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ClareR (5716 KP) rated While Paris Slept in Books
Feb 23, 2023
While Paris Slept was really so much more than I expected. I didn’t expect to become so emotionally invested in all sides of this story, and I didn’t expect to cry quite as much as I did!
Jean Luc Beauchamp is put in an impossible situation as soon as the Nazis occupy France. He has a deformed hand, and if he shows any kind of weakness it could mean his death. But to stay working on the railways brands him as a collaborator. Someone who has facilitated the Holocaust.
So when a woman thrusts a tiny baby at him as she is put on a cattle truck, Jean Luc does the only thing he can do.
He and his girlfriend (and later, wife) begin a perilous journey , eventually settling in 1950’s California. In 1953, Jean Luc is questioned about his role in the war, and is told something that will change his life and that of his family forever.
We switch between the two timelines of wartime France and and the present day (1950’s) California and Paris.
It’s an unforgettable story of resilience, secrets and survival. All actions on both sides of the story were all for the love of a child. Oh, how I cried (this seems to be becoming more and more frequent lately!)!
Wonderful storytelling ❤️
Jean Luc Beauchamp is put in an impossible situation as soon as the Nazis occupy France. He has a deformed hand, and if he shows any kind of weakness it could mean his death. But to stay working on the railways brands him as a collaborator. Someone who has facilitated the Holocaust.
So when a woman thrusts a tiny baby at him as she is put on a cattle truck, Jean Luc does the only thing he can do.
He and his girlfriend (and later, wife) begin a perilous journey , eventually settling in 1950’s California. In 1953, Jean Luc is questioned about his role in the war, and is told something that will change his life and that of his family forever.
We switch between the two timelines of wartime France and and the present day (1950’s) California and Paris.
It’s an unforgettable story of resilience, secrets and survival. All actions on both sides of the story were all for the love of a child. Oh, how I cried (this seems to be becoming more and more frequent lately!)!
Wonderful storytelling ❤️
Mastering Technical Communication Skills: A Student's Handbook
Book
To live is to communicate, and to communicate with confidence is a craft that one will do well to...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated She Is Not Invisible in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This was not how I expected it to be. I liked the uniqueness of it, though, and how unpredictable it turned out to be.
It starts in an airport, with the protagonist and narrator (who's name we learn to be Laureth) and her little brother Benjamin. We soon discover that Laureth is blind, which provides us with a very interesting account of the events of this story. They are going to America, alone, to find their father. He's a writer, and holds his notebooks very dearly - so when Laureth gets an email about one being found in America when he's supposed to be in Switzerland (and then he fails to answer his phone) she immediately assumes something is very wrong.
This is told mostly chronologically, but with memories scattered throughout. Laureth also gives slight hints as to what will be happening later on, reinstating the fact that she is writing about past events. I quite liked this - we were told about certain memories and events that were relevant to the story at that time, nothing more, nothing less.
It turns into quite a dark, suspenseful hunt. Laureth starts to fear that her father may even have taken his own life. The pair even get cornered by a man with a knife who claims to have seen her father. His partner later breaks into their hotel room, searching for some valuable contents of her father's safe. Coincidentally, they run in to her father just moments later.
The obsession of Laureth and Ben's father is coincidences; a very interesting topic. He goes into great detail in his notebook (which we are shown throughout the book), discussing theories and particular physicists' experiences. Bit by bit, he seems to be delving deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the universe. Laureth is caught up in this - she looks for clues in every page of her dad's notebook. But is she looking too hard? Is she finding signs that aren't really there?
Laureth relies on her brother to navigate the world, and although he is only going, he is superbly helpful to her. She is adamant on being an independent young lady, and even hides her impairment from most people she meets. As she is the narrator of this book, we are given an account that does not include any visual descriptions. Instead, the other senses are used far more - sounds and feelings especially. I really liked this.
