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Ari Augustine (10 KP) rated Innocence Tainted: Epidemic of Lies in Books
May 4, 2020
Reminiscent of FLASH, Innocence Tainted is about Dr. Oralia, who wakes from a coma after being struck by lightening only to find she has gained supernatural powers. I highly enjoyed this story. It was easy to like Oralia, especially with the main theme of the book being self-discovery/transformation. Her traumatic past was what I emphasized with the most, and I love that this part of who she is wasn't overdone. She is strong and vulnerable, decisive and thoughtful. I love how empowering she is as not only as a heroic figure, but as a black woman. Stories like this are so needed in the world!
Rufus Wainwright recommended Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics in Music (curated)
Charlotte (184 KP) rated The Book of Gates (Galenor #1) in Books
Sep 20, 2021
A well written, thoroughly enjoyable read. Galenor has everything you'd hope for in a young adult fantasy. Danger, self -discovery, love, coming of age... the list goes on! I was enveloped in a new world that kept me guessing as to what would happen next.
At times tense, deep and shocking and others light-hearted and fun, which creates a great base for character development and relationship building. JudyAnn makes me smile, she takes things in her stride and is open to learning. She's likeable and I feel like I'd definitely pick her as a friend.
A fab weekend read that will transport you to another world!
@Merissa
At times tense, deep and shocking and others light-hearted and fun, which creates a great base for character development and relationship building. JudyAnn makes me smile, she takes things in her stride and is open to learning. She's likeable and I feel like I'd definitely pick her as a friend.
A fab weekend read that will transport you to another world!
@Merissa
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Mountain Can Wait in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I felt like this book was going to be an epic journey of self discovery and redeeming family and resolving past mistakes, but it was more like reading the journal of a boring person. A person with an interesting life, mind you, but the person himself was boring. I can’t even remember the main character’s name. It felt disconnected and random, jumping around and telling snapshots and things that happened, but no real plot. A bunch of things does not equal plot.
I felt this way the first time I tried listening to it, and so I put it down. Then one Saturday I was bored so I tried again and I got the same vibe, so I quit. I got about 6 or 8 chapters in.
I felt this way the first time I tried listening to it, and so I put it down. Then one Saturday I was bored so I tried again and I got the same vibe, so I quit. I got about 6 or 8 chapters in.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Blood Between Us in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Brewers latest book is so different from his past works - but it's just as good (with so many good quotes to boot). The Blood Between Us delves into topics that many of us have dealt with or are currently dealing with - identity and self-discovery, while also dealing with adoption and a sibling rivalry.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-pt-2-zac-brewer-amie-kaufman-meagan-spooner-michelle-madow-dawn-rae-miller-jamie-blair/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Brewers latest book is so different from his past works - but it's just as good (with so many good quotes to boot). The Blood Between Us delves into topics that many of us have dealt with or are currently dealing with - identity and self-discovery, while also dealing with adoption and a sibling rivalry.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-pt-2-zac-brewer-amie-kaufman-meagan-spooner-michelle-madow-dawn-rae-miller-jamie-blair/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Sea Gate in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from a dual perspective by Becky and Olivia. Becky is tasked to make the old crumbling house livable for Olivia. Becky is lovely, but quite a troubled character. Grief, unsatisfying love life, fear of illness and other things occupy Becky’s mind very often… I really liked Olivia in this novel, at present she is this tough old cookie but when we start delving into her childhood, we can see how wonderful she truly is. I enjoyed Olivia’s parts because she was very mysterious throughout this book, and I really enjoyed all the little discoveries that author had to offer with every single chapter.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Rest of The Story in Books
Aug 12, 2019
I’ll start by saying that this book is very much not my usual area of reading choice, no mention of murder at all - shock horror!! I tend to only read YA occasionally and run for the hills at the mere hint of the word romance or self-discovery but in the name of the book club and expanding my reading outlook I dived in.
I found the writing in this very well done, despite pretty much nothing happening of note (in my opinion) for most of the book I was still quite happy to keep reading. For a 17-year-old protagonist Emma Saylor is pretty likeable and as we follow her on a summer trip to her mother’s family we get to explore a world she didn’t know she was part of. Following her mother’s drug related death Emma’s father hasn't really spoken much about North Lake and her mother’s family, so we get a character driven exploration of family, friendship and self.
The discovery of her new family, the Calavanders, and learning about the ways of “Lake people” is well; a nice read. Many of the characters felt real and many developed nicely as we got to know them better. It’s not an in your face romance book and in particular the first three quarters are pleasantly light on teenage love drama.
The book for me did fall apart for the last part, where it felt like all of a sudden stuff needed to happen and it felt forced and out of kilter with the rest of the book. I think I had got comfortable with it not being much of a book about things happening and just a pleasant read of people and relationships. Emma’s dad seemed the only character to fall totally flat for me and again this only really hit in the last part of the book. Overall pleasantly surprised, it’s not going to be a go to genre for me but wouldn’t avoid picking up another book by Dessen for a change of pace in the future.
I found the writing in this very well done, despite pretty much nothing happening of note (in my opinion) for most of the book I was still quite happy to keep reading. For a 17-year-old protagonist Emma Saylor is pretty likeable and as we follow her on a summer trip to her mother’s family we get to explore a world she didn’t know she was part of. Following her mother’s drug related death Emma’s father hasn't really spoken much about North Lake and her mother’s family, so we get a character driven exploration of family, friendship and self.
