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Jodabel (1 KP) rated A Little Life in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
A Little Life
A Little Life
Hanya Yanagihara | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Exceptional writing (3 more)
Friendship
Strong storyline
Powerful writing
A little hard to get started (0 more)
A little life, a lot to digest. My favourite book
I’ve read this book 3 times in the last 18 months. The story takes a little while to get into; introducing characters etc. But plough ahead please! I can’t recommend this book enough. Though it’s not for everyone. The book takes you on a journey with the main protagonist and his three best friends. It looks at a lot of aspects of human friendships. It gets dark, very dark in places and while Jude never understands his worth (and never will) I rooted for him like I hadn’t before with other characters. I’d say this book is about love mainly and how we each love and perceive being loved; but the underlying theme is how damaged can a human being be whilst still being a human being?! This book made me cry buckets every time I’ve read it, and I know this is a bit of a non review but this story is best read and not talked about unless with fellow readers. The first time you read this book, it gets you and if you’re like I was you’ll not be able to let it go. To say this book broke my heart wouldn’t be an understatement and that does not happen.
  
Senior year (2022)
Senior year (2022)
2022 | Comedy, Drama
9
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
At the start of the movie, the main character steph is recording a video talking about her childhood, she was snubbed by the cool kids so decided she wanted to become popular. She achieved this, got a "hot" boyfriend and became a cheerleader. However, after a cheerleading accident steph ends up in a coma for 20 years. When she wakes up she has to learn all the ins and outs of the present day, such as smart phones, words you can't use anymore, the fact her boyfriend was now married and how much her body has aged.
She soon decides that she wants to finish her month she missed of her senior year, including cheerleading and becoming prom Queen.
I really enjoyed this movie despite it being over the top silly in places and unrealistic, I mean a 37 year old still fitting into her clothes from when she was 17 with very different body shapes is about as unrealistic as you can get!
The soundtrack is all kinds of nostalgic and took me back to my late teens as there was everything from Mandy Moore to a like for like redo of the drive me (crazy) video by britney spears. If you love the 90s/00s era of teen movies, you're sure to love this.
  
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Kurt Vile recommended Ptah, The El Daoud by Alice Coltrane in Music (curated)

 
Ptah, The El Daoud by Alice Coltrane
Ptah, The El Daoud by Alice Coltrane
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I got it and I burned it and listened to it on the plane a lot. That one, for her, it goes back to trying to play more old-style jazz and she's playing incredible piano on it and the drummer's incredible. It's just a sick record. When you listen to an incredible jazz record, it's just undeniable, nobody else can touch it, no white dude - and if they can, it's too schooled. That's why I like that one - I can reference the later, freer ones, but I listen to a lot of older records. There's obviously Love Supreme, but that's obviously a transitional record from [John Coltrane's] earlier ones, Soul Train and Giant Steps. This is more advanced than that: they're definitely alluding to older jazz and taking it to another place, but they never go too apeshit, they never start squealing, but that's a special record."

Source
  
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Ed O'Brien recommended Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk in Music (curated)

 
Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
1988 | Jazz, Rock
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Sorry to pick this. Just saying the title's enough, really, isn't it? I know it's really obvious, but it's such a masterpiece. 

It's been strangely hard picking my albums for this, as lots of things don't resonate with me now like they used to when I was younger. I've been listening a lot more to classical and choral music in the last year, for example, but this fits in with that, because this is sacred music. It's music that transcends genre. Every track is profoundly beautiful – and I say that having liked Talk Talk before this, too. I remember the first album coming out at the same time as Duran Duran's Rio, and people comparing them, then hearing The Colour Of Spring. 'Life's What You Make It' was a big song when I was at sixth form. But this album… this is a bigger thing. I still love it so much.
"

Source
  
Killing Me Softly (To Love a Psycho #3)
Killing Me Softly (To Love a Psycho #3)
C.F. White | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
oh so deadly!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the To Love A Psycho, and you CANNOT read it as a stand alone, you MUST )MUST MUST MUST!!!!) read the previous two books before this one.

I'm going to be very vague in this review, and try really hard not to give spoilers!

Kenny and Aaron, these two have not had it easy and it's really only fitting that the last book is quite possibly the worse for them!

I did not, absolutely never, ever, see that one coming at me! I don't read reviews before I read a book, but I will read them after I've read a book and before I write my review. I just want to see whether other readers felt as I did and I'm pleased to say, many were blindsided just as much as me!

Jack has been a side character who grew on me greatly. I loved that Aaron and Jack were able to become friends. They really both love Kenny, if not in the same way.

It's dark and oh so deadly, I had to keep putting it down and come back to it. I had to catch my breath, almost, before the next thing was thrown at these two, and someone else died!

I'm gonna wrap up. If you like your books twisted and deeply psychological, one for you. It pushed me to my very limits but I'm glad I read them!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
One In A Million
One In A Million
Lindsey Kelk | 2020 | Romance
4
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contemporary romance in a world of social media. One in a Million is a nice addition to a library, for those of you who enjoy this genre.

Annie is working hard to get her own marketing business moving. She doesn't have time for anything else, especially love. And now that her ex-boyfriend has proposed to someone else after 6 months, she has to pretend that it doesn't mean anything to her.

She makes a risky bet to turn a random person internet famous in a month. It seems like an easy thing to do, but when it turns out that this random person is one of those that want nothing to do with social media, this bet turns out to be mission impossible. Not to mention that this person is also brutally honest and savagely rude.

The plot was predictable and flat. I knew what was going to happen and the ending was too obvious and without any major twists.

Knowing the subject of this book, I was expecting at least some character development from both main characters:
* The man who never uses social media realizes that online presence is extremely important in today's world, especially if you are trying to sell a book and promote what you are doing.
* The woman who is addicted to social media realizes that aside from the online world, she needs to focus on the real-life experiences and friendships.

The realizations from both sides never really happened. The characters mentioned and discussed this, but the never changed their actions or behavior, which I found very disappointing.

One in a Million is a wonderful chill book, one of those books you can read by the pool or on the beach. It is the perfect book to cheer you up, but it didn't seem to have any real value to it, and for me it was a predictable and a boring experience.

If this genre is something that you usually read and enjoy - please pick it up, you are probably going to enjoy it! This book just wasn't for me, that's all.