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Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated The Idiot: A Novel in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received an ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased opinion. That being said, the best thing about this book is that it's over...and I can read pretty much anything.
Early on in the book, the main character, Selin, talks about how there are times when her mother hands her books she's read and says "Read this and tell me the point." I wish I had someone I could hand this book to and say that to.
A rambling stream of consciousness, a book of self-discovery, Selin is this 19 year old who has no idea who she is. And I remember being 19 and not having a clue. It's why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't feel like there was any sort of resolution. There were more misadventures and things that made her unhappy and feel displaced in the world. And then...more passive aggressive whining about how she didn't know what she wanted to make her happy.
Early on in the book, the main character, Selin, talks about how there are times when her mother hands her books she's read and says "Read this and tell me the point." I wish I had someone I could hand this book to and say that to.
A rambling stream of consciousness, a book of self-discovery, Selin is this 19 year old who has no idea who she is. And I remember being 19 and not having a clue. It's why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't feel like there was any sort of resolution. There were more misadventures and things that made her unhappy and feel displaced in the world. And then...more passive aggressive whining about how she didn't know what she wanted to make her happy.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Objects of My Affection in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This was a really enjoyable book. It took a few chapters before I was really able to get in to it which is why it gets a 4 instead of a 5. It is not at all that it was boring, it just took me a few pages to get invested in the characters.
This book tells the story of Lucy, a personal organizer who is hired on to help clear out the home of Marva Meir Rios, a hoarding artist. Lucy son also happens to be in drug rehab which has forced her to sell her home & most of her possessions in order to be able to afford the program. The plot is a bit predictable...a reclusive, old, crabby artist; an amiable out to please everyone mother; a handsome younger man; a spurned lover. You get the drift. But the story itself was not always as predictiable as it sounds. Made for an interesting read & an intimate look into the characters' lives, losses, and realizations.
This book tells the story of Lucy, a personal organizer who is hired on to help clear out the home of Marva Meir Rios, a hoarding artist. Lucy son also happens to be in drug rehab which has forced her to sell her home & most of her possessions in order to be able to afford the program. The plot is a bit predictable...a reclusive, old, crabby artist; an amiable out to please everyone mother; a handsome younger man; a spurned lover. You get the drift. But the story itself was not always as predictiable as it sounds. Made for an interesting read & an intimate look into the characters' lives, losses, and realizations.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated My Sister's Bones in Books
Sep 7, 2017
Predictable, what an anti-climax!
If I ever hear that another book is the "next Gone Girl" or the "next Girl On A Train", I'm going to rate it 0.
The genre has become predictable. There are three elements to look out for in these books:
1. Neurotic women are usually right
2. Nice men are psychopaths
3. The women won't be believed by authorities until the very end
And so goes this tale of two sisters, one who became a war correspondent suffering from post-traumatic stress, and the other an alcoholic - both abused as children. One's high functioning, the other is a deadbeat mother. In between are the stories of mysterious children appearing here, there and everywhere. And the women not being believed.
The writer attempts to make a difference by bringing in stories of the horrors of the Middle East, which was a nice change - but it seemed more like a tool to follow exactly the pattern. It seemed promising but it falls short.
The genre has become predictable. There are three elements to look out for in these books:
1. Neurotic women are usually right
2. Nice men are psychopaths
3. The women won't be believed by authorities until the very end
And so goes this tale of two sisters, one who became a war correspondent suffering from post-traumatic stress, and the other an alcoholic - both abused as children. One's high functioning, the other is a deadbeat mother. In between are the stories of mysterious children appearing here, there and everywhere. And the women not being believed.
The writer attempts to make a difference by bringing in stories of the horrors of the Middle East, which was a nice change - but it seemed more like a tool to follow exactly the pattern. It seemed promising but it falls short.
Domonique (0 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
May 12, 2018
I just finished this book and it was so good. I loved the way they weaved the stories of the different characters throughout the book, especially how they started with the fire and then went back so we could know how they got to that point, and then circled back around to the beginning with Mrs. Richardson herself. [SPOILER ALERT] I think it was less about the big fire and more about, as the title says, the little fires everywhere from Mrs. Richardson finding out the truth about Mia, to Mia trying to help her friend, Bebe trying to get her baby back after she gave up her, to Pearl and Trip trying to figure out who they were to each other and it eventually causing a riff between Pearl and Moody to Izzy and her relationship, not only with her mother but also with Mia and how that ultimately led to the decisions she made that changed everyone's lives forever. #AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY
Domonique (0 KP) rated Still Missing in Books
May 12, 2018
This was really good!! It seemed like I just flew through it because it was so captivating. I loved the way that it was told, in therapy sessions, I thought that was interesting and different although I would have like to have heard the therapist's perspective on some of Annie's thoughts, but I understood it wasn't about her. (SPOILERS AHEAD) I still can't believe that her mom was behind the whole thing, what kind of parent is that hard up for money and one-upmanship on her own sister that she would have her own daughter abducted? That was just sick and I can't believe that even at the end, she tried to make out like she was the victim. I felt so good that Annie finally took control and got away from her mother after she realized that she was never going to change and it was always going to be about her. I'll have to check out more books by this author.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Heart of the Matter in Books
May 10, 2018
Does anyone have the "perfect" marriage? Everyone looking at Tessa and Nick think so.
