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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Bailey has hidden her true identity for years. Will she be able to set aside the charade, forgive herself for her past and open herself to love?
In 1866 it is unheard of for a woman to be a successful rancher. But that is exactly what Bailey Wilde has done. Through hard work, sheer determination and hiding that she is indeed a woman, her ranch is thriving. Partly due to the fact that she has homesteaded directly across the opening to a lush canyon owned by Gage Coulter. Gage will stop at nothing to get his canyon back, even if it means blowing up the mountain. Bailey's sisters have both married and moved away just as winter is setting in. As she endures the frigid winter months alone, she longs for companionship. And then Gage shows up with a proposal that could drastically change their lives. Will they both be able to overcome their stubborn independence and work together as a team? Will their fire and ice spark into love along the way?
"That's not God refusing to forgive you...It's you refusing to forgive yourself."
Fire & Ice was a wonderful completion to the Wilde sisters' stories. Mary Connealy's unique story line was very interesting. I did get frustrated with Gage's attitude a couple of times, and the situation was never fully resolved. But all in all, this is a tremendous story of the journey of forgiving yourself. My only real complaint about this book is the cover. Bailey is described multiple times as having warm hazel eyes that burn like fire. But in the picture, she has very blue eyes. Her hair is also described as short, yet curly. And the picture shows straight hair, there is a picture on the binding with her hat removed showing very straight hair. I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but there you have it. The cover aside, Fire & Ice was yet another wild journey of the last Wilde sister finding forgiveness and love. This book can stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the whole series!
I received a free copy of Fire & Ice from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
In 1866 it is unheard of for a woman to be a successful rancher. But that is exactly what Bailey Wilde has done. Through hard work, sheer determination and hiding that she is indeed a woman, her ranch is thriving. Partly due to the fact that she has homesteaded directly across the opening to a lush canyon owned by Gage Coulter. Gage will stop at nothing to get his canyon back, even if it means blowing up the mountain. Bailey's sisters have both married and moved away just as winter is setting in. As she endures the frigid winter months alone, she longs for companionship. And then Gage shows up with a proposal that could drastically change their lives. Will they both be able to overcome their stubborn independence and work together as a team? Will their fire and ice spark into love along the way?
"That's not God refusing to forgive you...It's you refusing to forgive yourself."
Fire & Ice was a wonderful completion to the Wilde sisters' stories. Mary Connealy's unique story line was very interesting. I did get frustrated with Gage's attitude a couple of times, and the situation was never fully resolved. But all in all, this is a tremendous story of the journey of forgiving yourself. My only real complaint about this book is the cover. Bailey is described multiple times as having warm hazel eyes that burn like fire. But in the picture, she has very blue eyes. Her hair is also described as short, yet curly. And the picture shows straight hair, there is a picture on the binding with her hat removed showing very straight hair. I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but there you have it. The cover aside, Fire & Ice was yet another wild journey of the last Wilde sister finding forgiveness and love. This book can stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the whole series!
I received a free copy of Fire & Ice from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Shop – Candy Maker
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Budge Studios™ presents Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Shop! Strawberry Shortcake has invited all of...
Dana (24 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Oh my goodness.
I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge sucker for any kind of fairy tale retelling and this one did not disappoint!
Through about the first half of the book, I had this warm, floaty kind of feeling in my chest. The writing actually made me feel like I was in love (or what I assume it to feel like). The way the characters talked to each other and interacted just made me feel so good about this book.
Speaking of the characters, can I say well written? Because, wow! I felt really connected to the characters (especially Feyre's sassy-ness and care for her family). They were very well written and drawn out. I didn't feel like they were flattened or abused in any way, even when they were being beaten up on the pages. There was a great deal of respect that was shown to all of the characters in this book. I really enjoyed the strength that Maas gave to each of her characters. It was as if they had their own way to deal with their weaknesses and strengths. They felt so real! I think what helped with creating this reality was making some of the characters seem super awkward at times. I mean, everyone gets awkward, but the way it was done was to show how the characters really were, not necessarily how the narrator was seeing them.
The plot was amazingly paced. I didn't feel like I was waiting for something exciting to happen because it was always happening. Even down to the smallest of parts in this novel were exciting. But even then, it didn't feel too over the top in excitement. There was a great balance between pacing and excitement (I have said that word too many times in this review, but who cares!)
