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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated On the Corner of Love and Hate in Books
Sep 2, 2019
Emma Peroni works in the Community Development Office (CDO) in the small town of Hope Lake. She works with her childhood friend Cooper Campbell-Endicott, who is now running for office as mayor of Hope Lake. Cooper has a political pedigree; his mother is governor. He's the beloved golden boy of Hope Lake. But he also has a playboy reputation, and his opponent, Kirby, is capitalizing on it. If Cooper loses, Kirby will set back all the progress of the CDO in Hope Lake. So the current mayor--who just happens to be Emma's father--devises a plan. Emma will manage Cooper's campaign, and he will pretend to settle down with a former girlfriend. Emma and Cooper haven't gotten along since college, but the more time they spend together now, the more feelings get stirred up: anger, resentment, and... lust.
So I think it does a disservice to bill this book as a Christina Lauren-type romance, as I went in expecting a certain type of story and it just didn't deliver. I believe if I just read it as a romance, I might have enjoyed it more. And, please note, that a 3-star review isn't bad (!), I just didn't 4-star love love it.
The book is set up with the "love/hate" premise. We have hard-working Emma, who is scared of commitment and letting down her guard. Meanwhile, Cooper needs to buckle down and get serious about everything in his life. Emma holds a long-standing grudge against Cooper, but, of course, oh there are feelings, right? The problem is that things get repetitive: so much fighting about his bad behavior and then her thinking over and over about her feelings. (Of course she doesn't have feelings for Cooper, she hates him, etc.). We all know they are going to show some spark together, but good grief, it takes forever.
"He might have been the single most irritating person in the world to me, but still, I could appreciate his appearance."
Also, while I liked that there were political things woven into this novel, my goodness, I've never seen such drama over a mayoral race in my life. Is this a small town thing, or something? I have lived in small towns. The attention and drama focused on this race felt like a senatorial campaign and there was little explanation why Cooper's opponent was so bad, except that he was, indeed, really bad and would ruin the whole town, so this portion felt very two-dimensional. (Oh and if Emma called her father "Mayor Dad" one more time, I was going to scream.)
Still, this is a cute read. There are some really fun scenes with Emma's friends--she, Nick, Henry, and Cooper have been pals since they were kids. There is wit and humor throughout the book. I could certainly identify with Emma, being a closed off workaholic myself! The small town vibe in this book is really adorable--Hope Lake practically flies off the page, and it's a very atmospheric setting.
And, let's be honest: a love/hate dynamic is enjoyable. We pick up a romance knowing exactly what we are getting into. Cooper was a bit irritating at times, but it still boils down that I'm a total sucker for a sappy love story and the chosen two getting together. I was rooting for these two, and I liked the end of the book. This was a sweet, funny read overall. 3 stars.
So I think it does a disservice to bill this book as a Christina Lauren-type romance, as I went in expecting a certain type of story and it just didn't deliver. I believe if I just read it as a romance, I might have enjoyed it more. And, please note, that a 3-star review isn't bad (!), I just didn't 4-star love love it.
The book is set up with the "love/hate" premise. We have hard-working Emma, who is scared of commitment and letting down her guard. Meanwhile, Cooper needs to buckle down and get serious about everything in his life. Emma holds a long-standing grudge against Cooper, but, of course, oh there are feelings, right? The problem is that things get repetitive: so much fighting about his bad behavior and then her thinking over and over about her feelings. (Of course she doesn't have feelings for Cooper, she hates him, etc.). We all know they are going to show some spark together, but good grief, it takes forever.
"He might have been the single most irritating person in the world to me, but still, I could appreciate his appearance."
Also, while I liked that there were political things woven into this novel, my goodness, I've never seen such drama over a mayoral race in my life. Is this a small town thing, or something? I have lived in small towns. The attention and drama focused on this race felt like a senatorial campaign and there was little explanation why Cooper's opponent was so bad, except that he was, indeed, really bad and would ruin the whole town, so this portion felt very two-dimensional. (Oh and if Emma called her father "Mayor Dad" one more time, I was going to scream.)
Still, this is a cute read. There are some really fun scenes with Emma's friends--she, Nick, Henry, and Cooper have been pals since they were kids. There is wit and humor throughout the book. I could certainly identify with Emma, being a closed off workaholic myself! The small town vibe in this book is really adorable--Hope Lake practically flies off the page, and it's a very atmospheric setting.
And, let's be honest: a love/hate dynamic is enjoyable. We pick up a romance knowing exactly what we are getting into. Cooper was a bit irritating at times, but it still boils down that I'm a total sucker for a sappy love story and the chosen two getting together. I was rooting for these two, and I liked the end of the book. This was a sweet, funny read overall. 3 stars.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Z for Zodiac - Single by Mxlcxlm in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Mxlcxlm Z is an up-and-coming rapper based in Denver, Colorado. Not too long ago, he released a freestyle lyric video for his “Z for Zodiac” single.