The ending was wonderful. It was different - completely unexpected. I especially liked how her "coincidental" meeting with Sam turned out to mean nothing at all. And her father's account of what had happened, and his realisation that his obsession was pointless, was so ironic. Laureth and Ben had been on this massive journey, worried their father was so caught up in his obsession that his life was in danger. They began to find strange patterns and signs everywhere - only to find out how coindences are completely fake.
And the last page was so clever, too. It was numbered 354 which is clever in itself - this number holds a massive significance throughout this book - but then there's also the hidden message that's revealed. One of the last sentences prompts you to look closely at the book, and then you find a heartwarming little phrase. I really liked this idea - it seems a bit naff, but actually worked really well.
I did feel like this was maybe a little more for younger adults (I'm nearly 18) but it was really easy to follow and quick to read. It wasn't lengthy or tiresome at all. 4 stars.
It starts in an airport, with the protagonist and narrator (who's name we learn to be Laureth) and her little brother Benjamin. We soon discover that Laureth is blind, which provides us with a very interesting account of the events of this story. They are going to America, alone, to find their father. He's a writer, and holds his notebooks very dearly - so when Laureth gets an email about one being found in America when he's supposed to be in Switzerland (and then he fails to answer his phone) she immediately assumes something is very wrong.
This is told mostly chronologically, but with memories scattered throughout. Laureth also gives slight hints as to what will be happening later on, reinstating the fact that she is writing about past events. I quite liked this - we were told about certain memories and events that were relevant to the story at that time, nothing more, nothing less.
It turns into quite a dark, suspenseful hunt. Laureth starts to fear that her father may even have taken his own life. The pair even get cornered by a man with a knife who claims to have seen her father. His partner later breaks into their hotel room, searching for some valuable contents of her father's safe. Coincidentally, they run in to her father just moments later.
The obsession of Laureth and Ben's father is coincidences; a very interesting topic. He goes into great detail in his notebook (which we are shown throughout the book), discussing theories and particular physicists' experiences. Bit by bit, he seems to be delving deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the universe. Laureth is caught up in this - she looks for clues in every page of her dad's notebook. But is she looking too hard? Is she finding signs that aren't really there?
Laureth relies on her brother to navigate the world, and although he is only going, he is superbly helpful to her. She is adamant on being an independent young lady, and even hides her impairment from most people she meets. As she is the narrator of this book, we are given an account that does not include any visual descriptions. Instead, the other senses are used far more - sounds and feelings especially. I really liked this.
The ending was wonderful. It was different - completely unexpected. I especially liked how her "coincidental" meeting with Sam turned out to mean nothing at all. And her father's account of what had happened, and his realisation that his obsession was pointless, was so ironic. Laureth and Ben had been on this massive journey, worried their father was so caught up in his obsession that his life was in danger. They began to find strange patterns and signs everywhere - only to find out how coindences are completely fake.
And the last page was so clever, too. It was numbered 354 which is clever in itself - this number holds a massive significance throughout this book - but then there's also the hidden message that's revealed. One of the last sentences prompts you to look closely at the book, and then you find a heartwarming little phrase. I really liked this idea - it seems a bit naff, but actually worked really well.
I did feel like this was maybe a little more for younger adults (I'm nearly 18) but it was really easy to follow and quick to read. It wasn't lengthy or tiresome at all. 4 stars.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Hidden Gold: A True Story of the Holocaust in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I'm generally not a memoir person. But if I'm going to read a memoir (or even nonfiction), I'll choose anything about the Holocaust (I find that time period sadistically interesting).
<i>Hidden Gold</i> deserves about as much praise as Anne Frank's <i>Diary of a Young Girl</i>. A story set in another part of Europe (Poland) during Hitler's reign, Burakowski tells us her family's survival, hidden away from society in the hopes that they won't be found out.
For two years, the Golds hid with the Lanskis in a small part of a barn in Kolkow, surviving with very little sustenance. During that time, their hope dwindles little by little, but the two families still cling on to their pasts, even if that life will be impossible to get back to after everything blows over.
