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Reluctant Rockstar (Reluctant Rockstar #1)
10.0
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A tired rock star and a judgemental gardener…what could possibly go wrong? The Purple Lizards...
Contemporary MM Romance Rockstar Hurt-Comfort Found Family
Sins of Fathers
5.0
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Like many little boys, Michael Emmett idolised his father. Growing up, he knew he wanted to follow...
Dead and Gondola
5.0
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Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She’s recently returned to her tiny Colorado...
Evergreen Desires (Wildheart Chronicles #1)
7.0
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He’s running from his past. He didn’t expect to fall for a Sasquatch shifter who could break his...
Paranormal MM Romance
ClareR (5996 KP) rated In the Lives of Puppets in Books
Jan 29, 2024
I don’t know about just Pinocchio, I got some Wizard of Oz vibes as well from this wondrous book. I love a retelling, I’ve read quite a lot of them, and I’m fully prepared to read more, especially if the imagination and emotions are anything like those in In The Lives of Puppets. The ‘Found Family’ theme that runs through TJ Kline’s books is so beautiful: if people, for whatever reason, are rejected by or have lost their families, it’s reassuring to know that there are people, families, like this out there (but not necessarily robots…).
Even after discovering the truth of his origins, Victor still wants to save his father, Giovanni, and his friends want to help him and keep him safe. He is probably the last human alive. Robot society is very interesting, especially as they seem to want to mimic humans, even though they seem to be the ones responsible for their demise (although I think the humans were more than capable of destroying themselves).
Actually, I don’t want to say too much more, other than the fact that I loved reading this and I was sad to see it come to an end - it was perfect!
Even after discovering the truth of his origins, Victor still wants to save his father, Giovanni, and his friends want to help him and keep him safe. He is probably the last human alive. Robot society is very interesting, especially as they seem to want to mimic humans, even though they seem to be the ones responsible for their demise (although I think the humans were more than capable of destroying themselves).
Actually, I don’t want to say too much more, other than the fact that I loved reading this and I was sad to see it come to an end - it was perfect!
Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket
8.0
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It’s the funny side of homicide in acclaimed TV comedy writer and novelist Laura Levine’s newest...
Passing Through Purgatory (Passing Through Cafe #1)
9.0
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When Oliver applied for a job in the Hell dimension on a whim, he didn’t expect it to turn his...
Urban Fantasy Rom-Com
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Sworn Virgin in Books
Sep 28, 2017
Great historical detail, but falls short
So what I really liked the most about the book is the historical background and aspect. It’s rich in detail and sheds a light on the customs in Albania. I loved the descriptions of the setting, the clothing especially and how family life was at the time. Despite that Eleanora lived differently from others in the village, traditions are deep rooted, strong and followed to the exact detail. It’s all about maintaining family honor and if disgraced, the way to gain it back is likely with someone killing the other from the rival family that did you wrong. It’s pretty harsh and during that time doesn’t give much voice to women in general, but Eleanora’s personality is strong and admirable even though she’s pretty much a daddy’s girl (which helps her let her be who she wants to be).
The first half of the book was great and got the reading going pretty quickly. It wasn’t until the last third of the novel where things bog down and I was afraid of this: the moment the ‘man of the her dreams’ came into the story. Then I was instantly reminded as to why I hated “Memoirs of a Geisha” so much and this mirrors it. Holy mother. The guy was the sun, moon and stars for Eleanora. I kind of get it after what happened to her dad but for crying out loud I was rooting for Eleanora for taking the vow and being strong. All it takes is an Adonis to break that all down. Eleanora then takes a complete 360 and becomes a mooncalf.
I lost admiration after her treatment of Meria. I get it. Meria shouldn’t have done that nonsense because she’s all obsessed with family honor and had Eleanora’s best interest even though it was far from beneficial. I thought her treatment was excessive to the point of abuse and cruelty and I felt like jumping in and giving Eleanora the beat down for her stupidities.
