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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated All Grown Up in Books
Jan 3, 2018 (Updated Jan 3, 2018)
Entertaining, a more realistic Sex and the City
This is a fictional but all too real account of one woman’s voyage through life, battered by family, societal pressures and her own inner demons. Andrea, the character at the heart of the book, is absolutely clear that she does not want a child of her own.
Her life is spread eagled across the pages for the reader to pick over. Each chapter is a snapshot of an episode in her life, whether it is looking back over some of her chaotic childhood years - Dad was a drug user who died too early; Mum, once on her own again, runs bi-monthly dinner parties in the 1990s attended by only men, who of course try and hit on Andrea, a teenager at the time; or whether it is an examination of her relationships with her friends, lovers and acquaintances who pass through her life now.
Andrea also has a brother who in turn has a daughter, only tiny, who was born with a congenital problem and her life expectancy is only around four years. Yet, our self absorbed protagonist does not really visit to offer support because she is so wrapped up in her own world. She simply does not have the mental capacity and resources to give to her brother and little niece.
This is an interesting read, on-point in many ways – it smacks of New York and of lives lived in the city, Freudian Angst, neuroses and all the shtick of metropolitan Manhattan. At times, it did feel a little cliched but may be we all repeat the same patterns?
Her life is spread eagled across the pages for the reader to pick over. Each chapter is a snapshot of an episode in her life, whether it is looking back over some of her chaotic childhood years - Dad was a drug user who died too early; Mum, once on her own again, runs bi-monthly dinner parties in the 1990s attended by only men, who of course try and hit on Andrea, a teenager at the time; or whether it is an examination of her relationships with her friends, lovers and acquaintances who pass through her life now.
Andrea also has a brother who in turn has a daughter, only tiny, who was born with a congenital problem and her life expectancy is only around four years. Yet, our self absorbed protagonist does not really visit to offer support because she is so wrapped up in her own world. She simply does not have the mental capacity and resources to give to her brother and little niece.
This is an interesting read, on-point in many ways – it smacks of New York and of lives lived in the city, Freudian Angst, neuroses and all the shtick of metropolitan Manhattan. At times, it did feel a little cliched but may be we all repeat the same patterns?
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) in Books
Jun 27, 2017
Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet
Against The Grain is the first book where Dex and Sloane are not the main couple. Instead, we concentrate on Ash and Cael, and to be fair, their story has been a long time coming. We start where the previous book finished, with Tony wielding Old Betsy, but to the guys' surprise, it doesn't go down how they expected. Instead, Ash learns more about Cael than he realised he didn't know, and it makes him want to 'try'. This is still difficult for Ash, and it's not without it's hiccups, but Cael is prepared to help him where he can. Now, this wouldn't be a THIRDS book if something else wasn't going down, and this time it's all mixed in with Sloane's loss of control, plus it turns out Ash's loss of control, and maybe one other. You are left not knowing who to trust, apart from the family that is Destructive Delta!
Everything does become clear, plus it means a change for our crew, but they are prepared to fight for what they believe in. I will admit that I actually missed Dex's banter more than I thought I would. Although he is (obviously) still around, he isn't the main character and therefore the quips are there as much. Still, I enjoyed the mix of action, intrigue, romance, and sex. Ash and Cael's story is one that I wanted, waited for, and thoroughly enjoyed. I loved all the intrigue, the questions, and how this book complements the series as a whole. Most definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Everything does become clear, plus it means a change for our crew, but they are prepared to fight for what they believe in. I will admit that I actually missed Dex's banter more than I thought I would. Although he is (obviously) still around, he isn't the main character and therefore the quips are there as much. Still, I enjoyed the mix of action, intrigue, romance, and sex. Ash and Cael's story is one that I wanted, waited for, and thoroughly enjoyed. I loved all the intrigue, the questions, and how this book complements the series as a whole. Most definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sausage Party (2016) in Movies
Jul 20, 2017
Funny voiceovers (1 more)
Classic Seth Rogen humour
Wasted potential (1 more)
The animators were treated poorly
Comfort Food
Based on the trailer I had high expectations going in, but really this movie is exactly what you expect it to be. The humour ticks all of the boxes that you would expect it to, casual racism, crass sex jokes, low brow sexism and drug induced illusions, the only difference that these feature in this movie to all of Seth Rogen’s other movies is that they are animated in this instance. If you switch off your brain and all you are looking for is a silly comedy then there is a good time to be had here and I did enjoy my time with this movie, but I can’t help but feel that there was also a lot of wasted potential here. I expected to have sore sides from laughing during this film and I only laughed out loud twice in the cinema and to be honest any less than three belly laughs during a Seth Rogen movie is underwhelming for me. Maybe I am being harsh, plus I was quite ill when I saw the movie so maybe if I went back and watched it again while feeling better I would have a better time. Like I said up top, if all you need is a quick fix of immature, shameless humour then you will enjoy this movie for what it is, but there could have been more done with this project and I’m a little bit let down that it couldn’t live up to its full potential.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Espressologist in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Thoughts: Ok, so if you like to sit down on the couch in front of your Christmas tree with a cup of hot chocolate or a coffee, a blanket, and a cute fun light-hearted book that will make you smile and laugh a bit, this one is for you. There was a grand total of two kisses (no sex!), and no (zero!) bad words. It’s appropriate for ages 8-14.
