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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Soulmate Equation in Books
May 27, 2021
A witty & wonderful romance!!
Jess Davis is a single mom who loves crunching numbers almost as much as she loves her daughter Juno and her grandparents. They are her entire world and honestly, she doesn't have a lot of desire to step back into the dating world. It's just so much work. Then Jess and her best friend, Fizzy, hear about GenticAlly, a new dating site that predicts love through your DNA. Matchmaking through genetics and numbers? Jess could get behind that. But it's not until she's had a particularly bad, lonely day that she agrees to send in a sample. Suddenly she finds out she's matched with GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena at an unheard sky-high percentage of 98% compatibility. However, Jess is immediately skeptical because she knows River. And he's a pompous jerk. But River and GeneticAlly have a proposition for Jess. Go out with River, get to know him, and they'll pay her for her time. For struggling Jess, this is something she has to consider. As the two go to dinner and do press for GeneticAlly, Jess starts to see a different side of River--one that makes her wonder if there's something to this DNA matching idea after all.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
Kaz (232 KP) rated White Teeth in Books
May 15, 2019
A Disappointing Read
What the 'blurb' says:
'One of the most talked about debut novels of all time, White Teeth is a funny, generous, big-hearted novel, adored by critics and readers alike. Dealing - among many other things - with friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, one brown mouse, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle, it is a life-affirming, riotous must-read of a book.'
My Thoughts:
This novel has had quite a lot of attention over the past few years, particularly on BookTube. So when I saw it in my local charity shop, I decided to give it a go. I have to admit that upon starting it, I had very high expectations of it, so I was quite disappointed by the end.
First, the positives. This is had some very good writing within it.. The way in which Zadie Smith writes, is funny and the characters were very believable.
But the plot itself, was the main problem I had with this book. At the beginning, certain characters had a lot of attention and their stories seemed to be developing nicely and some of the things that happened to them, were really intense. But then suddenly, all of the focus of this story was completely shifted, onto another character and those who initially seemed important, became secondary characters, who were hardly mentioned in the rest of the book. Then, more and more characters were added, without fully focusing on any one person. This meant that, by the end of the book, even though they believeable, I really didn't feel like I knew any of them
Partly due to this, and the fact that every chapter felt like an individual short story, this made the flow of the plot stop and start all of the time, and, although some chapters were really enjoyable, for me, they didn't link together well.
Randomly also, there were almost essay-like chapters, which talked about the ideas of identity and race within a multicultural society. Even though these were really interesting and thought provoking, they didn't seem to belong within the story itself. So for me, the organization of the plot was really weak.
The most disappointing thing for me, was the end. The different strands of story did kind of come together towards the end. It was all building up to something that I thought, would make a powerful ending.
However, it felt like Zadie Smith had run out of energy by the end and couldn't be bothered to gives us readers a plausible and realistic conclusion. For some characters, they didn't really have any resolution at all. This made me feel frustrated about investing time on this book.
I think this book had some interesting ideas and the style of writing was really good, but the plot was terrible. This is shame, because this could have been brilliant..
My Rating ***
'One of the most talked about debut novels of all time, White Teeth is a funny, generous, big-hearted novel, adored by critics and readers alike. Dealing - among many other things - with friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, one brown mouse, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle, it is a life-affirming, riotous must-read of a book.'
My Thoughts:
This novel has had quite a lot of attention over the past few years, particularly on BookTube. So when I saw it in my local charity shop, I decided to give it a go. I have to admit that upon starting it, I had very high expectations of it, so I was quite disappointed by the end.
First, the positives. This is had some very good writing within it.. The way in which Zadie Smith writes, is funny and the characters were very believable.
But the plot itself, was the main problem I had with this book. At the beginning, certain characters had a lot of attention and their stories seemed to be developing nicely and some of the things that happened to them, were really intense. But then suddenly, all of the focus of this story was completely shifted, onto another character and those who initially seemed important, became secondary characters, who were hardly mentioned in the rest of the book. Then, more and more characters were added, without fully focusing on any one person. This meant that, by the end of the book, even though they believeable, I really didn't feel like I knew any of them
Partly due to this, and the fact that every chapter felt like an individual short story, this made the flow of the plot stop and start all of the time, and, although some chapters were really enjoyable, for me, they didn't link together well.
Randomly also, there were almost essay-like chapters, which talked about the ideas of identity and race within a multicultural society. Even though these were really interesting and thought provoking, they didn't seem to belong within the story itself. So for me, the organization of the plot was really weak.
The most disappointing thing for me, was the end. The different strands of story did kind of come together towards the end. It was all building up to something that I thought, would make a powerful ending.
However, it felt like Zadie Smith had run out of energy by the end and couldn't be bothered to gives us readers a plausible and realistic conclusion. For some characters, they didn't really have any resolution at all. This made me feel frustrated about investing time on this book.
