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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Pieces Of Her in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Wonderful wild ride of a book and just a great read!
Andrea "Andy" Cooper thinks she knows everything about her mom, Laura. Laura has taken care of Andy for Andy's entire 31 years--perhaps to Andy's detriment, at times. Laura works as a speech pathologist and lives a peaceful life in the beach town of Belle Isle. But on the morning of Andy's birthday, as Laura takes her to breakfast, everything changes. Violence erupts at the mall, Laura instinctively acts to protect her daughter, and suddenly the secrets she's been hiding are exposed for all to see. She only wants to shelter Andy, but Andy is shocked by her mother's actions and what they mean. Even more, the mall episode sets off a series of events that can't be stopped and leads Andy on a dangerous journey unlike anything she ever imagined.
I'm learning that you can always count on Slaughter for an amazing, twisted ride. I so enjoyed her novels PRETTY GIRLS and THE GOOD DAUGHTER and now PIECES OF HER joins them as another suspenseful, tense mystery.
What I love about Slaughter is that she's wonderfully descriptive in her writing. You don't just get a mystery, you receive a beautifully written novel, full of detailed characters and excellent writing. Andy and Laura are well-formed characters: you'll find yourself incredibly frustrated with Andy in the beginning, as she's so helpless for a 30+ woman. Get it together, Andy! Do something, save yourself, help your mother. Laura is closed off and reluctant to share anything with her family. Luckily, both characters grow on you as the book progresses.
The novel does a good job of showing how the U.S. reacts to public tragic events--the incident in the mall--for it is public opinion to that moment which really influences so much of Laura's future actions. I was captivated by this one from the very beginning. It's fascinating to watch the action unfold in Slaughter's deft hands. I found myself going "wow" at a variety of the twists and was frantically turning the pages, wanting to know what on earth was going on.
The narration switches between Andy in the present-day and another narrator in 1986. This is incredibly effective in creating suspense and slowly unraveling our story. The novel is stressful and tense as the pieces come together, and--per typical Slaughter--brutal and dark in many places.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It keep me glued to my seat the entire time, wondering what was happening and what would happen. I loved all the details and little twists. I am always captivated by the dark aspects of Slaughter's novels and her twisted characters and plot plots. While this one could be a little unbelievable perhaps, in places, it was a wonderful wild ride of a book and just a great read. Highly recommend!
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
I'm learning that you can always count on Slaughter for an amazing, twisted ride. I so enjoyed her novels PRETTY GIRLS and THE GOOD DAUGHTER and now PIECES OF HER joins them as another suspenseful, tense mystery.
What I love about Slaughter is that she's wonderfully descriptive in her writing. You don't just get a mystery, you receive a beautifully written novel, full of detailed characters and excellent writing. Andy and Laura are well-formed characters: you'll find yourself incredibly frustrated with Andy in the beginning, as she's so helpless for a 30+ woman. Get it together, Andy! Do something, save yourself, help your mother. Laura is closed off and reluctant to share anything with her family. Luckily, both characters grow on you as the book progresses.
The novel does a good job of showing how the U.S. reacts to public tragic events--the incident in the mall--for it is public opinion to that moment which really influences so much of Laura's future actions. I was captivated by this one from the very beginning. It's fascinating to watch the action unfold in Slaughter's deft hands. I found myself going "wow" at a variety of the twists and was frantically turning the pages, wanting to know what on earth was going on.
The narration switches between Andy in the present-day and another narrator in 1986. This is incredibly effective in creating suspense and slowly unraveling our story. The novel is stressful and tense as the pieces come together, and--per typical Slaughter--brutal and dark in many places.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It keep me glued to my seat the entire time, wondering what was happening and what would happen. I loved all the details and little twists. I am always captivated by the dark aspects of Slaughter's novels and her twisted characters and plot plots. While this one could be a little unbelievable perhaps, in places, it was a wonderful wild ride of a book and just a great read. Highly recommend!
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Midlife Magic (Not Too Late #1)
9.0
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Book
FOR ALL THE EVERYDAY HEROINES OVER FORTY WHO KNOW IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR MAGIC! If you can imagine...
