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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jun 10, 2021  
Today's special guest on my blog is James Wade, Writer sharing his top 5 novels set in East Texas. There's also a spotlight on his new crime fiction novel RIVER, SING OUT. Check it out, and enter the giveaway to win an autographed first-edition hardcover the book plus an autographed paperback of his multiple award-winning coming of age novel All Things Left Wild - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/06/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-river-sing.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
“And through these ages untold, the river did act as the lifeblood of all those things alongside it.”

Jonah Hargrove is celebrating his thirteenth birthday by avoiding his abusive father, when a girl named River stumbles into his yard, injured and alone. The teenager has stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of meth from her murderous, drug-dealing boyfriend, but lost it somewhere in the Neches River bottoms during her escape. Jonah agrees to help her find and sell the drugs so she can flee East Texas.

Chasing after them is John Curtis, a local drug kingpin and dog fighter, as well as River’s boyfriend, the dangerous Dakota Cade.

Each person is keeping secrets from the others—deadly secrets that will be exposed in violent fashion as all are forced to come to terms with their choices, their circumstances, and their own definition of God.

With a colorful cast of supporting characters and an unflinching violence juxtaposed against lyrical prose, River, Sing Out dives deep into the sinister world of the East Texas river bottoms, where oppressive poverty is pitted against the need to believe in something greater than the self.
     
The Boy and His Ribbon
The Boy and His Ribbon
Pepper Winters | 2018 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Heartwrenching & characters you cant help but love (0 more)
Slightly questionable couple some may have issues with (0 more)
Growing up changes us and sometimes life, and our hearts, have other plans...
Admittedly, I'm a sucker for anything Pepper Winters writes and in the past, she had originally drawn me in with multiple dark romance/suspense series. A Boy and His Ribbon is unlike most of her well-known works, yet similar to Unseen Messages (one of my all-time favorites), as both stories are based on characters living wild. A scenario that speaks to my wanderlust soul and moves me like no other topic. The story follows Ren and Della, two children who escape abuse and a fate worse than even any animal should endure. Growing up alone, fending for themselves, this story takes us through years of this unlikely pair growing up uneducated, unsocialized and learning from each other. And with such fierce love, devotion and determination from children so young... We've all had to deal with the ups and downs of growing up. Imagine facing your teenage years that come with messy feelings and changes, without any guidance or expectations? This Coming of Age/Romance teeters between not quite right and completely understandable. Like every other Pepper Winters title in the past, I devoured this book. It tore my heart out, leaving me in suspense until book 2 in the Ribbon Series, The Girl and Her Ren is released in June.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Midsommar (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Midsommar (2019)
Midsommar (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
As the end credits rolled I sat back and contemplated what I had just witnessed – this was the most fucked up piece of cinema I’d seen in some time. Burdened by a horrific tragedy Dani (Florence Pugh) turns to boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) for support, who is unsure himself that their relationship can continue.

Joining a small group of friends they head off to Sweden to attend a mid-summer festival in the hope of rekindling their dying relationship.

The film is disturbing on almost every level and does take time to get going as the group is introduced to an idyllic community where not everything is as it seems. Director Ari Aster has made no illusions of his dislike for jump scares – and you won’t find too many here, well, maybe one. But this is a new age break-up film, not an out an out horror as many people might have expected.

But how do you turn a mild mannered community such as the Harga, into a sinister cult, justifying their ways via ritualistic events and ancient scripture – easy, you do it slowly. Aster builds the story well, introducing subtle clues to the foreboding which is inevitably coming. When it comes, it is a tour de force of shock value.

It’s a solid follow up for Aster whose feature length debut, Hereditary, split audiences – but there is no denying that he has upped his game significantly.
  
Sleeping with the Fishes
Sleeping with the Fishes
Diane Vallere | 2019 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ava is the oldest daughter of Mother, and as such has been groomed to take over the leadership of Sirenia, their merfolk territory under the sea, someday. Most view Ava as aloof and bossy, but Ava will be the first to tell you she is really afraid – afraid her past will come out and afraid she will fail when the time comes. The time comes sooner than she expected when Mother is kidnapped and Ava must take over leadership immediately. Then comes word that sharks are encroaching on mermaid territory. Can Ava deal with this crisis?

