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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Better Than I Know Myself in Books
Apr 3, 2019
Did you ever have a friend who was more like family? For Regina Foster, Jewel Prescott, and Carmen Webb this is exactly true. Better Than I Know Myself starts in the late 70's when the girls are seniors in high school and making the decision on where to go to college. Three different girls from three very different backgrounds. Jewel, a former child star. Regina, the daughter of two college educated parents and little sister to older brothers who had all attended and graduated from college. And Carmen whose parents had left her at a young age.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
I listened to this book through the iPod and Overdrive. The audio was read by Lisa Renee Pitts.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
I listened to this book through the iPod and Overdrive. The audio was read by Lisa Renee Pitts.
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects in Books
Jan 31, 2018
This is not the usual book that I read, but I was intrigued when I heard about it. I've watched Mr. Kate's YouTube channel and she has some cool DIY projects/decorating tips. The structure of the book is not uncommon, as she tells a short story and then breaks it up with photos - except in this book, the photos are a DIY project that you can do.
There are 50 different stories and accompanying projects. While the DIY's are meant to relate to the story that Mr. Kate just finished telling, they're generally pretty nebulous and only remotely related. I personally found around 10 to be interesting, but that will vary from person to person. They're not just crafty projects, but beauty tips and fashion.
The stories themselves are also very varied, from cute tales about meeting her (now) husband to crude ones that won't appeal to everyone. She also is from a very well off family, so readers may be put off by her constant name-dropping or rich-kid woes. I wasn't completely turned off by it, but I also was 99% there for the crafts and didn't really borrow the book so that I could be engrossed by the stories.
Overall it was a cute book, but probably not one that I would go out and buy. I'll just borrow it from the library if I ever decide I want to do one of the projects.
There are 50 different stories and accompanying projects. While the DIY's are meant to relate to the story that Mr. Kate just finished telling, they're generally pretty nebulous and only remotely related. I personally found around 10 to be interesting, but that will vary from person to person. They're not just crafty projects, but beauty tips and fashion.
The stories themselves are also very varied, from cute tales about meeting her (now) husband to crude ones that won't appeal to everyone. She also is from a very well off family, so readers may be put off by her constant name-dropping or rich-kid woes. I wasn't completely turned off by it, but I also was 99% there for the crafts and didn't really borrow the book so that I could be engrossed by the stories.
Overall it was a cute book, but probably not one that I would go out and buy. I'll just borrow it from the library if I ever decide I want to do one of the projects.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Those Who Wish Me Dead in Books
Mar 15, 2018
A patron came into the library on Tuesday to return this book and couldn't stop raving about and so I decided to check it out. Well now I can see what they meant when they said they couldn't put it down. It tells the story of a teenage boy who witnesses a vicious murder and is forced into hiding to avoid the pair of killers who are now chasing him. I won't say anything more for fear of giving away any plot points, but I will say this somewhat simple set-up winds up being more complex than it sounds, and leads to many tense and frightening moments. The duo of bad guys are particularly creepy and are used to great effect. The story moves along at breakneck pace and I felt the characters and their back stories were nicely fleshed out, particularly the lead. I was genuinely concerned for the well-being of these people, which is essential for this type of tale. While I was able to put the book down to get some sleep the first 2 nights, last night I wound up reading the entire 2nd half in one sitting; so riveted by the proceedings that I had no choice but to see what would happen next. This was a truly harrowing adventure, with some very frightening sequences, which I can easily recommend to anyone in the mood for a good thrill.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Twenty Days of Turin in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This may seem like an unfair review but I can only give this 3 stars because I didnt exactly understand it. I think thats mainly because Im a little slow to the mark sometimes and because I read this in a distracting environment, but this disappointed me and didnt scare me like I hoped it would.
It was well written, especially since its a translation, but parts of it felt disjointed and I found it hard to follow the uncovering of the Librarys secrets and the cause of the disturbing and brutal murders. There was well built tension in this and the white-as-a-sheet nun was pretty terrifying to imagine, but in general, I missed a whole lot of the horror in this.
Reading the translator's introduction (after I had finished the book) definitely helped me get it a bit more. Maybe if I had known more about Turins history to begin with, I could have connected to the story on a deeper level, but since I had no idea about Turins unrest in the 1970s, that whole subplot went completely over my head.
I hate giving such a little known book a very average review, I like supporting small time authors, but I cant say much about this author and his work when I have no idea what the hell went on. (OK, thats an over exaggeration, I half got it).
It was well written, especially since its a translation, but parts of it felt disjointed and I found it hard to follow the uncovering of the Librarys secrets and the cause of the disturbing and brutal murders. There was well built tension in this and the white-as-a-sheet nun was pretty terrifying to imagine, but in general, I missed a whole lot of the horror in this.
Reading the translator's introduction (after I had finished the book) definitely helped me get it a bit more. Maybe if I had known more about Turins history to begin with, I could have connected to the story on a deeper level, but since I had no idea about Turins unrest in the 1970s, that whole subplot went completely over my head.