Then Eleanora’s mood swings go from pity party to guilt and goes back and forth for what seemed like the entire last third of the novel and it got tiresome to read. You know Eleanora, you could have solved all this if you JUST. TELL. HIM.
And when she does. Your patience is done with the book and depending how you found the book you either breathe a sigh in relief or roll your eyes because it took about 50 pages to get Eleanora to smarten up and the book would have ended sooner than later.
I liked the book at first, but it just didn’t hold it for me. The pity trips, and the self torment Eleanora goes through is just too much and made up a good half of the novel. I wish it could have been better because the historical aspect was excellent.
The first half of the book was great and got the reading going pretty quickly. It wasn’t until the last third of the novel where things bog down and I was afraid of this: the moment the ‘man of the her dreams’ came into the story. Then I was instantly reminded as to why I hated “Memoirs of a Geisha” so much and this mirrors it. Holy mother. The guy was the sun, moon and stars for Eleanora. I kind of get it after what happened to her dad but for crying out loud I was rooting for Eleanora for taking the vow and being strong. All it takes is an Adonis to break that all down. Eleanora then takes a complete 360 and becomes a mooncalf.
I lost admiration after her treatment of Meria. I get it. Meria shouldn’t have done that nonsense because she’s all obsessed with family honor and had Eleanora’s best interest even though it was far from beneficial. I thought her treatment was excessive to the point of abuse and cruelty and I felt like jumping in and giving Eleanora the beat down for her stupidities.
Then Eleanora’s mood swings go from pity party to guilt and goes back and forth for what seemed like the entire last third of the novel and it got tiresome to read. You know Eleanora, you could have solved all this if you JUST. TELL. HIM.
And when she does. Your patience is done with the book and depending how you found the book you either breathe a sigh in relief or roll your eyes because it took about 50 pages to get Eleanora to smarten up and the book would have ended sooner than later.
I liked the book at first, but it just didn’t hold it for me. The pity trips, and the self torment Eleanora goes through is just too much and made up a good half of the novel. I wish it could have been better because the historical aspect was excellent.
Ali A (82 KP) rated How It All Blew Up in Books
Sep 8, 2020
How it All Blew Up is about Amir, a closeted, eighteen-year-old. He always knew it would be hard to come out to his Muslim family, so he hasn't. When some bullies find out and blackmail him, Amir gets scared, skips graduation, and fleas to Rome. He gets taken in by a group of new friends and he spends his summer having late nights where he can feel like himself. Until his old life comes back knocking. Now, Amir is telling the whole story, with the entire truth, to a U.S. Customs officer as his family has just been detained. Can Amir get his hard-won freedom back?
I went into this book thinking it would be a storyline I don't really see: representation of a queer Muslim in YA... I didn't really get that. Islam plays no part in this story - Amir openly admits his family isn't that religious. When asked if his parents would disapprove of him being gay, he replied:
"Yes and no. Our culture is pretty conservative, even if you're not religious."
It also went into this huge countdown leading up to what happened on the airplane and why the family is detained and when we get there... it just felt like it fell short of what it could have been. I also just didn't care much for the main character, he never really clicked with me and I honestly don't know why but I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of his choices and reasonings.
The whole story also felt very unrealistic to me. How on Earth does an eighteen-year-old make enough money editing Wikipedia pages to get to Rome, get his own apartment, and live there a whole month? There were so many side characters that would be mentioned in passing for only a page and then never heard from again? Amir's high school boyfriend we get built up to be this whole thing, for him to just toss him aside. We had all these supposed close relationships (Amir and his sister were supposedly super close??) but everything felt surface level and not flushed out. There's an entire scene in the novel, that I won't get into because of spoilers, but it just felt wrong and had no real build up to the entire scenario besides small side remarks.
The only character I really even cared for was Amir's sister, Soraya. She was only thirteen, but she was a firecracker just waiting to be messed with. She cared for her brother, regardless of anything.
