All the Invisible Things
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A warm, witty, important story about being a young woman today, and what it's like to find a real...
Fiction YA LGBT
The Dark Angel
9.5
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Book
In this highly atmospheric mystery, Ruth Galloway—“a captivating amateur sleuth” (Louise...
mystery series fiction
DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Season 4
6.0
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TV Season
After defeating the demon Mallus by cuddling him to death with a giant stuffed animal named Beebo,...
ClareR (5674 KP) rated To The Dogs in Books
Mar 26, 2024
Jim (James) Brennan is a criminologist professor, a vice chancellor of the local university. We meet him as he gets off a flight from Beijing in order to go to his local police station where his son is being held. Jim has tried hard to make his life as different as possible from the one he grew up in: his father was a local legend and hard man. Everyone was scared of his violence. It looks as though Jim’s son is determined to take up from where his grandfather left off.
Things go from bad to worse, when someone is determined to undermine everything Jim has tried to do for himself and his family.
I really enjoyed this. There’s never a dull moment (much to Jim’s detriment!), and Jim finds himself in a terribly awkward situation. He has to decide between his family and his reputation - or is there a way that he can protect both?
This is exciting stuff, and had me guessing up to the last page.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Those People in Books
Apr 20, 2019
The plot of Those People really held my attention. Basically, the short of it is, Lowland Way, the road where the story takes place, is full of rich people. When neighbors Darren and Jodie inherit a house from a relative, they make their neighbors' lives a nightmare by being loud, playing loud music all day and night, taking up a lot of space with their car business, and not following the neighborly rules of being good neighbors. When a murder occurs, the rich folk of Lowland Way think it will be an open and shut case and that their lives will return to normal. However, nothing could be further from the truth. After reading about Darren and Jodie, I could definitely relate to the feelings of the people on Lowland Way because I've had some pretty bad neighbors. Luckily, they've never been as bad as Darren and Jodie though. I found the plot to be extreme, but it was believable. Sometimes people will go too far if they are driven mad enough (not that I agreed with their actions) as was the case in Those People. There were a few good plot twists. However, I felt like I need more closure at the end of the book. Those People is not part of a series, so I feel like I will never get answers. It's more of a speculative ending which I am never a fan of.
I did enjoy reading about the lives of the characters in Those People. I felt they were all written perfectly and were fleshed out enough to feel like real people instead of just characters in a book. I did find many of the characters to be snobby especially Naomi. She was written really well, but I felt her character had a giant chip on her shoulder. Emma was a complete basket case. I get that she just had a baby, but some of her actions were quite extreme. However, I do know someone like her in real life. Sissy was my overall favorite character. She was the oldest, and she also had the most to lose especially as Darren and Jodie's actions were causing her to lose her bed and breakfast business. My heart really went out to her. I did think Darren and Jodie made for great baddies. I like how Darren would keep his cool for the most part when the others of Lowland Way would lose their cool towards him. For the most part, I felt that females in this book overshadowed the men with the exception of Darren and Jodie. The females seemed to be the stronger characters. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing though.
The pacing for Those People always stayed consistent and held my attention throughout. In fact, I never wanted to put this book down because I was so entranced with what was going on and what would happen next.
Trigger warnings for Those People include violence, death, profanity, and alcohol and drug use.
Overall, Those People is a really good read. I was consistently absorbed by all the drama happening at Lowland Way. The characters were written well, and the plot definitely held my attention. I would definitely recommend Those People by Louise Candlish to everyone aged 18+ especially those who have ever had to deal with some horrible neighbors.
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(A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC paperback of Those People by Louise Candlish in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Caitlin Ann Cherniak (85 KP) rated Go Set A Watchman in Books
Oct 22, 2018
This book doesn't even sound like a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. The cozy atmosphere is not there. The town drama is not there. Atticus Finch is now a washed up body in the book. The old characters are not there, or at least, not mentioned that often. Even Scout, or her real name Jean Louise, became hateable (I know that's not word), and that upsets me because Scout was a really awesome character from the original book. How do you turn a curious child into a twat? I would love to know!
I'm so angry because how does someone set up an American classic for failure like this? I'm sorry, Harper Lee. I still love you for the original known as To Kill a Mockingbird, but Go Set a Watchman did not do justice, not by a long shot.
The Astronaut Wives Club
6.7
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As American astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the...
Drive: Journeys Through Film, Cities, and Landscapes
Book
This book explores the experience of driving cars as a way of encountering landscapes and cities...
The British Knight
10.0
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When I’m offered the chance to leave New York to live in London for three months, I can’t pack...
romance
Weird Entrepreneurs | ***Inspiring Interviews*** | 3 Days A Week
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The Weird Entrepreneurs Podcast is the Shaolin Temple of kick-ass 30 minute interviews with today's...