, caring man.
 
What will happen to Lillian and her perfect, modern life and Samuel, with his plain living? Will they face the truth of their feelings, hearts and God and become Plain Perfectin this amazing inspirational novel?
 
Grab some coffee and a copy of Beth's novel, sit back and enjoy this first book in a wonderful series, Daughters of the Promise! You'll be glad you did! This book truly deserves to be highly praised and I think you'll agree once you,too, have read Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman!!!!! Two thumbs up and five stars to Mrs. Wiseman!!! <a href="http://cafinatedread.com/2009/09/16/review-plain-perfect-by-beth-wiseman/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
Sweetbitter
Sweetbitter
Stephanie Danler | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tess has just picked up her entire life in Ohio and decided to move to New York City. She has no plans, no job, but she knows she has to get away. When she arrives in New York, she already has a
place to live lined up, but she has to move quickly to find a job. She drops her resume at several coffee shops and restaurants and hopes for the best. When she come upon one of the best restaurants in the city. She's sure she won't have a shot with this place, but what is there to lose? She is pleasantly surprised when she is invited to train.

It took me a while to get through this book. Vacation was a big part of it and another part was that I just didn't find myself drawn to the story. I think those in the restaurant industry will appreciate this book. My husband, who isn't a reader, was intrigued by the story as I was listening to it once when he was in the car. The main reason I decided to pick up this book was because I was interested in the TV show on Starz after seeing the previews. I had to read the book first before I could watch the show.

So after a month, I finally got through the book. I'm not sure I would ever want to work at a restaurant after this. All the drinking, drugs and sex that goes on. It seems like everyone is sleeping with the everyone else and no one seems to care. I'm sure if I was younger this book would be more appealing to me.
  
Escape to the Stars (Galaxia Pirates #2)
Escape to the Stars (Galaxia Pirates #2)
A.M. Halford | 2016 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Escape to the Stars (Galaxia Pirates #2) by A.M. Halford
Escape to the Stars is the second book in the Galaxia Pirates series. In this one, we find out more details about the stowaway, Sandy, who we met at the end of the first book. Brian is in charge of him, and once they find out he is branded with a slave mark, Brian knows that Sandy can't bunk in with the rest of the crew, so he has to share his room. The attraction Brian feels for Sandy is strong, but when he sees the fear in Sandy's eyes, he backs off. Sandy has been a sex slave, and programmed through hardship to react to any touch. Sandy decides that he will power through this and propositions Brian. Things seem to be working out for them, but then Sandy's owner, Sylvain, catches up with him.

This is an easy to read book, where you don't have lots of background information to bog you down. Some may find that annoying, but for me, this story was just perfect - it came at the right time and gave me what I needed from a book. What is there is well written, and features Tony and Craig from book one too. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This was a brilliant coffee break book, and definitely recommended by me.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Shaman&#039;s Seduction
Shaman's Seduction
Kathryne Kennedy | 2018 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Shaman's Seduction by Kathryne Kennedy
Shaman's Seduction is a delightful collection of three short stories, all set in the world, but set at different times. We start off with Inaluck, who has worked hard to earn the respect of her father's warriors, and her place as Chieftain's Daughter. When The Great Cold comes, Inaluck is sent to the outlying villages for reinforcements. Going to one of them, with a reputation of being cowards, she finds more than she bargains for, and takes her first step to becoming a Shaman. Then we meet Za'lla, who dreams of a sister she never knew, which leads her on her big adventure, finding love on the way. Lastly, we have Kalaka, an apprentice Shaman who needs to learn more than the basics, and will help to figure out who she is in the process.

These are quick reads, but all of them without any editing or grammatical errors. There was enough world-building that it is all clear, without taking over the essence of the stories. If I had one criticism, it would be that I felt a bit lost with the two following stories. I had no idea if they were after Inaluck, or before. That is only a small thing though, and probably wouldn't bother the majority of people!

A thoroughly enjoyable read, divided into three bite-size chunks, which make this perfect for a coffee break book. Absolutely recommended by me.

* 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!
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Other People in Books

Feb 9, 2020 (Updated Feb 11, 2020)  
The Other People
The Other People
C. J. Tudor | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first book I’ve read by C J Tudor, and if I’d known that she could write such a disturbing, haunting thriller that would follow me around all day, I would have wised up and read her previous books!

Gabe drives up and down a motorway for three years, looking for his daughter. His supposedly dead daughter. Except on the day that she died, he saw her in the back of a car on the motorway. When he got home, it was to find out that his wife and daughter had been murdered in a botched burglary. But Gabe saw his daughter in the back of that car...

Two other stories become intertwined with Gabe’s: Katie, a woman who works in a coffee shop on the motorway, a single mother struggling to support her two children. She sees Gabe regularly and knows his story. She knows something of how he feels, because her father was murdered in another, unconnected, botched burglary nine years before. And then there’s Fran and Alice. A mother and her child, permanently on the run, knowing that if the people who are chasing them actually catch them, they will be dead. Quite how these people are connected is at first a mystery.

And then there’s the girl that Alice sees in the mirror, and the Other People...

Boy this was creepy. I LOVED how creepy it was. And there’s an underlying menace throughout the book. This is precisely my kind of book - and it’s well worth a read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my copy of this book to read and review.
  
Dakota and the American Dream
Dakota and the American Dream
Sameer Garach | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Dakota was tired of playing catch with his mother at the park," so he rested on a bench but was soon distracted by a peculiar talking squirrel. Chasing after the strange creature, Dakota finds himself in a fantasy world full of anthropomorphic animals. Before he knows what is happening, Dakota finds himself working for Corporate America with its odd rules and unhappy employees.

