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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Say You're Sorry (Romantic Suspense, #22; Sacramento, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
When a serial killer targets Daisy Dawson, he doesn't expect her to fight back. But she does, and she manages to grab the locket he wears around his neck during the struggle. This locket connects to a cult that Agent Gideon Reynolds of the FBI escaped when he was only 13 years old. He is driven to find that cult and expose them, saving the women and children from their psychotic leader's tyranny. This serial killer is Gideon's one tangible connection to the cult. He's assigned to Daisy to protect her from the killer and hopefully draw him out. Daisy and Gideon have undeniable chemistry, and Gideon quickly realizes that Daisy isn't as helpless as he thought she was...
Karen Rose is one of my favorite authors and I just loved this book like all her others!
I just enjoyed this book so much. The author once again has outdone herself on creating a new set of characters and bringing in a couple of old favorites.
Gideon and Daisy are great together and I just love the chemistry and humor that they have with each other.
The twist and turns are just perfect and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat! Once I started this I could not put it down at all. If you have never read a Karen Rose novel now is the perfect time to do so.
I truly can't wait for the continuation of this series!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline and author Karen Rose for sending me the digital ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
Karen Rose is one of my favorite authors and I just loved this book like all her others!
I just enjoyed this book so much. The author once again has outdone herself on creating a new set of characters and bringing in a couple of old favorites.
Gideon and Daisy are great together and I just love the chemistry and humor that they have with each other.
The twist and turns are just perfect and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat! Once I started this I could not put it down at all. If you have never read a Karen Rose novel now is the perfect time to do so.
I truly can't wait for the continuation of this series!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline and author Karen Rose for sending me the digital ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
This is only a fairly short book with a limited focus, but nevertheless I found it very interesting. It's odd really, because opinion on the subject tends to be so polarised that it's easy to lose sight of a few simple facts and some of what Ashdown-Hill presents here should really be so obvious! For starters, for all the association of Bosworth with Richard III he didn't know it was going to happen and obviously didn't go in 'knowing' that he was going to be defeated - hindsight may be a great thing, but not if you want to look at historical events in context!
The Portuguese marriage proposals was something that I did know about, but here it's presented so logically it makes absolute sense. The chosen bride was a princes of Portugal, with a Spanish Infanta also in the playing as a reserve option. Both of these princesses were descended from the legitimate and senior branch of the House of Lancaster! Furthermore, it seems that a Portuguese marriage was also in the offing for Elizabeth of York. That being so, the letter supposedly written by her (reported by Buck, but now seemingly lost) makes more sense as does the confusion over Richard II wanting to marry Elizabeth, his niece, which never made any real sort of sense as, if we accept the truth of the Eleanor Butler pre-contract, then the children of Edward IV by Elizabeth Woodville were undoubtedly illegitimate, so there would be absolutely no point in Richard marrying her. On the other hand, Elizabeth and her sisters were the closest things available to Royal Princesses to be traded on the dynastic marriage market.
The Portuguese marriage proposals was something that I did know about, but here it's presented so logically it makes absolute sense. The chosen bride was a princes of Portugal, with a Spanish Infanta also in the playing as a reserve option. Both of these princesses were descended from the legitimate and senior branch of the House of Lancaster! Furthermore, it seems that a Portuguese marriage was also in the offing for Elizabeth of York. That being so, the letter supposedly written by her (reported by Buck, but now seemingly lost) makes more sense as does the confusion over Richard II wanting to marry Elizabeth, his niece, which never made any real sort of sense as, if we accept the truth of the Eleanor Butler pre-contract, then the children of Edward IV by Elizabeth Woodville were undoubtedly illegitimate, so there would be absolutely no point in Richard marrying her. On the other hand, Elizabeth and her sisters were the closest things available to Royal Princesses to be traded on the dynastic marriage market.
ML
Mei-Mei's Lucky Birthday Noodles: A Loving Story of Adoption, Chinese Culture and a Special Birthday Treat
Shan-Shan Chen and Heidi Goodman
Book
A loving story of adoption, Chinese culture and a special birthday treat Mei-Mei is Chinese but not...
ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Pull of the Stars in Books
Nov 8, 2020
This book, and in particular the Audible version that I listened to, really pulled me into the world of 1918 Dublin. This isn’t a story for the faint-hearted. It’s really graphic and gory in a lot of places, and it portrayed just what life was like for women in Ireland at this time. Childbirth was portrayed as a punishment, babies being still born equally so. This was a time where it was normal for women in Ireland to birth baby after baby: on average ten.
Nurse Julia Power is unmarried at 30 and seems to be happy with that, as she sees women whose bodies are worn out from giving birth so many times and so closely together, women who have been abused by their fathers and forced to bear their children, women who have conceived their babies outside of marriage and will be forced to give them up - as well as young women who have been institutionalised from birth and forced to give up their lives to repay the nuns who raised them through free labour (Magdalene laundries). Like I said, this was no time to be a woman. The abuse and poor treatment of the women on the ward is alluded to, but never explicit.
Whilst most of the story takes place on the quarantined labour ward, we do get a glimpse in to the home life of Nurse Power, and it was interesting to see how the war had impacted on and affected her brother.
This is a beautifully told story packed full of heart. It may not have been my best move to read it during a pandemic, but nevertheless, I absolutely loved it.