I didn't feel like there was much missing from this book except for more pages. I didn't want it to end!!
If I could, I would give this a higher rating than a 5 star because it was just that amazing!!
I recommend this to anyone who adores fairy tale retellings, fantasy, fairies, or just a damn good read. Honestly, if you haven't picked this book up, I really recommend that you do. I am kind of kicking myself for not picking up this book sooner!
******Also, spoiler-ish thing ahead:*******
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I just want to know, did anyone else guess that riddle when they first read it, because I did. I started yelling and cheering at the end part when she figured it out!!
I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge sucker for any kind of fairy tale retelling and this one did not disappoint!
Through about the first half of the book, I had this warm, floaty kind of feeling in my chest. The writing actually made me feel like I was in love (or what I assume it to feel like). The way the characters talked to each other and interacted just made me feel so good about this book.
Speaking of the characters, can I say well written? Because, wow! I felt really connected to the characters (especially Feyre's sassy-ness and care for her family). They were very well written and drawn out. I didn't feel like they were flattened or abused in any way, even when they were being beaten up on the pages. There was a great deal of respect that was shown to all of the characters in this book. I really enjoyed the strength that Maas gave to each of her characters. It was as if they had their own way to deal with their weaknesses and strengths. They felt so real! I think what helped with creating this reality was making some of the characters seem super awkward at times. I mean, everyone gets awkward, but the way it was done was to show how the characters really were, not necessarily how the narrator was seeing them.
The plot was amazingly paced. I didn't feel like I was waiting for something exciting to happen because it was always happening. Even down to the smallest of parts in this novel were exciting. But even then, it didn't feel too over the top in excitement. There was a great balance between pacing and excitement (I have said that word too many times in this review, but who cares!)
I didn't feel like there was much missing from this book except for more pages. I didn't want it to end!!
If I could, I would give this a higher rating than a 5 star because it was just that amazing!!
I recommend this to anyone who adores fairy tale retellings, fantasy, fairies, or just a damn good read. Honestly, if you haven't picked this book up, I really recommend that you do. I am kind of kicking myself for not picking up this book sooner!
******Also, spoiler-ish thing ahead:*******
*
*
*
*
*
*
I just want to know, did anyone else guess that riddle when they first read it, because I did. I started yelling and cheering at the end part when she figured it out!!
Dana (24 KP) rated Furthermore (Furthermore, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, so I got this book as an ARC at Yallwest back in May, so I finally decided to read it because it comes out later this month!! This is my second book in the 10 books in 10 days challenge!!
I love that Tahereh Mafi wrote a middle grade book. I don't often read this age group, but because it was hers, I went for it and oh my goodness I was not disappointed. Even though it's a middle grade book, maybe even because of it, the story is able to get super deep and promotes the idea that you are enough as you are, no matter what you look like or what you have. I think that's super important for students during this time.
It is amazing how much one person's writing style is able to change based on the story they are telling. Tahereh, I feel, is very much a method writer in the fact that she really inhabits the characters and their worlds as she is writing them. I really appreciate that as a reader because it makes the stories more immersive and entertaining!!
I loved the nonsensicalness of the story. It is very reminiscent of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, but it doesn't blatantly copy what he wrote. While they both have lands in which nonsense rules, they are still different beings.
Alice is so freaking sassy and I love it. The insults she throws throughout the story are hilarious, my favorite being "overgrown pineapple" because why not?
Also, the author asides are almost at a Lemony Snicket level of commentary. And the chapter breaks are so random, but I love them. There are so many interjections that are hilarious.
I love this adventure story so much! It focuses a lot of the growth of friendships and of the characters themselves which, again, is something I think middle grade readers need to see more of.
This book is actually very emotions as well! It shows a child's view of her parents and that everyone, even parents, can make mistakes and should be able to apologize for those mistakes. The characters are very well written and are amazingly deep. I haven't read many middle grade novels recently, but this one seems especially awesome. It shows people as having flaws and making bad decisions.
I recommend that everyone reads this at some point because it is just so freaking amazing and so quotable!!
I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes after this, so if you don't want to read them, stop here!!
