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Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska
John Green | 2013 | Children
8
8.1 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
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Miles is moving to Alabama to attend a boarding school. And while he is a quiet boy that happens to remember famous people's last words, he is also looking to stay out of trouble. He meets, incidentally, the most troublesome people that are about to change his life forever.

<b><i>''So, I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bun, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.''</i></b>

One of these people is Alaska Young, and believe me when I say, she is trouble. She is also clever and beautiful, but most of all screwed up, and she steals Miles's heart straight away.

''Looking for Alaska'' reminded me so much of ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''. There was definitely the same vibe of boy goes to new school, boy is quiet, boy meets loud friends and boy falls in love.

And even though I got really annoyed at the beginning due to the fact that Miles barely talks to his friends and does whatever he is told to do, his character does develop throughout the book and he manages to find his voice and his purpose which I believe made this book way more meaningful.

<b><i>''That is the fear. I have lost something important, and I cannot find it, and I need it. It is fear like if someone lost his glasses and went to the glasses store and they told him that the world had run out of glasses and he would just have to do without.''</i></b>

On the subject of his feelings towards Alaska, the love he feels, it is very hard to actually notice the big impact she has on Miles. Yes, we might agree that she didn't really care about him as we would've wanted her to do. She didn't have big feelings for him, but she did have an enormous influence on him. While she was there thinking about her boyfriend, Miles was constantly thinking about her, memorising every opinion she has, learning all her favourite book titles, listening to all of her stories and always wondering whether she maybe, just maybe feels at least a fraction of what he feels for her. And while Alaska might not be aware, Miles will still carry all his emotions in his heart. Even if they have never been returned back.

<b><i>''What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of blinding pain feels particularly instantaneous.''</i></b>

The book perfectly captures a young person's way of thinking and a young person's perception of feelings, actions, and responsibility into the unfair thing we call life. I recommend it to all of you!

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    Elmo Calls

    Elmo Calls

    Games and Education

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    This is an app full of fun phone calls from Elmo, which will help teach your child about healthy...

Most women that I know seem to deal with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. In today’s world of advertising, social media we are in a culture that is fueled by makeover shows, celebrities, and advertising that tells us how to dress, how to look and how to live. Most of the average day to day women have been hurt by the lasting memories of mean girls, or by other events much more wounding to the soul, we can become accustomed by self-doubt that it becomes ingrained to our self-image and thinking.

The focus of this book is to retrain our thoughts and to take another look at who God has created and how much He loves us and because He loves us we can love ourselves.
Kayla Aimee has written a book that many women can relate to. As you read the book you feel like she has reached into your own life and pulled out hidden feelings that you may not even realize are there, until you think yes, I’ve been there and felt that too.
Kayla Aimee has written this book using her own transformation from the self-doubt and inadequacy using examples from her own day to day life. In this book, she opens the way for women to:
• Identify the deep-seated sources of our assumed inadequacy and replace them with steadfast truths of scriptural affirmation.
• Replace our need for approval with the enduring promise of acceptance.

• Uncover our purpose, unlock our potential, and celebrate the God-given gifts in our unique personality.
This book is for every woman who longs for belonging, they will journey through Kayla’s writing and the biblical promises.
What I enjoyed about this book is the fact that the writer is so easy to identify with. I found myself in many of the examples of her own life that she wrote about and that made it so much easier to understand that I am not the only one dealing with accepting myself and who I am.

Any woman dealing with insecurities of any type would really appreciate this book. It is written by a woman who has been there, written in a warm, friendly way that invites the reader in and makes them feel welcomed.
At the back of the book is a study guide, so that this book can be read and discussed as a group or individually.
  
Confined Desires (Rehoboth Pact #1)
Confined Desires (Rehoboth Pact #1)
Katherine McIntyre | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's not especially explicit, but it IS full of love and passion
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Mia splits with her boyfriend and comes home, to Sky since she has nowhere else to go. Then the world comes crazy and there is stay at home order. Can Sky and Mia manage in a tiny one bed flat, in close proximity, and keep their hands off each other?

I have to commend Ms McIntyre. For a while she only wrote male/female pairings. The last book I read of her's was a M/M pairing, and this is a F/F pairing. And she nailed this, as she did Midnight Heist!

Sky has lusted, LOVED Mia since high school. She's not sure she can cope with them being so close for an extended time. Mia is, quite simply, the only woman for her. Mia, in turn has had feelings for Sky for equally as long. She just wasn't exactly sure WHAT she was feeling then, but she is now.

It's great watching them dance around each other for a while, and then fall headlong over that cliff. Only for Sky to mess it all up by keeping her mouth shut. Oh, I wanted to punch her then, I really did, especially as Mia poured her heart out to her!

It's not especially explicit, but it IS full of love and passion. It's emotional too, with Sky dealing with the loss of her sister, and Mia's female parental unit (I don't like her, can you tell?!?)

