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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Other Side of the Street in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This was a first H. Carey’s book which I read, and definitely not the last one. This novel is fifth in Lavender Road series, and I will read rest of them as soon as will be able to.
In the blurb, Carey highlights two characters – Louise and Jen, but they are not the only ones this book is about. There a lot of characters to choose from, and all of them are incredibly appealing, charismatic, and you need all of them, in order to enjoy this story. I absolutely loved how the author included every single of them in this novel, not leaving out any. I couldn’t decide which one I loved the most, they all have their strengths and qualities, which made this book richer, more interesting and relatable. Another thing which I absolutely loved, was multiple perspectives. I really enjoyed reading, how different characters reacted to some of the situations. I loved getting to know every single character, their problems and achievements, I think that’s why this book simply absorbed me. It was like watching a TV series unfold throughout the pages.
It is quite hard for me to describe the narrative of this book. Through different perspectives, there were a lot of life stories unfolded and told, so the narrative always changed, throwing in different characters feelings and thoughts. Which I found truly fascinating. Carey didn’t leave me bored even for a second, she creatively added turns and twists to the stories, which made me turn page after page. I really liked, that author was addressing difficulties which women were facing during that period, and I enjoyed the way Louise was breaking the stereotypes.
The writing style of this book was very pleasant, easy to read and enjoyable. One thing what I found inconvenient for me was ENSA/ RADA/ ATS etc. I grew up abroad, so I have no idea what they mean, and I am too lazy to google it, so I would have liked a little explanation page at the back, however, not knowing it, didn’t ruin my reading experience at all. The chapters of this book are quite long, but it did not drag to me, because there were a lot of things happening in every chapter, so they flew quite quickly. I really liked the way Carey ended this book, it was unexpected, satisfying, and I will be waiting to find out, what will happen next to all the characters. So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this novel, it has well rounded, exciting, fun characters, and the narrative always keeps changing, that left me hooked and interested till the last page. I really hope Netflix or BBC will make a TV series from Lavender Road books in a near future 🙂
In the blurb, Carey highlights two characters – Louise and Jen, but they are not the only ones this book is about. There a lot of characters to choose from, and all of them are incredibly appealing, charismatic, and you need all of them, in order to enjoy this story. I absolutely loved how the author included every single of them in this novel, not leaving out any. I couldn’t decide which one I loved the most, they all have their strengths and qualities, which made this book richer, more interesting and relatable. Another thing which I absolutely loved, was multiple perspectives. I really enjoyed reading, how different characters reacted to some of the situations. I loved getting to know every single character, their problems and achievements, I think that’s why this book simply absorbed me. It was like watching a TV series unfold throughout the pages.
It is quite hard for me to describe the narrative of this book. Through different perspectives, there were a lot of life stories unfolded and told, so the narrative always changed, throwing in different characters feelings and thoughts. Which I found truly fascinating. Carey didn’t leave me bored even for a second, she creatively added turns and twists to the stories, which made me turn page after page. I really liked, that author was addressing difficulties which women were facing during that period, and I enjoyed the way Louise was breaking the stereotypes.
The writing style of this book was very pleasant, easy to read and enjoyable. One thing what I found inconvenient for me was ENSA/ RADA/ ATS etc. I grew up abroad, so I have no idea what they mean, and I am too lazy to google it, so I would have liked a little explanation page at the back, however, not knowing it, didn’t ruin my reading experience at all. The chapters of this book are quite long, but it did not drag to me, because there were a lot of things happening in every chapter, so they flew quite quickly. I really liked the way Carey ended this book, it was unexpected, satisfying, and I will be waiting to find out, what will happen next to all the characters. So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this novel, it has well rounded, exciting, fun characters, and the narrative always keeps changing, that left me hooked and interested till the last page. I really hope Netflix or BBC will make a TV series from Lavender Road books in a near future 🙂
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Russian Doll in TV
Feb 5, 2019 (Updated Feb 5, 2019)
Natasha Lyonne carries this entire series phenomenally (2 more)
Good, tight script full of quick, witty dialogue
Short and sweet
Death Becomes Her
I watched Netflix's latest series Russian Doll over the past weekend and I loved it. Natasha Lyonne stars as a woman who on the night of her 36th birthday party, is suddenly hit by a car and dies. She then comes to and finds herself again standing in the bathroom in front of the sink back at her birthday party without a scratch. Then after dying a few more times and returning to the same spot in the bathroom, she realises that she is unable to stay dead and is going to be stuck in this loop indefinitely.