Urban Fantasy Romance Series
The Fixer Upper (Echo Springs #1)
Book
Abby Callier is more in love with Shakespearean heroes than any real man, and she’s beginning to...
Adult Contemporary Romance
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Heatwave in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonists in this book were Jasmine and Felicity, and the story was told from their perspectives. Felicity is telling the story at the present day, she has to go back to her home-town where she grew up, to find a girl that has been kidnapped. Because “only she knows how to find her”. Felicity is a very troubled character, she has a drinking problem, and suffers from quite a few mental health problems. Jasmine and Felicity were best friends at school, and Jasmine is a person who tells the story from the past. I really liked Jasmine’s story, it is more intriguing and gripping compared to Felicity’s.
The narrative was very well balanced, in my opinion. Felicity keeps kindling the suspense with “her big secret” and “what have I done?” moments, making me restless to find out what this huge secret is. And Jasmine is telling a really absorbing story, leading very cleverly to all these huge discoveries. The topics discussed in this book were alcoholism, teenagers and their behaviour, mental health issues, forbidden romance and many more.
I really enjoyed the author’s clever writing style. The book feels quite calm and smooth, there is no police involved and it is only alone, an ordinary woman trying to uncover what actually happened. But at the same time, this book is carrying a shroud of mystery, that my curious side could not wait to unravel. The chapters felt quite short, and the dual perspective made this book very entertaining. The culmination of this novel did not disappoint me, I was not expecting the “Big Secret” to be this awesome.
The narrative was very well balanced, in my opinion. Felicity keeps kindling the suspense with “her big secret” and “what have I done?” moments, making me restless to find out what this huge secret is. And Jasmine is telling a really absorbing story, leading very cleverly to all these huge discoveries. The topics discussed in this book were alcoholism, teenagers and their behaviour, mental health issues, forbidden romance and many more.
I really enjoyed the author’s clever writing style. The book feels quite calm and smooth, there is no police involved and it is only alone, an ordinary woman trying to uncover what actually happened. But at the same time, this book is carrying a shroud of mystery, that my curious side could not wait to unravel. The chapters felt quite short, and the dual perspective made this book very entertaining. The culmination of this novel did not disappoint me, I was not expecting the “Big Secret” to be this awesome.
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated Saving Mrs. Roosevelt in Books
Sep 10, 2022
Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is a good book about some actual historical events. It deals with someone that needs to be a spy to help keep the first lady safe. But this also has some fiction in it as it is historical fiction. Some actual historical events do take place. This book is about Shirley Davenport and a few SPARS that help on the home front.
The author does a beautiful job of telling the story and adventures that Shirley Davenport goes through. She goes through some training and trials as she is on a mission but can not tell her family. The way she comes home and has to deal with losing her brother on the same day she comes home from training.
You will be surprised as to who it is in the end. Shirley and her friend Joan sign up to be SPARS. Will Joan be loyal to her country, or will she not be? Things do not all seem as they are when Shirley gets home. She must lie to protect herself and her family. Will she be found out?
She seems to be charming a young man who is a Captain. Will the Captain fall for Miss Davenport, or will he wall in his grief for his two young brothers? They have stood paired up to capture the person trying to kill the Roosevelts. Will Shirley be successful in finding out about the conspiracy against the first lady?
Suppose you are looking for an excellent book to read about history and the woman that help during world war two on the homefront. This book does tell a story about a few heroes of ww2. With a little bit of romance as well.
The author does a beautiful job of telling the story and adventures that Shirley Davenport goes through. She goes through some training and trials as she is on a mission but can not tell her family. The way she comes home and has to deal with losing her brother on the same day she comes home from training.
You will be surprised as to who it is in the end. Shirley and her friend Joan sign up to be SPARS. Will Joan be loyal to her country, or will she not be? Things do not all seem as they are when Shirley gets home. She must lie to protect herself and her family. Will she be found out?
She seems to be charming a young man who is a Captain. Will the Captain fall for Miss Davenport, or will he wall in his grief for his two young brothers? They have stood paired up to capture the person trying to kill the Roosevelts. Will Shirley be successful in finding out about the conspiracy against the first lady?
