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Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I have to be honest. When I initially heard about Opening Up by Tristan Taormino, it was in association with someone I can't stand, and I childishly let that association color my impression of the book. I didn't really consider reading it. I finally got around to reading (okay, listening to) it this past week, and I'm sorry I didn't do so sooner. It's so good that I'm considering purchasing a print copy to have on hand in my lending library, and maybe even an ebook copy so that I might easily reference passages from time to time.
None of the information is new to me, exactly, but it is put together very well. The sections on issues to consider/issues that might arise in each style of responsible non-monogamy were especially appreciated. I was disappointed that there isn't a section in her web site for readers, but perhaps the print copy has reproducible checklists.
The chapter on STIs was very good, although I think that a list of specific STIs for which non-monogamous people should request testing would have been helpful.
In any case, I do recommend this book. It's replacing Love Without Limits as my go-to recommendation for new polyfolk to read.
None of the information is new to me, exactly, but it is put together very well. The sections on issues to consider/issues that might arise in each style of responsible non-monogamy were especially appreciated. I was disappointed that there isn't a section in her web site for readers, but perhaps the print copy has reproducible checklists.
The chapter on STIs was very good, although I think that a list of specific STIs for which non-monogamous people should request testing would have been helpful.
In any case, I do recommend this book. It's replacing Love Without Limits as my go-to recommendation for new polyfolk to read.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Books
Jul 10, 2018
Okay, I didn't hate this book as much as I thought I would but that doesn't mean much. As anyone that follows my reviews will notice, I do not read mysteries. When I do read a mystery it is for book club and inevitably I find it dull. This book was no different. I would give this book a 2.5 star rating so I rounded up to 3.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency made me reminiscent of Agatha Christie & Mary Higgins Clark. So if you enjoy those authors, I'm sure that you would enjoy this author. There was mystery but no suspense so it seemed to drag on for me. I borrowed this book from the library but after reading 5 pages into the book, I had to switch to the audiobook so that I could force myself to read the rest of the book.
Not going to lie, this reminded me a lot of Winnie the Pooh. If you think about it, Winnie the Pooh was always looking to solve a mystery and each chapter or episode/15 minute segment was a new mystery. This is very similar to this book.
All in all, I will not continue on in this series.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency made me reminiscent of Agatha Christie & Mary Higgins Clark. So if you enjoy those authors, I'm sure that you would enjoy this author. There was mystery but no suspense so it seemed to drag on for me. I borrowed this book from the library but after reading 5 pages into the book, I had to switch to the audiobook so that I could force myself to read the rest of the book.
Not going to lie, this reminded me a lot of Winnie the Pooh. If you think about it, Winnie the Pooh was always looking to solve a mystery and each chapter or episode/15 minute segment was a new mystery. This is very similar to this book.
All in all, I will not continue on in this series.
HLD (99 KP) rated Apple Music in Apps
Nov 22, 2018
Huge variety of music (2 more)
I personally believe it is easy to navigate - my fiancee does not
Usually a pretty fast interface
It's good, but it has it's flaws
I have enjoyed using apple music, and I think that it is a worthy competitor to Spotify. I do, however, think both companies could learn a thing or two from one another. The interface of AM is a lot better in my humble opinion, but Spotify has capabilities that AM should incorporate.
Saving songs to your library is easy - and when you remember a song that you loved 10 years ago, it is a 20 second process until it is saved in your playlist.
Browsing new songs could be A LOT better. I feel as though Apple don't put enough effort in to highlighting artists that you wouldn't normally find. Hell, even youtube is a better source for new music.
They also rehash the same 'Workout mix' or 'Alternative rock' playlists all the time. Maybe changing it up a little bit would encourage me to traverse their genre tabs for a hidden gem.
Saving songs to your library is easy - and when you remember a song that you loved 10 years ago, it is a 20 second process until it is saved in your playlist.
Browsing new songs could be A LOT better. I feel as though Apple don't put enough effort in to highlighting artists that you wouldn't normally find. Hell, even youtube is a better source for new music.
They also rehash the same 'Workout mix' or 'Alternative rock' playlists all the time. Maybe changing it up a little bit would encourage me to traverse their genre tabs for a hidden gem.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Making Waves (Lake Manawa Summers, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Set in 1895 on the shores of Lake Manawa, Marguerite Westing has a summer she will never forget.