I think this book had some interesting ideas and the style of writing was really good, but the plot was terrible. This is shame, because this could have been brilliant..
My Rating ***
Janeeny (200 KP) rated The Constant Rabbit in Books
Jul 10, 2020
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.
Villainous Vee (53 KP) rated Sweetpea in Books
Feb 10, 2019
Funny (2 more)
Starts off with a kick
Down to earth writing
Didn't want it too end (1 more)
Not sure the follow up book will be as good
The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…
In many ways Rhiannon is just like you or me. She lives a fairly ordinary life working a job at a local newspaper she doesn't really enjoy with people she can't stand (most of the time), hanging out with her friends who she calls PICSO's (people I can't shake off). She lived with her boyfriend Craig (who is having an affair with one of Rhiannon colleagues) and her little chihuahua Tink.
Except for the most part Rhiannon has lived anything but a normal life... A childhood trauma that she survived turned her into a local and national celebrity over night and she is a murderer... And she wants to kill again and again.
The book follows Rhiannon through a few months of her life in a diary format. In this diary she spills her darkest secrets and every day life, moans about her boyfriend, her neighbour, her friends and her colleagues.
Not for the faint hearted as the book can get very graphic and there is a lot of sexual content but this is all balanced out by the humour contained within. If you like crime novels, girly books or thriller I would recommend checking this out. It has earned its place in my permanent collection.
Except for the most part Rhiannon has lived anything but a normal life... A childhood trauma that she survived turned her into a local and national celebrity over night and she is a murderer... And she wants to kill again and again.
The book follows Rhiannon through a few months of her life in a diary format. In this diary she spills her darkest secrets and every day life, moans about her boyfriend, her neighbour, her friends and her colleagues.
Not for the faint hearted as the book can get very graphic and there is a lot of sexual content but this is all balanced out by the humour contained within. If you like crime novels, girly books or thriller I would recommend checking this out. It has earned its place in my permanent collection.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Lord of the Things Book I: The Mellow Hip of the Thing in Books
Nov 20, 2019
This is by no means the first parody of Professor Tolkien's enduring (and weighty) fantasy tale, nor will it be the last. This is a broad retelling of the first book of the classic trilogy, and as such it's really only for people who are familiar with the source book.
This started as an online creation of a discussion group, later edited and extended by the author to the published version. The history shows in the writing, the first half being distinctly uneven in tone and with plenty of things that were no doubt funny to the group, but don't work so well without the background.
However once past Rivendell, things get a lot better (if no less silly), although the story does feel a little rushed. There are some good chuckles to be had throughout as fun is thoroughly poked at some of the rather po-faced pontification of the source text. Yes the jokes use the scattergun approach but enough hit the mark - certainly more later in the story - to make this an entertaining read.
This won't be to everyone's tastes - it is very very silly and the start can be a bit hard going - but this book is there purely to entertain, not to win any literature prizes. The thing is, for all of it's disposable puns, references and silly jokes just occasionally there's a glimpse of some real wit underneath it all.
This started as an online creation of a discussion group, later edited and extended by the author to the published version. The history shows in the writing, the first half being distinctly uneven in tone and with plenty of things that were no doubt funny to the group, but don't work so well without the background.
However once past Rivendell, things get a lot better (if no less silly), although the story does feel a little rushed. There are some good chuckles to be had throughout as fun is thoroughly poked at some of the rather po-faced pontification of the source text. Yes the jokes use the scattergun approach but enough hit the mark - certainly more later in the story - to make this an entertaining read.
This won't be to everyone's tastes - it is very very silly and the start can be a bit hard going - but this book is there purely to entertain, not to win any literature prizes. The thing is, for all of it's disposable puns, references and silly jokes just occasionally there's a glimpse of some real wit underneath it all.
Walking Home: Great British Adventures ... and Other Rambles
Book
Walking Home - Clare Balding's unmissable new book of Great British Adventures Clare Balding is on a...
Amphigorey: Fifteen Stories
9.3
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Book
The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory,...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2426 KP) rated Long Island Iced Tina in Books
Feb 24, 2021 (Updated Feb 24, 2021)
Reappearing Painting and Murder
Mia Carina is thrilled for her friend Nicole, who is expecting her first baby. Nicole has chosen Mia’s catering hall, Belle View, as the location for one of her baby showers. Despite Mia’s best efforts, the baby shower is interrupted by a fight between Nicole’s mother and step-mother. Then, one of Nicole’s presents turns out to be a valuable painting stolen years before. Things only get worse when Mia finds the body of a shower guest the next morning. Is the murder linked to the painting?
I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one was great as well. The painting added a fun element to the mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing how that played out. The mystery had some great zigs and zags along the way. The climax was a bit complicated, but I was able to think it through, and it did make sense. All the characters were wonderful, with some interesting growth for the series regulars. Mia’s grandmother provides a very funny sub-plot, and there are other great moments of humor throughout the book. At the end, we get four recipes and a hit for hosting events yourself. The series is set in Queens, and Mia’s family is involved in the mob. Even so, this is most definitely still a cozy series. Grab some ice tea and enjoy this delightful book.