I had no clue what to expect going into this one. I was a fan of Natasha Lyonne from her role in Orange Is The New Black and had heard that she had co-wrote this project and even had a hand in directing it. This peaked my curiosity enough to give it a shot, and I'm glad that I did because, (although it is only February,) this is my favourite show of this year so far.
There is of course the presence of the obvious 'Groundhog Day,' trope, but thankfully the show uses this mechanic to it's benefit and manages to tell a fairly unique story based on a pretty unoriginal story-telling device. The show was co-written by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland and the writing is brilliant. The show is comedic in all of the right places while managing to achieve and maintain a more serious tone when it wants to for certain moments, especially towards the end of the series.
Consisting of eight episodes all around 30 minutes in duration, the series moves at an extremely brisk pace and it is a pace that matches the quick dialogue and editing style that the series adopts during many of the death montage sequences. This all gels together to ensure that the show never feels stagnant or dragging in any sense. The score and cinematography are also great and compliment the other aspects of the show very nicely. All of this together is what gives this show it's unique, quirky feel.
Though, none of this would work without having a reliable lead protagonist to tie the whole thing together and Natasha Lyonne pulls off this difficult task flawlessly. I have always enjoyed seeing Lyonne pop up in several projects as a solid supporting actress, but this is the first time that I have seen her in the lead role and she is phenomenal through the entire eight episodes that Russian Doll consists of. Match that with the writing and directing credits that she claims on this series and you realise that we are watching an artist with incredible talent getting to realise her vision through this project and it is a joy to witness the whole thing unfold.
Overall, Russian Doll is a fantastic series that is enjoyable from start to finish. It features brilliant writing, fantastic performances and plenty of laughs. Due to the oddball nature and tone of this wonderful series, I am not sure if I want to see a second season. However, I am very much looking forward to seeing wherever Lyonne goes from here and what she plans to do next, both as an actress and as an auteur.
I had no clue what to expect going into this one. I was a fan of Natasha Lyonne from her role in Orange Is The New Black and had heard that she had co-wrote this project and even had a hand in directing it. This peaked my curiosity enough to give it a shot, and I'm glad that I did because, (although it is only February,) this is my favourite show of this year so far.
There is of course the presence of the obvious 'Groundhog Day,' trope, but thankfully the show uses this mechanic to it's benefit and manages to tell a fairly unique story based on a pretty unoriginal story-telling device. The show was co-written by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland and the writing is brilliant. The show is comedic in all of the right places while managing to achieve and maintain a more serious tone when it wants to for certain moments, especially towards the end of the series.
Consisting of eight episodes all around 30 minutes in duration, the series moves at an extremely brisk pace and it is a pace that matches the quick dialogue and editing style that the series adopts during many of the death montage sequences. This all gels together to ensure that the show never feels stagnant or dragging in any sense. The score and cinematography are also great and compliment the other aspects of the show very nicely. All of this together is what gives this show it's unique, quirky feel.
Though, none of this would work without having a reliable lead protagonist to tie the whole thing together and Natasha Lyonne pulls off this difficult task flawlessly. I have always enjoyed seeing Lyonne pop up in several projects as a solid supporting actress, but this is the first time that I have seen her in the lead role and she is phenomenal through the entire eight episodes that Russian Doll consists of. Match that with the writing and directing credits that she claims on this series and you realise that we are watching an artist with incredible talent getting to realise her vision through this project and it is a joy to witness the whole thing unfold.
Overall, Russian Doll is a fantastic series that is enjoyable from start to finish. It features brilliant writing, fantastic performances and plenty of laughs. Due to the oddball nature and tone of this wonderful series, I am not sure if I want to see a second season. However, I am very much looking forward to seeing wherever Lyonne goes from here and what she plans to do next, both as an actress and as an auteur.
Natari (73 KP) rated Curse the Dawn (Cassandra Palmer, #4) in Books
Jul 19, 2019
Curse the Dawn balances serious action with a very funny Freaky Friday style hijinks. However, such adventures are not just for kicks, and actually help to further the plot of other major characters.
