Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Her Perfect Twin in Books

Jan 23, 2022  
Her Perfect Twin
Her Perfect Twin
Sarah Bonner | 2022 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, I think I can safely say that I absolutely loved this book. Yes it might be a little implausible but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless and it's a great, deliciously dark and twisty debut.

This is one of those books that has you wondering what the heck is going to happen next and then you keep reading it into the night to find out only for another twist to come along or bombshell dropped - I found it hard to put down.

I'm not even going to try and sum up the plot but will say it includes Covid, domestic violence, controlling and coercive behaviour, gaslighting, sex and violence so if this isn't your thing, you might not want to pick this one up.

With great characters, excellent pacing with plenty of tension and twists, this is a book I have no problem recommending and my thanks must go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
40x40

Lexi (8 KP) rated Clue Period Tracker in Apps

Aug 29, 2018  
Clue Period Tracker
Clue Period Tracker
Health & Fitness, Medical
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
App Rating
As simple or detailed as you want it to be (2 more)
Easy to keep track
Can link to partners phone
Really useful
This app is really useful for keeping track of your cycle.


It is as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You can track everything from allergies to sleep patterns to how your hair was that day. I love how you can choose which elements are the most relevant for you to track and you don't have to fill in all the sections every day.
 
It also let's you track past periods so you can see patterns like length of cycle etc.

There's also a handy feature that allows you to link your app to your partners phone so they don't have to ask whether you bit their head off because "it's that time of the month".

Generally I've found it really useful and I would highly recommend this app if you're looking for a way to monitor your periods.
  
TD
The Dancing Master
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Dancing Master is the first book I have read by Julie Klassen. This story is not only intriguing and suspenseful, but it is also full of romance and God's love and grace. Set in Regency England, I found this to be an excellent book. If you like Jane Austen's settings, you will most definitely like Julie Klassen's books.

Written in a more modern American voice, the language flows well and is easy to understand. I really love the characters in this story. Everyone seems to have secrets they are trying to hide and the past comes back to haunt more than one person in the story. However, all will be revealed in due course. Will our characters be able to overcome their differences? Or will the past come between them and drive them apart for good?

I found Alec and Julia's story to be fun, a bit suspenseful, and romantic. While romance isn't as prevalent in this book, it is still there.

I borrowed The Dancing Master from my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
An American Marriage
An American Marriage
Tayari Jones | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.9 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm not even sure where to start with this book. The entire time I was reading, I had to keep going back and re-reading sentences because the words were so beautiful. I wanted to savor Tayari Jones' writing and not forget one word. I found myself reading out loud so I could hear her words.

If this book was found in the poetry section of my local bookstore, I would believe it.

“Marriage is like grafting a limb onto a tree trunk,” Celestial reflects. “You have the limb, freshly sliced, dripping sap, and smelling of springtime, and then you have the mother tree stripped of her protective bark, gouged and ready to receive this new addition. ... In my marriage, I never determined which of us was rootstock and which the grafted branch.”

And the story is just the cherry on top of the words. Celestial and Roy, barely out of the newlywed phase when Roy is sent to prison. It's a heartbreaking story, of separation, as well as togetherness, between this married couple, but in a grander scheme a critique on America and unequal treatment of its citizens. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I felt for them, probably more than I've ever felt for any character in a novel. I felt for them in my soul.

It's not a activism story. It's a love story. About the American dream and how just like a spouse, your country can fail you - no matter how hard you work for your dreams.

It's poignant, and thoughtful, and written like a painting. I am so glad I read this book. For several different reasons. And I'm excited to read what Tayari Jones paints next.
  
TC
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review will be available on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Soemthing Year Old Girl</a> from the middle of August).


I'd been wanting to read The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg for awhile now. I had found it cheap on Amazon and decided to buy it. Although it was a kind of good book, I wish I had seen if my library had it to borrow.

I don't really need to explain the synopsis in my words because the official one seems to describe what the book is about quite well. If I explain it, I'd just be saying the same thing, but not as good.

