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Baby Doll
Baby Doll
Hollie Overton | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Firstly I’d like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read this book.

<b><i>”BABY DOLL is the most tense thriller you will read this year.”</b></i> … no it isn’t.

<b>1.5 stars</b>

I was looking forward to giving this a read, it sounded like an exciting thriller; woman escapes from her captor and now she’s trying to rebuild her life and future. But it doesn’t really start out that way… everything kind of falls into place for Lily in the first few pages and so you think, is this going to be as exciting as I first hoped? Well the answer to that is no, it’s not.

It’s all very over the top. <i>Every single thing</i> Abby & Lily do is grossly OTT. I mean I don’t personally know how I, or my family would react if something like this happened but it all seems very overplayed, cliche and cheesy.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/MGmnFOZRFRo4w/giphy.gif"; width="370" height="220" alt="yaaaawn"/>

It’s also a bit ridiculous, not the kidnapping and abuse, of course <b>that’s</b> not, but everything else is. The town seems raving mad, no wonder no one noticed a psychopath in their midst! I mean for one, this town needs to sort out it’s police force, they’re <b>so</b> unprofessional! <spoiler>Sleeping around and beating people to a pulp. Stupid. <b>PLUS</b> Why were they unable to get Abby off of Rick when she was stabbing him? It felt like they were all just standing around and watching her until they thought, OK that’ll do now.</spoiler>

I don’t think Overton did a particularly good job at portraying the characters. They all seemed very wooden and lifeless. I found them all to be extremely childish, shallow and very selfish and so couldn’t connect with any of them. They also felt completely fake, like the things they did and said were not something you could imagine a real person doing or saying. We were supposed to empathise with Lily but it just wasn’t possible for me, she was cold and boring and I think the multiple POV’s was a bad call on Overton’s part because it means we can’t spend that time getting to know the character and instead have to put up with everyone else's junk <i>(cough cough the mother's affair cough cough)</i> that we don’t care about, which disconnects us entirely from the story. I would go so far as to say I felt this story was more about idiotic Abby than it was about boring ol’ Lily. We also couldn’t attach to Lily because this book moved so ridiculously fast! I couldn’t keep up, what’s the rush?

I don’t think this was very well written either, it all seemed very rushed. Also, why was Eve called “Eve” one minute and “Mom” the next? And why couldn’t Abby call “Mr Hanson” by his actual name? We get it, he was your teacher, but you’re an adult now, with a kid and this man ruined your sister's life, would you really be calling him “Mr Hanson” all the time. It was like I was reading the POV of a 6 year old.

I admit the twist was quite a shock and I hadn’t seen <i>that</i> particular ending coming about, but I still thought it was a bit silly, hence the extra half a star I gave the book. <spoiler>Can we please note that this (the murder) is like the 5th time in the book when Abby does something “for Lily” but really she’s just being selfish and doing it for herself because she can’t get a fucking grip.</spoiler>

Too "family drama" for me. I wanted a fast paced thriller not some sappy, emotional love story. This book was supposed to focus on the broken Lily rebuilding her life with her loving family surrounding her, but instead turned into a ridiculous love triangle story that I couldn’t care less about. Give me more of Rick’s POV if you must, <b>anything to get me away from twin sisters fighting over one stupid man.</b> Abby was so fucking annoying when it came to Wes, she was so desperately needy for him all the while putting on a stupid I-don’t-need-you front. Deal with it Abby, you love him and he loves you, <b>just fucking deal with it.</b>

In the end I skipped the last 10 pages or so, I was done with this book when I was 20% the way through… Maybe this would be a good book for people who are into “chick-lit/women's fiction” - whatever that means, but it’s not my cup of tea.
  
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Elixir in Books

Apr 3, 2019  
Elixir
Elixir
Ted Galdi | 2014
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What is 5+2? How about 5x2? Those are easy right? What about 456328x22? Not so easy without a pen and paper or a calculator. For Sean Malone, these answers come to him very easily. At age 11 he was a Jeopardy champion. Now at age 14 he's a sophomore at Southern California Technical University and working on a project that no one has been able to figure out. The problem of the traveling salesman. When Sean does solve the problem, not only is his professor impressed. So are the head of the NSA, Secretary of Defense and the FBI. Sean didn't know that by solving this simple problem he also found a way into everything.