But I wouldn’t go higher than 14. With that in mind, I’m 18. I guess I didn’t see what was great about this book. Maybe I’m hard to please (though I doubt it, because I was pleased by Perfect Chemistry. That sucked too.) but really, this book was pretty lame. There were parts where I thought “oh that’s cute” or “oh no!” but that’s about as exciting as it got, and that was the extent of my interaction with the plot. There was a lot of drama, and all of it was ridiculously unrealistic. The characters were shallow and had no relatability, and had what I call “happyland syndrome” when it came to their dialogue. I just didn’t like the dialogue—the things they said were either too perfectly thought out to be realistic, or just sounded silly. The writing was very mediocre, even for a contemporary YA novel. Lastly, the ending was weak.
Again, in for a light-hearted-relax-goof-off-waste-my-time kind of book? The Espressologist is for you. If not? Skip it. You aren’t missing much.
**Thank you to Kathryn from Henry Holt In Group for supplying my review copy**
But I wouldn’t go higher than 14. With that in mind, I’m 18. I guess I didn’t see what was great about this book. Maybe I’m hard to please (though I doubt it, because I was pleased by Perfect Chemistry. That sucked too.) but really, this book was pretty lame. There were parts where I thought “oh that’s cute” or “oh no!” but that’s about as exciting as it got, and that was the extent of my interaction with the plot. There was a lot of drama, and all of it was ridiculously unrealistic. The characters were shallow and had no relatability, and had what I call “happyland syndrome” when it came to their dialogue. I just didn’t like the dialogue—the things they said were either too perfectly thought out to be realistic, or just sounded silly. The writing was very mediocre, even for a contemporary YA novel. Lastly, the ending was weak.
Again, in for a light-hearted-relax-goof-off-waste-my-time kind of book? The Espressologist is for you. If not? Skip it. You aren’t missing much.
**Thank you to Kathryn from Henry Holt In Group for supplying my review copy**
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Grownup in Books
May 16, 2018
Ambiguity in a story isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there's also a point where it becomes too much. In Gillian Flynn's award winning short story, "The Grownup," the reader is presented with a perfect example of exactly what happens when there is simply too much story left unanswered.
I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't admit that Flynn immediately snared my attention with the opening to her short story: a main character whose job is to... well... to pleasure men, but not by having sex with them (oral or otherwise). Of course, this profession of hers is masqueraded by a front as a psychic. Because of this need to cover up her actual job, the main character meets a troubled woman by the name of Susan Burke and from there, things get a little crazy to say the least.
Plot-wise, Flynn does a great job at sticking to what many horror fans might describe as a classic ghost story, only she doesn't really go too far in depth as to the details of the haunting - or lack thereof. Instead, she introduces several characters, a plausible chain of what might be paranormal events, and then an inconclusive ending where no fault is actually placed.
For a short story, "The Grownup" isn't all that bad, though I must admit that the title doesn't mesh well with its contents. I would much rather have read this as a full length novel, as Flynn undoubtedly has a knack for unexpected twists and turns. Even though I found "The Grownup" to be unsatisfying, Flynn's talent at the element of surprise still shined through brightly in this short work.
I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't admit that Flynn immediately snared my attention with the opening to her short story: a main character whose job is to... well... to pleasure men, but not by having sex with them (oral or otherwise). Of course, this profession of hers is masqueraded by a front as a psychic. Because of this need to cover up her actual job, the main character meets a troubled woman by the name of Susan Burke and from there, things get a little crazy to say the least.
Plot-wise, Flynn does a great job at sticking to what many horror fans might describe as a classic ghost story, only she doesn't really go too far in depth as to the details of the haunting - or lack thereof. Instead, she introduces several characters, a plausible chain of what might be paranormal events, and then an inconclusive ending where no fault is actually placed.
For a short story, "The Grownup" isn't all that bad, though I must admit that the title doesn't mesh well with its contents. I would much rather have read this as a full length novel, as Flynn undoubtedly has a knack for unexpected twists and turns. Even though I found "The Grownup" to be unsatisfying, Flynn's talent at the element of surprise still shined through brightly in this short work.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated A Deep Dark Secret in Books
May 10, 2018
It's a terrible thing when children are abused. It's more terrible when they are abused by a family member. The worst is when that family member is a parent. The person you are supposed to trust the most with your life.