The title is a mouthful, but I like it. It's one of the first things that made me want to pick up this book. I do believe that the title fits this book perfectly!

The cover is what caught my eye the most! It is absolutely gorgeous! It's also a scene that appears in the book a few times.

The world building was done quite well, and I loved the setting! I love how when Brie dies, she's transported by bus to a pizza place she frequented quite a bit. There's something about that that I just found funny! There's only one time that I felt confused, but I don't want to say anything due to spoilers. Oh, and one more thing. Brie says her family called her by cheese nicknames due to her name. However, Patrick as well as other people she sees in the afterlife due that as well. However, I just don't think everyone would associate her name with cheese, nor would they be so blatant to tease her about it. Other then that, the world building is easy to imagine.

For about half of the book, the pacing seemed a bit slow to me. In fact, I was thinking about giving up on the book altogether. However, the second half picks up the pacing, and it becomes quite an enjoyable read from there on out..

I've always been interested in plots where someone dies and gets to look at their friends and family. Brie wants to get back at Jacob in the afterlife for breaking her heart. She sees the consequences, and we are left to wonder what Brie will do. We also find out Jacob's big secret which I didn't see coming. I also didn't see the other plot twist. I love being surprised!!

I started off liking Brie. She seemed like a really insecure but nice girl. However, I soon found her to be annoying and mean. I understand wanting revenge on someone who has hurt you, but what she did was really uncalled for. I also found her thought pattern to be really vicious and spiteful. I didn't like how she treated Patrick either. She tries to make amends, but it's just too little, too late for me. I did like Patrick and found him to be a rather sweet and friendly guy. The way he spoke sometimes annoyed me, but overall, he was very likable.

The dialogue was very easy to understand and flowed very well. Like I said, there were times I didn't like the way Patrick spoke, but that wasn't very often. I found it interesting to see how Brie's family and friends carried on without her. There's also some swearing in this book.

Overall, The Catastrophic History of You and Me started out a bit boring, but it got better. It turns out to be a sweet story with a moral to it, I believe.

I'd recommend this book to those age 14+ who are looking for a sweet read with a great message attached to it.

I'd give The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg a 3.5 out of 5.
  
The Friends We Keep
The Friends We Keep
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a pretty easy read, though a little slow at times. If you like getting caught up in the somewhat twisted existences of others, you will probably enjoy this one. It covers the trio's lives from university and graduation up to the reunion--and then discusses what happens after they, well, reunite. So there's no big story here, just the tale of three friends and the stories and secrets they share. But it's an interesting read, if not a bit melodramatic at times.

You may have to suspend some disbelief at various points, but I did think it was a good portrait of friendship overall. I found it to be a satisfying tale of relationships, and I certainly felt a part of everyone's lives. 3.5 stars.
  
40x40

Kira (36 KP) rated The Boy I Love in Books

Sep 3, 2017  
The Boy I Love
The Boy I Love
Marion Husband | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well developed characters (1 more)
Beautifully written
The boy I love, for me, was an emotional, yet amazing book. I fell in love with it many years ago, when I found myself so engrossed it was near impossible to put down.

While books based around war aren't normally my thing, Marion Husband captures personal struggles, dealing with coming home from combat and a forbidden sexuality in a very classy and believable way.

The story is rich, the characters are three dimensional and you get to see them develop right up until the very end. I highly recommend this.
  
While the book had a good plot and kept you guessing as to who done it, I found the chapters a bit choppy. There didn't seem to be a transition from one scene to another, which made me have to re-read sections to see if I missed a page somewhere. There were also a lot of characters to try to follow and no real introduction to them. This is the first book in the series and I am told that they get better, so I am willing to read the second in the series as the first one wasn't totally bad.
  
While the book had a good plot and kept you guessing as to who done it, I found the chapters a bit choppy. There didn't seem to be a transition from one scene to another, which made me have to re-read sections to see if I missed a page somewhere. There were also a lot of characters to try to follow and no real introduction to them. This is the first book in the series and I am told that they get better, so I am willing to read the second in the series as the first one wasn't totally bad.