I hate giving such a little known book a very average review, I like supporting small time authors, but I cant say much about this author and his work when I have no idea what the hell went on. (OK, thats an over exaggeration, I half got it).
Erika (17788 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Feb 25, 2018 (Updated Feb 25, 2018)
I don't know what I was expecting out of this film. I'm on a very long wait list to borrow the book from the library. As always, I'm sure the book is probably better, but I'll have to wait to make that judgment.
So, Alex Garland's Ex Machina was my favorite movie of 2014, so I was expecting a lot from the director. Again, I'm not familiar with the source material, so I'm not sure how well it was, or wasn't translated. The story was interesting, but there was a lot of tense silence. Yeah, it worked in the movie, Drive, but I don't think it worked here. The visuals were stunning, so it was interesting to watch from that aspect.
Now, the cast... I'm not sure how/why Jennifer Jason Leigh gets roles, because she is not a great actress (sorry, not sorry). Oscar Isaac was completely wasted. Tessa Thompson's character... she had glasses, so she must be smart??
The only interesting part of the movie, where any sort of tension was present, was the end in the lighthouse. Whatever that was... It gave me Pale Man vibes (see Pan's Labyrinth) vibes, which completely and totally freaked me out. I have serious heebie-jeebies after that, and even right at this moment...
Overall, it was an alright scifi movie, but, I'm glad I have moviepass so I legit didn't pay for it.
So, Alex Garland's Ex Machina was my favorite movie of 2014, so I was expecting a lot from the director. Again, I'm not familiar with the source material, so I'm not sure how well it was, or wasn't translated. The story was interesting, but there was a lot of tense silence. Yeah, it worked in the movie, Drive, but I don't think it worked here. The visuals were stunning, so it was interesting to watch from that aspect.
Now, the cast... I'm not sure how/why Jennifer Jason Leigh gets roles, because she is not a great actress (sorry, not sorry). Oscar Isaac was completely wasted. Tessa Thompson's character... she had glasses, so she must be smart??
The only interesting part of the movie, where any sort of tension was present, was the end in the lighthouse. Whatever that was... It gave me Pale Man vibes (see Pan's Labyrinth) vibes, which completely and totally freaked me out. I have serious heebie-jeebies after that, and even right at this moment...
Overall, it was an alright scifi movie, but, I'm glad I have moviepass so I legit didn't pay for it.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Overseer in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I never had any interest in reading the Da Vinci Code, and if I'd heard about this, I might not have been interested in it, either. But somehow I picked up a damaged copy of it, and got terribly interested but it was in such bad shape that there was no way to go on reading. I found that I had to request it from the library, and as soon as it arrived I started over at the beginning. I've read it in chunks since then.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Hedy's Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust in Books
Jun 16, 2018
Hedy's Journey by Michelle Bisson is a horrific, true story about a Hungarian Jewish girl named Hedy who had to travel through Germany during the Holocaust in search of safety. She takes a portion of the journey to America alone, as she is required to separate from her parents.
She and her family suffered through trials and tribulations on the unpredictable journey. Plans often changed, and she had no choice but to be brave. Follow along in the story to learn there destination and future.
The author, Michelle Bisson, is Hedy's daughter. She tells the story of Hedy's (Hungarian Jewish) journey to safety, from the Nazis to the US. The story is sort of passing of the baton. Someone has to continue to tell their stories, history in its worst manifestation, and I appreciated the effort of this daughter. The story is told with extreme delicacy and the designs convey this emotion. I truly appreciate that she has taken the story about her mother's experience and offered it to others so that they can retain this piece of history that is so essential to children's education. In addition, I appreciated the author mentioning that it wasn't just Jews who were persecuted.
The book also contains lots of photographs of Hedy and her family as well as a timeline of events. This book is one I believe should be integral to children's curriculums and should be in every library.
She and her family suffered through trials and tribulations on the unpredictable journey. Plans often changed, and she had no choice but to be brave. Follow along in the story to learn there destination and future.
The author, Michelle Bisson, is Hedy's daughter. She tells the story of Hedy's (Hungarian Jewish) journey to safety, from the Nazis to the US. The story is sort of passing of the baton. Someone has to continue to tell their stories, history in its worst manifestation, and I appreciated the effort of this daughter. The story is told with extreme delicacy and the designs convey this emotion. I truly appreciate that she has taken the story about her mother's experience and offered it to others so that they can retain this piece of history that is so essential to children's education. In addition, I appreciated the author mentioning that it wasn't just Jews who were persecuted.
