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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The More you Ignore me in Books
Feb 20, 2022
31 of 230
Book
The more you ignore me
By Jo Brand
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Celebrity obsession, coming of age and cow shit - an hilarious, poignant and darkly comic novel by the Queen of Comedy.
Alice is a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family in Herefordshire in the 1980s. Her mother is suffering a mental illness - she is on medication, is put away in an institution, but constantly escapes - while her father, Keith, very sweetly, tries to keep everything together. His in-laws, the Wildgooses, are a bunch of reckless, lawless country bumpkins and can offer very little help or sensible advice, preferring instead to remain in the pub or to use a shotgun to solve life's little problems. The only thing that gives meaning and hope to Alice as she makes her way through childhood, school and teenage trauma is her obsession with the singer Morrissey of The Smiths. She is desperate to see The Smiths at a live gig, but somehow her family always manages to derail her plans. Gradually her mother begins to share her fascination with the rock god and his presence in their lives goes someway to healing her and repairing her relationship with her long-suffering daughter.
This was really good! It was funny and darkly so. It follows the life of a young girl dealing with the effects her mothers mental illness has on her and her father. It’s has a dark underlay that as someone who struggles mentally I can relate too. So much better than I was expecting.
Book
The more you ignore me
By Jo Brand
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Celebrity obsession, coming of age and cow shit - an hilarious, poignant and darkly comic novel by the Queen of Comedy.
Alice is a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family in Herefordshire in the 1980s. Her mother is suffering a mental illness - she is on medication, is put away in an institution, but constantly escapes - while her father, Keith, very sweetly, tries to keep everything together. His in-laws, the Wildgooses, are a bunch of reckless, lawless country bumpkins and can offer very little help or sensible advice, preferring instead to remain in the pub or to use a shotgun to solve life's little problems. The only thing that gives meaning and hope to Alice as she makes her way through childhood, school and teenage trauma is her obsession with the singer Morrissey of The Smiths. She is desperate to see The Smiths at a live gig, but somehow her family always manages to derail her plans. Gradually her mother begins to share her fascination with the rock god and his presence in their lives goes someway to healing her and repairing her relationship with her long-suffering daughter.
This was really good! It was funny and darkly so. It follows the life of a young girl dealing with the effects her mothers mental illness has on her and her father. It’s has a dark underlay that as someone who struggles mentally I can relate too. So much better than I was expecting.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Broken Heart Attack in Books
Oct 24, 2022
Deadly Theater
When Kellan Ayrwick attends a dress rehearsal of King Lear with Nana D. and her friends, he expects the deaths to stay on stage. But not too long into the second act, he realizes that Gwendolyn Paddington isn’t asleep on his shoulder, but she’s passed away. Gwendolyn had been saying someone in her family was trying to kill her. Is that true? If so, can Kellan figure out who did it?
When you have a book with characters as dysfunctional as the Paddington family, it always makes me appreciate my own family. But it also makes for a great mystery plot, and that’s the case again here. There are plenty of twists along the way to catching the killer at the end. While some of the characters can be over the top, we care about enough of them, including Kellan, to keep us invested in the book. I did feel like the humor was hit and miss for me here. Sometimes, the character’s teasing worked, and other times it felt like they were picking on Kellan more than actually teasing him. Unfortunately, there were some timeline issues and a red herring that felt like it jumped quite a bit. Both could have been resolved with a good editor. There are several sub-plots involving Kellan and his family. While they veered a little more into soap opera territory than is typical for the books I read, they have me hooked and I can’t wait to make time for the next book to find out what happens.
When you have a book with characters as dysfunctional as the Paddington family, it always makes me appreciate my own family. But it also makes for a great mystery plot, and that’s the case again here. There are plenty of twists along the way to catching the killer at the end. While some of the characters can be over the top, we care about enough of them, including Kellan, to keep us invested in the book. I did feel like the humor was hit and miss for me here. Sometimes, the character’s teasing worked, and other times it felt like they were picking on Kellan more than actually teasing him. Unfortunately, there were some timeline issues and a red herring that felt like it jumped quite a bit. Both could have been resolved with a good editor. There are several sub-plots involving Kellan and his family. While they veered a little more into soap opera territory than is typical for the books I read, they have me hooked and I can’t wait to make time for the next book to find out what happens.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Deliver Her in Books
May 16, 2018
Like many of the readers that have turned the pages of this book, I selected <i>Deliver Her: A Novel</i> because it was one of this month's options for Amazon Prime subscribers via Kindle First. Listed under suspense, the title's description hinted at an edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced story. While the tragic tale of Alex Carmody, her dysfunctional family, and the hired transport were entertaining, it did not live up to my expectations when it comes to a novel of this genre.