Her beau, Roger Gordon, is not just the boring, uninteresting man she thought he was. And her loving and caring father has a secret as well that could destroy his family. In a time when women were practically forbidden to sail...Marguerite falls in love with sailing...and the sailing instructor Trip Andrews. Her fiery spirit gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. And she has a tendency for making waves wherever she goes.
A difficult choice lays before her, will she give up all of her hopes and dreams to save her family? Or will she follow her heart and put her trust in the Lord to work things out.
This book is a very easy quick read. Has some surprises and twists. I enjoy the use of scripture, as well as the lessons of trusting the Lord. I enjoy the time period and the fact that Marguerite tends to go against the flow of what is normal and expected for women in this era.
I found Making Waves at my library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Her beau, Roger Gordon, is not just the boring, uninteresting man she thought he was. And her loving and caring father has a secret as well that could destroy his family. In a time when women were practically forbidden to sail...Marguerite falls in love with sailing...and the sailing instructor Trip Andrews. Her fiery spirit gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. And she has a tendency for making waves wherever she goes.
A difficult choice lays before her, will she give up all of her hopes and dreams to save her family? Or will she follow her heart and put her trust in the Lord to work things out.
This book is a very easy quick read. Has some surprises and twists. I enjoy the use of scripture, as well as the lessons of trusting the Lord. I enjoy the time period and the fact that Marguerite tends to go against the flow of what is normal and expected for women in this era.
I found Making Waves at my library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Always Watching (Elite Guardians, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Can I just say...Listening to this was creepier than if I had read it...Especially when I was in the car, alone, at night...in the middle of no where....Maybe not one of my smartest ideas.
That being said...this was a great story. Interesting characters, intense story line, and a healthy dose of creepy-stalkerness. Heart pounding scenes, swoon worthy kisses, and the leading woman is totally my hero! Olivia is a member of a team of body guards. And all the women on the team are incredible. I can't wait to read the rest of their stories now. Olivia's past has things that haunt her, that have changed her, shaped her into the protective, intelligent, woman that she is. I loved watching her grapple with her faith, her feelings for Wade, and letting God heal the broken areas of her life.
If you are looking for a different and unique book, this should hit the mark for you! And don't forget to check out the rest of the series.
I borrowed the audio version of this book from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
That being said...this was a great story. Interesting characters, intense story line, and a healthy dose of creepy-stalkerness. Heart pounding scenes, swoon worthy kisses, and the leading woman is totally my hero! Olivia is a member of a team of body guards. And all the women on the team are incredible. I can't wait to read the rest of their stories now. Olivia's past has things that haunt her, that have changed her, shaped her into the protective, intelligent, woman that she is. I loved watching her grapple with her faith, her feelings for Wade, and letting God heal the broken areas of her life.
If you are looking for a different and unique book, this should hit the mark for you! And don't forget to check out the rest of the series.
I borrowed the audio version of this book from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Jake (52 KP) rated Sky Raiders (Five Kingdoms, #1) in Books
Jul 25, 2019
Really fun kids adventure book. I had a hard time explaining it to my wife but ultimately I realized it reminded me a lot of Harry Potter in that:
1. The main character is basically a kid (although a mature one so that he can be relatable to more age groups)
2. There is magic
3. A lot of the story focuses on Friendship during some kind of trial
4. Set in a fantastical, sometimes quirky world with fun, interesting, and sometimes spooky characters
5. Interesting story and fun premise
I really enjoy the aspects of friendship and worldbuilding: Brandon Mull did a great job of interweaving different characters and their personalities into a complex world with an interesting plotline.
Rarely does the book get boring or slow and rarely could I put it down. Sure, maybe the book was in the 12-year old section of the library but to be honest I haven't had this much fun in a series for a long time. If you're into those 5 bullet points I mentioned above and you enjoyed Harry Potter, I would strongly recommend this series. Still waiting for the 5th book to come out in late 2017 so that will definitely be a book I pick up! Enjoy!
1. The main character is basically a kid (although a mature one so that he can be relatable to more age groups)
2. There is magic
3. A lot of the story focuses on Friendship during some kind of trial
4. Set in a fantastical, sometimes quirky world with fun, interesting, and sometimes spooky characters
5. Interesting story and fun premise
I really enjoy the aspects of friendship and worldbuilding: Brandon Mull did a great job of interweaving different characters and their personalities into a complex world with an interesting plotline.