"Love had made her fearless, wasn't it strange? It was so much easier to fight for another than it was to fight for oneself." (p144)
"'And his sentence was very long,' said Oliver.' 'Oh yes, it was made up of many words!'" (p231) (This one made me cackle)
"He never let her win, never let her convince him she was right. He fought harder for her than she ever fought for herself." (p250)
"This new Alice was confident and bold; she was articulate and passionate; she had become the kind of person who'd lived through hardship and survived with grace." (p382)
<b>"The simple truth was that Alice would always be different-but to be different was to be extraordinary, and to be extraordinary was an adventure. It no longer mattered how the world saw her; what mattered was how Alice saw herself." (p385)</b>
I love that Tahereh Mafi wrote a middle grade book. I don't often read this age group, but because it was hers, I went for it and oh my goodness I was not disappointed. Even though it's a middle grade book, maybe even because of it, the story is able to get super deep and promotes the idea that you are enough as you are, no matter what you look like or what you have. I think that's super important for students during this time.
It is amazing how much one person's writing style is able to change based on the story they are telling. Tahereh, I feel, is very much a method writer in the fact that she really inhabits the characters and their worlds as she is writing them. I really appreciate that as a reader because it makes the stories more immersive and entertaining!!
I loved the nonsensicalness of the story. It is very reminiscent of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, but it doesn't blatantly copy what he wrote. While they both have lands in which nonsense rules, they are still different beings.
Alice is so freaking sassy and I love it. The insults she throws throughout the story are hilarious, my favorite being "overgrown pineapple" because why not?
Also, the author asides are almost at a Lemony Snicket level of commentary. And the chapter breaks are so random, but I love them. There are so many interjections that are hilarious.
I love this adventure story so much! It focuses a lot of the growth of friendships and of the characters themselves which, again, is something I think middle grade readers need to see more of.
This book is actually very emotions as well! It shows a child's view of her parents and that everyone, even parents, can make mistakes and should be able to apologize for those mistakes. The characters are very well written and are amazingly deep. I haven't read many middle grade novels recently, but this one seems especially awesome. It shows people as having flaws and making bad decisions.
I recommend that everyone reads this at some point because it is just so freaking amazing and so quotable!!
I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes after this, so if you don't want to read them, stop here!!
"Love had made her fearless, wasn't it strange? It was so much easier to fight for another than it was to fight for oneself." (p144)
"'And his sentence was very long,' said Oliver.' 'Oh yes, it was made up of many words!'" (p231) (This one made me cackle)
"He never let her win, never let her convince him she was right. He fought harder for her than she ever fought for herself." (p250)
"This new Alice was confident and bold; she was articulate and passionate; she had become the kind of person who'd lived through hardship and survived with grace." (p382)
<b>"The simple truth was that Alice would always be different-but to be different was to be extraordinary, and to be extraordinary was an adventure. It no longer mattered how the world saw her; what mattered was how Alice saw herself." (p385)</b>
Allison Anders recommended A Woman is a Woman (1961) in Movies (curated)
Troy Aker (6 KP) rated Super 8 (2011) in Movies
Dec 13, 2017
Much fun from JJ Abrams
With Super 8, JJ Abrams did something I feel is rare in cinema. It was a monster movie in which you actually care about the people involved. Way too often in movies it becomes easy to cheer on the monster because the people involved just aren't likable, or that not enough time is spent on them to create a connection with the characters. A character driven monster-disaster movie is rare. This movie is the anti-Michael Bay movie. Which is part of the reason why I love it so much.
Another reason I enjoy it so much is because of the period of the film. It is a very believable 1979, and though the kids in the movie are a little bit older than me, I still felt a connection to them and what they did in their lives. I remember working on various projects with friends as kids, when we would do everything we could to make our silly and fun little projects seem more adult. There is a certain rush to compete, when hormones start kicking in, with older and more mature kids, but still wanting to hold on to the fun things that makes the group enjoyable. This was all conveyed very well during the movie, and it helps create a connection with the characters.
The movie brings to mine some absolutely wonderful movies about groups of friends that go through a life-changing journey together, like E.T., The Goonies, and Stand By Me.
This being said, I think that people that grew up in the late 70's and early to mid-80's will enjoy this movie for different reasons than somebody that grew up after that. There was a certain level of nostalgia that hooked me in this movie. Someone who can't necessarily relate to the characters that way can certainly relate to them as far as a group of friends having a shifting dynamic as the teen years come barreling down at you.