After the horrific death of her best friend, Alex Carmody spirals out of control and she becomes the typical angst filled, rebellious teenager. In a last-ditch effort to save Alex from herself, her mother decides to hire Carl Alden, owner of Begin Again Transport, to take her to The Birches, a boarding school for troubled youth. En route, as stated in the description, Alex goes missing and things begin to spiral out of control.
The plot of the story is fairly simple and does bear realistic elements, even if a few of them, such as Alex's behavior, are a bit too cliche. While the story is centered around Alex's transport to The Birches, it seems as if her mother plays the most dominant role in the book. It is easier to feel "in touch" with Meg's thoughts, feelings, and realizations than it is Carl's or Alex's. Many times, I felt that Meg was closer to the brink of losing control than Alex was, perhaps due to the way in which her entire life was deteriorating around her. In her portrayal of a dysfunctional family and a marriage in shambles, Donovan succeeded in creating a feeling of empathy for the Carmodys.
On the other hand, the story progressed fairly slowly, and at times the style was inconsistent. There were many occasions in which I felt the word choice was too verbose, only to become more simple a few pages later. This, coupled with the frequent change in point of view, interrupted the story's flow while simultaneously blurring the line as to which of the three main characters served as the protagonist.
The minor characters seemed, more often than not, to be a convenient scapegoat, used to justify certain actions and outcomes. Evan is introduced to the reader as your typical drug-abusing kid, and despite Alex's feelings for him, plays a very minor role in the book. It's mentioned that Alex is his mule, however that subject isn't really touched upon beyond simple acknowledgment. Jacob, Alex's father, sits backseat for the majority of the story, only to become a major player toward the end, bringing to light his own shortcomings - and the truth behind some of the accusations that Alex has suffered. Shana appears to exist solely to substantiate the tragedy that started Alex's decline, while her brother is mentioned only in memories, despite the crucial role he's played in the Carmody family history.
Despite its shortcomings, and the fact that I do not feel it should be categorized as suspense, <i>Deliver Her: A Novel</i> was a fun read. I do not regret the time that I spent turning its pages, and should Donovan decide to turn this into a Transport series, I would probably read further installments.
<b>This book was acquired free of charge via Amazon Prime Kindle First. My review is an accurate expression of my own opinion, without bias.</b>
After the horrific death of her best friend, Alex Carmody spirals out of control and she becomes the typical angst filled, rebellious teenager. In a last-ditch effort to save Alex from herself, her mother decides to hire Carl Alden, owner of Begin Again Transport, to take her to The Birches, a boarding school for troubled youth. En route, as stated in the description, Alex goes missing and things begin to spiral out of control.
The plot of the story is fairly simple and does bear realistic elements, even if a few of them, such as Alex's behavior, are a bit too cliche. While the story is centered around Alex's transport to The Birches, it seems as if her mother plays the most dominant role in the book. It is easier to feel "in touch" with Meg's thoughts, feelings, and realizations than it is Carl's or Alex's. Many times, I felt that Meg was closer to the brink of losing control than Alex was, perhaps due to the way in which her entire life was deteriorating around her. In her portrayal of a dysfunctional family and a marriage in shambles, Donovan succeeded in creating a feeling of empathy for the Carmodys.
On the other hand, the story progressed fairly slowly, and at times the style was inconsistent. There were many occasions in which I felt the word choice was too verbose, only to become more simple a few pages later. This, coupled with the frequent change in point of view, interrupted the story's flow while simultaneously blurring the line as to which of the three main characters served as the protagonist.
The minor characters seemed, more often than not, to be a convenient scapegoat, used to justify certain actions and outcomes. Evan is introduced to the reader as your typical drug-abusing kid, and despite Alex's feelings for him, plays a very minor role in the book. It's mentioned that Alex is his mule, however that subject isn't really touched upon beyond simple acknowledgment. Jacob, Alex's father, sits backseat for the majority of the story, only to become a major player toward the end, bringing to light his own shortcomings - and the truth behind some of the accusations that Alex has suffered. Shana appears to exist solely to substantiate the tragedy that started Alex's decline, while her brother is mentioned only in memories, despite the crucial role he's played in the Carmody family history.
