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Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated How to Walk Away in Books
May 25, 2018
READ THIS BOOK. That is all.
OK just kidding. That's not all. But really. There is not one bad thing I can say about this book. It's honest, it's painful, it's funny, it's refreshing. I sailed through it and I didn't want it to end. It's one of those uplifting stories that is disguised as a story of pain, and heartbreak. But did I mention it's funny too!?
Margaret seems to have it all. The job, the boyfriend, the apartment, the fiancé.... a super bright future of loads of money, the crazy hot guy to wake up next to, and endless white picket fences. And then everything changes.
Most of her story takes place in some pretty gut-wrenching hospital situations. Her fiancé may not be as great as she thought, the bright future may not be as bright anymore, and her family has some pretty serious skeletons that are about to rock her world.
And then there's Ian {{swoon!}} - who doesn't want a brooding, rock hard, gorgeous man with a Scottish accent in their life? Yes, please! Ian is gruff and salty, and pushes Margaret to extremes that make her hate him but thankful for him all at the same time... who is this guy?! And what is his story?!
It's almost a journey of Margaret becoming Maggie. The so-called picture-perfect life she had all buttoned-up, just may have been buttoned too tight, and a major life-changing event could show a side of her she never imagined possible.
I adored this book. It's so inspiring and the end was not the typical end I imagined it would be. It was refreshing, and honest, and brutal at times, but a definite new favorite. I'm adding this to my top 5 of 2018. Great story, and highly recommend!
OK just kidding. That's not all. But really. There is not one bad thing I can say about this book. It's honest, it's painful, it's funny, it's refreshing. I sailed through it and I didn't want it to end. It's one of those uplifting stories that is disguised as a story of pain, and heartbreak. But did I mention it's funny too!?
Margaret seems to have it all. The job, the boyfriend, the apartment, the fiancé.... a super bright future of loads of money, the crazy hot guy to wake up next to, and endless white picket fences. And then everything changes.
Most of her story takes place in some pretty gut-wrenching hospital situations. Her fiancé may not be as great as she thought, the bright future may not be as bright anymore, and her family has some pretty serious skeletons that are about to rock her world.
And then there's Ian {{swoon!}} - who doesn't want a brooding, rock hard, gorgeous man with a Scottish accent in their life? Yes, please! Ian is gruff and salty, and pushes Margaret to extremes that make her hate him but thankful for him all at the same time... who is this guy?! And what is his story?!
It's almost a journey of Margaret becoming Maggie. The so-called picture-perfect life she had all buttoned-up, just may have been buttoned too tight, and a major life-changing event could show a side of her she never imagined possible.
I adored this book. It's so inspiring and the end was not the typical end I imagined it would be. It was refreshing, and honest, and brutal at times, but a definite new favorite. I'm adding this to my top 5 of 2018. Great story, and highly recommend!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated The Thursday Murder Club in Books
Feb 10, 2021
Enjoyable but Flawed Debut
Welcome to Coopers Chase Retirement Village. It’s a community for active seniors in England. There are all kinds of activities happening on a regular basis, but the most unusual, and smallest, is a group of four friends who meet every Thursday to discuss cold criminal cases. Then one day, the murder of a developer takes place near the community. Naturally, these four friends jump at the chance to figure out what is really going on. Will they be able to solve the case?
I kept hearing about this book, so I had to give it a try. The premise is certainly right up my alley, and there was much I enjoyed about it. The characters are charming, and there were plenty of twists to the mystery. In fact, I feel like we could have done without a twist or two. Yes, everything makes sense at the end, but there are so many twists at the end, it is a little overwhelming. The book is funny, although at times it feels like it is trying too hard to be charming and funny. The police let the lead characters get away with a little too much, although I usually ignore that in the books I read, so this is worth noting in passing. I did struggle a bit with the justice done at the end of this book. The story is told in present tense from multiple points of view, but we always follow which character is our focus. This is one of those books with some obvious flaws, but I still enjoyed it overall. If you are interested in it, I definitely recommend you pick it up. I’ll be visiting the characters again for the sequel.