Suppose you are looking for an excellent book to read about history and the woman that help during world war two on the homefront. This book does tell a story about a few heroes of ww2. With a little bit of romance as well.
The Fourth Generation: A Personal Story of Humour and Heartache 1885-1985
Book
There are no exceptions and therefore there are no choices. This book is about the choices people...
Animal Attraction (San Francisco Dragons #2)
8.0
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Book
What do you do when an NHL player steals your dog and won’t give it back? Maggie Hudson made a...
Contemporary Sports Romance
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Swing Time (1936) in Movies
Aug 14, 2020
Entertaining Despite Some Flaws
Fucking blackface, am I right? I’ll warn you now if you plan to watch Swing Time: There is a blackface scene. In spite of this touch of ignorance, as a black man, I have to say that I rather enjoyed the movie. The plot: When John Garnet (Fred Astaire) gets cold feet on his wedding day, his fiance opts to give him another chance if he can find a way to earn $25,000. John is all for it until he falls in love with a dance instructor and tries to find every way in the world to avoid making the money.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 6
In the beginning John’s dance troupe tries to distract him by keeping him from getting married. They feel like if he doesn’t go through with it, he can keep working with them. Despite their efforts, it was much more annoying than it was funny. Not a great way to kick off the story.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
For the most part, the movie is cinematically gorgeous. I loved the dance numbers, well most of them anyway. It all reverts back to that damn blackface scene. It was an unnecessary piece of the film that did absolutely nothing for the story. Other than that, the movie is shot in a gorgeous fashion.
Conflict: 10
Most of the conflict stems from John’s rising feelings for Penelope the dance instructor (Ginger Rogers). You get the sense that they are meant to be together but John is working towards trying to be with another woman. You hope before the story’s end that he ends up in the right place. It’s a journey getting there.
Entertainment Value: 8
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 2
The premise and the way it unfolds is a miss for me. Fortunately the characters and setpieces were enough to carry the movie. it was a really hard buy-in for me.
Resolution: 10
While not perfect, the ending is a satisfying completion to the story. You can definitely see it coming the closer you get, but it’s still good. Great closure for the main characters.
Overall: 84
Not my favorite of the classics, Swing Time still deserves its place in history. As far as the blackface is concerned, I think we owe it to ourselves not to shy away from things that happened in history. Even the bad things. In spite being on the wrong side of history, I enjoyed it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 6
In the beginning John’s dance troupe tries to distract him by keeping him from getting married. They feel like if he doesn’t go through with it, he can keep working with them. Despite their efforts, it was much more annoying than it was funny. Not a great way to kick off the story.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
For the most part, the movie is cinematically gorgeous. I loved the dance numbers, well most of them anyway. It all reverts back to that damn blackface scene. It was an unnecessary piece of the film that did absolutely nothing for the story. Other than that, the movie is shot in a gorgeous fashion.
Conflict: 10
Most of the conflict stems from John’s rising feelings for Penelope the dance instructor (Ginger Rogers). You get the sense that they are meant to be together but John is working towards trying to be with another woman. You hope before the story’s end that he ends up in the right place. It’s a journey getting there.
Entertainment Value: 8
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 2
The premise and the way it unfolds is a miss for me. Fortunately the characters and setpieces were enough to carry the movie. it was a really hard buy-in for me.
Resolution: 10
While not perfect, the ending is a satisfying completion to the story. You can definitely see it coming the closer you get, but it’s still good. Great closure for the main characters.
Overall: 84
Not my favorite of the classics, Swing Time still deserves its place in history. As far as the blackface is concerned, I think we owe it to ourselves not to shy away from things that happened in history. Even the bad things. In spite being on the wrong side of history, I enjoyed it.
Janeeny (200 KP) rated How to Be Famous in Books
Jul 8, 2019
I’ve been ‘aware’ of Caitlin Moran’s work for a number of years. I think she first came to my attention in 2011. I worked in a bookshop and Morans book ‘How to be a Woman’ was in the charts. The cover art just seemed to exude a quirky confidence and it went straight into my ‘theoretical’ TBR pile.
