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My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel
My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel
Sophie Kinsella | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.7 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Katie Brenner is doing her best to make it (and fake it) in London. After all, moving to London from her village town in Somerset has always been Katie's dream. But, if Katie's really honest--and not just posting glamorous-but fake-pictures on her Instagram--her life isn't all she'd hoped it be. Her commute is horrendous, and she shares a minuscule flat with two nightmare flatmates. Her job in branding is what Katie always wanted, but she's stuck at the bottom rung of the office ladder. This means she's constantly abused by her beautiful, brilliant boss, Demeter--and that's when she even remember Katie's name. Just when Katie thinks she's making headway: she's attending some meetings at work and sharing ideas, she's invited to drinks with co-workers, and she's met (and felt sparks with) a handsome co-worker, she's fired. Before she knows it, Katie finds herself back on her family farm, helping her dad and stepmom start a glamping business (yes, glamping; surprisingly, this works in the plot). It's far from the dreamy, perfect London life she always envisioned.

I'm not a Sophie Kinsella disciple (I haven't even read the Shopaholic series, don't kill me), but this book was so popular among my Goodreads friends that I couldn't help but pick it up. <i>It's certainly a cute, entertaining read</i>, based mainly on the strength of her main character.

There's something about Katie. She can be irritating, but she's gutsy and smart. She has dreams and goals, and she truly wants to achieve them. She's also insightful and kind. You can't help but be drawn to her and root for her character. It also helps that she's not spoiled, like so many of her co-workers and the people she encounters. While the book may play on the "rich" versus "poor" dichotomy a bit much, it's clear that Katie is fairly grounded, and you like her all the more for it.

The book certainly has some comedic moments, which I wasn't completely expecting, and Katie even has a bit of a dry wit. Things definitely move along in a bit of a cliched fashion sometimes, with Katie's realizations about life coming a tad too easily at moments. Still, there's a little twist in the plot that I didn't see coming that engages you and keeps the last quarter of the novel moving quite briskly.

Overall, the book winds up all its loose ends way too easily, but, of course, you really wouldn't have it any other way. I found myself grinning goofily in a few parts, because I'm totally a sucker for stories like these sometimes. Katie is endearing, her romance is fun, and the plot moves quickly and easily. This was an enjoyable, breezy read, and I'm glad I picked it up. 3.5 stars.

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Louise (64 KP) rated The Farm in Books

Jul 2, 2018  
The Farm
The Farm
Tom Rob Smith | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved the crap out of this book, it was so compelling and had me gripped the whole way through, this was a first for me on this author, I like to read new authors all the time, I like experiencing different writing and imaginations. The premise of this book intrigued me, as to who Daniel would believe when both parents are against one another.

The pace of this book is quite slow but it slowly drips feeds you information as to what has happened to his parents on the Farm in Sweden that you cannot stop reading.

Daniel currently lives in London with his partner Mark, when he gets an unexpected call from his father stating that his mother is not well and has fled from a psychiatric ward. His parents had not long moved to Sweden to retire to his mothers homeland.

Daniel who is an only child decides he needs to go to Sweden after putting it off for several months, however when he gets to the airport, he receives a call from his mother stating that she is flying over to the UK now to meet him so she can tell him her side of the story events that has been happening over the past 6 months.

Two thirds of the book are told by Tilde (Daniel’s mother), she has a satchel with evidence and a diary which she reads from, she is very specific with what happens and adamant that things must be told in chronological order so people do not misinterpret her findings as madness.

Daniel is a very naive character thinking his parents, never argued, had a great life, owning their own garden centre and several flats around London, when actually that was the complete opposite, he didn’t want to tell his parents he was homosexual as he thought they would think they had failed in his upbringing and disappoint them. Daniel seemed to have had a very sheltered life from his parents, he had never experienced them arguing, had a good education but in the end had a job as a gardener/landscape designer thingymajig which wasn’t really going anywhere and a high-profile boyfriend which he relied on for more than just companionship.

The thing that had me thinking was what if this was my parents? who would I believe? When one is saying the other is crazy and the other believes a murder has taken place and that the father is involved. I think this is why it was so gripping, you had to continue to find out the truth and I was not let down by this.

This was just a book that I picked up as the synopsis intrigued me, I didn’t expect to love it so much. The good thing about this book is that it is a thriller without the gore and blood.

I would definitely recommend this book.

I rated this 4 out of 5 stars.
  
    Fiete Quiztime

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    Sheep Frenzy 2

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Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
2017 | Sci-Fi
It's 2049 and bioengineered humans are a mainstream part of society, essential to keep the human race going. Newer models have been created to obey humans, and K works for the LAPD as a blade runner. K's investigation leads him to a farm where he retires an old model replicant. While searching he finds a box buried beneath a tree that contains the bones of a human body, a woman who died in child birth. When the lab investigates the remains they discover that they are in fact of a female replicant, which leads to questions as replicants aren't supposed to be able to get pregnant.

K is told to destroy the evidence for fear that the knowledge is too dangerous, but he continues to investigate the replicant through the manufacturer's head quarters. This leads him on a trail, but unbeknown to him he's now not the only one looking for the answers.



I've been searching the depths of my brain... it's pretty scary down there... but I'm almost certain that I haven't seen the first Blade Runner. But having seen this one I'm fairly confident that you don't miss anything if that happens to be the case. Obviously, with Harrison Ford in this one as his older self there are some moments that appear to reflect his past, but through the context of the scenes everything seems to make sense.

The film sits at around the 2 hours 45 minutes mark, and I was a little concerned that it was going to feel long. During movies I tend to check the time the first time I get a little distracted, and I went for my phone thinking I must be only an hour or so in... and there were only 30 minutes left. Honestly, it was a great movie. At no point did I really get bored and look off round the cinema, which is one of my usual habits.

As my Unlimited card has gone premium and I get 3D tickets for free I went to see that showing as it was the handiest one. Yet again, I'm left wondering what the point of the 3D was. I am really not sold on it at all, I haven't seen a film where I was wowed by it. My only reaction has been "this was terrible and unwatchable" (see Valerian) or when I get up to leave when it's over "oh yeah, I've got 3D glasses on. Huh."

Ryan Gosling... much to my friend's shock, I have worked out that I've never seen him in any film. And he doesn't really do it for me, I'm all about the other Ryan... the best one. He was good in this though, he managed to play the part well, even through the points where he was in crisis. I probably wouldn't say no to seeing him in another film... apart from La La Land.