I kept hearing about this book, so I had to give it a try. The premise is certainly right up my alley, and there was much I enjoyed about it. The characters are charming, and there were plenty of twists to the mystery. In fact, I feel like we could have done without a twist or two. Yes, everything makes sense at the end, but there are so many twists at the end, it is a little overwhelming. The book is funny, although at times it feels like it is trying too hard to be charming and funny. The police let the lead characters get away with a little too much, although I usually ignore that in the books I read, so this is worth noting in passing. I did struggle a bit with the justice done at the end of this book. The story is told in present tense from multiple points of view, but we always follow which character is our focus. This is one of those books with some obvious flaws, but I still enjoyed it overall. If you are interested in it, I definitely recommend you pick it up. I’ll be visiting the characters again for the sequel.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated It: Chapter Two (2019) in Movies
Oct 3, 2019
The acting (1 more)
The humour
Very funny for a horror movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
I enjoyed the first chapter so had to watch the second. I have read it is much closer to the book than the 80s version, however having never read the book i can't comment on that element.
The movie is set years after the first one and the loser gang have now gone their seperate ways, All but one had moved out of derry, some of them have a successful career and Beverly is unfortunately in an abusive marriage, but all this changes when they get the dreaded phone call to come back to derry - pennywise has returned and needs to be destroyed for good! The first few minutes of the movie where we are reintroduced to the characters is pretty slow going but once they meet up at the restaurant, things move pretty quickly and you forget how long the movie actually is. What i found with this movie though is how funny it is, not just at the humour between the group but the different monsters we meet, for example a zombie knew how to drive a car 😂😂. I was a little disappointed with the ending as i expected something spectacular to kill him, but it was literally just belittling pennywise until he shrunk down into a baby like form and then removing his heart and squeezing it until he dies, it just seemed too easy! I'm also surprised that they still had him tramsform into a spider like form, despite people not liking the original ending, again though this might be in the book. Regardless of these faults though i still enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it.
The movie is set years after the first one and the loser gang have now gone their seperate ways, All but one had moved out of derry, some of them have a successful career and Beverly is unfortunately in an abusive marriage, but all this changes when they get the dreaded phone call to come back to derry - pennywise has returned and needs to be destroyed for good! The first few minutes of the movie where we are reintroduced to the characters is pretty slow going but once they meet up at the restaurant, things move pretty quickly and you forget how long the movie actually is. What i found with this movie though is how funny it is, not just at the humour between the group but the different monsters we meet, for example a zombie knew how to drive a car 😂😂. I was a little disappointed with the ending as i expected something spectacular to kill him, but it was literally just belittling pennywise until he shrunk down into a baby like form and then removing his heart and squeezing it until he dies, it just seemed too easy! I'm also surprised that they still had him tramsform into a spider like form, despite people not liking the original ending, again though this might be in the book. Regardless of these faults though i still enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Recipe for Disaster (Violetta Massoni #2) in Books
Aug 24, 2021
137 of 250
Kindle
Recipe for Disaster (Violetta Massoni book2)
By Theda Vallee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Mix two parts mystery, a dash of danger, and a sparkling heap of fabulous….
Etta Massoni used to work in her families bakery, now she chases supernatural baddies, trying her best to keep Stella-her attitude ridden magic -and her family in check.
When the cities nightclubs fall prey to an ancient curse, the bodies start piling up. The supernatural world is under threat of exposure, her team is in shambles, and a group of drag queens needs saving.
When the Massoni family decides to fight, they go all in, even if it means Nonna has to learn to twerk in the name of justice.
Ok this has to be one of those books that just hits you in the face! It’s so bloody funny and I mean hilariously so. Nonna and aunt Sophia have to be 2 of the best characters I’ve ever encountered and that’s before we meet the the Queens! I didn’t think Theda Valle could beat Stir until Petrified (Violetta Massoni book 1) but this just killed it and I loved that first book so much! This lady has some serious talent and I really can’t wait to see what else she produces. Aswell as the funny side the serious side comes through just as powerful it really is a treasure you find when you give these Indie authors support. It’s not that often I get excited like this over a book or author that’s got some serious talent although not sure my husband would agree when I’m laughing that hard I wake him at 2am 😂😂😂.