I loved how Burakowski introduces us to her family and the people that the Golds were involved with, giving us lots of background information on how Leib met Hanna and how the Golds lived their life in the early parts of the war. Burakowski also gives us insight on the growing hypocrisy and horrors among society as Hitler's power and anti-Semitism grew, giving us visuals on how life was like for the Jews back in the late 1930s and early 1940s. We're also shown the inner turmoils going on with those who had good relations with Jews and now having to choose whether or not they should help Jews, or give in to the propaganda.
Shoshana, Hanna's daughter, is extremely admirable. She's willing to go out to the Germans, pretending to be one of them, to buy her family time. She is also willing to risk her life a few times to get her family's money from Pi?czów, and going back again <em>while</em> she felt ill. If I were in her place, I'd probably continue to curl up in a fetal little ball. (Despite the fact I'm considered living in "poverty," I'm pretty much a lucky duckling. Also, being an only child, I'm probably a <em>little</em> spoiled.)
David is perhaps one of those where all the feels will come. Like any little kid, he's full of mischief and mayhem, but going through such a dark time at a really young age, he's extremely brave, confident, and has the most hope for the family getting out alive.
Although most of <i>Hidden Gold</i> is focused on the Gold's survival during Hitler running rampant with the final solution, Burakowski finalizes the story from David's viewpoint with how each of the family members were impacted years later in the future. For those interested in what happened in other parts of Europe or a survival story outside of concentration camps, Ella Burakowski's <i>Hidden Gold</i> makes a fantastic contribution depicting the horrors of the Holocaust.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-hidden-gold-by-ella-burakowski/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I'm generally not a memoir person. But if I'm going to read a memoir (or even nonfiction), I'll choose anything about the Holocaust (I find that time period sadistically interesting).
<i>Hidden Gold</i> deserves about as much praise as Anne Frank's <i>Diary of a Young Girl</i>. A story set in another part of Europe (Poland) during Hitler's reign, Burakowski tells us her family's survival, hidden away from society in the hopes that they won't be found out.
For two years, the Golds hid with the Lanskis in a small part of a barn in Kolkow, surviving with very little sustenance. During that time, their hope dwindles little by little, but the two families still cling on to their pasts, even if that life will be impossible to get back to after everything blows over.
I loved how Burakowski introduces us to her family and the people that the Golds were involved with, giving us lots of background information on how Leib met Hanna and how the Golds lived their life in the early parts of the war. Burakowski also gives us insight on the growing hypocrisy and horrors among society as Hitler's power and anti-Semitism grew, giving us visuals on how life was like for the Jews back in the late 1930s and early 1940s. We're also shown the inner turmoils going on with those who had good relations with Jews and now having to choose whether or not they should help Jews, or give in to the propaganda.
Shoshana, Hanna's daughter, is extremely admirable. She's willing to go out to the Germans, pretending to be one of them, to buy her family time. She is also willing to risk her life a few times to get her family's money from Pi?czów, and going back again <em>while</em> she felt ill. If I were in her place, I'd probably continue to curl up in a fetal little ball. (Despite the fact I'm considered living in "poverty," I'm pretty much a lucky duckling. Also, being an only child, I'm probably a <em>little</em> spoiled.)
David is perhaps one of those where all the feels will come. Like any little kid, he's full of mischief and mayhem, but going through such a dark time at a really young age, he's extremely brave, confident, and has the most hope for the family getting out alive.
Although most of <i>Hidden Gold</i> is focused on the Gold's survival during Hitler running rampant with the final solution, Burakowski finalizes the story from David's viewpoint with how each of the family members were impacted years later in the future. For those interested in what happened in other parts of Europe or a survival story outside of concentration camps, Ella Burakowski's <i>Hidden Gold</i> makes a fantastic contribution depicting the horrors of the Holocaust.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-hidden-gold-by-ella-burakowski/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Darren (1599 KP) rated A.M.I. (2019) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Cassie is a high school student that has been through a traumatic experience, being involved in a car crash that killed her mother, while others in her life have moved on, she still suffers daily, her boyfriend doesn’t give her time and always makes excuses, while her closest friends are more interested in her lifestyle and boyfriend than her. Cassie turns to an AI system on her phone, that starts guiding her on a killing spree against everyone that has done her wrong. Greg is Cassie’s father that has neglected her after her mother’s death drinking and trying to seduce younger women including one of Cassie’s friends. Liam is the asshole boyfriend that is more interested in a career in American football and sleeping around over being caring towards his own girlfriend, he is one of the most unsupportive people you will ever see in a film. Ruby and Sarah are the best friends that are not supportive in any way more interested in her boyfriend than her friendship.
