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Christmas in the Park
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30-something Sarah has finally decided to start her own business. After years of 5 am starts,...
A School of Daughters
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It’s funny how things sneak up on you… Kate Willoughby is a champion for...
Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
Merissa (12879 KP) rated One Step Sideways (Enhanced World Security #1) in Books
Mar 18, 2025
ONE STEP SIDEWAYS is the first book in the Enhanced World Security series, which itself is a spinoff of the Enhanced World H.E.R.O. series. I haven't read any of those, but I now want to! I don't feel as though my enjoyment was negatively impacted by not having read them, as enough details were given here that I understood what was going on.
Kane has had a terrible life. No two ways about it. My heart broke for him on so many occasions and when he first met Danny, I went full-on Mama Bear. Danny was a soldier who also had something terrible happen to him and his friends, which has left him with severe PTSD. He has a gorgeous service dog but immediately thought the worst of Kane in every possible situation when he thought Kane had hurt a dog in his past. He really was a judgemental pr!ck.
But then the story picked up, I became invested, and Danny and Kane worked things out and became the most important thing to each other, and I was okay with that.
This does have an overreaching arc so don't expect everything to be tied up in this edition, but it made for a fantastic read. Well-paced, with plenty of action, twists and turns, plus hooks dangling which left me wanting the next book immediately, it was already a 5-star read for me. But then Danny went above and beyond and had my eyes leaking for the last part of the book. That 5-star was never in doubt!!! An amazing story and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
Kane has had a terrible life. No two ways about it. My heart broke for him on so many occasions and when he first met Danny, I went full-on Mama Bear. Danny was a soldier who also had something terrible happen to him and his friends, which has left him with severe PTSD. He has a gorgeous service dog but immediately thought the worst of Kane in every possible situation when he thought Kane had hurt a dog in his past. He really was a judgemental pr!ck.
But then the story picked up, I became invested, and Danny and Kane worked things out and became the most important thing to each other, and I was okay with that.
This does have an overreaching arc so don't expect everything to be tied up in this edition, but it made for a fantastic read. Well-paced, with plenty of action, twists and turns, plus hooks dangling which left me wanting the next book immediately, it was already a 5-star read for me. But then Danny went above and beyond and had my eyes leaking for the last part of the book. That 5-star was never in doubt!!! An amazing story and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book is full of so many "I can't wait to try this out!" ideas that at times it is a bit overwhelming. I plowed through it with a pen & highlighter within easy reach. Normally I am a stickler about not dog-earring a book, but I found myself unable to resist...there were so many things that I wanted to be able to turn back to right away without having to hunt through the index to find. The part I find most helpful is that the authors were excellent & reminding the reader throughout to start with 1 item that "got" them & once that was mastered, add the next thing.
I would recommend this book to any teacher (or parent for that matter) that is not new to the profession. I feel like being a newbie it may be overwhelming. Give it a shot though...you'll be surprised that you did some of the things already & it will just help you refine your technique even more.
I would recommend this book to any teacher (or parent for that matter) that is not new to the profession. I feel like being a newbie it may be overwhelming. Give it a shot though...you'll be surprised that you did some of the things already & it will just help you refine your technique even more.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Catch in Time in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The thing about a book is that it has to draw you in, then hook you, and make you want to read it. A Catch in Time was the kind that scared you into reading further, twisted your mind, and made you avoid it. Would it make sense to say that for this reason it was both good and bad?
Every time I opened this book, I had trouble putting it down. I liked it a lot--except for the writing and the characters. The writing was full of fragments and, in general, mediocre. I despise the characters. Few of them have any redeeming qualities, and after 100 pages half of them are not developed well enough to know them very well or be individual personalities. But the only character I like is the dog.
Maybe horror isn't my genre? Or maybe it was the fragments. repeated and pointless fragments. that got to me.
Every time I opened this book, I had trouble putting it down. I liked it a lot--except for the writing and the characters. The writing was full of fragments and, in general, mediocre. I despise the characters. Few of them have any redeeming qualities, and after 100 pages half of them are not developed well enough to know them very well or be individual personalities. But the only character I like is the dog.
Maybe horror isn't my genre? Or maybe it was the fragments. repeated and pointless fragments. that got to me.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Death al Fresco in Books
Mar 14, 2018
Corpse in the Kelp
Sally and her friend Eric are taking an outdoor painting class around Santa Cruz. During class one Saturday, Sally’s dog finds a dead body in the kelp. The man was a regular at Sally’s family’s restaurant, and his last few days seem to be connected to his time there. Can Sally figure out what happened before the restaurant’s reputation is ruined?