Rarely does the book get boring or slow and rarely could I put it down. Sure, maybe the book was in the 12-year old section of the library but to be honest I haven't had this much fun in a series for a long time. If you're into those 5 bullet points I mentioned above and you enjoyed Harry Potter, I would strongly recommend this series. Still waiting for the 5th book to come out in late 2017 so that will definitely be a book I pick up! Enjoy!
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated Plastic Sucks! You Can Make a Difference in Books
Jul 8, 2019
Just wow! What an inspiring book. This book is aimed at young people and it is written perfectly for them. The language is set at just the right level. It tackles difficult aspects at a level kids will understand. It includes information boxes to explain some science, which are simplified yet accurate (I'm a science teacher and vouch for them 😉). The best part of this book, I think, is the part of ways you can swap plastics out in different rooms of your house. I am definitely inspired. I also liked the section that described the different types of plastics and how easy or difficult they are to recycle. However, I do feel that the cluster of interviews towards the end may seem a little tedious for the target audience. When, nearer the beginning of the book, the interviews were scattered I feel that children will be more likely to read them. I know it must be hard to have so many inspirational people that have so many amazing things to say and include them all, and they really did say some amazing things. I'm hoping I can get a copy of this for the school library as soon as!
What will you swap out?
What will you swap out?
Amy Norman (1042 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Apr 1, 2020
I picked this up as a recommendation from my local library, and wasn't disappointed!
I have been lucky enough to pick up the follow up books one after the other, I think having to wait for the next parts would have been far too frustrating.
Holly weaves a fantastical world with perfectly imperfect characters, that you can't help but gravitate towards.
This was a great starter book but the next two in the series were even better.
If you enjoy fantasy lands that intersect with our own, combined with weird and wonderful creatures. Assassin's in training, and the beginnings of many schemes to go awry then this will be perfect for you.
There is also magic in this land but it is not showy, and doesn't become the be all and end all focus, as so many books with magic potential do, and often fall flat because of it.
There is great character development, and you will be torn over whether you should be rooting for 'heroes' or 'villains', and there is a lot of grey area around that.
Please do go and read this series, Holly is a fantastic writer and you can really feel the care and love she has put into building this world, you won't regret picking it up.
I have been lucky enough to pick up the follow up books one after the other, I think having to wait for the next parts would have been far too frustrating.
Holly weaves a fantastical world with perfectly imperfect characters, that you can't help but gravitate towards.
This was a great starter book but the next two in the series were even better.
If you enjoy fantasy lands that intersect with our own, combined with weird and wonderful creatures. Assassin's in training, and the beginnings of many schemes to go awry then this will be perfect for you.
There is also magic in this land but it is not showy, and doesn't become the be all and end all focus, as so many books with magic potential do, and often fall flat because of it.
There is great character development, and you will be torn over whether you should be rooting for 'heroes' or 'villains', and there is a lot of grey area around that.
Please do go and read this series, Holly is a fantastic writer and you can really feel the care and love she has put into building this world, you won't regret picking it up.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books
Apr 21, 2020
Intriguingly realistic
I saw this advertised on my library service and I'm a sucker for an interesting looking cover so thought I'd give it a go and it was a rather pleasant surprise.
This is a very realistic and intriguing tale - so realistic that I had to double check to see if I was reading a non-fiction rather than a fiction. But it's definitely not true, and it goes to show how well written and laid out this is that it makes you feel like it's a true story. The structure works very well and despite being set in olden times with slightly old fashioned language, it never comes across as particularly difficult or tedious to read. It's an engaging crime story and keeps you entertained right to the end to find out the full story. Even Roddy Macrae is a likeable protagonist despite his crimes.
My only issue is that the ending is a bit of a letdown. This story turns out exactly the way you'd expect and I think I may have been expecting some sort of twist or surprise. Despite this, it's still a very entertaining and enjoyable read and a different way to tell a story.
This is a very realistic and intriguing tale - so realistic that I had to double check to see if I was reading a non-fiction rather than a fiction. But it's definitely not true, and it goes to show how well written and laid out this is that it makes you feel like it's a true story. The structure works very well and despite being set in olden times with slightly old fashioned language, it never comes across as particularly difficult or tedious to read. It's an engaging crime story and keeps you entertained right to the end to find out the full story. Even Roddy Macrae is a likeable protagonist despite his crimes.
My only issue is that the ending is a bit of a letdown. This story turns out exactly the way you'd expect and I think I may have been expecting some sort of twist or surprise. Despite this, it's still a very entertaining and enjoyable read and a different way to tell a story.
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