Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated A Proclivity to Prurience: Obsession Comes with a Price in Books
Jun 6, 2019
From a very early age, Joe has had a thing about his best friend’s mum Abbie. After the loss of his own mother and being removed from his abusive father, Joe goes to live with Eddie under Abbie’s watchful eye. However, as Joe grows older his obsession for Abbie (and not being able to have her) develops into a promiscuous lifestyle and a hatred for long term relationships. So much so, his love life is just a string of one night stands with anyone who will have him. And if they don’t want him? He’ll make damn sure they do… sometimes to the point where he almost forces them. He’s a game player and proud of it.
Years later, Abbie and Joe finally get it together one night, and Joe is seriously contemplating settling down with her, but it is not a happy beginning for them. That same night, there’s a fatality which turns both their lives around in a blink of an eye and to Joe’s horror, Abbie ups and leaves. For Joe, Abbie’s “mistreatment” of him is not something he can handle well. He’s always been the one to end relationships before they even start, not the other way around! Plus this is Abbie; the woman he’s been obsessing about all these years. How could she do this to him?
This book is full of characters living their lives as they think they know best, and of course, mistakes are made, and plenty of drama unfolds along the way. I felt sorry for Joe, and his inability to hold down relationships. There were even times I didn’t like his character much, but thanks to Cheryl Butler’s articulate writing style – the discoveries I found as her characters revealed their backstories through their thoughts and feelings – provided a deeper insight to better understand why some characters behaved how they did.
That said, it was a compelling, and passionate story with intriguing characters and an ending that was left open for more to come. I cannot wait to see what happens next because it’s clearly not finished yet. An intelligent and provocative read.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Secrets of a Fangirl in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Hello, my name is Sophia, and I am a fangirl of many forms. A book with the word "fangirl" on it? YES PLEASE. You know you have my attention.
<h2><em><strong>Secrets of a Fangirl </strong></em><strong>is a book about a fangirl.</strong></h2>
AKA ME! And you, because you've got to be obsessed with something here. Maybe it's over a book or a show or even a movie.
(Are there secrets? Yes, but not deep, dark secrets.)
But namely, <em>Secrets of a Fangirl</em> is about Sarah Anne and her obsession with the MK Nightshade fandom, something she's been a fan of since she first discovered it. While her best friend Roxy has grown out of the series, Sarah Anne remains a fan secretly. She keeps her identity under wraps with a set of rules and continues to do so as she wins a place on a panel for a contest. But during the panel, she finds out her competition disregards her completely, and she wants to prove them wrong by winning the next part of the contest.
<h3><strong>Sarah Anne's parents are with her and I am all for it.</strong></h3>
I love how Sarah Anne's parents are with her the entire time. They show their support and they help her navigate the digital world as she makes her way through the contest. It's something that's important in a world of media, and I'm happy Dionne includes this in the novel.
<h2><strong>Dionne's latest novel is full of moods.</strong></h2>
I opened <em>Secrets of a Fangirl</em> and got swallowed up by the book (maybe it's the other way around). Dionne creates a protagonist all of us can relate to in some way. Throughout the book, Sarah Anne struggles with who she is and who she wants to be: does she embrace her inner nerd or continue stifling it? How can she continue to be who she is while not hiding a vital part of herself?
<em><strong>Secrets of a Fangirl</strong></em><strong> is a fun and quick read from Erin Dionne, with a protagonist that I cheered from the beginning of the novel to the end.</strong>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/secrets-of-a-fangirl-by-erin-dionne-were-all-sarah-anne/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Death by the River in Books
Jan 23, 2020
What the fuck did I read.
SERIOUSLY. What the fuck did I read. And why the fuck did I suffer for more pages than necessary?
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2767" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2017/08/what-the-fuck-300x149.gif" alt="" width="300" height="149" />
<h2><strong>Contrary to all the raving reviews and praise for this book, <i>Death by the River</i> is boring as fuck (at least at the beginning). If any death occurred at the river, it was yours truly from pure boredom. 😴</strong></h2>
Beau Deveraux is the catch of a lifetime on the outside with his good looks and reputation. But on the inside, he's a psychopath, becoming obsessed with his girlfriend Dawn's twin sister, Leslie. She wants no association with Beau and warns Dawn to do the same.