As you can imagine, a booksellers TBR pile is a challenging Behemoth, so when ‘Raised by Wolves’ (a sitcom written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline) came on the telly in 2013 I still hadn’t read ‘How to be a Woman’.
Happily, ‘Raised by Wolves’ was hilarious, putting Caitlin Moran well and truly on my radar as someone who had a lot of interesting and humorous opinions that I would really need to read about some day.
(On a little side note Alexa davies who plays Aretha in this is hilarious and worth keeping an eye on.)
Cut to 2019 Caitlin Moran has released 4 more books and I haven’t read a single one of them! So when NETgalley offered me a copy of ‘How to be famous’ in exchange for an honest review I had to say yes, as despite the fact that I actually own a copy of ‘How to be a girl’ I still haven’t read it, so I figured, if I have a deadline for a review that is going to spur me on to actually read this one!
It worked, I read it, and it was everything I thought it would be.
It had some definite laugh out loud moments, Morans humorous writing style comes through triumphantly.
So, the blurb . . .
“Johanna Morrigan (AKA Dolly Wilde) has it all: at eighteen, she lives in her own flat in London and writes for the coolest music magazine in Britain. But Johanna is miserable. Her best friend and man of her dreams John Kite has just made it big in 1994’s hot new BritPop scene. Suddenly John exists on another plane of reality: that of the Famouses.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Johanna hatches a plan: she will Saint Paul his Corinthians, she will Jimmy his Pinocchio—she will write a monthly column, by way of a manual to the famous, analyzing fame, its power, its dangers, and its amusing aspects. In stories, girls never win the girl—they are won. Well, Johanna will re-write the stories, and win John, through her writing.
But as Johanna’s own star rises, an unpleasant one-night stand she had with a stand-up comedian, Jerry Sharp, comes back to haunt in her in a series of unfortunate consequences. How can a girl deal with public sexual shaming? Especially when her new friend, the up-and-coming feminist rock icon Suzanne Banks, is Jimmy Cricketing her?”
First off, despite the fact that this is the second book in a series, you don’t lose anything of the story by not having read the first one. If anything it makes you want to read the first one even more, as you want to know how Dolly got to where she is and the adventures she’s had on the way.
Secondly, the characters were just brilliant not a two-dimensional one among them, the dialogue just flows beautifully, and you’ll end the book wishing you were friends with them.
Thirdly, in my inexpert opinion its really well written, the story flows effortlessly and you are just grabbed by the collar and dragged along on this adventure.
I quite literally cannot find the words to say how much I admire Morans writing style, as I said before, this is so well written and the characters are so relatable. It’s full of many laugh out loud moments and some very frank and hilarious conversations about sex, and amongst the humour are actually some quite serious issues, like the clear displays of the inequality of women within the music industry (even though this was set in the 90s, I’m sure much of it is still true today)
And coming from somebody who never seems to get symbolism or messages from books, I took away a LOT from this one
One of my favourite moments was a letter that Dolly writes to her musician friend (Johnny) who is troubled by accusations of ‘selling out’
It basically addresses the scorn heaped on bands, with a predominantly teenage female following, by ‘Elitist’ fans and the music industry. She asks Johnny to appreciate his ‘screaming’ girls fans, as just because they’re louder, more emotional, younger, and haven’t been part of the fanbase since day one, doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate the music any less or feel any less. Yes, they are the ones putting money in your bank account, putting you in the charts, but just because they are part of the mass market doesn’t make their feelings any less valid.
Seeing as I’ve been both a ‘screaming girl fan’ and an ‘Elitist Fan’ I understand and appreciate what’s being said here.
There is so much to love bout this book, the strong female characters, the humour, the feminist message, and underneath it all a good old fashioned love story
As you can imagine, a booksellers TBR pile is a challenging Behemoth, so when ‘Raised by Wolves’ (a sitcom written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline) came on the telly in 2013 I still hadn’t read ‘How to be a Woman’.
