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Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss, and Finding the Courage Within
Book
"The terrible truth is that I felt lost without the control that Russell had imposed on me for the...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Mother May I in Books
Dec 21, 2020
After loving Joshilyn Jackson's novel Never Have I Ever, I definitely knew I wanted to read Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson. Jackson is a brilliant writer, and I was drawn in by the synopsis of this story. I was not disappointed at all!
Bree has everything and wants for nothing. She has three fantastic children, a loving husband, and plenty of money. She starts seeing an old woman that looks like a witch looking through her bedroom window and then again at her daughters' school. When her infant son keeps kidnapped from her daughters' school, it sets something sinister in motion. If Bree wants to see her son alive again, she has to agree to do some pretty messed up things. However, as Bree gets sucked in further and further, she learns some pretty crazy things about those she thought she knew.
First off, the world building for Mother May I was done so fantastically! It was so easy to get sucked into this book. I could easily imagine every little thing that happened throughout Mother May I as I was reading. The pacing was perfect. I found myself never wanting to put this book down. Not once did it ever slow down to become boring or speed up that I got lost. I wanted to make sure baby Robert was safe, and I was also frantic when he went missing and Bree was doing all she could to get him back. I didn't feel like there were any major plot twists. There are a few minor ones though. There is no cliff hanger ending, and all loose ends are tied up by the end of the book. I did enjoy how the book ended though. Mother May I definitely shows was having wealth and privilege can do for you even when you do something bad, so kudos to this book for bringing it to the forefront.
I felt that all the characters in Mother May I were well rounded and developed. It was easy to relate to Bree throughout the book. As a mother myself, I felt her fear and worry at her son being kidnapped. (That's one of my worst nightmares!) I never once blamed her for what she did to make sure her son would be safe and so she could get him back. I'm pretty sure I would do the same as she did. I loved that she came from humble beginnings as well. I loved her backstory. Marshall was such a stand up guy to help out Bree. It was obvious how much he cared for Bree. I admit that I was wary of him throughout the book. I kept waiting for him to somehow be involved in Robert's disappearance. Trey seemed like a stand up guy with how he treated Bree and how much he loved her although Trey was another one I was wary of. I also kept thinking he had something to do with Robert's disappearance. Coral was another one that I could kind of understand her hurt for what happened to her daughter. While I don't agree at all with what she did as an act of revenge (not a spoiler), I knew her heart was hurting for her daughter and what she went through. Coral was a fantastic antagonist though.
Trigger warnings for Mother May I include rape, sexual situations, drug use, drinking, murder, suicide, death, child murder, swearing, and kidnapping.
With such wonderful characters and fantastic world building, Mother May I is a book deserving of such high praise. It goes to show how unfair the world is and how money talks in a well done story. I would definitely recommend Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson to those aged 18+ who are after a book with a fantastic storyline and a great cast of characters.
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(A special thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a paperback ARC of Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson. I was under no obligation to write a review.)
Bree has everything and wants for nothing. She has three fantastic children, a loving husband, and plenty of money. She starts seeing an old woman that looks like a witch looking through her bedroom window and then again at her daughters' school. When her infant son keeps kidnapped from her daughters' school, it sets something sinister in motion. If Bree wants to see her son alive again, she has to agree to do some pretty messed up things. However, as Bree gets sucked in further and further, she learns some pretty crazy things about those she thought she knew.
First off, the world building for Mother May I was done so fantastically! It was so easy to get sucked into this book. I could easily imagine every little thing that happened throughout Mother May I as I was reading. The pacing was perfect. I found myself never wanting to put this book down. Not once did it ever slow down to become boring or speed up that I got lost. I wanted to make sure baby Robert was safe, and I was also frantic when he went missing and Bree was doing all she could to get him back. I didn't feel like there were any major plot twists. There are a few minor ones though. There is no cliff hanger ending, and all loose ends are tied up by the end of the book. I did enjoy how the book ended though. Mother May I definitely shows was having wealth and privilege can do for you even when you do something bad, so kudos to this book for bringing it to the forefront.
