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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
1998 | Hip-hop, Rhythm And Blues, Soul

"This album is flawless. From production to writing to everything, that album is just good. There is not much more to say about it than that album is fucking perfect. Some albums are just perfect. Amy Winehouse Back To Black is fucking perfect. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill album is perfect. It won eight grammies or something. Start-to-finish, every song, literally every single song, is a number one. Not in the terms of success, but sonically, it's solid songwriting at it's best. From production to writing, to delivery, to performance, stylistically, I could sing that entire album, it's just so perfect. It's like eating the most well-rounded meal, all of your favourite foods from start to dessert, everything is your very favourite, cooked exactly the way you want it to be. Sometimes I'll put on that album and I just can't believe how easy it is to explain, because it's just so fucking perfect. And the way she came off Fugees and did that was so cool. She is a badass. She is so unapologetic. Oh I love her. She's my generation's Nina Simone."

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The Dangers of Candy Canes
The Dangers of Candy Canes
Laura Levine | 2007 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Deadly Slip While Decorating
When one of Jaine Austen's clients, Seymour Fiedler of Fiedler on the Roof Roofers, is sued for wrongful death, he hires Jaine to put down her pen and solve the crime. Seems that Garth Jankin fell off his recently reroofed house while decorating for his neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. Since Garth had numerous enemies, Jaine quickly decides that the tiles must have been loosened. But who would do something like that?

As with the books, this story is very funny. Jaine can't resist temptation, and spends time talking about her need to lose weight while eating Christmas candy. A sub-plot about Jaine volunteering with a group that mentors underprivileged girls almost slows the story down at times. In fact, it makes the ultimate climax seem a little abrupt. But Jaine is a charming character and I love spending time with her. The other characters are interesting as well. And several red herrings keep this story interesting and fun until the end.

NOTE: This story was originally released as part of the anthology Candy Cane Murder. If you’ve already read that book, you don’t need to get this story a second time.
  
I love a protagonist who feels like someone I could be best friends with, and that's exactly how I felt about Jill Gardner. She isn't afraid to eat cheesecake, tacos, and fries, she reads everything from romance novels to stories about dragons, and she isn't afraid to (or doesn't know when not to) speak her mind. I'd also love to quit my day job and work at Coffee, Books, and More!

This is another new-to-me series that I enjoyed so much I will be going back to the beginning to get caught up. It was full of believable characters, a touch of romance, and just enough personal drama to keep Jill on her toes. The mystery kept me guessing, and the solution did not disappoint. If you enjoy cozies, be sure to check out Murder on Wheels!

NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
  
The Great Ex-Scape
The Great Ex-Scape
Jo Watson | 2019 | Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So this is my third book by the author and joint favourite with Love to Hate You and my second read in the Destination Love series. I liked this one more than After the Rain because they got up to so much stuff and the romance was pretty cute. Slow going but inevitable because they were so great for each other. I absolutely loved the journey around Reunion Island--it sounds like an amazing place and I could easily imagine the characters getting up to the mischief they did on such a lovely setting.

I also loved the bits of humour that were thrown in here and there and I did have to bite back laughter a few times at the craziness of what was going on.

I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more of this authors books in the future.
  
TC
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
10
8.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
There were a lot of things about The Coldest Girl in Coldtown that I liked. There was only one thing I didn’t like.

1. I liked that Vampires were both romanticized, and despicable. They were beautiful, physically, but they were ugly and awful and broken and were the worst thing to happen to the world. I liked that even though there was a love story, it wasn’t a “Turn me into a vampire so I can be with you forever” story.

2. I loved the plot. It was action packed from the first chapter, easy to follow, but still complicated. The amount of twisting and changing and plotting it must have taken is astonishing, and I have become a fan of Holly Black simply because of her artistry of working this plot.

3. I absolutely loved the protagonist, Tana. She is awesome. She is brave, kick-ass, hard working, she loves passionately in her own way, she is broken and imperfect, and she makes hard choices. She’s stubborn in a good way. She’s wonderful. I want to be like her when I grow up.

4. I liked all the characters. They were all well developed and unique. I would have liked to get to know Pearl, her sister, a little more. I would have liked more relation between Tana and Aiden pre-vampiric adventures, but all things considered, all the other characters were still awesome.

5. The writing itself was lyric, descriptive, and engrossing. It was almost impossible to put down (I only stopped because my ipod died…)

The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. It was beautiful and excellent and sweet and nerve wracking… but the very last bit, the conclusion, the “now what,” was frustrating. I didn’t know what was going to happen and that irritates me. (HGHLIGHT TEXT FOR SPOILERS: does she sweat out the cold, or not? does she stay human? or forever cold? does she age? so many unanswered questions.) I know the open ending lends itself to the feel of the novel. You know it ends one of two ways, and you know both options are equally possible. That keeps it in your mind. It makes you wonder. It lends itself to a sequel, if the publishers decide to pursue one. But it still annoyed me because I like to know what happens!

All that being said, It was an excellent book, and I would re-read/listen to it in a heartbeat.

*pun intended.
  
F
Festival
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A fast and entertaining read is always a plus for busy readers. Aaron J. French's Festival is just that: a quick, fun read, even if it does not appear so at first glance. Totaling 142 pages, I completed the book within 24 hours. Because of my current health issues, that's pretty impressive.

Festival begins on the slower side of things with flashbacks to Steve's abusive childhood with an alcoholic mother. His present-day girlfriend, though pretty, isn't much better. In a desperate bid to save their failing relationship, the two take an impromptu outing in search of a romantic vacation. They end up at Serenity Sanctum, a small campground and hot springs resort run by two women. The two quickly learn that they aren't alone. What begins as a dreadfully boring, typical last resort for a failing relationship quickly culminates in an action packed ending that fans of horror films like Teeth will love.

Though the plot is fairly intriguing, I must admit that the characters aren't anything special. At least, not the protagonist and his girlfriend. Cherie is far from perfect, as stated previously. Her alcoholism and her penchant for putting herself in risky situations undoes her, but Steve is no better. His misogynistic attitude justifies his blaming of Cherie for a past incident, which I won't go into detail. I don't like to give out spoilers, after all.

When I read books, I do it mostly for entertainment. On occasion, I may read something in hopes of gleaning something educational (such as non-fiction). Because of that, I don't tend to spend time looking for themes in a piece of material. That said, I would like to point my readers in the direction of <a href="https://vaguevisages.com/2017/05/08/book-review-gender-and-genre-in-aaron-j-frenchs-festival/"; target="_new">this excellently written review by Mike Thorn.</a>

Though I wouldn't place Festival among my favorite reads, it is definitely a book to look into. It's perfect if you only have a short amount of time and has enough of the occult in it to appease readers like me. I would like to thank Unnerving for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
  
    Webka: Collage Photo Editor

    Webka: Collage Photo Editor

    Photo & Video, Lifestyle and Stickers

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    Create a collage with 10000+ perfect photo frames, templates and stickers! Decorate your photos...

    My Town : Beach Picnic

    My Town : Beach Picnic

    Education and Games

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    What’s more fun than a day at the beach? A beach picnic! Once you’ve spent time making sand...