“I hope this video sparks some new found interest in raw hip-hop/bars again by inspiring folks with the creativity and the depth of thought. I hope it makes people want to rewind it and dissect the lyrics, catching things on listen #5 or #10 that they didn’t notice on the initial listens. Also, I hope a few of the bars about the Zodiac (the real ones, not the ‘clever’ ones) inspire people to pursue their own interest into the Houses of the Zodiac and their connection to religious texts/doctrine/allegories. Finally, I hope this song gives people a small but intriguing-enough look into my life and that they realize that I truly do rhyme about what’s going on in my real life, what my heart feels, and about real situations that often don’t get talked about enough.” – Mxlcxlm Z
The audiovisual video features Mxlcxlm Z rapping 116 witty bars based on the 12 houses of the horoscope.
This is the first no cut video the rapper has ever edited which proved to be a challenge. But overall, he was able to bring to fruition the vision he saw in his head.
‘Z for Zodiac’ contains an introspective storyline, lyrical rap vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with a hip-hop aroma.
“My favorite bars in the song, partly because of the double entendre but mostly because of the reality, is when I say, ‘Jonny died I tried to act like that sh*t didn’t bother me. I do this sh*t for him (hymn) like when the choir sing’. Another of my favorites is the bar referring to mama Sarah, when I say, ‘Tried coping with sobriety, performed lobotomy with an acid tab and a pile of weed’. Which means that, though I attempted to deal with my problems in a sober way, I was able to help treat my mental illnesses with LSD and cannabis.” – Mxlcxlm Z
Mxlcxlm Z’s studies in metaphysics, the occult, and astrology heavily influence the way he views the world. Of course, those beliefs find their way into his music.
When he lost his brother Jonny and grandmother Sarah, he fell into a major depression.
Because of his experience with loss, he is thankful for the nieces and nephew he has from his sister who once thought she might not ever have children.
“I speak briefly [in this song] on my upbringing, my sister dealing with miscarriages, and how she’s since been blessed with 3 kids. Dealing with depression at a young age, I feel like it was the Creator/God that saved me.” – Mxlcxlm Z
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mxlcxlm-z-z-for-zodiac/
“I hope this video sparks some new found interest in raw hip-hop/bars again by inspiring folks with the creativity and the depth of thought. I hope it makes people want to rewind it and dissect the lyrics, catching things on listen #5 or #10 that they didn’t notice on the initial listens. Also, I hope a few of the bars about the Zodiac (the real ones, not the ‘clever’ ones) inspire people to pursue their own interest into the Houses of the Zodiac and their connection to religious texts/doctrine/allegories. Finally, I hope this song gives people a small but intriguing-enough look into my life and that they realize that I truly do rhyme about what’s going on in my real life, what my heart feels, and about real situations that often don’t get talked about enough.” – Mxlcxlm Z
The audiovisual video features Mxlcxlm Z rapping 116 witty bars based on the 12 houses of the horoscope.
This is the first no cut video the rapper has ever edited which proved to be a challenge. But overall, he was able to bring to fruition the vision he saw in his head.
‘Z for Zodiac’ contains an introspective storyline, lyrical rap vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with a hip-hop aroma.
“My favorite bars in the song, partly because of the double entendre but mostly because of the reality, is when I say, ‘Jonny died I tried to act like that sh*t didn’t bother me. I do this sh*t for him (hymn) like when the choir sing’. Another of my favorites is the bar referring to mama Sarah, when I say, ‘Tried coping with sobriety, performed lobotomy with an acid tab and a pile of weed’. Which means that, though I attempted to deal with my problems in a sober way, I was able to help treat my mental illnesses with LSD and cannabis.” – Mxlcxlm Z
Mxlcxlm Z’s studies in metaphysics, the occult, and astrology heavily influence the way he views the world. Of course, those beliefs find their way into his music.
When he lost his brother Jonny and grandmother Sarah, he fell into a major depression.
Because of his experience with loss, he is thankful for the nieces and nephew he has from his sister who once thought she might not ever have children.
“I speak briefly [in this song] on my upbringing, my sister dealing with miscarriages, and how she’s since been blessed with 3 kids. Dealing with depression at a young age, I feel like it was the Creator/God that saved me.” – Mxlcxlm Z
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mxlcxlm-z-z-for-zodiac/
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Body Language in Books
Dec 13, 2020
It is worth reading.