It is the first 'virus' book I've read, and I expect there to be more, but every one of those books will have to stand against this one, in that regard, cos it is so well done!

The title of the series is the Rehoboth Pact. I loved the reason for that, and that Aubrey evokes said pact when Sky acts stoopid! There is a third friend, Kyle, in the pact. We didn't meet her yet though. Aubs is here though, and she's a lot of fun! So, I'm assuming that the series will be around these three girls. Can't wait to read them!

It's not a compliacted read, just a story of two girls seeing who is right in front of them, and acting on your feelings.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
40x40

BookInspector (124 KP) rated Appetite in Books

Sep 24, 2020  
Appetite
Appetite
Anita Cassidy | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The main characters in this book were David, Naomi and Matthew, and the whole story was told from their perspectives. Even though this book was told from these three characters views, there were plenty of other, smaller, but very influential characters as well, which should not be forgotten, because I think they shaped the main characters in this novel. I am talking about David’s mom Kerri, Matthew’s girlfriend Polly and Naomi’s guilty pleasure, Mike. I loved that Anita created this very strong emotional bond between all the characters, I think that allowed to understand the main storytellers and the reasons for their actions way better.

My favourite one in this novel was David. I found his feelings and his experience highly amusing and sometimes shocking, but I was looking forward to his parts in this book. My least favourite one was Naomi. I simply cannot justify her behaviour in any way, and I personally do not respect people like her. (I could rant about her for a very long time, but I will try not to, even though she makes my blood boil.)

One thing that really stands out while reading this novel was passion. I could feel author’s passion about the topics she discussed, seeping through the pages of this book. I think it is very well researched novel, sharing plenty of facts with a reader. I am very grateful that author talks about really important topics, such as bullying, obesity, how parents influence children’s eating habits, and how sugar is taking over our society. Even though this topic has been analyzed in many books, I think that author chose a fresh and original way to highlight these issues.

I really liked the writing style of this book, I think it has a very good focus on detail, and it actually left me more connected to this book. (It is hard to describe the feeling…) The chapters are decent length, and overall it didn’t leave me bored, except for Naomi’s part, they kind of dragged for me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely and left me quite satisfied. I would like to throw in a disclaimer, that there are some graphic sexual scenes in this book. So to conclude, I had very educational experience, filled with very complex characters and their different needs, feelings and emotions. I do recommend this book, I think it is quite relatable, very realistic and thought-provoking.
  
Judge Thee Not
Judge Thee Not
Edith Maxwell | 2019 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m Still Trying to Judge My Reaction to This Book
Midwife Rose Carroll is surprised to step into the Amesbury, Mass., post office one June afternoon and find Mayme Settle complaining loudly about postmistress Bertie Winslow. The problem isn’t poor service but Bertie’s untraditional lifestyle, specifically that she lives with another woman. Mrs. Settle doesn’t feel this is proper, and is making her feelings known. While Rose is upset for her friend, Bertie is more than willing to let the slight go. However, one morning Mrs. Settle is found dead in her bed, and the police are quick to rule it murder. Unfortunately, they are just as quick to focus on Bertie as their prime suspect. Can Rose help the police find the truth?

The mystery is good with several viable suspects; however, I felt the pacing was off. It was a bit too slow in the beginning and a bit rushed at the end. While it wraps everything up, we get a lot of information thrown at us rather quickly to do so. It is always fun to spend time with Rose, and I love her friends. There were some interesting developments with her family in this book, which I enjoyed. The suspects were strong, but I felt the victim was a bit of a cliché, needing more time alive to become more real to me. My feelings on the victim also plays into my issues with the theme. As the title suggests, we get a few passages that look at how humans judge others. The problem was I felt these were too modern for a book set in the 1880’s. Mind you, I haven’t done the research, so maybe I’m the one judging too harshly. Other viewpoints were certainly not shown as anything other than wrong, and Rose comes off as almost judging others a few times herself. The title comes from a version in Matthew 7 in the Bible, and is taken out of context, as it usually is. These issues pulled me out of the book (and certainly bothered me) when they popped up, but the focus of the book was mostly on the mystery. Those who have enjoyed previous books will want to pick up this book and judge it for themselves. Most will probably be glad they did.
  
Lady Silver (Warlock Chronicles #1)
Lady Silver (Warlock Chronicles #1)
Bobbie R Byrd | 2021 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LADY SILVER is the first book in the Warlock Chronicles and we enter a futuristic world that has been split between humans and warlocks, with obvious mistrust and antagonism on both sides. Bryanna and T'Laan have lived their lives on the edge under no one's control but that changes when they are captured by Devon Bastion and taken aboard his ship, Maelstrom.