Kindle
Recipe for Disaster (Violetta Massoni book2)
By Theda Vallee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Mix two parts mystery, a dash of danger, and a sparkling heap of fabulous….
Etta Massoni used to work in her families bakery, now she chases supernatural baddies, trying her best to keep Stella-her attitude ridden magic -and her family in check.
When the cities nightclubs fall prey to an ancient curse, the bodies start piling up. The supernatural world is under threat of exposure, her team is in shambles, and a group of drag queens needs saving.
When the Massoni family decides to fight, they go all in, even if it means Nonna has to learn to twerk in the name of justice.
Ok this has to be one of those books that just hits you in the face! It’s so bloody funny and I mean hilariously so. Nonna and aunt Sophia have to be 2 of the best characters I’ve ever encountered and that’s before we meet the the Queens! I didn’t think Theda Valle could beat Stir until Petrified (Violetta Massoni book 1) but this just killed it and I loved that first book so much! This lady has some serious talent and I really can’t wait to see what else she produces. Aswell as the funny side the serious side comes through just as powerful it really is a treasure you find when you give these Indie authors support. It’s not that often I get excited like this over a book or author that’s got some serious talent although not sure my husband would agree when I’m laughing that hard I wake him at 2am 😂😂😂.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Spooky Little Girl in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Poor Lucy Fisher. Just when she thinks she can go home and relax from a crummy vacation, she finds all her belongings tossed out onto the lawn of the house she shares with her fiance, and to top that off, she then loses her job. The last thing she needs is to be hit by a bus and left to be scraped up by an over-sized spatula (I don't envy whoever has to do that!).
After a slow build-up, the book finally came alive (so to speak) for me at the half-way point, along with the help of her grandmother, Naunie. Told in third-person, Lucy is a slightly flaky, but completely sympathetic character who goes through many moods as she deals with her death and how to become a proper ghost. Along with other clever touches, the idea of having untimely deaths go to a ghost school before arriving in "The State" is utterly fantastic. I wouldn't mind seeing that more fleshed out for another book, although I don't know how that would work. Lucy is helped in her haunting assignment by Naunie, whose exploits in "The State" are hilarious and she really livens up the book and provides many laughs. All the other characters add to the book without either being unnecessary or overused. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tulip, Lucy's dog before her death, who is the most adorable and sweetest thing ever. No, there aren't really any surprises plot-wise, but it's the journey that matters, and I enjoyed it.
So, even though it started slow, SPOOKY LITTLE GIRL picked up pace and ended up being a cute, funny, charming, thoughtful, and heartwarming little book. I'm glad I got a chance to read this and learn about how this book came to be in the author's note at the end.
After a slow build-up, the book finally came alive (so to speak) for me at the half-way point, along with the help of her grandmother, Naunie. Told in third-person, Lucy is a slightly flaky, but completely sympathetic character who goes through many moods as she deals with her death and how to become a proper ghost. Along with other clever touches, the idea of having untimely deaths go to a ghost school before arriving in "The State" is utterly fantastic. I wouldn't mind seeing that more fleshed out for another book, although I don't know how that would work. Lucy is helped in her haunting assignment by Naunie, whose exploits in "The State" are hilarious and she really livens up the book and provides many laughs. All the other characters add to the book without either being unnecessary or overused. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tulip, Lucy's dog before her death, who is the most adorable and sweetest thing ever. No, there aren't really any surprises plot-wise, but it's the journey that matters, and I enjoyed it.
So, even though it started slow, SPOOKY LITTLE GIRL picked up pace and ended up being a cute, funny, charming, thoughtful, and heartwarming little book. I'm glad I got a chance to read this and learn about how this book came to be in the author's note at the end.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books
Mar 27, 2019
It’s got five-star reviews everywhere, has won so many awards, and literally, everyone is talking about it. So, of course, it’s worth a try.
Only I didn’t enjoy it to the point where I got halfway through and couldn’t finish it. I wasn’t even sure whether to post the review because I know that lots of people will disagree with me over this.
I was so excited for a book to be out that’s about police brutality in America towards black teenagers, and was surprised, to begin with, that something as serious as this was in a YA book, but also happy that it was being told to teenagers. It sounded like my ideal book.
