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Someone Like Me
Someone Like Me
M.R. Carey | 2018 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
8
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
See all of my reviews at philomathinphila.com.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

M.R. Carey is known for writing "The Girl with all the Gifts" among many others. His latest, "Someone Like Me" has been shelved on Goodreads as fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, and mystery. "Someone Like Me" is hard to categorize but easy to get sucked into. It is a long book with 500 pages so, if you have plans, make sure to set a timer. It was easy to keep reading without a break. I do not want to give too much away. It's a family drama about Liz, her children, her abuse ex-husband, and her neighbors but it is also much more. If M.R. Carey had left out the rest concerning Fran and Liz's alter-ego, the story would be a well written story about a single mom trying to raise two kids. It is the rest that makes the story extremely interesting. I have always been fascinated with Psychology, thrillers, and fantasy. Mix the three together, add some good writing, and an interesting story and I'm hooked. Carey's writing is descriptive but he does not overdo it.

If you like a book that opens with action and requires you to figure what is going on then this is for you.
  
The Monuments Men (2014)
The Monuments Men (2014)
2014 | Action, Drama
As children, we all imagine going on a treasure hunt or adventure. In The Monuments Men, we bear witness to one of the greatest treasure hunts in recent history. The Monuments Men is based on the true story of a team of Art Historians and Architects who are tasked by President Roosevelt during WWII with locating and rescuing pieces of art from the Nazis. The challenge for these men is that they are put upon this task to search for these artifacts, many of which are trapped behind enemy lines.

It becomes a race not only to find the pieces but to prevent their destruction at the hands of the German Army under orders of Hitler himself. The film demonstrates that culture and history are vital to civilization’s memory. With a war of this scale, The Monuments Men demonstrates one of the many aspects of humanity that was endangered. It also reminds audiences that there are many stories still be told from the World War II era. The performances of Bill Murray, John Goodman, and Bob Balaban outshine that of George Clooney Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. Despite this being an all-star cast, it does not detract from the story and the way that it is portrayed on screen. Audiences will find themselves emotionally connected to some of the characters, images, and the overall story.
  
Mia and Nattie One Great Team!
Mia and Nattie One Great Team!
Marlene M. Bell | 2020 | Children
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have you ever loved an animal so much you considered it your best friend? Did you talk to it and tell it all your problems? I know I did. Marlene M. Bell does a fantastic job bringing to life the very best of our pet-loving memories, and she does it in such an enchanting way!

  I was drawn into this cute story from the very first page. You can tell that the author and illustrator worked well together by the way each illustration shows the emotions on the page, and in this case, they were memory-invoking for me. I loved Mia’s attitude and caring nature. She never gave up or lost hope for Nattie. Instead, Mia time and time again persevered in the face of defeat. She truly showed how much she cared about Nattie’s well-being.

<b>“MIA HAD TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
MIA COULDN’T BREAK NATTIE’S HEART.”</b>

  I also enjoyed the progression of the story and how Marlene M. Bell developed the story in an easy-flowing way that any age could understand. Her word choices were not too basic that older children would not enjoy the story (I mean I enjoyed it), yet they were still simple enough that even very young kids would enjoy this book too. Especially if you make sounds
  
TW
The Women of Primrose Square
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
79 of 235
Book
The Women of Primrose Square
By Claudia Carroll
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Frank Woods at number seventy-nine Primrose Square is about to turn fifty, and nobody seems to care. His friends are all busy; his wife and children have other plans. After years of being 'Mr Cellophane', he decides, finally, to do something for himself. But when he gets home to a surprise birthday party, it is his guests who get the real surprise.

Standing in the doorway is not Frank, but Francesca.

As she transitions, Francesca struggles to come to terms with her true self, and her relationship with her family is thrown into turmoil. At a loss of where to turn, she moves in with her cantankerous neighbour Miss Hardcastle, who hasn't left her home for decades. There she befriends fellow lodger Emily Dunne - fresh out of rehab, finally off the drink and desperate to make amends.

As gossip spreads through Primrose Square and every relationship is tested, nothing in this close-knit community will ever be the same again . . .

I really enjoyed this from start to finish. I enjoyed the first book and this was just as good if not better. Dealing with some very difficult situations from the start. Well written and lovely ended. An author I will be re more of.
  
Before This is Over
Before This is Over
Amanda Hickie | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The blurb of this book, sounds a little bit like the one for the dystopian book, where everybody dies and you survive, but it was far away from it. This was really dark and emotional journey, where wrong decisions could kill your family.

The main character in this book was Hannah, a wife and mother of two boys. Normally I really enjoy reading books, told from different perspectives, but in this case, the whole story was told from Hannah’s perspective only, and it didn’t leave me disappointed. I really liked the relationship which this family was sharing: the support and understanding between Hannah and her husband were very strong, and I also enjoyed reading about their parenting techniques, there is something new to learn. &#x1f642; The characters who really annoyed me were the children. I am not a very big fan of kids, and they got on my nerves really bad in this book (children will remain, children, I get it…) I really liked Hannah as a character, she was doing everything she could to survive those horrible weeks in isolation, and I really respected her decisions, even though sometimes they used to be really harsh.

The plot of this book was concentrated around Hannah’s house, sometimes including some news about next door neighbours. This book was quite long, and sometimes the chapters used to drag a little, but one thing I liked, that when you think everything is going to be ok, Hickie throws in a challenge for the family to face. That’s what kept me going and interested in this book. I was curious whats next, how and when this all epidemic is going to finish.

The writing style was very creative and pleasant to read. The chapters were too long for my liking and it really dragged sometimes. I really liked the idea of using a calendar symbol to mark the new chapters, I think it was creative and something new. The ending of this book rounded the whole story quite good. However, it left me wondering, what happened to the other characters, who came along the way. So, to conclude, this is a really emotionally challenging novel about survival and choosing whats best for your family. I do strongly recommend to give it a try, I really enjoyed this adventure.