Nick is a pediatric surgeon and Tessa has recently quit her teaching job to be a stay-at-home mom. They have two children, Frank and Ruby. They are out for their anniversary dinner when Nick get an emergency phone call. A little boy has fallen into a fire.
Valerie, is the mother to that little boy, Charlie. He was at his very first sleep over when this terrible accident happened.
Nick does his best to make sure that Charlie and Valerie are taken care of. He is a wonderful doctor.
You never realize how small your town is until something like this, brings the whole community into your business.
Even though Tessa and Valerie have never met, their worlds collide in more than one way when this accident occurs.
This book makes you examine your relationships and find out how strong your love really is!
Nick is a pediatric surgeon and Tessa has recently quit her teaching job to be a stay-at-home mom. They have two children, Frank and Ruby. They are out for their anniversary dinner when Nick get an emergency phone call. A little boy has fallen into a fire.
Valerie, is the mother to that little boy, Charlie. He was at his very first sleep over when this terrible accident happened.
Nick does his best to make sure that Charlie and Valerie are taken care of. He is a wonderful doctor.
You never realize how small your town is until something like this, brings the whole community into your business.
Even though Tessa and Valerie have never met, their worlds collide in more than one way when this accident occurs.
This book makes you examine your relationships and find out how strong your love really is!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found in Books
May 10, 2018
After losing her mother, ending her marriage and changing her name,Cheryl Strayed decided she was going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. The idea came to her after seeing a guidebook in the checkout line. She had planned on reading the book prior to her hike, but that didn't work out so well. She started reading the night before she started hiking. She did it alone and it took her 3-4 months to do it.
Well, I know that I could never take on a task like that. At least not in the way she did it. Backpacking 1100 miles from California to the Oregon/Washington border. Sleeping outside, meeting strangers, crossing paths with rattlesnakes, watching black bears walk by. But she went into the wilderness totally unprepared. Her shoes were too small, her pack was too heavy and financially(who needs money when they're backpacking?)
All of these and more obstacles she overcame in order to accomplish the task at hand. Hiking the PCT.
Well, I know that I could never take on a task like that. At least not in the way she did it. Backpacking 1100 miles from California to the Oregon/Washington border. Sleeping outside, meeting strangers, crossing paths with rattlesnakes, watching black bears walk by. But she went into the wilderness totally unprepared. Her shoes were too small, her pack was too heavy and financially(who needs money when they're backpacking?)
All of these and more obstacles she overcame in order to accomplish the task at hand. Hiking the PCT.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated One Summer in Books
May 10, 2018
Jack has overcome quite an obstacle in his life, a terminal illness. In the wake of that miraculous event, he has lost his best friend and wife, Lizzie in a car accident going to get him meds. As he recovers from his illness, the loss of his wife and having his kids taken away from him by his in-laws, he reflects on all that his life has been up to this point. Reconnecting with his children finding his own way in this world is what Jack is up against now. This is not quite what I expected from Baldacci as my mother recommended this author to me. While this is the first book I have read by Baldacci, it was quite enjoyable, and made me interested to read more of his books. Not sure if I will continue to read them if they all turn up to be this romantic in nature
Awix (3310 KP) rated Beast (2017) in Movies
May 18, 2018
Impressive debut film from Michael Pearce with an outstanding performance from Jessie Buckley at its centre. The setting is Jersey, but this is more like Cracker than Bergerac: a young woman trapped in a smothering relationship with her controlling mother starts a relationship with a drifter almost as an act of rebellion, but having committed to this what is she supposed to do when she learns he is a suspect in a string of local murders?
The thriller element is really kind of an afterthought, and the manner in which the did-he-or-didn't-do-it plotline is resolved would be unlikely to satisfy anyone if it were the sole focus of the film. But the film is built around characterisation and atmosphere much more than genre conventions, and is very strong here: as it continues it shades more into psychological horror than anything else, with a genuinely intense and impossible-to-predict denouement. An accomplished film in every department.
The thriller element is really kind of an afterthought, and the manner in which the did-he-or-didn't-do-it plotline is resolved would be unlikely to satisfy anyone if it were the sole focus of the film. But the film is built around characterisation and atmosphere much more than genre conventions, and is very strong here: as it continues it shades more into psychological horror than anything else, with a genuinely intense and impossible-to-predict denouement. An accomplished film in every department.
Johana Lee Scott (4 KP) rated How to Walk Away in Books
May 25, 2018
story (2 more)
realness
genuine
I Couldn't Put It Down
Let me just start by saying I received an advanced copy of this book thru #shespeaks. I thought it was going to be an average romantic plotted read. It was so much more for me. This book hit home with the realness and struggle a person goes thru after a life changing accident. In 1984 my other was crushed in a car accident, while she was pregnant with my little brother. Her best friend died. They told my mother she would never walk again. She struggled and fought and struggled some more. This book didn't sugar coat how difficult something like this can be. I appreciated this book much more than I can ever say. You can literally go from having everything...and nothing in literally one moment. Building yourself back up is the true victory after something like that happens.