But I just couldn’t get along with it at all. The whole idea with the book is to show what casual racism is doing to America, but at the same time on every few pages, there’s another part talking about how horrible and funny and evil white people are. If a book wants to make a stand against racism, make a stand against it from both sides, not just one. You cannot end racism by calling the other race.
I just found it really one-sided in its battle against racism. I am definitely not saying that the police shooting was right, let me just say that, and Starr has every right to hate the police for shooting her best friend. However, this does not mean that every few pages there needs to be a comment about how awful white people are.
A much healthier focus for the book would have been equality, not switching the racism to the other side in a ‘how-do-you-like-it-now’ move.
Only I didn’t enjoy it to the point where I got halfway through and couldn’t finish it. I wasn’t even sure whether to post the review because I know that lots of people will disagree with me over this.
I was so excited for a book to be out that’s about police brutality in America towards black teenagers, and was surprised, to begin with, that something as serious as this was in a YA book, but also happy that it was being told to teenagers. It sounded like my ideal book.
But I just couldn’t get along with it at all. The whole idea with the book is to show what casual racism is doing to America, but at the same time on every few pages, there’s another part talking about how horrible and funny and evil white people are. If a book wants to make a stand against racism, make a stand against it from both sides, not just one. You cannot end racism by calling the other race.
I just found it really one-sided in its battle against racism. I am definitely not saying that the police shooting was right, let me just say that, and Starr has every right to hate the police for shooting her best friend. However, this does not mean that every few pages there needs to be a comment about how awful white people are.
A much healthier focus for the book would have been equality, not switching the racism to the other side in a ‘how-do-you-like-it-now’ move.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Seriously... I'm Kidding in Books
Jun 21, 2018
As part of Pride Month, I'm spotlighting books by or about GLBTQIA+ people. Ellen is one of the most prominent lesbians here in the US, between coming out on a sitcom, having her own daytime talk show, and her judging stint on American Idol. This is her third book, but the first one I've read. If the other two are like this one, I need to read them!
Seriously...I'm Kidding is a really funny book. It reads a little bit like an ADHD squirrel, but that's part of its charm. I read the print version, but this is one book I might have to get the audio version of, mostly because of the one chapter she wrote specifically for the audio version:
"Anyway, since you have the benefit of being able to hear this, I thought I would include some bonus material of me making strange noises. For those of you who are reading this the old-fashioned way and can't hear me, I've printed the noises below and I encourage you to use your imagination to think of what they might sound like coming out of my mouth.
Meeeeee
Faaaaaa
Cooooo
Gooooood Morning
Bowwwww
Babowwwww
Yelowwwww
(more strange noises listed)"
The book covers a lot of ground, from producing her show to judging on American Idol to coming out as lesbian to hosting dinner parties. It also varies wildly chapter to chapter, from brief short stories (less than a page) to haiku, to coloring book pages of odd things like toasters, to prose, wandering chapters that are an interesting look at Ellen's thought process.
I really enjoyed this book, and it's definitely worth reading because it's just FUN.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Seriously...I'm Kidding is a really funny book. It reads a little bit like an ADHD squirrel, but that's part of its charm. I read the print version, but this is one book I might have to get the audio version of, mostly because of the one chapter she wrote specifically for the audio version:
"Anyway, since you have the benefit of being able to hear this, I thought I would include some bonus material of me making strange noises. For those of you who are reading this the old-fashioned way and can't hear me, I've printed the noises below and I encourage you to use your imagination to think of what they might sound like coming out of my mouth.
Meeeeee
Faaaaaa
Cooooo
Gooooood Morning
Bowwwww
Babowwwww
Yelowwwww
(more strange noises listed)"
The book covers a lot of ground, from producing her show to judging on American Idol to coming out as lesbian to hosting dinner parties. It also varies wildly chapter to chapter, from brief short stories (less than a page) to haiku, to coloring book pages of odd things like toasters, to prose, wandering chapters that are an interesting look at Ellen's thought process.