Nurse Julia Power is unmarried at 30 and seems to be happy with that, as she sees women whose bodies are worn out from giving birth so many times and so closely together, women who have been abused by their fathers and forced to bear their children, women who have conceived their babies outside of marriage and will be forced to give them up - as well as young women who have been institutionalised from birth and forced to give up their lives to repay the nuns who raised them through free labour (Magdalene laundries). Like I said, this was no time to be a woman. The abuse and poor treatment of the women on the ward is alluded to, but never explicit.
Whilst most of the story takes place on the quarantined labour ward, we do get a glimpse in to the home life of Nurse Power, and it was interesting to see how the war had impacted on and affected her brother.
This is a beautifully told story packed full of heart. It may not have been my best move to read it during a pandemic, but nevertheless, I absolutely loved it.
Mary Ellen Mark recommended Ikiru (1952) in Movies (curated)
Grocery list. Easy shopping list
Shopping and Productivity
App
"Happiness is not in money but in Shopping" said Marilyn Monroe. Comfortable and functional app ...
Jewels of the Crown
10.0
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Book
Emotionally unrecognisable to all who knew him before, Lawrence Gunvald is more than the king of...
Werewolves
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Shrines of Gaiety in Books
Dec 5, 2022
What can I write to do this book justice, other than say “just read it?” I have to admit to not having read much Kate Atkinson before - only the first Jackson Brodie novel, which I loved - but I really feel I should read more of her books!
Shrines of Gaiety is set in the 1920’s, post First World War, and encompasses post war life with all of its excesses, poverty, grief and debauchery.
Nellie Coker is a self made woman who owns a series of nightclubs in London. She’s a single mother, and five of her six children help her to run her empire (the sixth is too young). How she came to own these clubs is a mystery. But the chances are that it wasn’t legal money!
Then there are the 14 year old runaways, Freda and Florence, who want to take to the stage to find fame and fortune.
Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher is determined to bring Nellie Coker and her corrupt empire down, as well as the corrupt police officers that support her. He also becomes involved in the search for the two runaways, thanks to Gwendoline Kelling, a librarian who has inherited a considerable amount of money. She’s a friend of one of the runaways sister, and vows to find her.
I won’t just regurgitate the story, that’s no fun, and you need to read this book for yourself! Needless to say, I loved these characters - the whole novel in fact! It’s a gripping, entertaining story, and it was a joy to read.
Very highly recommended.
Oh, and for the book cover fans, it’s a gorgeous one!
Shrines of Gaiety is set in the 1920’s, post First World War, and encompasses post war life with all of its excesses, poverty, grief and debauchery.
Nellie Coker is a self made woman who owns a series of nightclubs in London. She’s a single mother, and five of her six children help her to run her empire (the sixth is too young). How she came to own these clubs is a mystery. But the chances are that it wasn’t legal money!
Then there are the 14 year old runaways, Freda and Florence, who want to take to the stage to find fame and fortune.
Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher is determined to bring Nellie Coker and her corrupt empire down, as well as the corrupt police officers that support her. He also becomes involved in the search for the two runaways, thanks to Gwendoline Kelling, a librarian who has inherited a considerable amount of money. She’s a friend of one of the runaways sister, and vows to find her.
I won’t just regurgitate the story, that’s no fun, and you need to read this book for yourself! Needless to say, I loved these characters - the whole novel in fact! It’s a gripping, entertaining story, and it was a joy to read.
Very highly recommended.
Oh, and for the book cover fans, it’s a gorgeous one!
The Storyteller of Auschwitz
9.0
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Book
Auschwitz, 1942. ‘When this is all over, you will be able to tell the world what they did to...
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Still Alice (2015) in Movies
Mar 21, 2019
Kristin Stewart's character (3 more)
Alec Baldwin's character
Not true to the book
Watered-down Chen I read the book, I was immersed
Very disappointing
Contains spoilers, click to show
When I read the book, I was immersed with what it was like to have early onset Alzheimer's disease. It was horrifying and painful and I could understand the painful decisions Alice made and the complexity and beauty of the betrayal of her husband. None of this was portrayed in the movie. One of the most terrifying scenes in the book is when Alice mistakes a brown throw rug as a hole in the floor and is too frightened to get near it to answer her door or walk to her bathroom. She could not understand the texture of the rug and that she could simply walk across it. Instead, she curled up in fear and urinating on herself while waiting hours or days for someone to rescue her. Early onset Alzheimer's and the physical and psychological symptoms were not described as well as they were in the book so the film lacked real drama. Also, the relationships between Alice and her husband, Alice and her children, especially Kristin Stewart's character were extremely vague, so they didn't really make sense in the movie.
The only good thing in the film was Julienne Moore's performance. Even though the script was extremely watered down, Moore did the best she could with the material. If they had included more of what was in the book, Moore would have shined. She's an amazing actress and this role was meant for her. It's a shame the script didn't allow her to perform her heart out, which she would have done given the chance.
I'm disgusted by either the screenwriter or director who chose to leave out the most poignant aspects of the book and in their, and all filmmakers, choice to dumb down movies to appeal to the American public by always finishing with a happy ending. There is beauty in pain. There is beauty in death. There is beauty is release. Filmmakers should know that.
The only good thing in the film was Julienne Moore's performance. Even though the script was extremely watered down, Moore did the best she could with the material. If they had included more of what was in the book, Moore would have shined. She's an amazing actress and this role was meant for her. It's a shame the script didn't allow her to perform her heart out, which she would have done given the chance.
I'm disgusted by either the screenwriter or director who chose to leave out the most poignant aspects of the book and in their, and all filmmakers, choice to dumb down movies to appeal to the American public by always finishing with a happy ending. There is beauty in pain. There is beauty in death. There is beauty is release. Filmmakers should know that.