Performances – Debs Howard in the leading role is very interesting to watch, she has the image of a popular student, only holds the psychotic side back. Sam Robert Muik does give us one of the most unlikable characters of the year. Nobody else really gets any screen time to do much.
Story – The story here follows a teenager girl that is struggling with her mother’s death only to turn to her phone artificial intelligence for a friend, which only turns her into a psychotic killer, taking out revenge on the people that are wronging her in life. This story could easily be one that could have addressed the real life problems Cassie would be experiencing with loss, but instead it just decides to show us that she has no friends or family that want to help her in anyway, despite the fact they should be stood next to her helping her. The speed of which she turns to the phone for friendship is worrying quick and how quickly she starts to kill, though it does have a glancing reference to her head injury, which could have been made more of a point about.
Horror – The horror side of the film does follow Cassie on her slasher style killing spree, it isn’t scary and the kills happen way to quickly to have any tension.
Settings – The film does use the everyday settings which shows how somebody could go lose it and go on a spree.
Special Effects – The effects are used to show injuries, while mostly are off camera too, they don’t need to show us anything if we are honesty.
Scene of the Movie – The slip and slide.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – In one scene Sarah is asked if she wants to call her mother, less than 10 minutes later, she talks about living alone in an apartment.
Final Thoughts – This is an odd little slasher that does everything to make you support the killer over anybody in their life and does almost hit comical with the kills.
Overall: Fun little slasher.
Performances – Debs Howard in the leading role is very interesting to watch, she has the image of a popular student, only holds the psychotic side back. Sam Robert Muik does give us one of the most unlikable characters of the year. Nobody else really gets any screen time to do much.
Story – The story here follows a teenager girl that is struggling with her mother’s death only to turn to her phone artificial intelligence for a friend, which only turns her into a psychotic killer, taking out revenge on the people that are wronging her in life. This story could easily be one that could have addressed the real life problems Cassie would be experiencing with loss, but instead it just decides to show us that she has no friends or family that want to help her in anyway, despite the fact they should be stood next to her helping her. The speed of which she turns to the phone for friendship is worrying quick and how quickly she starts to kill, though it does have a glancing reference to her head injury, which could have been made more of a point about.
Horror – The horror side of the film does follow Cassie on her slasher style killing spree, it isn’t scary and the kills happen way to quickly to have any tension.
Settings – The film does use the everyday settings which shows how somebody could go lose it and go on a spree.
Special Effects – The effects are used to show injuries, while mostly are off camera too, they don’t need to show us anything if we are honesty.
Scene of the Movie – The slip and slide.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – In one scene Sarah is asked if she wants to call her mother, less than 10 minutes later, she talks about living alone in an apartment.
Final Thoughts – This is an odd little slasher that does everything to make you support the killer over anybody in their life and does almost hit comical with the kills.
Overall: Fun little slasher.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Queen's Governess in Books
Dec 21, 2018
This is the first book I've read by this author but I thought the concept sounded interesting, even if I do think that perhaps the Tudors are starting to be a bit done to death! The story is in many ways about Elizabeth I, but the narrative character is Kat Ashley, Elizabeth's governess (as from the title!) and later her chief lady of the bedchamber.
The novel is written in the first person, which can be a little clumsy in the hands of an unskilled author, but Harper carried it off well. I was interested in her historical note at the end, as Kat Ashley's origins are a little obscure - I do like to know what is fact and what the author's imagination, but of course fact is often stranger than fiction! I'm not totally sure if the relationship with Cromwell as shown in the novel is based on historical fact or more on conjecture on the author's part.