The stakes are higher in book 4, with a God on Cassie's tail. At one point, quite literally. But when I look back over the books, I can't get over my love of book 3 enough and book 4 seems lacking in comparison.
Not that it is a bad book. Quite the opposite. Curse the Dawn is a necessary book in the series. It takes the series to a higher level. It's the start of a new arc for Cassie. We've had the trilogy of her finding herself, and now this starts her journey to find her power and place in the world. I can't wait for more.
The stakes are higher in book 4, with a God on Cassie's tail. At one point, quite literally. But when I look back over the books, I can't get over my love of book 3 enough and book 4 seems lacking in comparison.
Not that it is a bad book. Quite the opposite. Curse the Dawn is a necessary book in the series. It takes the series to a higher level. It's the start of a new arc for Cassie. We've had the trilogy of her finding herself, and now this starts her journey to find her power and place in the world. I can't wait for more.
World Scenography 1990-2005
Eric Fielding and Peter McKinnon
Book
World Scenography 1990-2005 is the second volume in a series of large-format, lavishly illustrated...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Dancing with the Devil (Nikki & Michael, #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I can't say I liked the style of this, it didn't flow too smoothly for me. And it was hard to discern between what Nikki was thinking and what others were saying in her mind since there were no italics used to show it easily.
BUT I have to admit that despite that, I kind of got pulled into the story. The hunt for Jasper almost had me as bloodthirsty as Michael and I found it quite hard to leave alone. It was nearly constant action with hardly any slow bits for me to get bored.
As for the romance between Nikki and Michael, I'm not sure if I was convinced by it. It all seemed sort of sudden.
I have books 2 and 3 in the series but I'm not sure if I'll be continuing the series yet.
BUT I have to admit that despite that, I kind of got pulled into the story. The hunt for Jasper almost had me as bloodthirsty as Michael and I found it quite hard to leave alone. It was nearly constant action with hardly any slow bits for me to get bored.
As for the romance between Nikki and Michael, I'm not sure if I was convinced by it. It all seemed sort of sudden.
I have books 2 and 3 in the series but I'm not sure if I'll be continuing the series yet.
Minifig Collector
Catalogs and Entertainment
App
"Minifig Collector" is a must have app for LEGO™ enthusiasts and Minifigure collectors! Take your...
Lindsay (1793 KP) rated Rambee Boo's Lake Vacation! (The Rambee Boo's Series: Book 4) in Books
May 17, 2021
They're a sweet little dog that wants to go on adventures. Boy and his brother and family go on a Lake Vacation. What an enjoyable and fun story. There is rhyming along the way. But there is a little fun game in the book as you read or the child read the book. What happens to Rumbee Boo Sock? Will your child find the socks or remember where Rumbee Boo drops his favorite rag?
I do not know if the author put this in; I noticed the question at the back of this book. Can your child or children name the places that Rumbee Boo drops his sock? You can play some activities or games with your child with this book, like the Memory game with Rambee Boo sock.
The activities that Rock and Rumbee Boo do at the lake. They seem to have so much fun that Rumbee Boo drops this sock along the way. The aforementioned is funny and what his mom does so that Rumbee Boo and Rock do not realize what he is doing. I believe that this book will teach children rhyming and some other reading skills. At the end of the book, the memory game that came to mind seems fun to help children with memory after reading.
I would love to continue the series at some point as there are three other books before this one. I would love to see what Rambee Boo and his family get up to in the first three books. This book is the fourth one in the series. However, you do not need to read them in order. Parents will find some fun with memory games they use at the end of reading this book. You can also find out what other fun outdoor activities you and your child or children can do during the summer or outdoors.
I do not know if the author put this in; I noticed the question at the back of this book. Can your child or children name the places that Rumbee Boo drops his sock? You can play some activities or games with your child with this book, like the Memory game with Rambee Boo sock.
The activities that Rock and Rumbee Boo do at the lake. They seem to have so much fun that Rumbee Boo drops this sock along the way. The aforementioned is funny and what his mom does so that Rumbee Boo and Rock do not realize what he is doing. I believe that this book will teach children rhyming and some other reading skills. At the end of the book, the memory game that came to mind seems fun to help children with memory after reading.