Happily, ‘Raised by Wolves’ was hilarious, putting Caitlin Moran well and truly on my radar as someone who had a lot of interesting and humorous opinions that I would really need to read about some day.
(On a little side note Alexa davies who plays Aretha in this is hilarious and worth keeping an eye on.)
Cut to 2019 Caitlin Moran has released 4 more books and I haven’t read a single one of them! So when NETgalley offered me a copy of ‘How to be famous’ in exchange for an honest review I had to say yes, as despite the fact that I actually own a copy of ‘How to be a girl’ I still haven’t read it, so I figured, if I have a deadline for a review that is going to spur me on to actually read this one!
It worked, I read it, and it was everything I thought it would be.
It had some definite laugh out loud moments, Morans humorous writing style comes through triumphantly.
So, the blurb . . .
“Johanna Morrigan (AKA Dolly Wilde) has it all: at eighteen, she lives in her own flat in London and writes for the coolest music magazine in Britain. But Johanna is miserable. Her best friend and man of her dreams John Kite has just made it big in 1994’s hot new BritPop scene. Suddenly John exists on another plane of reality: that of the Famouses.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Johanna hatches a plan: she will Saint Paul his Corinthians, she will Jimmy his Pinocchio—she will write a monthly column, by way of a manual to the famous, analyzing fame, its power, its dangers, and its amusing aspects. In stories, girls never win the girl—they are won. Well, Johanna will re-write the stories, and win John, through her writing.
But as Johanna’s own star rises, an unpleasant one-night stand she had with a stand-up comedian, Jerry Sharp, comes back to haunt in her in a series of unfortunate consequences. How can a girl deal with public sexual shaming? Especially when her new friend, the up-and-coming feminist rock icon Suzanne Banks, is Jimmy Cricketing her?”
First off, despite the fact that this is the second book in a series, you don’t lose anything of the story by not having read the first one. If anything it makes you want to read the first one even more, as you want to know how Dolly got to where she is and the adventures she’s had on the way.
Secondly, the characters were just brilliant not a two-dimensional one among them, the dialogue just flows beautifully, and you’ll end the book wishing you were friends with them.
Thirdly, in my inexpert opinion its really well written, the story flows effortlessly and you are just grabbed by the collar and dragged along on this adventure.
I quite literally cannot find the words to say how much I admire Morans writing style, as I said before, this is so well written and the characters are so relatable. It’s full of many laugh out loud moments and some very frank and hilarious conversations about sex, and amongst the humour are actually some quite serious issues, like the clear displays of the inequality of women within the music industry (even though this was set in the 90s, I’m sure much of it is still true today)
And coming from somebody who never seems to get symbolism or messages from books, I took away a LOT from this one
One of my favourite moments was a letter that Dolly writes to her musician friend (Johnny) who is troubled by accusations of ‘selling out’
It basically addresses the scorn heaped on bands, with a predominantly teenage female following, by ‘Elitist’ fans and the music industry. She asks Johnny to appreciate his ‘screaming’ girls fans, as just because they’re louder, more emotional, younger, and haven’t been part of the fanbase since day one, doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate the music any less or feel any less. Yes, they are the ones putting money in your bank account, putting you in the charts, but just because they are part of the mass market doesn’t make their feelings any less valid.
Seeing as I’ve been both a ‘screaming girl fan’ and an ‘Elitist Fan’ I understand and appreciate what’s being said here.
There is so much to love bout this book, the strong female characters, the humour, the feminist message, and underneath it all a good old fashioned love story
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Spare Room in Books
Feb 19, 2020 (Updated Feb 19, 2020)
While browsing Audible one day for an audiobook to listen to, I stumbled upon Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell. The book synopsis instantly had me hooked, and I knew I had to listen to this book. I ended up liking Spare Room very much!
Lisa is a young women with some psychological problems. However, she is determined to make it on her own without relying on her parents. When she spots an ad in the newspaper for a spare room in London for a great price, she inquires about the room and ends up living there. After finding a suicide note in her room, Lisa decides to find out more about this man while trying to figure out her own murky past. However, all this will place Lisa in grave danger.