I really enjoyed this book, and it's definitely worth reading because it's just FUN.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The Ultimate Book of Heroic Failures
Book
This book was the winner of the Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year. Anyone can be a success, but...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Dog Share in Books
Jul 1, 2021
This novel is told from a dual perspective. Suzy is a woman in her late forties, that is left on her own to deal with her partner’s “project”, a failing whisky distillery on Hebridean island. I really liked Suzy, she is a strong and hard-working woman, who is ready to take responsibility to save people’s livelihood. Ricky is our second protagonist, he is a single father to an eleven-year-old boy, who really wants a dog. 😀 Ricky brings funny relationship stories and single parenthood woes to this novel. But all the characters in this book are connected by Scout, a stray dog that Suzy adopts.
The narrative of this novel is pretty easy flowing, and most of the time the characters are sharing their past and present lives and thoughts. The topics discussed in this novel are parenthood, compatibility in relationships, love for dogs, and life in general. I really liked how the author incorporated her life in York and Glasgow in the novel.
The audiobook I listened to was narrated by Cathleen McCarron and Robin Laing, and they have done an amazing job in bringing this book to life. I loved the northern accent, it gave this book a completely different feeling compared to my reading style. I love Scotland, and to hear all the details about nature and the island itself made me want to go there asap. 😀 The ending of this book rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, I enjoyed listening to this book, It is set in a beautiful environment with very realistic and believable characters, that make me want to have a pet of my own. 🙂 I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great place to travel while reading and who loves dogs, because in this case, Scout brought people together.
The narrative of this novel is pretty easy flowing, and most of the time the characters are sharing their past and present lives and thoughts. The topics discussed in this novel are parenthood, compatibility in relationships, love for dogs, and life in general. I really liked how the author incorporated her life in York and Glasgow in the novel.
The audiobook I listened to was narrated by Cathleen McCarron and Robin Laing, and they have done an amazing job in bringing this book to life. I loved the northern accent, it gave this book a completely different feeling compared to my reading style. I love Scotland, and to hear all the details about nature and the island itself made me want to go there asap. 😀 The ending of this book rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, I enjoyed listening to this book, It is set in a beautiful environment with very realistic and believable characters, that make me want to have a pet of my own. 🙂 I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great place to travel while reading and who loves dogs, because in this case, Scout brought people together.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated What Magic Is This? in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Three friends, Sophia, Mia and Alexis are trying to do some magic during a sleepover at Sophia’s house. They all have something they want to cast a spell on. Sophia wants her sweetheart Aidan, Mia needs to stop harming herself, and Alexis wants to wish her dog (that she hated) a farewell. All three of these girls are very different, but they fit in together very well. Holly chose such a believable and realistic characters for this book, and the school life looks like straight from the TV screen. The story is told from Sophia’s perspective, where she is sharing details about her and Aidan’s love story.
The narrative was really gripping, I wanted to find out, what happened between Sophia and Aidan. The plot keeps changing between the events happening in the room, and Sophia’s love story in the past. This book is funny, very easy to read, and I liked the lessons it had to offer. There are not many surprises in this book, and sometimes it was quite predictable.
The writing style was really pleasant and easy to read. This edition has dyslexia friendly font, and the book itself wasn’t very long, so it was a quick read for me. The setting of this book doesn’t change much, it is either Sophia’s bedroom or the school. The ending of the book was quite predictable, but I liked the way it rounded up this story. The chapters are not very long, and this novel didn’t leave me bored.
So, to conclude, it was a great story about friendship, magic and finding what you really want. It has realistic characters and is an entertaining and educational read for young girls.
The narrative was really gripping, I wanted to find out, what happened between Sophia and Aidan. The plot keeps changing between the events happening in the room, and Sophia’s love story in the past. This book is funny, very easy to read, and I liked the lessons it had to offer. There are not many surprises in this book, and sometimes it was quite predictable.
The writing style was really pleasant and easy to read. This edition has dyslexia friendly font, and the book itself wasn’t very long, so it was a quick read for me. The setting of this book doesn’t change much, it is either Sophia’s bedroom or the school. The ending of the book was quite predictable, but I liked the way it rounded up this story. The chapters are not very long, and this novel didn’t leave me bored.
So, to conclude, it was a great story about friendship, magic and finding what you really want. It has realistic characters and is an entertaining and educational read for young girls.