The discovery of her new family, the Calavanders, and learning about the ways of “Lake people” is well; a nice read. Many of the characters felt real and many developed nicely as we got to know them better. It’s not an in your face romance book and in particular the first three quarters are pleasantly light on teenage love drama.
The book for me did fall apart for the last part, where it felt like all of a sudden stuff needed to happen and it felt forced and out of kilter with the rest of the book. I think I had got comfortable with it not being much of a book about things happening and just a pleasant read of people and relationships. Emma’s dad seemed the only character to fall totally flat for me and again this only really hit in the last part of the book. Overall pleasantly surprised, it’s not going to be a go to genre for me but wouldn’t avoid picking up another book by Dessen for a change of pace in the future.
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated The Idiot: A Novel in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received an ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased opinion. That being said, the best thing about this book is that it's over...and I can read pretty much anything.
Early on in the book, the main character, Selin, talks about how there are times when her mother hands her books she's read and says "Read this and tell me the point." I wish I had someone I could hand this book to and say that to.
A rambling stream of consciousness, a book of self-discovery, Selin is this 19 year old who has no idea who she is. And I remember being 19 and not having a clue. It's why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't feel like there was any sort of resolution. There were more misadventures and things that made her unhappy and feel displaced in the world. And then...more passive aggressive whining about how she didn't know what she wanted to make her happy.
Early on in the book, the main character, Selin, talks about how there are times when her mother hands her books she's read and says "Read this and tell me the point." I wish I had someone I could hand this book to and say that to.
A rambling stream of consciousness, a book of self-discovery, Selin is this 19 year old who has no idea who she is. And I remember being 19 and not having a clue. It's why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't feel like there was any sort of resolution. There were more misadventures and things that made her unhappy and feel displaced in the world. And then...more passive aggressive whining about how she didn't know what she wanted to make her happy.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated 500 Days of Summer (2009) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
This is not a love story, that is made very clear. It is a boy meets girl story. It is a boy loves girl story. And there it diverges. Some of the best moments of this film are not in the comedy or cuteness, which are abundant, but in the darker moments of sadness and self-discovery that are painful and harsh. Amidst an amazing soundtrack, and lead performances of utter charm, this is a story about growing up. Tom wants romance, he wants love, he wants happiness. What he finds is disappointment, disillusion and let-down on every level. So, why does it feel so good? Because the writing transcends the idea of every love story ever told on the silver screen and reminds you that, in the end, Autumn follows Summer and that is exactly how it should be. Love yourself and let the rest fall away with a wistful smile.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Transformist of the Heart and Soul in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Wonderful Self-help poetry journa
Transformist of the Heart and Soul by Melinda George is a self help journal mixed with a poetry book.
Follow one woman, possibly yourself through a discovery of self-love. Find acceptance and move on from damaging relationships with the aid of twelve heartfelt poems from someone who appears to have felt the same pain.
Once you feel ready the journal side of the book asks readers to write their thoughts in the form of poetry and to create daily mantras. For those wanting more you can create a 24 day gratitude list and write love letters to yourself. For the final aspect of the journal readers (or should I say writers) can glue or tape in images or since the squares are black use a white colored pencil to draw in ideas.
The poems are touching and probably relatable for a large number of people, as sad as that is. I also enjoyed how compact the book is, it is small enough to fin in a purse, backpack, or suitcase without taking up too much room. This book is more of a journal than an actual book. Only twelve poems are found in the 79 page book. The back of the book dose say it is a self-empowerment journal inspired by poem, but I wish there were more poems in it. It also would have been nice if the journal had some more specific writing prompts in it.
This book is directed mostly towards women. Specifically it seems to focus on someone leaving or recovering from a bad relationship. Readers should be prepared to or have a need to expose their hear and soul at least to themselves, which can be a painful process. I rate this book 3 out of 4. Over all the book/journal is very nice. I just with it had more poems and better/more specific writing prompts. The size of the book is nice for people on the go so they can write whenever they feel the inspiration.
Transformist of the Heart and Soul | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers USA
Follow one woman, possibly yourself through a discovery of self-love. Find acceptance and move on from damaging relationships with the aid of twelve heartfelt poems from someone who appears to have felt the same pain.
Once you feel ready the journal side of the book asks readers to write their thoughts in the form of poetry and to create daily mantras. For those wanting more you can create a 24 day gratitude list and write love letters to yourself. For the final aspect of the journal readers (or should I say writers) can glue or tape in images or since the squares are black use a white colored pencil to draw in ideas.
The poems are touching and probably relatable for a large number of people, as sad as that is. I also enjoyed how compact the book is, it is small enough to fin in a purse, backpack, or suitcase without taking up too much room. This book is more of a journal than an actual book. Only twelve poems are found in the 79 page book. The back of the book dose say it is a self-empowerment journal inspired by poem, but I wish there were more poems in it. It also would have been nice if the journal had some more specific writing prompts in it.
This book is directed mostly towards women. Specifically it seems to focus on someone leaving or recovering from a bad relationship. Readers should be prepared to or have a need to expose their hear and soul at least to themselves, which can be a painful process. I rate this book 3 out of 4. Over all the book/journal is very nice. I just with it had more poems and better/more specific writing prompts. The size of the book is nice for people on the go so they can write whenever they feel the inspiration.
Transformist of the Heart and Soul | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers USA