I felt that all the characters in Mother May I were well rounded and developed. It was easy to relate to Bree throughout the book. As a mother myself, I felt her fear and worry at her son being kidnapped. (That's one of my worst nightmares!) I never once blamed her for what she did to make sure her son would be safe and so she could get him back. I'm pretty sure I would do the same as she did. I loved that she came from humble beginnings as well. I loved her backstory. Marshall was such a stand up guy to help out Bree. It was obvious how much he cared for Bree. I admit that I was wary of him throughout the book. I kept waiting for him to somehow be involved in Robert's disappearance. Trey seemed like a stand up guy with how he treated Bree and how much he loved her although Trey was another one I was wary of. I also kept thinking he had something to do with Robert's disappearance. Coral was another one that I could kind of understand her hurt for what happened to her daughter. While I don't agree at all with what she did as an act of revenge (not a spoiler), I knew her heart was hurting for her daughter and what she went through. Coral was a fantastic antagonist though.
Trigger warnings for Mother May I include rape, sexual situations, drug use, drinking, murder, suicide, death, child murder, swearing, and kidnapping.
With such wonderful characters and fantastic world building, Mother May I is a book deserving of such high praise. It goes to show how unfair the world is and how money talks in a well done story. I would definitely recommend Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson to those aged 18+ who are after a book with a fantastic storyline and a great cast of characters.
--
(A special thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a paperback ARC of Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson. I was under no obligation to write a review.)
Kurt Vile recommended The Sun Years by Jerry Lee Lewis in Music (curated)
Becs (244 KP) rated Travels with Sushi in the Land of the Mind in Books
Feb 10, 2020
Trigger Warnings: violent threats, kidnapping, murder, death, violence
I received a physical ARC from Smith Publicity to read and review for my honest opinion. I would firstly like to thank the author and publisher for the ARC. I would secondly like to say that everything stated down below is my own honest opinion and is no way skewed to be positive just for the sake of the free ARC.
When I first started Travels with Sushi in the Land of the Mind, I was absolutely intrigued with the story and the characters. This story was basically an Alice in Wonderland inspired novel about Quantum Mechanics and Morals. It was an instant love kind of thing and I started holding a higher expectation for the story right then and there. And the story held my interest for the first couple of chapters, wowing me as I wasn’t expecting the turn the story took. But things soon turned and I started dragging through the reading, not wanting to even pick it up to finish.
As I grew further into the book and closer to the end, the story lost a bit of it’s lackluster. I just felt like the story dragged on and was adding far too many details than what was needed. There was also the fact that parts of the plot grew confusing. What really threw me for a loop were the specific scenes and topics that were shown / talked about. These scenes and topics were defiantly not something that I would have expected to see in a children’s middle grade novel. Especially when the audience was perceived to be a younger age group.
The one positive thing that really drew my interest into the story and actually kept me reading, were all of the Quantum Mechanics and Moral lessons that were littered throughout the text. These lessons really shone brighter than the negatives and I am thankful that they were included. And honestly, this was a nice touch to this story.
Overall, this was an entertaining read but the author seemed to want to include far too much in such a small book. Resulting in an overwhelming world where each element was overlooked more than what was needed. Leaving these elements to seem like a bore.
I received a physical ARC from Smith Publicity to read and review for my honest opinion. I would firstly like to thank the author and publisher for the ARC. I would secondly like to say that everything stated down below is my own honest opinion and is no way skewed to be positive just for the sake of the free ARC.
When I first started Travels with Sushi in the Land of the Mind, I was absolutely intrigued with the story and the characters. This story was basically an Alice in Wonderland inspired novel about Quantum Mechanics and Morals. It was an instant love kind of thing and I started holding a higher expectation for the story right then and there. And the story held my interest for the first couple of chapters, wowing me as I wasn’t expecting the turn the story took. But things soon turned and I started dragging through the reading, not wanting to even pick it up to finish.
As I grew further into the book and closer to the end, the story lost a bit of it’s lackluster. I just felt like the story dragged on and was adding far too many details than what was needed. There was also the fact that parts of the plot grew confusing. What really threw me for a loop were the specific scenes and topics that were shown / talked about. These scenes and topics were defiantly not something that I would have expected to see in a children’s middle grade novel. Especially when the audience was perceived to be a younger age group.
The one positive thing that really drew my interest into the story and actually kept me reading, were all of the Quantum Mechanics and Moral lessons that were littered throughout the text. These lessons really shone brighter than the negatives and I am thankful that they were included. And honestly, this was a nice touch to this story.
Overall, this was an entertaining read but the author seemed to want to include far too much in such a small book. Resulting in an overwhelming world where each element was overlooked more than what was needed. Leaving these elements to seem like a bore.
The Irish: A Photohistory
Sean Sexton and Christine Kinealy
Book
The first Irish photographs date from 1840, a year after Louis Daguerre announced to the world his...