This debut novel from Ted Galdi is an exciting look into the mind of geniuses. Sometimes being the smartest one in the room isn't always the greatest thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I couldn't wait to pick it up everyday and find out what was going to happen next. There are a few thrilling moments in the book where you are on the edge of your seat. You are always rooting for Sean though throughout it's entirety. This book spans Sean's life from age 14 on with glimpses into his life before. You meet his friends and family and he becomes someone you want to know. Are there people like Sean in the world today who can come up with fascinating ideas that can change the world?

I'm afraid if I speak on this book too much I will give away the whole thing. All I can say is that you have to pick it up and give it a try for yourself.
  
Lost Graves (Boyle &amp; Keneally #2) [Audiobook]
Lost Graves (Boyle & Keneally #2) [Audiobook]
S. A. Dunphy | 2022 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am always a bit wary of joining a new series without having read at least the first book however, I needn't have worried because this really works as a standalone and I am now hooked and eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

What we have here is a great story that mixes crime, mystery, serial killer, police procedural with Irish folklore, the supernatural, the travelling community and shady military operations. Now, you might think that's a lot and whilst it is, S.A. Dunphy brings it all together seamlessly and effortlessly.

A mass grave is found in Derrada Woods and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations Team are sent in to investigate; made up of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn, they are definitely a team not to be messed with and they quickly recognise the local police have the wrong man.

The ensuing investigation is full of twists and turns with plenty of action and suspense all written at a great pace. With short chapters, this is one of those books that have you thinking you can mange 'just one more chapter before bed' but before you know it, another hour has gone by ... you just get drawn in and it's hard to tear yourself away.

I listened to the audiobook and was completely absorbed by the narration done by Shelley Atkinson; her soft Irish tone really brought the characters to life and the subtle changes she made in order to make the different characters distinguishable was perfect.

Overall, a great 'listen' and I will definitely be looking out for the next in this enthralling series and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Welcome to Night Vale
Welcome to Night Vale
Comedy
9
8.7 (36 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Voices (2 more)
Writing
Sound effects
Can get a bit repetitive (0 more)
Amusing Yarn With Lovecraftean Spin
Night Vale was the first podcast I ever listened to. It had me hooked from the start. I did binge listen to catch up from episode one, but after that, I found it a bit annoying to try to listen to more than 5 or so episodes at a time. They're fairly short, but can start to feel repetitive if you get too far behind and have to catch up that way.

Fans of Lovecraft, Call of Cthluhu RPG, and other classic horror, as well as conspiracy theory fans (I'm sure this will fit, but I'm not one to know for a fact), will love Night Vale. It is aired with a serious tone but still somehow light-hearted. The voice acting is superb and the writing top-notch.

Some of my favorite segments are the music breaks. Some episodes have wonderful indie artists on them for one song and they will give out some information about the bands and songs so you can locate them on the internet and find their music. I think this is a terrific idea, using their listener base to help give exposure to working musicians.

Serial stories involve romance, disappearances, aliens, and anything else you could ever dream up. If you're a writer yourself, it might even spark your imagination!
  
I Can Handle It! (Mindful Mantra #1)
I Can Handle It! (Mindful Mantra #1)
Laurie Wright | 2016 | Children, Health & Fitness
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I found another good book. This one is to help with your mental health. Though it is for children. The adult may enjoy it as well. It has a Mindful Mantra that may help you or your child or children how to handle tricky situations. It is called “I Can Handle It!”

This book is a good read and teaches you how to handle some situations that you may end up in your children. It deals with some different emotions that everyone goes through. It is easy to read. Parents will want this to read to their children to help with improving their confidence.

This will help your child or children with difficult emotions and with some of their problems. This book may have some ideas to help them to deal with some of the problems that they may have. The pictures are done well. It was written well.

Parents can read this to their child or children. They will learn to practice these Mantas or saying I Can Handle it as they read it. They will have this to fall back on after they read and reread this book. It is a wonderful teachable book. I enjoy the pictures. They show off some things that we can do to solve some of our emotions that are hard to express or deal with.
  
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*Note: This review is from my original posting in March of 2014, which can be found here:http://cafinatedreads.com/book-reviewlove-at-any-cost-by-julie-lessman/. My thoughts are still the same, my emotions are still the same as the first time I read it!*

Sweet Saints above, Ms. Lessman has done it again!!! Next to Karen Kingsbury, she is absolutely positively my absolute favorite Christian Fiction author. I love her work! Her characters (my favorite is Katie from A Hope Undaunted!) steal you away to their time and place and sweep you into their mix for a time. I laugh, I cry, I smile through all her books and her characters……well, they are chiseled absolutely perfectly for their stories!