I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one was great as well. The painting added a fun element to the mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing how that played out. The mystery had some great zigs and zags along the way. The climax was a bit complicated, but I was able to think it through, and it did make sense. All the characters were wonderful, with some interesting growth for the series regulars. Mia’s grandmother provides a very funny sub-plot, and there are other great moments of humor throughout the book. At the end, we get four recipes and a hit for hosting events yourself. The series is set in Queens, and Mia’s family is involved in the mob. Even so, this is most definitely still a cozy series. Grab some ice tea and enjoy this delightful book.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated No Rest for the Living (Death in a Northern Town #2) in Books
Jul 25, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
115 of 250
Kindle
No Rest for the Living ( Death in a Northern Town book 2)
By Peter McKeirnon
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
"My name is John Diant. Father, brother, head of the anti-mayonnaise society and slayer of the living dead. It’s now over a day since I last updated this journal. Over a day since my daughter Emily, her boyfriend Jonathon and my retro friend 80s Dave and I made it to my brother's house. After fighting the undead population of Runcorn to get here, we thought we'd be safe but nothing could have prepared us for what came next."
Death in a Northern Town continues with No Rest for the Living. Journal entries from survivor John Diant bring you the zombie apocalypse from his perspective whilst chapters bring you tales from the town and the struggles that survivors continue to face.
Absolutely brilliant again! I had to stop myself laughing my head off at 3am in case I woke my husband. These books are so funny,gory and well written. This one was a bit more serious than the first poor Jonathan being killed that way to was not good I’m sad to see him go but I do love an author that doesn’t hold back when finishing characters off not matter the length of time in the book.
I’m really looking forward to the next book.
Kindle
No Rest for the Living ( Death in a Northern Town book 2)
By Peter McKeirnon
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
"My name is John Diant. Father, brother, head of the anti-mayonnaise society and slayer of the living dead. It’s now over a day since I last updated this journal. Over a day since my daughter Emily, her boyfriend Jonathon and my retro friend 80s Dave and I made it to my brother's house. After fighting the undead population of Runcorn to get here, we thought we'd be safe but nothing could have prepared us for what came next."
Death in a Northern Town continues with No Rest for the Living. Journal entries from survivor John Diant bring you the zombie apocalypse from his perspective whilst chapters bring you tales from the town and the struggles that survivors continue to face.
Absolutely brilliant again! I had to stop myself laughing my head off at 3am in case I woke my husband. These books are so funny,gory and well written. This one was a bit more serious than the first poor Jonathan being killed that way to was not good I’m sad to see him go but I do love an author that doesn’t hold back when finishing characters off not matter the length of time in the book.
I’m really looking forward to the next book.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated The MockingBird's Song (Amish Greenhouse Mystery #2) in Books
Sep 9, 2020
The Mockingbird's Song continues on the story of what happens with Sylvia and Amy and Henry and their mother. We start with them getting close to the time the tragedy happens. It seems like things focus on Sylvia and her grief.
We also meet a new person named Denis Weaver. Could there be a connection between Dennis and Sylvia? Sylvia first meets Dennis while out with her brother Henry bird watching. This book takes time to get into the beginning. It starts out slow but once you are into the book it gets better.
We see Virginia and her husband's personality through these books. It funny to see this along with how they see the Amish. Amish seem not bothered by their neighbors. We see how each member is still dealing with the loss of their family members.
Amy and Jerrod seem to be getting ready for their wedding. What happens when things start to pick up and the vandalism starts up again. Who is vandalizing the greenhouse? Why is happening? Seem to still be a mystery. Though we may have some answers.
More twists and turns as you turn the pages. Though this book is rated 4.5 by me as it is still good. This one focuses on family and bird watching and learning more about birds. Will Sylvia find her happiness with bird watching or someone or both? How will Belinda cope with her grief and other things?
We also meet a new person named Denis Weaver. Could there be a connection between Dennis and Sylvia? Sylvia first meets Dennis while out with her brother Henry bird watching. This book takes time to get into the beginning. It starts out slow but once you are into the book it gets better.
We see Virginia and her husband's personality through these books. It funny to see this along with how they see the Amish. Amish seem not bothered by their neighbors. We see how each member is still dealing with the loss of their family members.
Amy and Jerrod seem to be getting ready for their wedding. What happens when things start to pick up and the vandalism starts up again. Who is vandalizing the greenhouse? Why is happening? Seem to still be a mystery. Though we may have some answers.
More twists and turns as you turn the pages. Though this book is rated 4.5 by me as it is still good. This one focuses on family and bird watching and learning more about birds. Will Sylvia find her happiness with bird watching or someone or both? How will Belinda cope with her grief and other things?