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This is an amazing reference book. It begins with some general chapters on why you should save seeds, the anatomy of seeds, and some basic techniques for harvesting seeds, hand-pollinating, basic general principles of seed storage and the like. Then it dives into the real meat of the book, the chapters on the specific plants. They're divided into the six broad categories listed in the subtitle: vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits, trees, and shrubs. Within those chapters, each species is listed separately, with notes on the scientific name, the species family, the plant type (annual, biennial, perennial), seed viability, how many plants to save seed from, spacing for seed saving, and then a few paragraphs on flowering and pollination, any isolation requirements, and specifics on how to harvest, clean, and store the seeds for that species. It also has germination and transplanting notes for each species.
This would be an invaluable reference manual if you intend to save seeds from your plants and become self-sufficient, but it's still useful if not, for its notes on the pollination of each species. The isolation requirements are especially interesting; there are some plants that will cross-pollinate with plants 10 miles away! The sidebar on pumpkins and squash was also fascinating - I didn't know so many squash were technically the same species as pumpkins, just different cultivars. And that means they'll cross-breed if you're not careful! Even more fascinating, giant pumpkins aren't the same species as jack o'lantern pumpkins, so they won't cross breed.
I will absolutely be adding this book to my collection as a reference manual.You can find all my book reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
This would be an invaluable reference manual if you intend to save seeds from your plants and become self-sufficient, but it's still useful if not, for its notes on the pollination of each species. The isolation requirements are especially interesting; there are some plants that will cross-pollinate with plants 10 miles away! The sidebar on pumpkins and squash was also fascinating - I didn't know so many squash were technically the same species as pumpkins, just different cultivars. And that means they'll cross-breed if you're not careful! Even more fascinating, giant pumpkins aren't the same species as jack o'lantern pumpkins, so they won't cross breed.
I will absolutely be adding this book to my collection as a reference manual.You can find all my book reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love in Books
Jun 4, 2019
The title of this book had me wary from the start, but I'd heard good things about it, and the author is a woman, so I hoped it wouldn't be what it sounded like. Because seriously. We don't need more books about angsty white guys complaining about the girl they love not liking them back.
Unfortunately that's exactly what I got in this book.
First, the good points. The author has a very immersive writing style, and she captured the feeling of a Comic Con VERY impressively. I haven't been to NYCC, but I've been to other nerdy cons, and the hectic pace of panels, and getting tickets, and standing in lines, but nerding out over ALL THE GEEKY STUFF - yeah, that was perfectly written. I really enjoyed that. The other characters - Casey and Felicia, specifically, and Samira, and the rest of Roxy and Graham's families - those were also well done. The brief scene with Roxy's Iranian family was especially nice, which is to be expected from an Iranian-American author!
But Graham irritated me. Roxy wasn't well explored because we only saw things from Graham's point of view, and her love interest Devin's appeal wasn't shown very well at ALL.
I spent most of the book wanting to yell at Graham to just TALK TO HER ALREADY. He's all miffed that his plans aren't going right and the obnoxious Brit is stealing his girl but he won't. Just. TALK. To her.
I think the only reason I actually finished the book was because it was short. And for the description of Comic Con, that was actually really good. But the main character was just frustrating. I should have spent this time on another book.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Unfortunately that's exactly what I got in this book.
First, the good points. The author has a very immersive writing style, and she captured the feeling of a Comic Con VERY impressively. I haven't been to NYCC, but I've been to other nerdy cons, and the hectic pace of panels, and getting tickets, and standing in lines, but nerding out over ALL THE GEEKY STUFF - yeah, that was perfectly written. I really enjoyed that. The other characters - Casey and Felicia, specifically, and Samira, and the rest of Roxy and Graham's families - those were also well done. The brief scene with Roxy's Iranian family was especially nice, which is to be expected from an Iranian-American author!
But Graham irritated me. Roxy wasn't well explored because we only saw things from Graham's point of view, and her love interest Devin's appeal wasn't shown very well at ALL.