I did enjoy the back and forth of the interrogation rooms and what happened as it made it a super fast read. Apart from that though, I think the story fell short of what it could have been.
*Thank you Bookish First and Penguin Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book thinking it would be a storyline I don't really see: representation of a queer Muslim in YA... I didn't really get that. Islam plays no part in this story - Amir openly admits his family isn't that religious. When asked if his parents would disapprove of him being gay, he replied:
"Yes and no. Our culture is pretty conservative, even if you're not religious."
It also went into this huge countdown leading up to what happened on the airplane and why the family is detained and when we get there... it just felt like it fell short of what it could have been. I also just didn't care much for the main character, he never really clicked with me and I honestly don't know why but I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of his choices and reasonings.
The whole story also felt very unrealistic to me. How on Earth does an eighteen-year-old make enough money editing Wikipedia pages to get to Rome, get his own apartment, and live there a whole month? There were so many side characters that would be mentioned in passing for only a page and then never heard from again? Amir's high school boyfriend we get built up to be this whole thing, for him to just toss him aside. We had all these supposed close relationships (Amir and his sister were supposedly super close??) but everything felt surface level and not flushed out. There's an entire scene in the novel, that I won't get into because of spoilers, but it just felt wrong and had no real build up to the entire scenario besides small side remarks.
The only character I really even cared for was Amir's sister, Soraya. She was only thirteen, but she was a firecracker just waiting to be messed with. She cared for her brother, regardless of anything.
I did enjoy the back and forth of the interrogation rooms and what happened as it made it a super fast read. Apart from that though, I think the story fell short of what it could have been.
*Thank you Bookish First and Penguin Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I took a chance on <b>The Revenge of Radioactive Lady</b>, it's not my usual read, but the cover and synopsis caught my eye and decided to give it a try. I was rewarded by a quirky story with neurotic, yet realistic, characters that was compulsively readable. Each chapter is told by a different person, Marylou/Nance and everyone in the Witherspoon family.
Though not as humorous as led to believe by the various quotes on the cover, the most amusing of it happened in the first chapter and nearer the end, the rest of the book is filled with many dramas that had unusual, and not quite so grim, outlooks to them. The book flows nicely and the descriptions were easy to visualize, so I could clearly picture the settings. The characters each have their individual voices that make it easy to separate each of them from the others; I found everyone to be interesting in how they acted, reacted and dealt with the situations that popped up in the story. I both sympathized and hoped they could better themselves by the end. The author tackles some tough subjects (pedophilia, murder, adultery, creating a model nuclear reactor) in a light, yet respectful manner, and who also incorporates some Cold War history into the story too. I had no idea that around 800 unsuspecting pregnant women were given radioactive 'cocktails' (iron) to see how it would effect their fetus. Further information can be found in [b:The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War|212087|The Plutonium Files America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War|Eileen Welsome|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172741136s/212087.jpg|205297], which I am now interested in finding out more about this and other unethical testing, thanks to the author. Overall, the book is a quick and easy read, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Though not as humorous as led to believe by the various quotes on the cover, the most amusing of it happened in the first chapter and nearer the end, the rest of the book is filled with many dramas that had unusual, and not quite so grim, outlooks to them. The book flows nicely and the descriptions were easy to visualize, so I could clearly picture the settings. The characters each have their individual voices that make it easy to separate each of them from the others; I found everyone to be interesting in how they acted, reacted and dealt with the situations that popped up in the story. I both sympathized and hoped they could better themselves by the end. The author tackles some tough subjects (pedophilia, murder, adultery, creating a model nuclear reactor) in a light, yet respectful manner, and who also incorporates some Cold War history into the story too. I had no idea that around 800 unsuspecting pregnant women were given radioactive 'cocktails' (iron) to see how it would effect their fetus. Further information can be found in [b:The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War|212087|The Plutonium Files America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War|Eileen Welsome|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172741136s/212087.jpg|205297], which I am now interested in finding out more about this and other unethical testing, thanks to the author. Overall, the book is a quick and easy read, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.