Oh my! Cassidy was absolute a breath of fresh air! I loved the phrases she used through out the story. Ms. Lessman used phrases my granddaddy used to use before he passed away years ago, it brought back so many memories for me! And her heart, bless her, she just wanted to let go of her broken engagement from a gold digger and move on with becoming a teacher in a new place. I laughed at her and wanted to wrap her up and squeeze her tight!

And Jamie McKenna……oh sweet lawdy, I loved him! Can we say *drool*??? That is one fine man….err, um. Yes, back to my review. Jamie is a wonderful man and I saw it from the start! He was made out to be a womanizer but I could just tell that deep down, he was a tenderhearted, one woman man. Yes sirree I did indeed see it! Ms. Lessman did a wonderful job with his creation and I didn’t want to say goodbye to him, especially as I started watching him pursue Ms. Cassidy.

I can’t give this book anything less than 5 stars! It would be an utter disgrace to do so! Ms. Lessman combined laugh out loud laughter, spark flying romance (clean, of course!), and a setting to sweep you off your feet! I highly, hats-off, two thumbs up, the whole shebang, recommend this start to a fabulous series by Ms. Lessman!<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/book-review-love-at-any-cost-by-julie-lessman-re-read/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
As Long as We Both Shall Live
As Long as We Both Shall Live
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My wife! I think she’s dead!’ Matt frantically calls to park rangers, explaining that he and his wife, Marie, were out hiking when she stumbled on a cliff edge and fell into the raging river below. They start a search but aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall.
It’s a tragic accident.
But when police discover Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances – a fire in their family home – they have a lot more questions for him.
Is Matt a grieving husband, or has he just killed his second wife? Detectives Loren and Spengler dig into the couple’s lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love’s got teeth, it’s got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it’s tough to rip yourself free.
So what happens when you’re done making it work?

Well this is one crazy warped marriage ride!
Seriously I found myself laughing at the antics and thoughts of these two at times; then on the flip side being gripped by the suspense.
I really enjoyed this one.
Read what happens when 20 years of marriage becomes a minefield of love/hate.
If you love psychological twisty thrillers as much as me then you need to read this one!
Recommend reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-book ARC to read and review. This is my honest voluntary review.
  
Bohnanza
Bohnanza
2007 | Card Game, Farming
Bean farmin’. Don’t get better’n that. Unless you’re corn farmin’. An’ we should know. We are from the Quad Cities, the booger of the man made by Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Look here. Yes, we are surrounded by corn fields, but our home is not within a corn field. Actually, we live in a somewhat-midsize metropolitan area that boasts a population near 475,000. I’m off track again, aren’t I? Right. Bean farming. Lame theme, but Bohnanza shines in gameplay that just can’t be beat. Right, Bryan?

Okay, so bean farming isn’t for everyone. It’s not for me, it’s probably not for you. And honestly, the theme in Bohnanza doesn’t really come through all that strongly. But that’s only part of the reason we game. It’s also about the experience of gaming and the memories you make while playing. This game certainly delivers on those points. So many hilarious moments have been brought to us by Bohnanza. Bohnanza, the zany little card game about planting and trading beans.

I remember one time, when playing with family, there was a VERY heated back-and-forth bargaining that involved the lowly Chili Bean. Screaming. Throwing hands in the air. It was glorious. And the Chili Bean shall thenceforth be known as nothing other than the Chilla Bean.

So I’m not going to bore you with the rules explanation, but I will tell you that some of the mechanics found in this little game can be found elsewhere in other games, but the combination of the mechanics coupled with the ridiculous theme elevates this game for many. It has set collection, hand management (NO shuffling your hand or even sorting – you keep those cards in the same order you received them, youngster!), trading, bluffing, take that. It has so much packed into this small box. So much ridiculousness. But it’s wonderful.

I have taught this to brand new gamers and those who are very inexperienced with modern board games. It’s a smash with nearly everyone. I will be keeping my copy, even though my brother suggests pretty much ANY other game when we pull it out (as evidenced by his rating of 2 out of 6). We at Purple Phoenix Games give Bohnanza a 17 / 24.

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/bohnanza-review/