I spent most of the book wanting to yell at Graham to just TALK TO HER ALREADY. He's all miffed that his plans aren't going right and the obnoxious Brit is stealing his girl but he won't. Just. TALK. To her.
I think the only reason I actually finished the book was because it was short. And for the description of Comic Con, that was actually really good. But the main character was just frustrating. I should have spent this time on another book.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Bring Me Back in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Bring Me Back – hailed as “The gripping Sunday Times bestseller with a killer twist you won’t see coming” – is B.A. Paris’ third novel, but did it live up to its hype?
I have to admit as much as I tried to avoid reading other reviews of this book, I soon discovered that to my horror, many people were in shock that this was not as good as her previous two books, and that kind of put me off reading it at first. However, I finally got around to reading it only to discover it’s not that bad! Now I kick myself for not picking it up before. haha!
There is, however, quite a contrast to B.A. Paris’ previous two books. I think the shocking end was a little unbelievable, although it was deliciously evil of the author to spring on us!
I also thought the ending then went on to ‘wrap up’ with a confessional letter revealing all, which went on for far too long and made the earlier shock ending fall a little flat afterwards.
The premise of the story is that Finn and Layla went on holiday to France but only Finn came back. The boyfriend Finn was a suspect for a while, but since Layla just went missing and no body was found the case was eventually closed due to lack of evidence.
But if Layla went missing in France, then who is sending Finn emails and leaving little Russian dolls all over the place – seemingly from her – twelve years later?
Not my favourite book by B.A. Paris, but I am pleased I read it. The mystery of who is messing with Finn is definitely worth finding out!
I have to admit as much as I tried to avoid reading other reviews of this book, I soon discovered that to my horror, many people were in shock that this was not as good as her previous two books, and that kind of put me off reading it at first. However, I finally got around to reading it only to discover it’s not that bad! Now I kick myself for not picking it up before. haha!
There is, however, quite a contrast to B.A. Paris’ previous two books. I think the shocking end was a little unbelievable, although it was deliciously evil of the author to spring on us!
I also thought the ending then went on to ‘wrap up’ with a confessional letter revealing all, which went on for far too long and made the earlier shock ending fall a little flat afterwards.
The premise of the story is that Finn and Layla went on holiday to France but only Finn came back. The boyfriend Finn was a suspect for a while, but since Layla just went missing and no body was found the case was eventually closed due to lack of evidence.
But if Layla went missing in France, then who is sending Finn emails and leaving little Russian dolls all over the place – seemingly from her – twelve years later?
Not my favourite book by B.A. Paris, but I am pleased I read it. The mystery of who is messing with Finn is definitely worth finding out!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Smashed (2012) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018
Awesome
After a horrible lie goes wrong for Kate Hannah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), she finally decides she needs to do something about her alcoholism which is causing her life to spin out of control. Throughout this Movie-a-Day experience, I have already watched a number of classics (see previous reviews). I randomly sprinkled in some films I had never heard of, Smashed being one of them. This is one hidden gem of a film that I'm so thankful it found its way on to my list.
The messages in the film aren't preached, but still manage to resonate strongly due to a powerful delivery. Kate's character shows us that it doesn't matter how you start (or the cards you're dealt in life), rather it's about how you decide--and only YOU get to decide--to finish. Kate wants to change but she has no support system as her husband is just as bad as her. In spite of the incredible adversity she's battling, she decides to go for it anyway, refusing to make excuses.
What makes this so important is the fact that Kate is a complete wreck and you recognize it almost instantly. Her life is a downwards tailspin, kind of like watching a car crash in slow motion. Her story is layered seamlessly into the film and you slowly start to understand that she never really had much of a chance to be anything other than what she became. Winstead captures the role in phenomenal fashion, aided by yet another strong performance from Octavia Spencer as Jenny. Through the two of them, we experience a powerful meaning that says doing the hard thing will always come with a sacrifice.
Recommended. I give Smashed an 86.
The messages in the film aren't preached, but still manage to resonate strongly due to a powerful delivery. Kate's character shows us that it doesn't matter how you start (or the cards you're dealt in life), rather it's about how you decide--and only YOU get to decide--to finish. Kate wants to change but she has no support system as her husband is just as bad as her. In spite of the incredible adversity she's battling, she decides to go for it anyway, refusing to make excuses.