I did spot a couple of errors in the text - I know they do move county boundaries now and then, but I do beleive that Stamford is in Lincolnshire and not Northamptonshire. Yes, I know it's picky, but it's that sort of thing that makes me stop and think "Are you sure?".
The novel starts with the demise of Anne Boleyn and then takes us back to Kat's earlier life in Devon, leading up to the moment we see in the prologue. We are carried through all the trials and tribulations of the reigns of her half siblings finally followed by Elizabeth's accession and some way into her reign.
The novel is written in the first person, which can be a little clumsy in the hands of an unskilled author, but Harper carried it off well. I was interested in her historical note at the end, as Kat Ashley's origins are a little obscure - I do like to know what is fact and what the author's imagination, but of course fact is often stranger than fiction! I'm not totally sure if the relationship with Cromwell as shown in the novel is based on historical fact or more on conjecture on the author's part.
I did spot a couple of errors in the text - I know they do move county boundaries now and then, but I do beleive that Stamford is in Lincolnshire and not Northamptonshire. Yes, I know it's picky, but it's that sort of thing that makes me stop and think "Are you sure?".
The novel starts with the demise of Anne Boleyn and then takes us back to Kat's earlier life in Devon, leading up to the moment we see in the prologue. We are carried through all the trials and tribulations of the reigns of her half siblings finally followed by Elizabeth's accession and some way into her reign.
Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond
Book
On February 16 1969, John McLaughlin flew into New York, from London, in a snowstorm. The following...
Oswald Boelcke: Germany's First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat
Book
Oswald Boelcke was Germany's first ace in World War One with a total of forty victories. His...
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated See the Stars - Single by Adrian Jean in Music
Jun 6, 2019
Adrian Jean is an up-and-coming LA-based singer-songwriter from Philadelphia. Not too long ago, he released an inspiring R&B tune, entitled, “See the Stars (Radio Edit)”.
Adrian Jean was homeless for two and a half years unbeknownst to his friends and colleagues. He lived in his automobile underneath the famed Hollywood sign and showered at a nearby gym.
His grandmother sensed that something was wrong and begged her grandson to come home to the East Coast. But Adrian was determined to stay in L.A. to fulfill his musical dream.
Therefore, he continued writing songs while sleeping in the backseat, staring down at the lights of Los Angeles. One of the songs that he wrote, entitled, “See The Stars”, found Adrian negotiating leaving home despite his grandmother’s disapproval.
‘See the Stars (Radio Edit)’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and vibey instrumentation flavored with contemporary R&B and urban-soul elements.
Adrian Jean has led a tumultuous life which has taken him from the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia to glamorous nightclubs, to homelessness, and redemption.
With an absent father and a mother who was more interested in drugs than raising her children, Adrian was forced to grow up very quickly.
By the age of 15, he was living on his own and working for a drug dealer. Later, he struggled with the pressures of being a bisexual man in a culture that didn’t accept such differences.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/adrian-jean-see-the-stars/
Adrian Jean was homeless for two and a half years unbeknownst to his friends and colleagues. He lived in his automobile underneath the famed Hollywood sign and showered at a nearby gym.
His grandmother sensed that something was wrong and begged her grandson to come home to the East Coast. But Adrian was determined to stay in L.A. to fulfill his musical dream.
Therefore, he continued writing songs while sleeping in the backseat, staring down at the lights of Los Angeles. One of the songs that he wrote, entitled, “See The Stars”, found Adrian negotiating leaving home despite his grandmother’s disapproval.
‘See the Stars (Radio Edit)’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and vibey instrumentation flavored with contemporary R&B and urban-soul elements.
Adrian Jean has led a tumultuous life which has taken him from the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia to glamorous nightclubs, to homelessness, and redemption.
With an absent father and a mother who was more interested in drugs than raising her children, Adrian was forced to grow up very quickly.
By the age of 15, he was living on his own and working for a drug dealer. Later, he struggled with the pressures of being a bisexual man in a culture that didn’t accept such differences.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/adrian-jean-see-the-stars/