This is the third novella about three mermaid sisters, and it is another fantastic tale. Ava finally gets her chance to step into the spotlight, and she fully comes alive for us. As the story unfolds, we get to see her grapple with what she has been handed and rise to the occasion. Yes, this is another fantastic coming of age story with a strong mystery to keep you turning pages. These novellas are best read in order, but there is enough background to follow Ava’s story. It’s been wonderful getting to spend some time under the sea with all three of these sisters.

NOTE: NOTE: This story, along with the stories of Ava’s sisters, are included in the Mermaid Mysteries anthology. Buy them individually or as a set, but there is no need to buy both.
  
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Omari Hardwick recommended Mean Girls (2004) in Movies (curated)

 
Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls (2004)
2004 | Comedy

"One is probably the biggest surprise for my fanbase. If they were to say, “What’s the movie that would most surprise someone that Omari likes?” it would be Mean Girls. I love Mean Girls. Freaking love it. I think she’s at an age where she can watch it. So, we had it on, days before we get on the plane to come back to New York, because obviously, this time of year, we keep coming back for the start of Power. She started kindergarten, so I thought she’s old enough to watch it. But that fight scene in the hallway, with the girls, when everybody goes crazy on each other. She ran out, into her playroom, and I looked at my wife, like, “It’s Mean Girls. It’s not that bad.” What I realized is, part of my daughter’s reaction was because it’s so… not necessarily over the top, but it is. Where it’s not over the top is, girls, as you and I know, that’s the way they fight. Whereas, in kindergarten, we punched each other in the face, and then the guy that you punched becomes your best friend for 35 years. So, it’s just the level of truth in it that makes it so freaking funny. The level of how mean girls can be to each other just makes it really, really funny. Also, I just find Tina Fey’s writing to be very subtle, and so good."

Source
  
WW
When We Fall
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I wanted to love When We Fall by Peter Giglio because it sounded so ominous and scary. However, it was only an alright read that wasn't very scary at all. In fact, I didn't think there was enough ghostliness. All in all, this is a book that's not very memorable at all.

I don't feel like the title conveys what the book is about in the slightest. Personally, I like books to at least give a subtle hint in their title.

I do like the cover however. Ben loves making Super 8 films, and it's on the roll of film that he notices a ghostly image.

The world building was fairly believable. The problem that I had with this book is that a popular 17 year old girl would want to hang out with a unpopular 13 year old boy. Yes, I understand that she's his babysitter, but she spends time with him just because as well. Not only that, but she ends up kissing him at one point!

The pacing was alright. When We Fall is a novella so it can be easily read in one sitting. The pacing did hold my attention until the very end which I was happy about.

I felt that the plot was a bit weak. It was as if this book didn't know if it wanted to be a coming of age story or a paranormal story. The coming of age side of the story works rather well, but it was the paranormal side that was a bit weak. For example, we're led to believe that Ben is seeing and hearing his dead best friend in his room. Yet that's the only encounter we ever read about. So was that all in Ben's mind or was Johnny, his best friend, actually a ghost? There's only one more incident where there's possibly a ghost. I really wish this focused more on the horror/paranormal aspect.

Ben felt like a well developed character. It was easy enough to believe what he was feeling especially when it came to his crush on Aubrey. Ben seemed like a "normal" 13 year old boy. I didn't like Audrey. She didn't feel like an average 17 year old girl. As I said before, she's a popular girl hanging out with a 13 year old boy when she could be hanging out with friends her own age. Plus, I felt as if she took advantage of Ben sometimes.

The dialogue seemed to flow rather well. I also loved reading about how Ben was feeling. There were a few swear words throughout the book.

Overall, while When We Fall is an alright book, it lacks a certain something. Perhaps it needed more of a horror element to it especially as the blurb leads us to believe this is going to be a scary horror book. Unfortunately, When We Fall by Peter Giglio is a forgettable book.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are looking for a read that will help them pass some time or for those who like books with a light paranormal theme.

</b>I'd give When We Fall by Peter Giglio a 2.5 out of 5.</b>


(I received this ebook for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review).