There is a lot that goes on in this book that isn't explained. I hope it will become clearer in future books but, for this one, it left me wondering what was going on. We have a prologue with someone who has been captured, who drops names like breadcrumbs, and as a reader, I had no idea if I was supposed to remember these names as someone to be important. Then we skip to someone new, and then something new again. It became mostly conjoined as the story went on, but there were still parts that were fragmented and confusing.

T'Laan is the best character here, followed by Glynda. Bryanna gets away with a lot due to her naivete, but Devon? Well, he's certainly a character but I really can't say I like him. Apparently, he has reasons for everything he does, but he is just arrogant and dislikeable most of the time. He is aware that Bryanna has feelings for him, talks about possibly having feelings for her, and then treads all over them with no reason given apart from the obvious "I'm not good enough. It's for her benefit..." He lies and hides the truth, only sharing when it suits him.

I definitely wanted to know more about the Flow and how it works. Yes, I know there are different Elements, but how? What do they do? Are there limits? And the Big Bad? Just what is going on there?

I read this book and enjoyed it but I'm left with more questions than when I started and a healthy dislike of the main male character. Overall, I think this book is good and has the potential to be part of a great series.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Crushed Ice (Hockey Ever After #4)
Crushed Ice (Hockey Ever After #4)
Morgan James, Ashlyn Kane | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Russ fell for Liam, but hadn't been able to put a name to the feelings.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 4 in the Hockey Ever After series. I have only read book 1 and 2, and missed book 3. It's not necessary to read those books before this one. Dante and Gabe play a part here (from book 1) but neither Ryan and Nico (book 2) or Max and Grady (book 3) play a part except there is a wedding.

I really liked book 1 and I loved book 2. I can't say I loved this one, but I did, for the most part, enjoy this. It was great to catch up with Gabe and Dante!

Russ is already playing for the Caimans when Liam joins them. There is attraction, right from the start, but Russ is not fully out and Liam is his rookie. I loved how Liam set Russ off kilter. The one-liners from Baller made me chuckle. It gets the point across, that Russ fell for Liam but hadn't been able to put a name to the feelings.

It's on the sweeter side, and fairly low angst. There is an age gap, but not a massive one. It's emotional, though, in places, but I didn't get that sucker punch I got from book 2, Scoring Position. Steamy and smexy in palces, but fade to black in others and I did like that.

So, what didn't I like? There are detailed hockey match descriptions. I know, I KNOW this is a hockey romance, but books 1 and 2 didn't have the long descriptions of the matches like there are here. Or I don't think they did. I said in my review for book one, that I liked that book because there were not huge long descriptions of hockey matches. So, for ME, and I stress the ME, those matches that are here were too much for me. I'm a UK native, and ice hockey is not the massive sport it is on the North American continent.

Still, an enjoyable read, that was on a par with book one, but not book 2, which I gave the full 5 stars.

So, 4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Joint Penetration (Hot Under the Collar #3)
Joint Penetration (Hot Under the Collar #3)
Katherine McIntyre | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so freaking good!
I was gifted my copy straight for the author.

Jumping straight in, again!

What this book is, book 3 in the series, is an abso-freaking-lutely brilliantly written, brilliantly told story, of realising what has been in front of you for 15 years, and not questioning, not once, what you really feel for your best friend.

Liam has been in love with Ollie since he was 14. His best friend, his straight MARRIED best friend. He knows he can never have him, but he cannot let go. Ollie announces hi is getting a divorce, and promptly turns to Liam for his shoulder. Not to cry on, though, Ollie just needs Liam close, as always. Making a discovery about Liam that Ollie did not know, sets off a chain reaction, and Ollie sees, really SEES Liam for the first time.

I cannot, and never will be able to, express how much I loved this book of 2 friends falling in love. Of two friends finally seeing what everyone else sees: that they are perfect for each other. I mean, this is another , ANOTHER book that I need to add to myMasterpieces shelf of McIntyre's and she keeps delivering them! I really gotta change my rules for that shelf!

It's steamy, yes, but I loved that Ollie jumped straight in, once he was aware of his feelings and, more importantly, of LIAM'S feelings about them sleeping together. I loved that Ollie didn't really question what he was feeling: he knew, KNEW that Liam was his, and now he would be in all ways, but Ollie questioned WHAT he was feeling when he touched Liam. He never felt anything like this when he touched his ex-wife, so what he was feeling for Liam had to be monumental.

It's super low angst, and it's too freaking cute, and so warm and fuzzies, its off the scale!

I loved that we got to catch up with Liam's group of friends, and the guys from books one and two. We are also introduced to Ollie's brothers, and THEY are the subject of a new series that will feature drop ins from these guys.

I might go on all day, but I'll cut myself short.

READ THE FREAKING BOOK, GUYS! Better yet, read the whole SERIES cos they are all. . .

5 full and shiny stars!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere