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Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear
Book
"Part memoir, part history, part documentary, part impassioned manifesto...it might be the most...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Cozy Up to Blood in Books
Oct 29, 2021
Hiding Out on an Island with…Vampires?
Murray Lee has wandered onto the island of Belfry off the coast of Oregon just as the rains wash away the bridge connecting it to the mainland. He’s just in time for the annual festival dedicated to the movies in the Evenfall series, a popular vampire themed series of books and movies which were filmed on the island. This means there are plenty of outsiders posing as vampires around town. Someone is taking advantage of the crowds by attacking some of the locals, stealing from them, and biting their necks. The local police think that Murray is a good suspect since he is new to town but obviously not part of the Evenfall crowd. But Murray doesn’t want the police looking into him or his past. He has a secret. And it might have something to do with the motorcycle gang sitting on the other side of the bridge waiting for the water to recede. Can he clear his name without revealing his past? Will he even get off the island alive?
There is a part of me that enjoyed the book despite the flaws. I do enjoy Murray’s character, and I want to see him succeed and be happy. The Evenfall books and movies, clearly a spoof on Twilight, were always funny when they were the focus of the story. And yet, the mystery of the book was weak, almost more a sub-plot in the middle of everything else. I’ve always struggled a bit with the overall premise of the series, but this time, it was extremely unbelievable. I am still hoping we get another book, especially since the ending set up another adventure. If you are interested in the series, I suggest you wait until you can get them cheaply.
There is a part of me that enjoyed the book despite the flaws. I do enjoy Murray’s character, and I want to see him succeed and be happy. The Evenfall books and movies, clearly a spoof on Twilight, were always funny when they were the focus of the story. And yet, the mystery of the book was weak, almost more a sub-plot in the middle of everything else. I’ve always struggled a bit with the overall premise of the series, but this time, it was extremely unbelievable. I am still hoping we get another book, especially since the ending set up another adventure. If you are interested in the series, I suggest you wait until you can get them cheaply.
Merissa (13358 KP) rated Hostile Takeover (Hostile Takeover #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 12, 2023)
Oh, here we go again - another Lucy Lennox book that I want to rave about but can never find the right words! Okay, let me start at the beginning...
HOSTILE TAKEOVER is the warm, funny, steamy, sometimes heartbreaking story of Grey and Ellison. Both of these 'knew' each other when they were younger, although they were from very different walks of life. Appearances aren't everything though, as Grey will discover. When Grey takes over Ellison's father's company, their past comes back to play.
Okay, so it's a given I loved it. But what was it that I loved? Well, for a start, it was Ellison's attitude. Grey pushed him and tried to make his life difficult, but Ellison, he thought he owed Grey so took it, and even managed to turn it around. Brilliant. I adored how both of them just wanted to help people, although Ellison didn't do it by monetary means as he didn't have any! The world needs more of that, especially from billionaires who can afford it!
Their road to happiness is full of stumbling blocks, most of them put there by Grey himself. Oh, Grey, my darling, when will you stop running? This part about killed me, and I found myself reading faster to get past it and to my happy conclusion!
A fantastic start to a series that I will be one-clicking, just like everything else by this amazing author. Read it!!!!
** 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!
Oct 28, 2021
HOSTILE TAKEOVER is the warm, funny, steamy, sometimes heartbreaking story of Grey and Ellison. Both of these 'knew' each other when they were younger, although they were from very different walks of life. Appearances aren't everything though, as Grey will discover. When Grey takes over Ellison's father's company, their past comes back to play.
Okay, so it's a given I loved it. But what was it that I loved? Well, for a start, it was Ellison's attitude. Grey pushed him and tried to make his life difficult, but Ellison, he thought he owed Grey so took it, and even managed to turn it around. Brilliant. I adored how both of them just wanted to help people, although Ellison didn't do it by monetary means as he didn't have any! The world needs more of that, especially from billionaires who can afford it!
Their road to happiness is full of stumbling blocks, most of them put there by Grey himself. Oh, Grey, my darling, when will you stop running? This part about killed me, and I found myself reading faster to get past it and to my happy conclusion!
A fantastic start to a series that I will be one-clicking, just like everything else by this amazing author. Read it!!!!
** 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!
Oct 28, 2021
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Bloodshot (Cheshire Red Reports, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
What a truly awesome and fresh take on vampires in the crowded genre of Urban Fantasy! The star of <u><b>Bloodshot</b></u> is vampire Raylene Pendle, a top thief of priceless artifacts, who takes on a case from another vampire. This vampire, Ian Stott, was blinded by a top-secret government program and wants Raylene to steal back papers dealing with those experiments. What follows is a fast-paced, scene-changing adventure filled with unique characters that fulfills everything the book promised and more.
Raylene is your typical vampire in a lot of ways: the sun gives her a nasty sunburn to the extent of death, there's no awakening to dusk after decapitation or going up in flames, and of course, she's preternaturally fast and strong. However, she differs in that she's paranoid, self-deprecating, neurotic, and a tad OCD. So while Raylene can kick some major ass and make sarcastic remarks like the rest of the UF heroines, she also second- (and third and fourth) guesses herself a lot and is always prepared for the worst, usually thanks to her quick wits and sometimes even to the helpful contents of her "go-bag". I found Raylene to be a terrific protagonist, and for someone who claims to be anti-social, she sure picks up a lot of "pet people" throughout the duration of the book, which makes her a big, warm, gooey marshmallow inside (even if she doesn't own up to the fact).
What did surprise me was how funny the book was. I laughed, giggled, chortled, snorted, and smiled (usually rather goofily) quite often (there was many a line that left me in hysterics -- good thing I was reading in the privacy of my own home). Judging by the cover, I expected a more serious and suspenseful read, but while I wouldn't say this was exactly light, it wasn't as heavy as I imagined either. The plot moves swiftly each step of the way and kept me glued to the pages; there wasn't one dull moment to be had. Every character that popped up in the book was interesting and fully fleshed out, no bores within these covers, and helped move the story along. The writing was great, from Raylene's first-person inner dialogue to the action scenes, not one thing bothered me overly much.
While there is a sense of closure to the book as a whole, the story is really just beginning and I am left eager (and impatient beyond belief) for the next installment, [b:Hellbent|9842559|Hellbent (Cheshire Red Reports, #2)|Cherie Priest|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|14733361] (set to come out August 30, 2011). If one book can make you a fan of an author, surely this one did it for me. Cherie Priest created a great intro to a character whose very vitality is evident every page of this book and has made Raylene one of my new favorites in the UF field.
Raylene is your typical vampire in a lot of ways: the sun gives her a nasty sunburn to the extent of death, there's no awakening to dusk after decapitation or going up in flames, and of course, she's preternaturally fast and strong. However, she differs in that she's paranoid, self-deprecating, neurotic, and a tad OCD. So while Raylene can kick some major ass and make sarcastic remarks like the rest of the UF heroines, she also second- (and third and fourth) guesses herself a lot and is always prepared for the worst, usually thanks to her quick wits and sometimes even to the helpful contents of her "go-bag". I found Raylene to be a terrific protagonist, and for someone who claims to be anti-social, she sure picks up a lot of "pet people" throughout the duration of the book, which makes her a big, warm, gooey marshmallow inside (even if she doesn't own up to the fact).
What did surprise me was how funny the book was. I laughed, giggled, chortled, snorted, and smiled (usually rather goofily) quite often (there was many a line that left me in hysterics -- good thing I was reading in the privacy of my own home). Judging by the cover, I expected a more serious and suspenseful read, but while I wouldn't say this was exactly light, it wasn't as heavy as I imagined either. The plot moves swiftly each step of the way and kept me glued to the pages; there wasn't one dull moment to be had. Every character that popped up in the book was interesting and fully fleshed out, no bores within these covers, and helped move the story along. The writing was great, from Raylene's first-person inner dialogue to the action scenes, not one thing bothered me overly much.
While there is a sense of closure to the book as a whole, the story is really just beginning and I am left eager (and impatient beyond belief) for the next installment, [b:Hellbent|9842559|Hellbent (Cheshire Red Reports, #2)|Cherie Priest|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|14733361] (set to come out August 30, 2011). If one book can make you a fan of an author, surely this one did it for me. Cherie Priest created a great intro to a character whose very vitality is evident every page of this book and has made Raylene one of my new favorites in the UF field.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Dance in Shadow and Whisper (The Marionettes of Myth, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="Dance in Shadow and Whisper by Sarah Godfrey and Victoria deRubeis" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-dance-in-shadow-and-whisper-by-sarah-godfrey-and-victoria-derubeis.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 4.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> The authors provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Basically from the first chapter, I was pretty hooked. Actually, I would say the first sentence, but that could have changed from sentence two or even sentence three.
Though if I said I nearly chucked the book across the room after sentence one, I would be telling a white lie.
So I actually did like Dance in Shadow & Whisper. Really liked it. And I pretty much believed I was in for a good read from sentence one. In fact, I would have recommend it to my school book club but due to language, I would probably get whacked in the head. Literally.
Yeah. Not happening. I'm the last fan of migraines and headaches (and bruises). I'm pretty sure the lot of us are as well.
But here are a few reasons why I really liked the book and labeled it potential book club recommendation:
1. I think this tends to be the very obvious in a lot of books I read: the idea. Demons vs. Vampires. Finally vampires have a new group of people they don't really like that aren't called werewolves.
~ ABOUT TIME in my very humble opinion. Not that anyone cares because they're probably too busy screaming Team Jacob! or perhaps Team Teen Wolf! (I probably made the Team Teen Wolf up. It is about werewolves after all.
2. I loved almost all of the characters' personalities, in which most are humorous and witty. But I particularly liked Kali, who is the main character in the book and seems to be a really fun person to be around (pigtails, lol).
3. Even though there are a few different POV changes throughout the book, it's easy to tell who's POV it is when it's not Kali.
4. The ending. Literally. If I say why I like it, I'll spill the milk and I might get haunted in the middle of the night. Because really...
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PewNyeCe7Do/TcGApe1JtjI/AAAAAAAABeU/2mvFe0wDB4s/s1600/cat-cats-kitten-kitty-pic-picture-funny-lolcat-cute-fun-lovely-photo-images-oh-god-why-would-you-do-that.jpg"; />
It was flawless in the transition. That's all I'm going to say about the ending. But now I'm in another waiting room... just keep waiting.
That's all I'm going to say and I refuse to say any more. But for Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis's debut novel, Dance in Shadow & Whisper is definitely worth a read.
Original Rating: 4.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> The authors provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Basically from the first chapter, I was pretty hooked. Actually, I would say the first sentence, but that could have changed from sentence two or even sentence three.
Though if I said I nearly chucked the book across the room after sentence one, I would be telling a white lie.
So I actually did like Dance in Shadow & Whisper. Really liked it. And I pretty much believed I was in for a good read from sentence one. In fact, I would have recommend it to my school book club but due to language, I would probably get whacked in the head. Literally.
Yeah. Not happening. I'm the last fan of migraines and headaches (and bruises). I'm pretty sure the lot of us are as well.
But here are a few reasons why I really liked the book and labeled it potential book club recommendation:
1. I think this tends to be the very obvious in a lot of books I read: the idea. Demons vs. Vampires. Finally vampires have a new group of people they don't really like that aren't called werewolves.
~ ABOUT TIME in my very humble opinion. Not that anyone cares because they're probably too busy screaming Team Jacob! or perhaps Team Teen Wolf! (I probably made the Team Teen Wolf up. It is about werewolves after all.
2. I loved almost all of the characters' personalities, in which most are humorous and witty. But I particularly liked Kali, who is the main character in the book and seems to be a really fun person to be around (pigtails, lol).
3. Even though there are a few different POV changes throughout the book, it's easy to tell who's POV it is when it's not Kali.
4. The ending. Literally. If I say why I like it, I'll spill the milk and I might get haunted in the middle of the night. Because really...
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PewNyeCe7Do/TcGApe1JtjI/AAAAAAAABeU/2mvFe0wDB4s/s1600/cat-cats-kitten-kitty-pic-picture-funny-lolcat-cute-fun-lovely-photo-images-oh-god-why-would-you-do-that.jpg"; />
It was flawless in the transition. That's all I'm going to say about the ending. But now I'm in another waiting room... just keep waiting.
That's all I'm going to say and I refuse to say any more. But for Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis's debut novel, Dance in Shadow & Whisper is definitely worth a read.
Naomi Forrest (42 KP) rated What Lexie Did in Books
Jan 9, 2019
This book was a Christmas book from a friend and I thought it looked quite cute. The first couple of pages were really easy to fall in to and after that, the pace is just perfect.
I know little bits about Greek culture but this book really sucked me in to that way of life and made me a bit jealous! To have such a strong sense of family and heritage must be a truly amazing thing. I like that the relationship between Lexie and Eleni goes one step further and there is even deeper bond that seems both unbreakable and yet incredibly fragile at times. I'm not giving any spoilers but the beginning and ending tie together beautifully and though the ending isn't completely happy, it was satisfying.
Shevah infuses humour throughout the novel, leaning on a truly authentic 9 year old voice and Lexie's perceptions of her family, God and halloumi. The pages were so sweet as well, with doodles around the outside as if it was Lexie's diary we are reading.
On the face of it, this novel is funny and sweet and full of friendship and family yet it digs deeper. The story centres around honesty. Lexie 'snitches' on a new friend and is reprimanded by the adults, who preach telling the truth, and upsets her friends and siblings. When she doesn't tell on a different friend for something else, she is also punished. She is expected to tell the truth by the adults and told to lie by Eleni but when she does lie, it upsets Eleni and has huge consequences. I thought Shevah exploited the notions of deception and truth cleverly through Lexie, who reflects on adults preaching the importance of honesty while lying about things to, if we are quite truthful, manipulate children. It highlighted that the answer is not as black and white as we want it to be and I enjoyed having my perceptions challenged.
All in all, I found this to be a vibrant, contemporary and culturally novel that shows Shevah has researched and engaged with Greek-Cypriot family life to an extremely high standard. Novels such as this are the reason I love Chicken House and the books they publish; their novels and authors are original, cutting edge and excite and engage children. I can't wait to read more of Shevah's work in future and get my year 6's fired up about this.
All in all, I found this to be a vibrant, contemporary and culturally novel that shows Shevah has researched and engaged with Greek-Cypriot family life to an extremely high standard. Novels such as this are the reason I love Chicken House and the books they publish; their novels and authors are original, cutting edge and excite and engage children. I can't wait to read more of Shevah's work in future and get my year 6's fired up about this.
Binocular Vision
Clare Skeats and Edith Pearlman
Book
Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision are the collected stories of an award-winning author who has been...
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated This Party’s Dead in Books
Mar 8, 2021
Well, who would have thought a book about death and death festivals would be so entertaining? We start the book on what the author calls the “Worst Tuesday” when her father-in-law to be is found dead in his house and has unfortunately been for over a week. What then follows is a series of events that although not funny at the time are funny when you look back – the funeral directors becoming locked in the room with the body, a sandwich throwing incident in the local shop and deciding whether food is a good enough reason to cure a case of agoraphobia.
In an idea to cure her agoraphobia and the death anxiety she has developed since her father-in-law-to-be passed, the author (Erica) decides to visit festivals around the world that celebrate rather than mourn death.
We start of in Mexico at the colourful Day of the Dead celebrations, and we are taken through the story behind La Catrina and the traditions that aren’t normally seen by tourists because it isn’t the party side. Next we are taken to Nepal and the Gaijatra festival which is led by a cow (or if a cow is unavailable a boy dressed as a cow). Next, we go to Sicily where there are biscotti specially made to represent bones and sugar knights. Madagascar’s Famadihana involves families “turning the bones” where they take their ancestors from the crypts and rewrap them and put their names on them before putting them back. China’s tomb-sweeping festival (Qingming) where they burn paper effigies of iPhones and money is next on the tour and then swiftly onto Japan’s Obon festival where they spend three days visiting their ancestors and honouring them with offerings. Finally we stop at Bali, where they can have a corpse resting in their house for years until family arguments are settled and they also will take them out of their tomb and hang out with them. Finally, we go back to the UK where Erica and her husband finally scatter her father-in-laws ashes.
Erica takes us through a journey of learning to accept death (unless you’re of the transhuman persuasion) and gives us a book full of humour whilst doing it. It’s definitely made me realise death shouldn’t be such a taboo subject and gave me a lot to think about. You can also visit her Instagram @thepartysdead for pictures of her journey!
In an idea to cure her agoraphobia and the death anxiety she has developed since her father-in-law-to-be passed, the author (Erica) decides to visit festivals around the world that celebrate rather than mourn death.
