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Cooked
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In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he...
Tank (Moonshine Task Force #2)
10.0
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Life isn’t promised, love isn’t easy, and relationships aren’t always clean, but everyone has...
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated The Prince And The Puppet Thief in Books
Aug 30, 2021
I really loved The Prince and the Puppet Thief. This was a true fairy tale retelling that definitely didn't take itself too seriously.
Simon the Squirm is the son of the (second) most feared bandit in the kingdom and when we meet him he is stuffed into a cannon, ready to be fired to the tallest tower of the castle in order to steal some jewelled slippers. See what I mean about not taking itself seriously?
Simon also loves fairytales and the botched robbery sets into motion his own fairytale adventure, complete with dancing rats, sassy handmaids, the funniest bandits ever and some seriously cute queer relationships.
I loved everything about this book - did I mention I loved it? The writing style was very witty and I loved the little references and "skits" that poked fun at the fairytales we know and love. We even get an alternative version of The Snuggly Duckling pub from Tangled!
The villain of the story is captivating: they are both misunderstood and jaded by their past; trying to help but ruining lives when things don't go their way. The fact that the reader ends up sympathising with them really says a lot about both the writing and character development within this story.
But for me the relationships stole the show: I loved the contrast between one relationship which was very new and tension-filled, where the characters didn't know if their feelings were going to be accepted, never mind reciprocated and the second, forbidden but very settled relationship where the characters had been in love for some time.
There were some moments where the LGBTQ characters were not entirely accepted by others and I can't speak as to whether this would be triggering or not. Thankfully the main characters are very strong, they stand up for themselves and are so sure of their love that, by the end of the book, they are accepted for who they are.
If you're looking for a funny, cute but sassy, camp fairytale-turned-on-it's-head then this is the book for you!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Simon the Squirm is the son of the (second) most feared bandit in the kingdom and when we meet him he is stuffed into a cannon, ready to be fired to the tallest tower of the castle in order to steal some jewelled slippers. See what I mean about not taking itself seriously?
Simon also loves fairytales and the botched robbery sets into motion his own fairytale adventure, complete with dancing rats, sassy handmaids, the funniest bandits ever and some seriously cute queer relationships.
I loved everything about this book - did I mention I loved it? The writing style was very witty and I loved the little references and "skits" that poked fun at the fairytales we know and love. We even get an alternative version of The Snuggly Duckling pub from Tangled!
The villain of the story is captivating: they are both misunderstood and jaded by their past; trying to help but ruining lives when things don't go their way. The fact that the reader ends up sympathising with them really says a lot about both the writing and character development within this story.
But for me the relationships stole the show: I loved the contrast between one relationship which was very new and tension-filled, where the characters didn't know if their feelings were going to be accepted, never mind reciprocated and the second, forbidden but very settled relationship where the characters had been in love for some time.
There were some moments where the LGBTQ characters were not entirely accepted by others and I can't speak as to whether this would be triggering or not. Thankfully the main characters are very strong, they stand up for themselves and are so sure of their love that, by the end of the book, they are accepted for who they are.
If you're looking for a funny, cute but sassy, camp fairytale-turned-on-it's-head then this is the book for you!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ClareR (5686 KP) rated Beautiful Shining People in Books
Aug 5, 2023
“”Beautiful, shining kami in the sky. All different. All unique. Just like us”…After that, whenever we went camping, I would always tell my parents I couldn’t wait until nightfall so I could see the beautiful shining people in the sky.”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Sing, Unburied, Sing in Books
Oct 3, 2017
A Toni Morrison novel updated for modern times
This is no doubt a modern day version of reading a Toni Morrison novel. From the magical realism aspect to social issues affecting African Americans, this novel is both haunting and almost poetic.
The story follows a family on their way to a prison, in which the children's white father is due to be released. The teenage boy and his three year old sister are mostly dependent on one another as well as their grandparents Pop and Mam. The mother Leonie is absent, and rather aloof in their upbringing, forcing her son, Jojo to bring up his kid sister. In between are disturbing stories featured in flashbacks and ghostly apparitions, The novel explores interracial relationships, police brutality and even post traumatic stress disorder to a degree.
While it can seem haphazard, going back and forth in time, and random narratives appearing throughout, it leaves the reader with a sense of unease and despair at the violent nature of society. A truly intriguing read.
The story follows a family on their way to a prison, in which the children's white father is due to be released. The teenage boy and his three year old sister are mostly dependent on one another as well as their grandparents Pop and Mam. The mother Leonie is absent, and rather aloof in their upbringing, forcing her son, Jojo to bring up his kid sister. In between are disturbing stories featured in flashbacks and ghostly apparitions, The novel explores interracial relationships, police brutality and even post traumatic stress disorder to a degree.
While it can seem haphazard, going back and forth in time, and random narratives appearing throughout, it leaves the reader with a sense of unease and despair at the violent nature of society. A truly intriguing read.
Li Hughes (285 KP) rated I, Olga Hepnarová (Já, Olga Hepnarová) (2017) in Movies
Aug 6, 2017
I had never heard about this case before, so this was fascinating to me and I read up on the actual history before I watched the film. The film isn't too far off, though it does seem to fill in holes and exaggerate things as many movies do. The acting is very good, and the film's atmosphere makes it feel almost like an authentic product of the 70's at times. The depiction of Olga's mental illness is also very on point.