Jillian Mitchell was 7 years old when her step-father started to molest her. It was one of the happiest and saddest days of her life. The day her baby sister, Layla, was born.
The abuse continued for 5 years. Starting with touching and escalating to oral sex and naked pictures. Byron, her step-father told her that if she told anyone, they wouldn't believe her and that they would blame her. And that if she wasn't going to do it, then he would get her little sister(who is now 5) to do it.
Jillian lived with this secret and never told anyone, not even her closest friend. When an incident at school, leads Jillian to find out she is not the only one in this situation, she finds the courage to stand up to her step-father (who she thought of as her real father from the beginning) and get him out of her life for good!
This is a great book and helps us understand that effects that abuse can have on children and their life as adults. Everyone handles it differently and more need to know that it is alright to speak out about it. I believe that if more children were not afraid to tell the secret, then we would have a lot less abuse out there and the cycles of teenage pregnancy and suicide would decrease.
Jillian Mitchell was 7 years old when her step-father started to molest her. It was one of the happiest and saddest days of her life. The day her baby sister, Layla, was born.
The abuse continued for 5 years. Starting with touching and escalating to oral sex and naked pictures. Byron, her step-father told her that if she told anyone, they wouldn't believe her and that they would blame her. And that if she wasn't going to do it, then he would get her little sister(who is now 5) to do it.
Jillian lived with this secret and never told anyone, not even her closest friend. When an incident at school, leads Jillian to find out she is not the only one in this situation, she finds the courage to stand up to her step-father (who she thought of as her real father from the beginning) and get him out of her life for good!
This is a great book and helps us understand that effects that abuse can have on children and their life as adults. Everyone handles it differently and more need to know that it is alright to speak out about it. I believe that if more children were not afraid to tell the secret, then we would have a lot less abuse out there and the cycles of teenage pregnancy and suicide would decrease.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Daisy Jones & the Six in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I adored this book.
It's so completely different from anything I've recently read. I do love my psychological thrillers, but sometimes it's nice to jump into a totally different world. Daisy Jones & The Six perfectly fits the bill.
There's been so much hype surrounding this book that I'm sure you know the premise by now: set in the mid-sixties through late seventies, Daisy Jones & The Six is about the rise and eventual fall of a fictional rock band. It reads like a Rolling Stone interview, or an episode of Behind the Music, which is an interesting and effective approach to the subject matter. I was immediately immersed in the story, but this also means I flew through it so quickly that I was sad when it was over. It drew me in so completely that I actually forgot this was not a real band.
Sex? ✔ Drugs? ✔ Rock 'n' Roll? ✔
Daisy Jones & The Six has all this and more. I've heard that it bears more than a passing resemblance to Fleetwood Mac's history, which makes sense as the author herself states that she was very much influenced by Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks (a living goddess if there ever was one). Every character is flawed, because, life. The descriptions of the songs, the music, are so complete, I could almost hear them in my head.
Last summer, Amazon ordered a 13-episode limited series of the book. The series will be co-produced by Amazon Studios and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine banner. ALSO: Amazon will be distributing original music from the television adaptation exclusively through Amazon Music. ?
And I.Can't.Wait.
?
It's so completely different from anything I've recently read. I do love my psychological thrillers, but sometimes it's nice to jump into a totally different world. Daisy Jones & The Six perfectly fits the bill.
There's been so much hype surrounding this book that I'm sure you know the premise by now: set in the mid-sixties through late seventies, Daisy Jones & The Six is about the rise and eventual fall of a fictional rock band. It reads like a Rolling Stone interview, or an episode of Behind the Music, which is an interesting and effective approach to the subject matter. I was immediately immersed in the story, but this also means I flew through it so quickly that I was sad when it was over. It drew me in so completely that I actually forgot this was not a real band.
Sex? ✔ Drugs? ✔ Rock 'n' Roll? ✔
Daisy Jones & The Six has all this and more. I've heard that it bears more than a passing resemblance to Fleetwood Mac's history, which makes sense as the author herself states that she was very much influenced by Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks (a living goddess if there ever was one). Every character is flawed, because, life. The descriptions of the songs, the music, are so complete, I could almost hear them in my head.
Last summer, Amazon ordered a 13-episode limited series of the book. The series will be co-produced by Amazon Studios and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine banner. ALSO: Amazon will be distributing original music from the television adaptation exclusively through Amazon Music. ?
And I.Can't.Wait.
?
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Sweetbitter in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Tess has just picked up her entire life in Ohio and decided to move to New York City. She has no plans, no job, but she knows she has to get away. When she arrives in New York, she already has a
place to live lined up, but she has to move quickly to find a job. She drops her resume at several coffee shops and restaurants and hopes for the best. When she come upon one of the best restaurants in the city. She's sure she won't have a shot with this place, but what is there to lose? She is pleasantly surprised when she is invited to train.