We start of in Mexico at the colourful Day of the Dead celebrations, and we are taken through the story behind La Catrina and the traditions that aren’t normally seen by tourists because it isn’t the party side. Next we are taken to Nepal and the Gaijatra festival which is led by a cow (or if a cow is unavailable a boy dressed as a cow). Next, we go to Sicily where there are biscotti specially made to represent bones and sugar knights. Madagascar’s Famadihana involves families “turning the bones” where they take their ancestors from the crypts and rewrap them and put their names on them before putting them back. China’s tomb-sweeping festival (Qingming) where they burn paper effigies of iPhones and money is next on the tour and then swiftly onto Japan’s Obon festival where they spend three days visiting their ancestors and honouring them with offerings. Finally we stop at Bali, where they can have a corpse resting in their house for years until family arguments are settled and they also will take them out of their tomb and hang out with them. Finally, we go back to the UK where Erica and her husband finally scatter her father-in-laws ashes.
Erica takes us through a journey of learning to accept death (unless you’re of the transhuman persuasion) and gives us a book full of humour whilst doing it. It’s definitely made me realise death shouldn’t be such a taboo subject and gave me a lot to think about. You can also visit her Instagram @thepartysdead for pictures of her journey!
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Digging Up Mother: A Love Story in Books
Oct 14, 2017 (Updated Oct 15, 2017)
Crude, hilarious, and sombre at times
Listened to on Audible.
For all lovers of gonzo, Doug Stanhope reaches the top of the list of crude humour, insane experiences muddled in with bittersweet memories.
This autobiography is hilarious, and the only way to read it, is to listen to it, given there are so many 'director's comments', in which Doug and his friends discuss the incident at hand. Also the fact that he is drunk at times and will loudly burp just adds to the book so much more than skimming through the pages. While the majority is about him, it premises around his mother's life and death which have ultimately shaped him. She's no ordinary mother that's a fact.
From being a pyromaniac as a child, a teen male prostitute to telephone salesman, Stanhope has had an interesting life mixed in with drugs, alcohol, women and stand up comedy. And while you do think he's a bit of a so-and-so, it's still very funny. A great listen.
For all lovers of gonzo, Doug Stanhope reaches the top of the list of crude humour, insane experiences muddled in with bittersweet memories.
This autobiography is hilarious, and the only way to read it, is to listen to it, given there are so many 'director's comments', in which Doug and his friends discuss the incident at hand. Also the fact that he is drunk at times and will loudly burp just adds to the book so much more than skimming through the pages. While the majority is about him, it premises around his mother's life and death which have ultimately shaped him. She's no ordinary mother that's a fact.
From being a pyromaniac as a child, a teen male prostitute to telephone salesman, Stanhope has had an interesting life mixed in with drugs, alcohol, women and stand up comedy. And while you do think he's a bit of a so-and-so, it's still very funny. A great listen.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Exact Opposite of Okay in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Absolutely hilarious!
Izzy is probably one of the best characters ever. She’s laugh-out-loud funny, mixes feminism and dry wit, and doesn’t let anything get her down. She is the kind of person everyone wishes that they could be.
I was giggling at this book from start to finish. I love that although Izzy ends up in some pretty bad situations, she never loses her sense of humour.
I love that the author does manage to be serious about the issues of slut-shaming and bullying while keeping the story educational. It shows the effects of slut-shaming on a teenager and how bullies can affect a person’s mental health while at the same time staying very light even though it is full of honesty.
The novel sticks by reality and nothing that happens is beyond what can happen in real life. It is painfully honest and truthful.
I absolutely loved this. It was brilliant and one of the best books I’ve read this year. You NEED to read it!
Izzy is probably one of the best characters ever. She’s laugh-out-loud funny, mixes feminism and dry wit, and doesn’t let anything get her down. She is the kind of person everyone wishes that they could be.
I was giggling at this book from start to finish. I love that although Izzy ends up in some pretty bad situations, she never loses her sense of humour.
I love that the author does manage to be serious about the issues of slut-shaming and bullying while keeping the story educational. It shows the effects of slut-shaming on a teenager and how bullies can affect a person’s mental health while at the same time staying very light even though it is full of honesty.
The novel sticks by reality and nothing that happens is beyond what can happen in real life. It is painfully honest and truthful.
I absolutely loved this. It was brilliant and one of the best books I’ve read this year. You NEED to read it!