The protagonists in this novel are Cassie and DS Flyte, and the story is told from their perspectives. When it comes to the characters, the author really went all out. 😀 Cassie is a bisexual, goth looking woman, who loved dead creatures since she was little. She had a very difficult life, and Cassie is an extremely complex character. Her eye to detail and a very sensitive six sense, just an icing on the cake. DS Flyte is fighting her own demons, but she has an OCD when it comes to her work, she does not like cutting corners, and many people don’t like her. Both of these women are very strong personalities, but their love for the job makes them an amazing combo. Cassie has to be my favourite though, her relationship with the dead ones and her Babcia (granny) is very heartwarming. 🙂
The book started quite slowly. There were more thoughts about the past and previous experiences rather than the investigation itself, and I was about to lose my hope, but I was very glad that I didn’t give up because the investigation was very entertaining indeed. Cassie’s life story was quite absorbing, and I was happy to learn more about her and her upbringing. I would have liked to know a little bit more about DS Flyte as well, I think she is quite an interesting persona. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had to offer, they were really unexpected. On the other hand, there were some events that didn’t really make sense and they were kind of forgotten at the end. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were loss, miscarriages, homelessness, poverty, drug dealing and drug use, difficult family relationships, and many more.
The book is set in Camden, London, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the author’s knowledge of the area. The writing style of the book was very creative, detail-oriented but very enjoyable nevertheless. I liked the way the story was flowing, revealing interesting surprises bit by bit. The chapters have a medium length, and the pages just flew by for me. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I truly hope to read more books with this very intriguing character duo.
So, to conclude, if you are looking for a thriller with different, diverse characters, that are complex and intriguing, this book is for you! The narrative started quite slow, but it allowed to get to know Cassie better, and the rest of the story truly had me engrossed. I enjoyed this thriller, and especially the characters, and I hope you will give this book a try. I think everyone needs to meet Cassie. 🙂 I hope you will like it as much as I did.
The book started quite slowly. There were more thoughts about the past and previous experiences rather than the investigation itself, and I was about to lose my hope, but I was very glad that I didn’t give up because the investigation was very entertaining indeed. Cassie’s life story was quite absorbing, and I was happy to learn more about her and her upbringing. I would have liked to know a little bit more about DS Flyte as well, I think she is quite an interesting persona. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had to offer, they were really unexpected. On the other hand, there were some events that didn’t really make sense and they were kind of forgotten at the end. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were loss, miscarriages, homelessness, poverty, drug dealing and drug use, difficult family relationships, and many more.
The book is set in Camden, London, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the author’s knowledge of the area. The writing style of the book was very creative, detail-oriented but very enjoyable nevertheless. I liked the way the story was flowing, revealing interesting surprises bit by bit. The chapters have a medium length, and the pages just flew by for me. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I truly hope to read more books with this very intriguing character duo.
So, to conclude, if you are looking for a thriller with different, diverse characters, that are complex and intriguing, this book is for you! The narrative started quite slow, but it allowed to get to know Cassie better, and the rest of the story truly had me engrossed. I enjoyed this thriller, and especially the characters, and I hope you will give this book a try. I think everyone needs to meet Cassie. 🙂 I hope you will like it as much as I did.
To be honest I knew nothing about TILM until I accepted a new teaching position for next year. The principal is fantastic about including new staff in end of the year communication about prep for next year. One of the things she mentioned is looking for a pilot group to read The Leader in Me & try it out in their rooms. I was skeptical about "adding one more thing"...after 11 years of teaching I've seen more grand ideas & guaranteed fixes come & go. But after reading this I can say this feels different. This isn't a new fad, it's basic skills we should all have &, much like cursive writing, are being pushed aside in our testing culture. The ideas are easy to incorporate & the authors stress easing into it.
But the authors say it best, "In today's global economy, we simply cannot afford to continue waiting until young people receive their first promotion into corporate leadership before we teach them how to get along with others, to set goals, to think ahead. We cannot idly wait for them to become school-teachers, doctors, firefighters, engineers, or parents before we teach them how to organize their lives, to take initiative, or to work in teams. We cannot afford to relax and hope they detect their own worth and potential on their own. They deserve better. They deserve hope. "
But the authors say it best, "In today's global economy, we simply cannot afford to continue waiting until young people receive their first promotion into corporate leadership before we teach them how to get along with others, to set goals, to think ahead. We cannot idly wait for them to become school-teachers, doctors, firefighters, engineers, or parents before we teach them how to organize their lives, to take initiative, or to work in teams. We cannot afford to relax and hope they detect their own worth and potential on their own. They deserve better. They deserve hope. "
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) in Movies
May 1, 2018
Hopefully the last ever Transformers film
Let's be honest, the Transformers films seem to have a Marmite-like love/hate appeal. With the exception of the first film which was actually quite good, the rest of the sequels have been pretty dire. Age of Extinction wasn't too bad as at least it rebooted the franchise with a mostly new cast. But sadly the same cant be said of The Last Knight.