Despite its shortcomings, and the fact that I do not feel it should be categorized as suspense, <i>Deliver Her: A Novel</i> was a fun read. I do not regret the time that I spent turning its pages, and should Donovan decide to turn this into a Transport series, I would probably read further installments.
<b>This book was acquired free of charge via Amazon Prime Kindle First. My review is an accurate expression of my own opinion, without bias.</b>
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated High Cotton (Bucklin Family Reunion #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
It's been quite sometime since I read a Debby Mayne novel, and I must tell you that I so glad to be brought back to her talented work. When I read the blurb of High Cotton, I knew it was one that I needed to pull me out of my book funk, and that's just what it did! To me, that says a a lot about the book and the person writing it.
Being southern born and bred, and loving anything that has to do with drinking sweet tea from a mason jar( I mean, really? How perfect is that cover!?), I really related to Shay. Her character was quirky, loving and I really enjoyed walking beside her in this story, watching how she handled things. Life isn't always easy in a family of people that you love but drive you absolutely, utterly wonky, but Shay.......she really gave me a lot to think about with my own life.
This book is worthy of so much more than just 4.5 stars. It deserves to be sitting on a shelf, to be read again and again. If you are looking for a book that is at times laugh-out-loud, dysfunctional and altogether, down right inspirational. Friends, family and old memories come together to create a novel that is both emotionally moving, and utterly heartwarming. Praise goes to Debby Mayne for her trademark writing style and bringing me back to the love her books! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Being southern born and bred, and loving anything that has to do with drinking sweet tea from a mason jar( I mean, really? How perfect is that cover!?), I really related to Shay. Her character was quirky, loving and I really enjoyed walking beside her in this story, watching how she handled things. Life isn't always easy in a family of people that you love but drive you absolutely, utterly wonky, but Shay.......she really gave me a lot to think about with my own life.
This book is worthy of so much more than just 4.5 stars. It deserves to be sitting on a shelf, to be read again and again. If you are looking for a book that is at times laugh-out-loud, dysfunctional and altogether, down right inspirational. Friends, family and old memories come together to create a novel that is both emotionally moving, and utterly heartwarming. Praise goes to Debby Mayne for her trademark writing style and bringing me back to the love her books! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
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Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated Jar of Hearts in Books
Jun 26, 2018
You can run, but you can't hide!
What if you got involved with the wrong guy when you were sixteen years old? What if your best friends tied to warn you and you didn’t listen? What if someone ended up dead and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t help but feel guilty because you were inexplicably involved in their demise? This is exactly what happens to Georgina Shaw (Geo for short), the main character in Jennifer Hillier’s latest crime thriller, Jar of Hearts.
One fateful night, Geo’s bad decisions alter the course of the rest of her life. As the years go by, she finds out just how painful and far-reaching the ramifications of those decisions will become. Even though she tries and tries to forget what happened and move on, the past refuses to stay buried. How far can she run before what she did catches up to her? And by the way, what exactly did she do?
Just when we think we’ve got Geo’s story figured out, Hillier throws us a curveball and we’re right back where we started: clueless and furiously trying to piece together what has transpired. I am quite a fan of this writing technique because it keeps you on your toes while you’re reading the story. Jar of Hearts is not for everyone; it is haunting and disturbing, it paints a picture of a seriously flawed and dysfunctional family, and it features grotesque crimes. On the other hand, it is a fast-paced and addictive read, a nontraditional love story, and it shows how something good can come out of even the worst of situations. Give it a try if you’re looking for a modern crime thriller that holds nothing back.
One fateful night, Geo’s bad decisions alter the course of the rest of her life. As the years go by, she finds out just how painful and far-reaching the ramifications of those decisions will become. Even though she tries and tries to forget what happened and move on, the past refuses to stay buried. How far can she run before what she did catches up to her? And by the way, what exactly did she do?
Just when we think we’ve got Geo’s story figured out, Hillier throws us a curveball and we’re right back where we started: clueless and furiously trying to piece together what has transpired. I am quite a fan of this writing technique because it keeps you on your toes while you’re reading the story. Jar of Hearts is not for everyone; it is haunting and disturbing, it paints a picture of a seriously flawed and dysfunctional family, and it features grotesque crimes. On the other hand, it is a fast-paced and addictive read, a nontraditional love story, and it shows how something good can come out of even the worst of situations. Give it a try if you’re looking for a modern crime thriller that holds nothing back.