The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.

From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.

As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.
  
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Colin Newman recommended Deja Vu by Matty in Music (curated)

 
Deja Vu by Matty
Deja Vu by Matty
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"We walk every morning down to the sea and along the coast, and every third or fourth morning we stop at the Real Patisserie. We were buying some bread in there and this music came on, so I shazamed it and it was the single, 'Clear', from this album. Matty is the best of a whole group of artists in North America who are drinking very heavily from the fountain of early 70s music, especially relating to George Harrison, Emitt Rhodes and biggest of all, Todd Rundgren. Now I've been a Todd Rundgren fan for a zillion years, and there was a point in the middle of the last decade when I realised that musical recycling is kind of okay as long as you're not doing it exactly the same. I could mention some other artists like Mild High Club and Drugdealer: they're not slavishly trying to make records that sound like they were made in the early 70s, but it's the same harmonic world, and I'm very much a harmonic world kind of person. That's how I hear music. The song 'Clear' touches on things that I just love, and the album didn't disappoint; there were four or five really good tracks on there. And then I was in the Small Batch coffee shop and this music came on and I thought what's that, that's great, and it was another track from the Matty album. I was like, wow, that guy's cool. He's the keyboard player in Badbadnotgood, who I don't know anything about apart from the name, and the fact that it's a really stupid name as well."

Source
  
Axis: Bold As Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Axis: Bold As Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1967 | Blues, Rock, Psychedelic
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"That album is my favourite because it's the one that feels most concise. Electric Ladyland I love, but it does sprawl a little bit and some of the later ones don't feel like he's absolutely at his peak. The early ones - Are You Experienced? - I do love them but it feels like there's lots of singles. So for me, Axis: Bold As Love has that depth. The production is just fantastic as well. 'If 6 Was 9', embodies that whole wild, epic, Jimi Hendrix thing, in a concise pop song. Him saying about the businessmen going down the street, ""you can't dress like me"", and ""I'm gonna wave my freak flag"". For a long time, my favourite Jimi Hendrix stuff was the live stuff - he's one of those guys where you can be a fan of the the live stuff and it's almost a completely different artist to the albums. Whereas this one feels like it's got that spirit of Jimi Hendrix live in the song as well. He manages to get this epic adventure into three and a half, four minutes. To me it just embodies Hendrix: rebellious but friendly, and totally in control of the universe. He's like a shamanistic character isn't he? 'Up From The Skies' is really amusing, really cool. 'Spanish Castle Magic' is just a rocker. But it's got this real sparkle to the whole thing. I think these albums, the reason why they've lasted, is because you can listen to them at any time. You can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can listen to Axis: Bold As Love on an epic road trip or having a coffee in the morning."

Source
  
Ms. Bridge is a new to me author and I can tell you that I loved her unique, quirky style. I'm now a fan for life! I love a good cozy mystery full of twists, turns, and who dun its and Ms. Bridge's third installment to the Hampton Home and Garden Mysteries did not disappoint! It had the perfect blend of all that and more.

I love that this book is centered around a bed and breakfast called Bibliophile Bed&amp;Breakfast! It seems perfect for us book lovers! A rare manuscript,a killer on the loose and lots of decorating to do, Meg finds her hands full in this book filled with witty characters and happenings that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat while you help Meg uncover the  clues and solve the mystery. Following Meg on her race to find the who's and why's behind it all was so fun! I read this book in one sitting, turning the pages long into the night. 

I definitely sing this book's praises. The theme, the characters, the mystery behind it all, make the perfect cozy read and will capture you from the start. It's worthy of 4 stars and two thumbs up. And while this is the 3rd installment in this series, it could easily be read as a stand alone. So, what are you waiting for? Grab that cup of coffee, this amazing book, and settle in for the roller coaster ride of your life! Ms. Bridge will capture you wholly with her characters, charm and who dun it mysteries! And, as a bonus, Ms. Bridge throws in recipes and decorating tips! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-ghostal-living-by-kathleen-bridge/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
I Feel Pretty (2018)
I Feel Pretty (2018)
2018 | Comedy
More like I feel shitty
#ifeelpretty is a dull, unfunny #film with so many mixed messages and conflicting tones that it just ends up being a massive waste time. First off I may not find #amyshumer #funny but she is a without a doubt a #pretty woman, so trying to sell me on the fact that she's not just didnt work at all. Then there's the message about believing in yourself, being yourself and having more #confidence in who you are and what your capable of but this is then cancelled out by a the message that so called 'pretty' people are all selfish, arrogant nasty and horrible people that dont work hard for anything and are just out to make us 'ugly' peasant lives miserable. I also just didn't get what it wanted to be tone wise either, its to serious to be funny but its also to #silly to be serious and it doesn't really succeed at either. Acting is alright over all its just the story plods along at such a dull place with nothing really happening that these characters just become uninteresting. #Music and directing are both also completely forgettable and with a run time of nearly 2 hours (of which we stayed just over an hour) the film seemed to be going nowhere interesting and thus failed to hold our attention any longer. I didnt expect this film to be a good one but I at the very least expected a bit of fun and a half decent message. With nothing to offer I can't really recommend this lifeless film to anyone and you'd probably have more #fun seeing #sherlockgnomes instead. #odeon #odeonlimitless #weekend #sunny #sundayfunday #sunday #workout #beautiful #comedy #lifestyle #coffee #girls #cinifile #cinema #hot #body #sexy #ifeelprettythemovie