What makes this so important is the fact that Kate is a complete wreck and you recognize it almost instantly. Her life is a downwards tailspin, kind of like watching a car crash in slow motion. Her story is layered seamlessly into the film and you slowly start to understand that she never really had much of a chance to be anything other than what she became. Winstead captures the role in phenomenal fashion, aided by yet another strong performance from Octavia Spencer as Jenny. Through the two of them, we experience a powerful meaning that says doing the hard thing will always come with a sacrifice.
Recommended. I give Smashed an 86.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Genuine Fraud in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Predictable (1 more)
Fizzles out at the end
Had high hopes but this one didn't deliver
Imogen is a wealthy, spoiled heiress escaping life on Martha's Vineyard. Jule is a scrappy individual looking out for only herself. When their paths intersect on the Vineyard, they form an interesting sort of friendship. Jule admires Imogen's wealth and inscrutability. Imogen takes Jule under her wing, lending her clothes and giving her a place to stay. Jule quickly finds herself caught up in Imogen's life, meeting her friends and boyfriend. But is anything as it seems?
This is one of those where I don't want to say too much as to ruin the plot, although honestly, you'll figure out the entire thing within the first few chapters, so I wouldn't be doing you much of a disservice. I had high hopes for this one, having read some great reviews, but this novel wasn't for me. The shtick here is that the story unfurls backward, with the chapters counting down, but there's no great twist or surprise, and I was left completely disappointed, as things just... fizzle out at the end. There's supposedly a little surprise at the end, but it can't save this predictable novel.
For me, this was violent and full of inevitable plot points that you'll see coming from a mile away. Neither Jule nor Imogen are sympathetic in any way--I couldn't find any reason to root for or engage with them in any fashion. The backward chapters didn't add any real excitement to the tale, at all. I read this one at the same time as my wife--she was listening to the audiobook version--and we were both waiting for some exciting twist or turn--but it never came. I had high hopes, but alas, GENUINE FRAUD didn't deliver on them.
More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
This is one of those where I don't want to say too much as to ruin the plot, although honestly, you'll figure out the entire thing within the first few chapters, so I wouldn't be doing you much of a disservice. I had high hopes for this one, having read some great reviews, but this novel wasn't for me. The shtick here is that the story unfurls backward, with the chapters counting down, but there's no great twist or surprise, and I was left completely disappointed, as things just... fizzle out at the end. There's supposedly a little surprise at the end, but it can't save this predictable novel.
For me, this was violent and full of inevitable plot points that you'll see coming from a mile away. Neither Jule nor Imogen are sympathetic in any way--I couldn't find any reason to root for or engage with them in any fashion. The backward chapters didn't add any real excitement to the tale, at all. I read this one at the same time as my wife--she was listening to the audiobook version--and we were both waiting for some exciting twist or turn--but it never came. I had high hopes, but alas, GENUINE FRAUD didn't deliver on them.
More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Hawk's Spell (The Swamp Witch #3) in Books
Feb 6, 2018
so frustrated!
ARGH!!!! Did you ever want to pull your hair out?? Scream and shout so bad at an author??
I was ENJOYING this one far more than the other two. I WAS enjoying it. I thought, okay, this is just going to be Hawk in the first and everyone else in the third.
And then!! We get Hawk's children having a say, in the first, with no warning who was speaking, we get the vampire having a say, in the first with no warning, and even the dead wife has a say, in the first WITH NO BLOODY WARNING!!
This book was shaping up to be the best of the three, but really, it's going to bear the brunt of my frustration! I fail to see how this issue wasn't picked up by other reviewers.
I've read some reviews, AFTER I finished, and it has some amazing 5 star ratings. But when an author drives me NUTS because they can't type a single name at the head of a chapter to let us know who is speaking?? I can't rate a book so highly. I actually read a couple of chapters, without realizing WHO was speaking, til the very end!
