Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Eight Hundred Grapes in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Synchronization is the theme of this novel. All things happen for a reason. Because this happened(or didn't)thatwas able to take place(or not). Georgia Ford is living as an attorney in Los Angeles when her world is turned upside down. She runs home to her family's winery in Sebastopol during the final harvest of the year. Final harvest is always a big deal for the Ford family and this year, even more so.
I LOVED this book! It showed so many different family dynamics and so many emotions. It made me laugh and cry. This novel felt so real to me, I could see myself in this setting. I picture myself reading this novel on the porch of the winemaker's cottage looking out over the winery, enjoying a glass of Block-14. The imagery is that vivid. I could definitely see this book becoming a major motion picture.
Kudos to Laura Dave for writing an incredible novel that many will love.
Do-it-yourself Woodwork in the Home: a Practical, Illustrated Guide to All the Basic Woodworking Tasks, in Step-by-step Pictures
Book
It is a practical, illustrated guide to all the basic woodworking tasks, in step-by-step pictures....
Sivapuranam
Music and Lifestyle
App
The Shiva Purana or Shiva Mahapurana is one of the puranas (a genre of Hindu religious texts),...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Blink Once in Books
Jun 7, 2018
I bought this book as a gift to myself because, well, I can never have enough books! The synopsis of the book sounded really good, and I was kind of right.
West ends up in hospital paralysed from the neck down after a biking accident. He thinks that life will never get any better until he meets the alluring Olivia who is in the next room. Soon, she's sneaking in to his room to see him whenever she can. He communicates with her by blinking his eyes once for yes and twice for no. West starts having some strange dreams whilst in hospital. He can't but help to feel that his dreams and the hospital he's in are somehow connected. And what's the deal with Olivia? Why is she in hospital?
I thought the title of this book kind of suits it. West does use blinking for communicating, but that's about it. I don't really see the significance of the title "Blink Once." The author could've chose another title that's better suited to the book, but I suppose Blink Once suits it a bit.
The cover, like the title sort of suits the book. It's just a picture of a girl laying down, possibly sleeping. I'm assuming it's Olivia. It seems that most YA books these days take the easy route of picking out a design for their cover but just putting up a photo of one of the main characters. Meh, like I said, it's an okay cover, but it could've been better. It does relate to the book though so I suppose that's something.
There's not much to say about the setting. About 98 percent of the book takes place in a hospital. The other places the book takes place is in memories in West's mind for the most part.
The pacing started out so so so slowly. I was thinking how disappointed I was in this book especially as I actually paid money for it. I had to force myself to read it, but I'm glad I did. About 65 percent of the way through the book, the pacing of the book picks up. It becomes a fascinating read. Of this, I was very thankful. Once I got to where the book had decent pacing, I couldn't put the book down. I was wondering if I was actually reading the same book as the pacing was totally opposite for awhile.
The dialogue is good for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book, but it's not too much. I liked the way the characters, especially the boys, came across as being "real" teenagers, as in talking about how hot a girl was and that sort of thing. A lot of YA books seem to make their teenage characters appear to be more adult. It was so refreshing to see the characters acting their age.
As for the characters, I must admit, at first I couldn't care less about what happened to West and Olivia or what was going to happen to them. When the book actually got going, I started falling in love with West and Olivia. I loved their relationship. You can definitely feel that they've got something special. Olivia does come across as a bit needy, but I think that helped me relate to her. She doesn't come across as an annoying needy girl. It's a bit hard to explain.
This book will make you question certain things. I won't tell you what because I don't want to give too much away. It made me feel like I shouldn't ever take anything for granted.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+.
Blink Once by Cylin Busby gets a 3.5 out of 5 from me.
Kaz4ray (17 KP) rated Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House in Books
Jan 28, 2018
365 Bible Promises for Little Hearts
Book and Education
App
For iPad3, iPad2 and iPad With thirty pages of child-friendly devotions from this delightful...
Letters from Vladivostock, 1894-1930
Eleanor Lord Pray, Birgitta Ingemanson and Patricia D. Silver
Book
In 1894, Eleanor L. Pray left her New England home to move with her merchant husband to Vladivostok...
Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg in Plot, Pots or Growbags: The A-Z Guide to Growing and Cooking Farm-fresh Food
Steve Ott, Emma Rawlings and Roxanne Warwick
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No longer do we need a walled vegetable garden to grow succulent fresh produce for the kitchen....
Vinyl: The Art of Making Records
Book
Vinyl: The Art of Making Records is a celebration of the medium's fascinating history and triumphant...
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Robert Wenley, Richard Verdi and Nicola Kalinsky
Book
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham, UK, is one of the finest small picture galleries in...