Firstly, the plot. This is just bat s*** crazy nonsense, like they've dredged the depths for something to link Transformers to and somehow have come up with the legend of Merlin and King Arthur. Seriously? This starts off pretty silly and by the end of the film descends into complete ridiculousness. The script is so cheesy, they've thrown far too many pointless characters in and the CGI in places actually looks quite poor. This gets a few points by being able to hold my attention for the overly long running time, mainly on the basis that I wanted to see how bad it was going to get.
Considering the ending its looking doubtful that this will be the last Transformers film ever, but I really hope it is. I'm not counting the prequel type Bumblebee film but I don't hold out much hope for that either...
Firstly, the plot. This is just bat s*** crazy nonsense, like they've dredged the depths for something to link Transformers to and somehow have come up with the legend of Merlin and King Arthur. Seriously? This starts off pretty silly and by the end of the film descends into complete ridiculousness. The script is so cheesy, they've thrown far too many pointless characters in and the CGI in places actually looks quite poor. This gets a few points by being able to hold my attention for the overly long running time, mainly on the basis that I wanted to see how bad it was going to get.
Considering the ending its looking doubtful that this will be the last Transformers film ever, but I really hope it is. I'm not counting the prequel type Bumblebee film but I don't hold out much hope for that either...
Kyera (8 KP) rated Hunt for Jade Dragon (Michael Vey, #4) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As this is the fourth book in the series, there really isn't much that I can say that wouldn't be spoiler-y. I chose to listen to this series via audiobook, so I want to specifically address that. For whatever reason, the third and fourth books were not narrated by the same person who voiced the first, second, fifth, six and final book in the series. That means that three different people narrated this series if that is something that would bother you I would recommend reading the books physically. I personally enjoyed the narrator for this book the most out of the three that voiced this series.
This story was as enjoyable as the others and is a good level for middle-grade readers or younger YA readers. Unfortunately, the author continues to overuse the word said and it is becoming more and more irksome as the series progresses. I had hoped that it would improve, but it hasn't yet. One can still hope though.
It was nice to see more character development and the Electroclan seeing more of the world. Understandably, after everything the kids have gone through they feel older than their actual years. Forced to grow up and shoulder too much responsibility too quickly. I still recommend this series and hope that the writing will improve through the last three books.
This story was as enjoyable as the others and is a good level for middle-grade readers or younger YA readers. Unfortunately, the author continues to overuse the word said and it is becoming more and more irksome as the series progresses. I had hoped that it would improve, but it hasn't yet. One can still hope though.
It was nice to see more character development and the Electroclan seeing more of the world. Understandably, after everything the kids have gone through they feel older than their actual years. Forced to grow up and shoulder too much responsibility too quickly. I still recommend this series and hope that the writing will improve through the last three books.
Merissa (12879 KP) rated Daughter of Rage and Beauty (Berserker Academy #1) in Books
Dec 22, 2019
DAUGHTER OF RAGE AND BEAUTY is the first book in the Berserker Academy series, and if this is any indication of what is to come, then I can't wait for book 2.
Elin is a half-breed, part Fae and part Berserker. She has been looked down upon by her father from birth, and now, at twenty-one, she is being shipped off to the Berserker Academy in a last-ditch attempt of her not 'sullying' the family name. Trouble is, Berserkers can be just as judgmental as her father!
I was completely engrossed in this story. I loved Hauk and the connection that grew between him and Elin. There are other characters that stand out that I hope will get their own stories. So many parts of this that I enjoyed, it's hard to narrow it down. One scene I will mention is the incredibly hot scene between Hauk and Elin. I think my kindle nearly melted. It was perfectly done, being sexy and sensuous without being gratuitous.
I found the pacing to be spot on with this, giving the reader enough time to enjoy each scene without it being stuck. The world-building was great and is one I hope to return to.
For a fun, sexy and adventurous Norse fantasy, then I have no hesitation in recommending this!
Elin is a half-breed, part Fae and part Berserker. She has been looked down upon by her father from birth, and now, at twenty-one, she is being shipped off to the Berserker Academy in a last-ditch attempt of her not 'sullying' the family name. Trouble is, Berserkers can be just as judgmental as her father!
I was completely engrossed in this story. I loved Hauk and the connection that grew between him and Elin. There are other characters that stand out that I hope will get their own stories. So many parts of this that I enjoyed, it's hard to narrow it down. One scene I will mention is the incredibly hot scene between Hauk and Elin. I think my kindle nearly melted. It was perfectly done, being sexy and sensuous without being gratuitous.
I found the pacing to be spot on with this, giving the reader enough time to enjoy each scene without it being stuck. The world-building was great and is one I hope to return to.
For a fun, sexy and adventurous Norse fantasy, then I have no hesitation in recommending this!
The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline
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Longlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2016 The world's most intractable...
An Angel by Her Side
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Katie has lived through tragedy and heartache. But with the angel Elias by her side, the best years...