The children, The Balance fulfill their destiny here, going their separate ways and one becoming good, and the other evil. I fail to see how the all seeing Swamp Witch didn't know about Lynne cavern under her house. Because, you know, she is ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING, it says so in the book!
I'm sorry, I really am, I just could not enjoy this as much as I wanted to. BUT I did finish it, and for THAT reason, and that reason ALONE....
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I was ENJOYING this one far more than the other two. I WAS enjoying it. I thought, okay, this is just going to be Hawk in the first and everyone else in the third.
And then!! We get Hawk's children having a say, in the first, with no warning who was speaking, we get the vampire having a say, in the first with no warning, and even the dead wife has a say, in the first WITH NO BLOODY WARNING!!
This book was shaping up to be the best of the three, but really, it's going to bear the brunt of my frustration! I fail to see how this issue wasn't picked up by other reviewers.
I've read some reviews, AFTER I finished, and it has some amazing 5 star ratings. But when an author drives me NUTS because they can't type a single name at the head of a chapter to let us know who is speaking?? I can't rate a book so highly. I actually read a couple of chapters, without realizing WHO was speaking, til the very end!
The children, The Balance fulfill their destiny here, going their separate ways and one becoming good, and the other evil. I fail to see how the all seeing Swamp Witch didn't know about Lynne cavern under her house. Because, you know, she is ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING, it says so in the book!
I'm sorry, I really am, I just could not enjoy this as much as I wanted to. BUT I did finish it, and for THAT reason, and that reason ALONE....
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Alice in Zombieland - White Rabbit Chronicles in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This was an interesting re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. In Alice in Zombieland, Alice Bell's life has always been curtailed by her father's insistence that monsters exist. The family cannot leave the house after dark, she's been taught how to fight hand-to-hand and with a couple of weapons, and they never - NEVER - drive past the graveyard. All of this changes in one night - when Alice "falls down the rabbit hole" as it were - and discovers her father wasn't insane after all.
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Steph Freeman (26 KP) rated The Shape of Water (2017) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018
Cinematography was excellent. (1 more)
Character development was perfect, not a lot of detail but enough to fall into their lives.
The Shape of Water - Visually Stunning
The Shape of Water, as discussed in other reviews, follows Eliza Esposito through a snapshot of her life. She has a clear love of water from the beginning, bordering on a fetish, and she connects with few people due to her mutism. The people around her are flawed. Her neighbor is fighting through a new advertising world that no longer values true artwork, her coworker Zelda has a painful home life with a husband that won't participate. Even the characters that are not part of Eliza's life have their struggles depicted within this movie. We see snapshots, just enough to understand these people are flawed, their lives are flawed, their relationships are flawed. Everyone in this movie is struggling towards a goal, though Eliza is the clear focus.
The cinematography reflects the 60's, from the lighting, to the sets and even how the cameras move with the characters. It's a world that engulfs the viewer, suspension of disbelief is a guarantee. The majority of the film is shot in drab, dark colors to reflect the loneliness of the characters, and the fear of the era. It's extremely effective at creating the unspoken sense of unease the country would have felt during the height of the communist scare.
As the movie moves towards the conclusion it becomes more fairy tale than reality. It was still beautiful, and the story still riveting, however, the transition to the more fantastic style was abrupt and could have been handled with more grace. I did appreciate the open ended conclusion, it's rare in American cinema to see, as most American film-goers prefer the ending tied up in a pretty bow.
The cinematography reflects the 60's, from the lighting, to the sets and even how the cameras move with the characters. It's a world that engulfs the viewer, suspension of disbelief is a guarantee. The majority of the film is shot in drab, dark colors to reflect the loneliness of the characters, and the fear of the era. It's extremely effective at creating the unspoken sense of unease the country would have felt during the height of the communist scare.
As the movie moves towards the conclusion it becomes more fairy tale than reality. It was still beautiful, and the story still riveting, however, the transition to the more fantastic style was abrupt and could have been handled with more grace. I did appreciate the open ended conclusion, it's rare in American cinema to see, as most American film-goers prefer the ending tied up in a pretty bow.