The book also contains lots of photographs of Hedy and her family as well as a timeline of events. This book is one I believe should be integral to children's curriculums and should be in every library.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Beat Depression Fast: 10 Steps to a Happier You Using Positive Psychology in Books
Nov 14, 2018
3.5 stars
As I have mentioned before in another review I find it difficult to rate self help books. The reason for this is because I cannot state if the activities within these pages will actually work. Recovery from depression is a very long journey, longer than this book takes to read and so I can't really comment on if these theories work as I'm yet to delve deeper. I was struggling between 3 stars and 4 stars so I settled with a 3.5. Some of the terminology was a bit much to understand in places and I thought there was perhaps a bit too much repetition, also there were a couple mistakes which could actually offend some people. On the other hand, this book was filled with some great information. I have read a fair few self help books on depression and so I was surprised to come across some new information I didn't already know. I was able to discover more ways in which depression can take hold and actually found out I drastically need to change my diet...I never really thought about it before but after doing one of the exercises I discovered how poor my diet actually is. The meditation parts in this book were ok, easy to follow and understand but I'm yet to know if they will work. The journey of recovery will continue long after this book is returned to the library.
As I have mentioned before in another review I find it difficult to rate self help books. The reason for this is because I cannot state if the activities within these pages will actually work. Recovery from depression is a very long journey, longer than this book takes to read and so I can't really comment on if these theories work as I'm yet to delve deeper. I was struggling between 3 stars and 4 stars so I settled with a 3.5. Some of the terminology was a bit much to understand in places and I thought there was perhaps a bit too much repetition, also there were a couple mistakes which could actually offend some people. On the other hand, this book was filled with some great information. I have read a fair few self help books on depression and so I was surprised to come across some new information I didn't already know. I was able to discover more ways in which depression can take hold and actually found out I drastically need to change my diet...I never really thought about it before but after doing one of the exercises I discovered how poor my diet actually is. The meditation parts in this book were ok, easy to follow and understand but I'm yet to know if they will work. The journey of recovery will continue long after this book is returned to the library.
Not bad, but lacking anything special
I picked this from the library the other day, and I was shocked to see it was a novella. I’d been so looking forward to the latest King novel, and was a little disappointed to see this only stretched to a meagre 132 pages. It’s a shame too that the story itself is also a bit of a disappointment.
King has written some brilliant short stories in his time, so once I realised Elevation was a novella, I’d been expecting another thrilling story. Sadly whilst being a decent quick read, this doesn’t have all of the usual King magic. Characters are King’s speciality and it’s fair to say that the characters in this are fairly likeable and well developed for such a short story. And usual, his writing style is impeccable. The problem is that the story is detailed, just not anywhere near detailed enough and the plot is quite weak. You probably couldn’t stretch this out for a full length novel, but that’s because the plot itself is just a bit dull and lacklustre. It reminds me a lot of a slightly different take on Thinner, which is worrying - is King starting to lose his originality?
This isn’t a terrible novella by any means. You can still see King’s captivating story telling shining through, it’s just a shame it’s a very weak plot that doesn’t live up to his talent.
King has written some brilliant short stories in his time, so once I realised Elevation was a novella, I’d been expecting another thrilling story. Sadly whilst being a decent quick read, this doesn’t have all of the usual King magic. Characters are King’s speciality and it’s fair to say that the characters in this are fairly likeable and well developed for such a short story. And usual, his writing style is impeccable. The problem is that the story is detailed, just not anywhere near detailed enough and the plot is quite weak. You probably couldn’t stretch this out for a full length novel, but that’s because the plot itself is just a bit dull and lacklustre. It reminds me a lot of a slightly different take on Thinner, which is worrying - is King starting to lose his originality?
This isn’t a terrible novella by any means. You can still see King’s captivating story telling shining through, it’s just a shame it’s a very weak plot that doesn’t live up to his talent.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Heartless in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Heartless is WAAAAAY different than Marissa's Lunar Chronicles. Different style, different feel...But just as spectacular! Set in the land of Hearts, before Alice ever came through the looking glass...We meet all our favorite (and maybe not so favorite) Wonderland characters in a way that we have never seen them before. I absolutely LOVE getting glimpses into the lives of well known characters...BEFORE the story starts.
Personally, this is my FAVORITE story about the Queen of Hearts that I have encountered. Romance, suspense, heartbreak...this is a thrilling tale that you won't want to put down. And even though we know who she becomes in the end...You can't help hoping that the story will end differently...Because your heart breaks for Cath and Jest. Marissa has painted a character that I want to love...That I want to cheer for...
If you love fairytales with happy endings that are all cupcakes and rainbows...This is probably not going to suit your style. But if you are like me, meaning you are a glutton for punishment and read books back to back that rip your heart apart and cause the river of emotions to flow in a torrential downpour. Then THIS is definitely the book for you!
I received a complimentary print copy of Heartless. I borrowed the audio version from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Personally, this is my FAVORITE story about the Queen of Hearts that I have encountered. Romance, suspense, heartbreak...this is a thrilling tale that you won't want to put down. And even though we know who she becomes in the end...You can't help hoping that the story will end differently...Because your heart breaks for Cath and Jest. Marissa has painted a character that I want to love...That I want to cheer for...
If you love fairytales with happy endings that are all cupcakes and rainbows...This is probably not going to suit your style. But if you are like me, meaning you are a glutton for punishment and read books back to back that rip your heart apart and cause the river of emotions to flow in a torrential downpour. Then THIS is definitely the book for you!
I received a complimentary print copy of Heartless. I borrowed the audio version from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.