This book has a good mystery with viable suspects and a couple of good twists to it. It also has some strong sub-plot, which are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they take the focus off the mystery a bit too much at times. On the other hand, they are the perfect showcases for some of the recurring characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again and how they are growing. Overall, I found this a satisfying read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
This book has a good mystery with viable suspects and a couple of good twists to it. It also has some strong sub-plot, which are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they take the focus off the mystery a bit too much at times. On the other hand, they are the perfect showcases for some of the recurring characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again and how they are growing. Overall, I found this a satisfying read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Very Very Very Long Dog in Books
Jun 16, 2018
The Very Very Very Long Dogby Julia Patton is a cute book about a dogs adventure through town. The story is funny and light hearted. This story teaches to accept everyone no matter their differences.
Bartleby lives in a bookstore and has many friends. The friendly dog makes everyone smile when he goes out with his friends; however, he often has no idea what his back portion is doing since he is so long. His friends usually patch things up when he causes many problems, but one day, he makes a very big mess, and even ends up attacking his own bottom. Thank goodness his friends figure out a solution to the problem so that Bartleby doesn't have to remain in the bookstore.
I enjoyed how loyal this dog's friends remain to him and how they work to come up with a solution to his problem. The illustrations are unique. The book touches on being yourself and embracing your uniqueness.
Bartleby lives in a bookstore and has many friends. The friendly dog makes everyone smile when he goes out with his friends; however, he often has no idea what his back portion is doing since he is so long. His friends usually patch things up when he causes many problems, but one day, he makes a very big mess, and even ends up attacking his own bottom. Thank goodness his friends figure out a solution to the problem so that Bartleby doesn't have to remain in the bookstore.
I enjoyed how loyal this dog's friends remain to him and how they work to come up with a solution to his problem. The illustrations are unique. The book touches on being yourself and embracing your uniqueness.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Cutie's Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard in Books
Jun 16, 2018
Cutie’s Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard by Felicia Di John is a wonderful story.
Cutie is a sweet, curious and adventurous dog who lives in a house in the desert. Her mom Ava Rose is six years old and loves Cutie very much. She would like to play with her all day, but she must go to school. Cutie is never happy when her mom leaves her for school because that means she will be home all alone. So today, Cutie decides to go outdoors by herself to play. She explores the desert around her, makes a new friend, and finds that some animals eat strange things. She is having so much fun that she almost forgets to get back home before her mom arrives.
I read this book to my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students. They loved the book and begged for more stories of Cutie. The story was captivating and the pictures appeared to jump off the page.
Cutie is a sweet, curious and adventurous dog who lives in a house in the desert. Her mom Ava Rose is six years old and loves Cutie very much. She would like to play with her all day, but she must go to school. Cutie is never happy when her mom leaves her for school because that means she will be home all alone. So today, Cutie decides to go outdoors by herself to play. She explores the desert around her, makes a new friend, and finds that some animals eat strange things. She is having so much fun that she almost forgets to get back home before her mom arrives.
I read this book to my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students. They loved the book and begged for more stories of Cutie. The story was captivating and the pictures appeared to jump off the page.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Malevolent (2018) in Movies
Nov 2, 2018
Netflix.... Fuck off
Brother and sister team in the 80s try and make a quick buck by faking paranormal activity in "clients" houses...
The sister is allegedly a psychic and all of the activity appears to be EVP related.
I watch paranormal shows... Do i believe in them??? Sometimes..
But this... Is a hard sell.
I get it Netflix, i really do... But stop putting out every little indie horror flick that catches your eye and leave the scares to the pros.
I can honestly say i think ive only seen one Netflix horror movie that i actually enjoyed. And thats because it was written by Stephen King.
I get it, cash in on what people enjoy... Horror... But expecting fans of the genre to be happy with any slapped together piece of dog vomit is insulting to fans.
While this movie had great potential... It just didn't deliver in the finished product.
Back to the drawing board Netflix...
The sister is allegedly a psychic and all of the activity appears to be EVP related.
I watch paranormal shows... Do i believe in them??? Sometimes..
But this... Is a hard sell.
I get it Netflix, i really do... But stop putting out every little indie horror flick that catches your eye and leave the scares to the pros.
I can honestly say i think ive only seen one Netflix horror movie that i actually enjoyed. And thats because it was written by Stephen King.
I get it, cash in on what people enjoy... Horror... But expecting fans of the genre to be happy with any slapped together piece of dog vomit is insulting to fans.
While this movie had great potential... It just didn't deliver in the finished product.
Back to the drawing board Netflix...
Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Like a small dog that an old lady would sneak into a hospital, Venom had plenty of bark leading up to its release but not much bite. I love Tom Hardy, he's one of my favorite actors in the business right now, but even he couldn't save this movie. I feel like they did a great job with Tom Hardy and the Venom character itself, I dug it and got some good laughs out of it. For me though, the story they were stuck in was the real parasite. This is one of those movies I'm sure many will enjoy and many will hate. I always hope everyone enjoys every movie they watch though, no matter my opinion. The voice in my head says to wrap this rambling up so we can go eat, so let me finish with this. Here's to dreaming of a world where one day humans, with all of our opinions and differences, can peacefully intertwine and be symbiotic.