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books
Mar 18, 2018 (Updated Mar 18, 2018)
A marmite book!
This follows the lives of five women, in a world where abortion is illegal and seen as murder, IVF is also illegal as the embryo cannot give its opinion, and only married couples can foster and adopt. Back street abortions are back, and the people in a seaside town believe that a woman who lives on her own in the woods and sells cures, is a witch. Each chapter is for a separate female character: the Wife, the Biographer, the Mender, and the Daughter, and between those chapters are snippets from a book that the Biographer is trying to write about a female Arctic explorer. Each woman shows how a patriarchal society inhibits their life choices - they have no choice of their own.
I loved the flow of the language in this novel, I loved the personalities of the characters who were shown to be both loving and spiteful, selfish and generous and strong and weak. Finally, I loved how Zumas has chosen a topic that is all too current in her own country and many others around the world. This is a great book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it won awards. It has been criticised for riding on the coat tails of The Handmaids Tale, but I really don't think that this is the case. It is a great piece of work in its own right. This is a topic, though, that is very much on people's minds. And rightly so.
I've seen some very mixed reviews about this novel: it seems to attract extremes of hatred/ love, and I'm not overly surprised. I think the best thing to do, is to probably go and read it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this!
I loved the flow of the language in this novel, I loved the personalities of the characters who were shown to be both loving and spiteful, selfish and generous and strong and weak. Finally, I loved how Zumas has chosen a topic that is all too current in her own country and many others around the world. This is a great book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it won awards. It has been criticised for riding on the coat tails of The Handmaids Tale, but I really don't think that this is the case. It is a great piece of work in its own right. This is a topic, though, that is very much on people's minds. And rightly so.
I've seen some very mixed reviews about this novel: it seems to attract extremes of hatred/ love, and I'm not overly surprised. I think the best thing to do, is to probably go and read it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Based on a True Story in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This is a slow burner, don’t expect to go into this one and be met with action and mystery straight away… Or at any point, really. This whole book is a character study, and if you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you know I’m not hugely into these kinds of books, unless I’m absolutely captivated. Unfortunately, I wasn’t complete captivated by this one.
I really loved the writing in this novel, it was superb and if de Vigan wrote more books in my favourite genres, I’d likely read them just for her style of telling a story. This book is written as though you are reading a book… if that makes sense, so you are instantly pulled in to the narrator’s life, but unfortunately, it wasn’t all that exciting.
I was waiting for some big reveal in the story, as others had claimed this was to come… but nothing happened that I wasn’t expecting to happen. This lack of twist was a real let down for me, it’s one of those books that’s left me thinking “really, that was it?”.
I don’t hate this book. It was well thought out, well written and has very well developed characters. The tension of the novel is built perfectly, but it leads to nothing. Yes, this leaves you questioning the truth, it makes you think, but it didn’t leave me excited, shocked or thrilled, and that’s ultimately what I look for in a mystery / thriller novel.
<i>(Don't read this book if you haven't watched The Usual Suspects but you want to, it spoils the entire plot... I hate when books do that! Good thing I've already seen the movie (it's one of my faves))
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
I really loved the writing in this novel, it was superb and if de Vigan wrote more books in my favourite genres, I’d likely read them just for her style of telling a story. This book is written as though you are reading a book… if that makes sense, so you are instantly pulled in to the narrator’s life, but unfortunately, it wasn’t all that exciting.
I was waiting for some big reveal in the story, as others had claimed this was to come… but nothing happened that I wasn’t expecting to happen. This lack of twist was a real let down for me, it’s one of those books that’s left me thinking “really, that was it?”.
I don’t hate this book. It was well thought out, well written and has very well developed characters. The tension of the novel is built perfectly, but it leads to nothing. Yes, this leaves you questioning the truth, it makes you think, but it didn’t leave me excited, shocked or thrilled, and that’s ultimately what I look for in a mystery / thriller novel.
<i>(Don't read this book if you haven't watched The Usual Suspects but you want to, it spoils the entire plot... I hate when books do that! Good thing I've already seen the movie (it's one of my faves))
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>