<h2><strong>Good god, there is so much repetition.🙄</strong></h2>
The book nails this fact into our heads repeatedly, chapter after the chapter, and it's one of the main reasons why I couldn't stand <i>Death by the River</i>. I get it - Beau is nice and chummy but secretly evil and Leslie sees right through the facade. Everyone else is a lamb, all nice and innocent to Beau's ways.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3903" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/06/innocent.gif" alt="" width="245" height="245" />
<h2><strong>Then there's pacing plus the repetition. 😣</strong></h2>
It was slowwwww. Maybe it's the writing style, but gosh, I made it to 52% and nothing really happened except:
~ Beau's obsession with Leslie
~ Leslie's uninterest in Beau
~ Everyone's awe of Beau
~ PARTAYYYYYYYY
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4110" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/03/1393884189450_gatsby--300x128.gif" alt="" width="300" height="128" />
And two sexual assaults with no death actually happening except for the death of the victim's reputation, which is expected, considering the book <i>is</i> about sexual assault.
But ultimately, <i>Death by the River</i> fell flatter than a green onion pancake for me.
Just a side note, but green onion pancakes are delicious. I think I insulted them greatly. Green onion pancakes do not deserve this comparison.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/death-by-the-river-by-alexandrea-weis-and-lucas-astor/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
Mar 19, 2020
I'm not sure there's much I can say about this popular book that hasn't been said before. I'm often hesitant to read hyped books, fearing a letdown, but I really enjoyed this one. It's mesmerizing, drawing you into Shaker Heights, as one event keeps leading to another, things unfolding before your eyes. Disaster, you know, is waiting right around the corner.
Ng flirts constantly with the idea of being different--Pearl, for instance, isn't sure she likes being different--and loves spending time with the Richardson kids, who seem so average and normal. There are others who are scared of being different. We see different ideas of conformity. And the thread of fires--big and small--real and metaphorical--throughout the entire novel. Ng is an excellent writer; I was really impressed with how everything tied together. She captures the everyday moments so well.
The whole book was incredibly compelling; I had not realized that there was a mystery element to this one, as Elena digs into Mia's past. I was fascinated, and I loved how real each of the characters seemed. The four Richardson kids are unique in their own way, and of course, Mia, Elena, and Pearl are quite captivating. The world-building and storytelling here is amazing.
Overall, this book is just fascinating. I was hooked from the beginning and awed by the excellent writing, as well. I'm extremely curious how this will translate to tv (and what liberties they will take with the story). 4.5 stars.
Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author
Rosemary Ashton and Edward John Trelawny
Book
In February 1822 the writer and adventurer Edward John Trelawny arrived in Pisa to make the...
Unpossible
Games
App
Unpossible will test your skills, your reflexes, and even your memory. It will make you smile. It...
A Dark Spring (Stories That Twist & Tangle)
Laura N. Andrews, R.M. Gilmore, M. Billiter, Kenneth Jobe, Barb Shuler, M.C. St. John, Ricky Wells and Kim Deister
Book
Eight original tales of suspense that will tangle your senses and keep you gripped. From murder to...
Suspense
Purple People
Book
There s a curiously coloured scheme afoot in Blighty. In an effort to tackle dispiriting, spiralling...
Marked Yours (Sentries #1)
Book
When one society fell, assaulted by natural disaster, in its place rose another, molded into...
Action Adventure Science Fiction Futuristic MM Romance
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Just One Look in Books
Aug 12, 2021
"He has no idea that I have access to every corner of his life. Even the dusty ones."
This was a perfectly fine thriller, though I found it a little bland. I think it's because I'm so over unreliable alcoholic narrators. For me, that trope is just done. I lose sympathy for the protagonist at that point and just stop caring. Cassie is just an insane train wreck of a character. The whole book felt like watching one, honestly. The premise here is that she's abandoned by her mother at a young age, hence making her unstable and leading to a series of incidents (including the one where she came unglued at her law firm). But I could never quite buy why she became so obsessed with Forest Watts and his wife.
"Eyes aren't the windows to the soul. Emails are."
Most of the book focuses on Cassie's preoccupation with Forest--starting with the emails and then branching out into real life. The girl is committed, I will give you that. She creates a binder on the Watts and everything. If only she was that dedicated to something more productive. There's also a subplot with her temp co-worker, Dalton. Then with about 10 to 15% of the book left, the plot takes a complete turn and things get more exciting. However, nothing that happened previously really seemed to gel with that plot twist, so I found it all a little odd. It was a strange, out of left field turn.
Overall, I found this book interesting enough that I kept reading, so I'm still giving it 3 stars. But it was a strange ride, to say the least. Others liked it more than me, so take my review with a grain of salt.
I received a copy of this book from Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.