DS
Domoruchorit: Stunning Tales from Bengali Adda
Troilokyonath Mukhopadhyay and Arnab Bhattacharya
Book
Troilokyonath Mukhopadhyay (1847-1919) is one of the foremost writers of fiction of...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Expecting Danger (Small Town Guardians Book 2) in Books
Feb 23, 2021
This is my first time reading a book by Jennifer Pierce and I really enjoyed the way she wove her suspenseful story! I was hooked from the very first chapter by the plight of the main character, I mean imagine being on the run at eight months pregnant! The characters were well done, easy to get to know, and both had good character depth for the length of the story. I thought it was a very well written book with interesting twists and turns that kept my interest easily.
It is the second book in a series, but I read it without reading the first book and wasn’t lost at all, but I am going to go back and read the first book since I liked this one so much.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great mystery/suspense, for the character's interactions, and for leaving me anticipating the next book!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
It is the second book in a series, but I read it without reading the first book and wasn’t lost at all, but I am going to go back and read the first book since I liked this one so much.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great mystery/suspense, for the character's interactions, and for leaving me anticipating the next book!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The King in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Started reading back in 2015 and lost interest. Now starting it again (26/03/18)
3.5 stars.
So I got into this a lot more the second time of trying, though it still took me a few months to finish it. I think I forgot about all the other side stories that take place in these books but after a while, I fell back into the series.
Admittedly, I have forgot a lot of the previous tales since it's been so long but I remember various Brothers like V, Rhage and Z. I think those three stood out for me a lot more and were some of my faves in this series.
One thing that did stand out to me though was the lack of hunting lessers. None of the guys seemed to be going out hunting the enemy apart from Xcor and co. But I think it was mentioned that none of them were allowed to leave? I can't remember why though.
I will be reading Trez's story at some point but I'm not in a hurry.
3.5 stars.
So I got into this a lot more the second time of trying, though it still took me a few months to finish it. I think I forgot about all the other side stories that take place in these books but after a while, I fell back into the series.
Admittedly, I have forgot a lot of the previous tales since it's been so long but I remember various Brothers like V, Rhage and Z. I think those three stood out for me a lot more and were some of my faves in this series.
One thing that did stand out to me though was the lack of hunting lessers. None of the guys seemed to be going out hunting the enemy apart from Xcor and co. But I think it was mentioned that none of them were allowed to leave? I can't remember why though.
I will be reading Trez's story at some point but I'm not in a hurry.
Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019
How to find the words, because I'm first and foremost saying nothing about the movie, and secondly I'm truly at a loss to find words worthy enough to describe how amazing this movie is and the emotions I felt watching it. Supposedly it had a run time of three hours, but I was so sucked into the movie it went by in a snap; see what I did there? I don't think I realized just how emotionally invested I was in these characters until this movie. The past 11 years and 21 movies has been so truly special. The thought and time put into planning out the MCU universe and connecting every single one of these movies is something magical that has never been done in cinema to this level. We've been by their side in every battle, loved and lost right there with them. All leading up to this moment. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. Stan Lee, wherever you are in the ethers of the universe, much love.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The 15:17 To Paris (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Three Americans discover a terrorist plot aboard a train while in France.
This was an interesting movie. I liked the fact that the actual people involved played their parts, it made it feel a little rough but also made it seem a lot more real. I can't really pick it apart too much, I enjoyed the progression and you engage well with the main players... but I do have one point to raise that ruined the end of the film for me, and lost it a star...
The last thing we see is the reenactment of the Legion Of Honour ceremony where they were presented with medals by French president François Hollande. They spliced in original file footage of the event with the film, which had it just been added at the end would have made a lovely ending. What they did was mix it with "re-shot" footage so that they could get the actor family reaction shots in, which meant a different quality of film and a very dodgy stand in for Hollande.
This was an interesting movie. I liked the fact that the actual people involved played their parts, it made it feel a little rough but also made it seem a lot more real. I can't really pick it apart too much, I enjoyed the progression and you engage well with the main players... but I do have one point to raise that ruined the end of the film for me, and lost it a star...
The last thing we see is the reenactment of the Legion Of Honour ceremony where they were presented with medals by French president François Hollande. They spliced in original file footage of the event with the film, which had it just been added at the end would have made a lovely ending. What they did was mix it with "re-shot" footage so that they could get the actor family reaction shots in, which meant a different quality of film and a very dodgy stand in for Hollande.