The iffy points for me: the plot can be very disjointed in places. Maybe it's because the subtitles lose part of the film's flow, but there were several points (when she moved to the cottage, when she got fired, etc.) where I had to stop and think about how we had gotten to that point. And the depiction of Olga's attempts to experiment and create relationships with both genders began to feel a bit exploitative, though maybe that was just me.
Overall, this was a very good movie about a very interesting and sad situation and woman.
The iffy points for me: the plot can be very disjointed in places. Maybe it's because the subtitles lose part of the film's flow, but there were several points (when she moved to the cottage, when she got fired, etc.) where I had to stop and think about how we had gotten to that point. And the depiction of Olga's attempts to experiment and create relationships with both genders began to feel a bit exploitative, though maybe that was just me.
Overall, this was a very good movie about a very interesting and sad situation and woman.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated The Art of Vanishing in Books
May 4, 2018
Someone is Out to Destroy Arts Week
Every spring semester, Stonedale University puts on an arts festival, and Lila has been roped into serving on the committee. The big name for the week is author Damon Von Tussel, who has just released his second book decades after his critically acclaimed debut. Lila is sent to interview him before the big event to gain some publicity, but before she can talk to him, he disappears. Then everyone on the committee starts to get threatening e-mails. What is going on?
I don’t read too many mysteries set in the academic world, so I enjoyed changing that with this book. The internal politics of the college and Lila’s worries since this is her first-year teaching there overshadowed the mystery at times. The mystery itself is a little different than many of the books I read, and I found it a refreshing break. The characters are fun, especially Lila’s mother, and I am curious how some of these relationships will develop in the future.
I don’t read too many mysteries set in the academic world, so I enjoyed changing that with this book. The internal politics of the college and Lila’s worries since this is her first-year teaching there overshadowed the mystery at times. The mystery itself is a little different than many of the books I read, and I found it a refreshing break. The characters are fun, especially Lila’s mother, and I am curious how some of these relationships will develop in the future.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11) in Books
May 10, 2018
I really really liked this book. All of the WMC books keep me on the edge of my seat for what is going to happen next, but in this one, I really couldn't see what was coming next. Lindsay Boxer is pregnant, Cindy & Yuki are in relationships with Lindsay's partner and Boss(respectively). Someone has buried seven heads in the backyard of a famous movie star. Not too long ago, he was aquitted of his wife's murder, could he really be the murderer. Some vigilante is killing drug dealers. While this may be a great help to the city of San Francisco, this really isn't the best way to go about getting rid of the dirty laundry.
<spoiler> There was one part of the book that baffled me. Before the killer for the drug dealers went out on his last kill, he gave his wife something to help explain why he killed one of his victims. I didn't hear anymore about that after the killer was stopped.</spolier>
<spoiler> There was one part of the book that baffled me. Before the killer for the drug dealers went out on his last kill, he gave his wife something to help explain why he killed one of his victims. I didn't hear anymore about that after the killer was stopped.</spolier>
Sue (5 KP) rated The Pajama Frame in Books
Apr 23, 2018
The Pajama Frame is book #5 in the Madison Night Mystery series. While the books can be read as stand-alone, each preceding book builds on the characters and their relationships.
When her octogenarian friend dies and leaves interior decorator Madison Night a pajama factory, Madison is faced with a decades-old tragedy and a more recent murder. All Madison wants to do is hide from the drama, but when estranged family members and special interest groups want to get into the sealed factory, Madison realizes she is caught having to solve a mystery before she becomes the next victim.
As with previous Madison Night books, I found the character of Madison delightful and refreshing. She is no-nonsense, quirky, snarky, and a throwback to Doris Day. Who wouldn’t enjoy an independent woman that dresses and enjoys decorations from the era of the fifties and sixties? Add to the mix a love/hate relationship with the chief of police Tex and a few witty friends & neighbors; you have the perfect chemistry for a delightful cozy mystery series.
When her octogenarian friend dies and leaves interior decorator Madison Night a pajama factory, Madison is faced with a decades-old tragedy and a more recent murder. All Madison wants to do is hide from the drama, but when estranged family members and special interest groups want to get into the sealed factory, Madison realizes she is caught having to solve a mystery before she becomes the next victim.
As with previous Madison Night books, I found the character of Madison delightful and refreshing. She is no-nonsense, quirky, snarky, and a throwback to Doris Day. Who wouldn’t enjoy an independent woman that dresses and enjoys decorations from the era of the fifties and sixties? Add to the mix a love/hate relationship with the chief of police Tex and a few witty friends & neighbors; you have the perfect chemistry for a delightful cozy mystery series.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Zodiac Starforce: by the Power of Astra in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I really wanted to like this more than what ended up happening. With its Jem-like coloration, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic girl power theme, plus good versus evil, it was right up my alley. The main problem was that it needed fleshed out. The characters, mostly Emma/Gemini, the relationships, and the overall plot should have had more expansion. It felt like slightly more than an outline. Major events happened in the past that were alluded to, which made me wish this had been an origin story instead. The artwork is wonderful and I have no problem with that. I did like the three team members (Kim is awesome!) who were featured more and would like to know more about them, plus more expansion of Emma and Lily. I will read the next one and hope that the series improves from here. Plus, anyone who throws out a Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference has my admiration.
<img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/satilanna/GR/zodiacstarforcemst3k_zpszzjattll.jpg">;
Check out more illustrations from Paulina Ganucheau: https://paulinaganucheau.tumblr.com/
<img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/satilanna/GR/zodiacstarforcemst3k_zpszzjattll.jpg">;
Check out more illustrations from Paulina Ganucheau: https://paulinaganucheau.tumblr.com/