Then for the action fans, the movie has one of, if not the best, crash scene I have ever seen. The monster action through most of the movie is quick cuts, loud sounds and then you see the aftermath. As the movie progresses, you do start to see more and more of the monster, so be patient. It won't be hidden forever. Seeing a little town of 12,000 people turn into a war zone was crazy as the military gets progressively involved as well.
This movie was not perfect though. There were a couple jumps in logic I felt. The kind where you sit there and think, "No way that it would happen like that." And another where you wonder why certain things are happening and others there are not. Also, towards the end, there was a certain amount of sappiness. Maybe not uncalled for due to the extraordinary circumstances that this town was put through though. But all this is easy to move past because the movie it self is so enjoyable.
Another reason I enjoy it so much is because of the period of the film. It is a very believable 1979, and though the kids in the movie are a little bit older than me, I still felt a connection to them and what they did in their lives. I remember working on various projects with friends as kids, when we would do everything we could to make our silly and fun little projects seem more adult. There is a certain rush to compete, when hormones start kicking in, with older and more mature kids, but still wanting to hold on to the fun things that makes the group enjoyable. This was all conveyed very well during the movie, and it helps create a connection with the characters.
The movie brings to mine some absolutely wonderful movies about groups of friends that go through a life-changing journey together, like E.T., The Goonies, and Stand By Me.
This being said, I think that people that grew up in the late 70's and early to mid-80's will enjoy this movie for different reasons than somebody that grew up after that. There was a certain level of nostalgia that hooked me in this movie. Someone who can't necessarily relate to the characters that way can certainly relate to them as far as a group of friends having a shifting dynamic as the teen years come barreling down at you.
Then for the action fans, the movie has one of, if not the best, crash scene I have ever seen. The monster action through most of the movie is quick cuts, loud sounds and then you see the aftermath. As the movie progresses, you do start to see more and more of the monster, so be patient. It won't be hidden forever. Seeing a little town of 12,000 people turn into a war zone was crazy as the military gets progressively involved as well.
This movie was not perfect though. There were a couple jumps in logic I felt. The kind where you sit there and think, "No way that it would happen like that." And another where you wonder why certain things are happening and others there are not. Also, towards the end, there was a certain amount of sappiness. Maybe not uncalled for due to the extraordinary circumstances that this town was put through though. But all this is easy to move past because the movie it self is so enjoyable.
Overkill 2
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Do you like guns? Then you will love Overkill 2! Over 50 realistic 3D guns are waiting for you in...
Merissa (13919 KP) rated Twell and the Rebellion (Como Chronicles #2) in Books
Jun 21, 2017
Twell and the Rebellion (Como Chronicles #2) by Kate O'Leary
Twell and the Rebellion starts from where book 1 left off - thank goodness!!! I had guessed who her genetic match was with the description of the silver eyes, but I did enjoy the feeling of knowing that I had guessed correctly. The action is pretty much non-stop in this book as Twell's training ups a gear and she meets others with the same powers as her. Unfortunately, because they're training in power groups, it means that she doesn't see as much of Jonaz, or the others. Add Avin into the mix and it's not surprising that Twell feels confused, and easy pickings for Shanna. Now, I need to say something that might not go down too well, but I didn't like Shanna as a character. I started off with the same feelings for Mira, but she grew on me (like fungus!), until I loved every scene with her in it because of her acerbic tone. Shanna though... nah, she doesn't do it for me. I will also say that I really, REALLY, dislike love triangles. And yet you will notice that I gave this book 5-stars. Simply put, it is because there is no 'nonsense' in this book. Everything that Twell feels and goes through, I could understand perfectly how she felt. She wasn't just being indecisive for the fun of it, which seems to happen all too often.
This book is absolutely chock-full of character development, with new characters to behold too. I don't think there were any editing or grammatical errors in it, but I was too engrossed to notice if there were! With a gripping story, cliffhanger ending, full of emotions, and smoothly paced - what more could you ask for? Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is absolutely chock-full of character development, with new characters to behold too. I don't think there were any editing or grammatical errors in it, but I was too engrossed to notice if there were! With a gripping story, cliffhanger ending, full of emotions, and smoothly paced - what more could you ask for? Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