The plot for Spare Room was highly interesting and written very well. Mitchell did a fantastic job at making it easy to transport readers into the setting. I felt like I was with Lisa every step of the way. The pacing, for the most part, is decent, and I found myself having to know more. There were a few spots were the pacing slowed, but for the most part, this book had a lot of action. I had to know more about Lisa's past. There were times I was questioning whether Lisa was sane horrific things happen to her or if she was just losing her mind. There were quite a few plot twists. Some were predictable, but others, I never saw coming. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book, and there were no cliff hangers which I was happy about.
The characters in Spare Room all felt realistic and like they were real people instead of characters in a novel. Mitchell did such a great job of breathing life into each individual character. Lisa was such a complex woman. I admired her tenacity to find out the truth at all costs even when she had everything going against her. Her determination was fierce, and she never let anyone get in her way. Alex was a sweetheart, and I loved how caring he was towards Lisa and how much he helped her out. Lisa's parents cared for Lisa, it was obvious, but I found myself wishing they would go about helping Lisa in better ways. Martha and Jack were fantastic! I always found myself not trusting Martha even though she came across as completely innocent to begin with, and I was always wondering if Jack really was as bad as Lisa thought he was. Patsy was probably my favorite character. That old woman reminded me of my grandma a lot of the time.
The narration, done by Kristin Atherton, was pretty good for the most part. I felt like Atherton started out the beginning of the book a bit flat, but she quickly got better. Her accents and voice changes for different characters were fantastic especially for the characters of Jack and Patsy.
Trigger warnings for Spare Room include violence, animal murder, attempted murder, murder, suicide, alcohol, some sex (though not graphic), profanity, and gas-lighting.
All in all, Spare Room weaves an interesting story with a fantastic cast of characters that will suck you right into their world. I would definitely recommend Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell to everyone aged 16+ who loves a great solid story.
Lisa is a young women with some psychological problems. However, she is determined to make it on her own without relying on her parents. When she spots an ad in the newspaper for a spare room in London for a great price, she inquires about the room and ends up living there. After finding a suicide note in her room, Lisa decides to find out more about this man while trying to figure out her own murky past. However, all this will place Lisa in grave danger.
The plot for Spare Room was highly interesting and written very well. Mitchell did a fantastic job at making it easy to transport readers into the setting. I felt like I was with Lisa every step of the way. The pacing, for the most part, is decent, and I found myself having to know more. There were a few spots were the pacing slowed, but for the most part, this book had a lot of action. I had to know more about Lisa's past. There were times I was questioning whether Lisa was sane horrific things happen to her or if she was just losing her mind. There were quite a few plot twists. Some were predictable, but others, I never saw coming. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book, and there were no cliff hangers which I was happy about.
The characters in Spare Room all felt realistic and like they were real people instead of characters in a novel. Mitchell did such a great job of breathing life into each individual character. Lisa was such a complex woman. I admired her tenacity to find out the truth at all costs even when she had everything going against her. Her determination was fierce, and she never let anyone get in her way. Alex was a sweetheart, and I loved how caring he was towards Lisa and how much he helped her out. Lisa's parents cared for Lisa, it was obvious, but I found myself wishing they would go about helping Lisa in better ways. Martha and Jack were fantastic! I always found myself not trusting Martha even though she came across as completely innocent to begin with, and I was always wondering if Jack really was as bad as Lisa thought he was. Patsy was probably my favorite character. That old woman reminded me of my grandma a lot of the time.
The narration, done by Kristin Atherton, was pretty good for the most part. I felt like Atherton started out the beginning of the book a bit flat, but she quickly got better. Her accents and voice changes for different characters were fantastic especially for the characters of Jack and Patsy.
Trigger warnings for Spare Room include violence, animal murder, attempted murder, murder, suicide, alcohol, some sex (though not graphic), profanity, and gas-lighting.
All in all, Spare Room weaves an interesting story with a fantastic cast of characters that will suck you right into their world. I would definitely recommend Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell to everyone aged 16+ who loves a great solid story.