I would love to continue the series at some point as there are three other books before this one. I would love to see what Rambee Boo and his family get up to in the first three books. This book is the fourth one in the series. However, you do not need to read them in order. Parents will find some fun with memory games they use at the end of reading this book. You can also find out what other fun outdoor activities you and your child or children can do during the summer or outdoors.
Merissa (13730 KP) rated The Founder (A Broken World #4) in Books
Nov 29, 2023
The Founder is the fourth book in the Broken World series, but this book takes you on a different route than the previous three. In this one, Skye is by herself, not knowing if she will ever see Brennan again. Instead of running away from the enclave, she is running towards it. She is searching for her mother and will do whatever it takes to get answers. This book certainly has a different dynamic to the others - don't get me wrong, I love Skye. It was just a bit strange to only hear about her and not Brennan too. Instead, Skye manages to get a small group of friends, none of whom know who she really is, whilst she is searching for her mother.
This is one heck of a book, with more twists and turns than a maize maze! There were some parts that were quite technical, but my husband was fascinated when I read them out to him, so I guess it's just not my strong point! Instead, I found the interpersonal relationships intriguing, especially when one of Skye's creche-mates turns up.
This is part of a series, so it does you no good to read this as a standalone. You need to have read the others for it to make sense. However, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pace and integrity of the characters are just what I have come to expect from Dean Murray. Ending on a cliffhanger, it will definitely leave you wanting more. Definitely 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!
Nov 3, 2017
This is one heck of a book, with more twists and turns than a maize maze! There were some parts that were quite technical, but my husband was fascinated when I read them out to him, so I guess it's just not my strong point! Instead, I found the interpersonal relationships intriguing, especially when one of Skye's creche-mates turns up.
This is part of a series, so it does you no good to read this as a standalone. You need to have read the others for it to make sense. However, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pace and integrity of the characters are just what I have come to expect from Dean Murray. Ending on a cliffhanger, it will definitely leave you wanting more. Definitely 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!
Nov 3, 2017
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery, #1) in Books
Jul 5, 2018
Definitely not my favourite cozy mystery series - there was a lot of internal dialogue that I did not enjoy. I did like her lists, I thought those were cute and funny - I thought some parts were funny and entertaining but a lot of it was just .. blah, like why is this necessary, why are we repeating this again, why is this happening - but the end was good and fun
I called a lot of the book but it was still fun toward the end to read and the very end - I also called but it was still absolutely joyful to read.
Reading the struggle of a new mother was fun too - it was an interesting take on a mystery trying to be a PI or solving a mystery while literally taking care of a brand spankin new baby and separation anxiety ..
I called a lot of the book but it was still fun toward the end to read and the very end - I also called but it was still absolutely joyful to read.
Reading the struggle of a new mother was fun too - it was an interesting take on a mystery trying to be a PI or solving a mystery while literally taking care of a brand spankin new baby and separation anxiety ..
Chloe (514 KP) rated The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2) in Books
Jan 27, 2019
Does the spin of beat the original?
This book is a spin of of the Percy Jackson series.
What makes this book not a ripoff of Percy Jackson is that it's so completely different mainly thanks to our narrator Apollo. Apollo's cooky sense of humour will have you laughing all day.
somehow even though the theme of the book is the same throughout with a pattern of battle and miraculous save, battle and miraculous save, battle... The twists and turns just constantly keep you guessing.
This is a book during which I just could not keep still it really grabs you and pulls you in to the point where I found myself crying over the book (although maybe I'm just to emotional). I just felt hugely attached to the characters. It is honestly amazing how the author made a god so relatable.
What makes this book not a ripoff of Percy Jackson is that it's so completely different mainly thanks to our narrator Apollo. Apollo's cooky sense of humour will have you laughing all day.
somehow even though the theme of the book is the same throughout with a pattern of battle and miraculous save, battle and miraculous save, battle... The twists and turns just constantly keep you guessing.
This is a book during which I just could not keep still it really grabs you and pulls you in to the point where I found myself crying over the book (although maybe I'm just to emotional). I just felt hugely attached to the characters. It is honestly amazing how the author made a god so relatable.