It took me a while to get through this book. Vacation was a big part of it and another part was that I just didn't find myself drawn to the story. I think those in the restaurant industry will appreciate this book. My husband, who isn't a reader, was intrigued by the story as I was listening to it once when he was in the car. The main reason I decided to pick up this book was because I was interested in the TV show on Starz after seeing the previews. I had to read the book first before I could watch the show.
So after a month, I finally got through the book. I'm not sure I would ever want to work at a restaurant after this. All the drinking, drugs and sex that goes on. It seems like everyone is sleeping with the everyone else and no one seems to care. I'm sure if I was younger this book would be more appealing to me.
place to live lined up, but she has to move quickly to find a job. She drops her resume at several coffee shops and restaurants and hopes for the best. When she come upon one of the best restaurants in the city. She's sure she won't have a shot with this place, but what is there to lose? She is pleasantly surprised when she is invited to train.
It took me a while to get through this book. Vacation was a big part of it and another part was that I just didn't find myself drawn to the story. I think those in the restaurant industry will appreciate this book. My husband, who isn't a reader, was intrigued by the story as I was listening to it once when he was in the car. The main reason I decided to pick up this book was because I was interested in the TV show on Starz after seeing the previews. I had to read the book first before I could watch the show.
So after a month, I finally got through the book. I'm not sure I would ever want to work at a restaurant after this. All the drinking, drugs and sex that goes on. It seems like everyone is sleeping with the everyone else and no one seems to care. I'm sure if I was younger this book would be more appealing to me.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Seducing the Sun Fae (The Fada Shapeshifters Series, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I knew from the description that I was going to love this novel, and I wasnt wrong. I love reading stories about faes so I was immediately attracted to the fantasy of the story. What I wasnt expecting was how hot this story was! I actually had to walk away a couple times to catch my breath before I could return. Normally, I dont like dialogue during my erotic scenes. More often then not, it sounds cheesy and silly. Rivard has a talent with writing such dialogue without taking away from the heat of the scene. In all honestly, it made them even hotter.
It wasnt all about the sex, however. The author created a fantastical world filled interesting creatures. I cant wait to read more stories to learn more about her mystical races. Not only that, but she did a great job of adding meat to the story, creating a cornucopia of characters whose stories intertwine. I found myself wondering about certain characters and hoping she continues their stories in the next novel.
The only true issue I had with this novel was how stubborn Dion was. I guess if I look from his point of view, I would understand. I wonder if the author gritted her teeth while she wrote him being so bullheaded. I know I would have.
This story could have gone wrong so very easily. I have read it countless times before. Rivard knew what she was doing and expertly wove a story of love, sacrifice, and fantasy. I will definitely be continuing the series.
It wasnt all about the sex, however. The author created a fantastical world filled interesting creatures. I cant wait to read more stories to learn more about her mystical races. Not only that, but she did a great job of adding meat to the story, creating a cornucopia of characters whose stories intertwine. I found myself wondering about certain characters and hoping she continues their stories in the next novel.
The only true issue I had with this novel was how stubborn Dion was. I guess if I look from his point of view, I would understand. I wonder if the author gritted her teeth while she wrote him being so bullheaded. I know I would have.
This story could have gone wrong so very easily. I have read it countless times before. Rivard knew what she was doing and expertly wove a story of love, sacrifice, and fantasy. I will definitely be continuing the series.
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Escape to the Stars (Galaxia Pirates #2) in Books
Jan 25, 2018
Escape to the Stars (Galaxia Pirates #2) by A.M. Halford
Escape to the Stars is the second book in the Galaxia Pirates series. In this one, we find out more details about the stowaway, Sandy, who we met at the end of the first book. Brian is in charge of him, and once they find out he is branded with a slave mark, Brian knows that Sandy can't bunk in with the rest of the crew, so he has to share his room. The attraction Brian feels for Sandy is strong, but when he sees the fear in Sandy's eyes, he backs off. Sandy has been a sex slave, and programmed through hardship to react to any touch. Sandy decides that he will power through this and propositions Brian. Things seem to be working out for them, but then Sandy's owner, Sylvain, catches up with him.
This is an easy to read book, where you don't have lots of background information to bog you down. Some may find that annoying, but for me, this story was just perfect - it came at the right time and gave me what I needed from a book. What is there is well written, and features Tony and Craig from book one too. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This was a brilliant coffee break book, and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an easy to read book, where you don't have lots of background information to bog you down. Some may find that annoying, but for me, this story was just perfect - it came at the right time and gave me what I needed from a book. What is there is well written, and features Tony and Craig from book one too. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This was a brilliant coffee break book, and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!