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PIPKAT (4 KP) rated Manhunting in Books
Mar 4, 2022
<b>POV:</b> Dual.
<b>Descriptive Sex:</b> Yes.
<b>OW/OM:</b> No.
<b>Separation:</b> Yes. <spoiler>6 weeks</spoiler>
<b>★★★★ ½</b>
It's been a while since I've laughed out loud while reading. Crusie always delivers an interesting, kind of quirky story, so I expected nothing less here. However, [b:Manhunting|33737|Manhunting|Jennifer Crusie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392156095l/33737._SX50_.jpg|726931] has become a favorite of mine purely because of the wit. Gosh, the wit. Sometimes you can tell when an author is trying too hard for "banter". The conversations are just too stilted and forced. But that is not a problem here. All of the characters here are sharp and entertaining, the exchanges just flowed with ease.
The biggest issue, which I've seen mentioned already, are the POV changes. If you've read any of Crusie's work you'd know that POV changes aren't marked or indicated, they just happen. It's usually not an issue because they were easy to figure out, but I felt the POV changes here were... odd. Sometimes misplaced, often short and switching back and forth within just one paragraph. Obviously, it didn't interfere with my entertainment, but I felt it should be mentioned for others who might be bothered by it.
<b>Descriptive Sex:</b> Yes.
<b>OW/OM:</b> No.
<b>Separation:</b> Yes. <spoiler>6 weeks</spoiler>
<b>★★★★ ½</b>
It's been a while since I've laughed out loud while reading. Crusie always delivers an interesting, kind of quirky story, so I expected nothing less here. However, [b:Manhunting|33737|Manhunting|Jennifer Crusie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392156095l/33737._SX50_.jpg|726931] has become a favorite of mine purely because of the wit. Gosh, the wit. Sometimes you can tell when an author is trying too hard for "banter". The conversations are just too stilted and forced. But that is not a problem here. All of the characters here are sharp and entertaining, the exchanges just flowed with ease.
The biggest issue, which I've seen mentioned already, are the POV changes. If you've read any of Crusie's work you'd know that POV changes aren't marked or indicated, they just happen. It's usually not an issue because they were easy to figure out, but I felt the POV changes here were... odd. Sometimes misplaced, often short and switching back and forth within just one paragraph. Obviously, it didn't interfere with my entertainment, but I felt it should be mentioned for others who might be bothered by it.
A Book Club to Die For
8.0
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When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort...
Christmas Past
8.0
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Behind every Christmas tradition is a story — usually, a forgotten one. Each year, as we decorate...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Bite of Winter ( Faes Captive book 3) in Books
Sep 15, 2022
166 of 230
Kindle
Bite of Winter ( Fae’s Captive book 3)
By Lily Archer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
The Red Plains are hot. But my fae king? Even hotter. So, we kind of got captured by a warlike clan of Vundi warriors. Sounds bad, right? But they treat us as guests, and I’m coming to like them despite the ongoing threat of me being shipped off to the king beyond the mountain. I still endeavor to reach the winter kingdom and find a way back home … until the Vundi high priestess reveals that I may have more ties to the fae world than I ever imagined. On top of that, Leander knows just what buttons to press to get me naked, in a tub, and panting for him. My resolve is failing on all fronts, but worse than that, I discover danger is even closer than I realized.
Well that was just what I’ve been waiting for with this series it’s finally getting somewhere. It still seems a short book but I really got into the characters and the story more with this instalment. Liander is still doing my head in a little bit now he’s finally mated maybe he’ll shut up about it. It ends on another cliffhanger which is fine as I don’t mind them!
Kindle
Bite of Winter ( Fae’s Captive book 3)
By Lily Archer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
The Red Plains are hot. But my fae king? Even hotter. So, we kind of got captured by a warlike clan of Vundi warriors. Sounds bad, right? But they treat us as guests, and I’m coming to like them despite the ongoing threat of me being shipped off to the king beyond the mountain. I still endeavor to reach the winter kingdom and find a way back home … until the Vundi high priestess reveals that I may have more ties to the fae world than I ever imagined. On top of that, Leander knows just what buttons to press to get me naked, in a tub, and panting for him. My resolve is failing on all fronts, but worse than that, I discover danger is even closer than I realized.
Well that was just what I’ve been waiting for with this series it’s finally getting somewhere. It still seems a short book but I really got into the characters and the story more with this instalment. Liander is still doing my head in a little bit now he’s finally mated maybe he’ll shut up about it. It ends on another cliffhanger which is fine as I don’t mind them!
Icarus Over Collins
Book
After her friend Sandy Mangual tragically falls to his death, Bailey Cohen discovers images of his...
Contemporary Fiction Bilingual - Spanish and English
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Claws of Death in Books
Aug 16, 2023
Who is Crabby Enough to Commit Murder?
After getting out of rehab, Jackie Norwood is looking for any way to rebuild her life, and professionally, she is taking her celebrity chef name on the road, judging food festivals. Her first one is a crab festival in Texas. She is horrified to realize that her fellow judge is her nemesis, Heather Curtis. Then disaster strikes when Heather drops dead after tasting their first dish – a dish prepared by Jackie’s ex-boyfriend. With the police looking at the two of them as suspects in Heather’s murder, Jackie has to jump in and find out what really happened. Can she do it?
Author Cathy Wiley has introduced Jackie in some short stories in the Destination Murders series, and I’m thrilled to see Jackie get her own novel finally. I liked getting to know Jackie better, and the rest of the cast, introduced here, are fantastic. The story starts quickly and never lags. I enjoyed how Jackie pieced things together at the end. Throw in some humor, and this was a book I never wanted to put down. It was over all too quickly. Those who enjoy crab will be interested in the recipes at the end. If you are looking for a fun new series, you’ll be thrilled you got your claws into this debut.
Author Cathy Wiley has introduced Jackie in some short stories in the Destination Murders series, and I’m thrilled to see Jackie get her own novel finally. I liked getting to know Jackie better, and the rest of the cast, introduced here, are fantastic. The story starts quickly and never lags. I enjoyed how Jackie pieced things together at the end. Throw in some humor, and this was a book I never wanted to put down. It was over all too quickly. Those who enjoy crab will be interested in the recipes at the end. If you are looking for a fun new series, you’ll be thrilled you got your claws into this debut.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown in Books
Jun 6, 2023
I really enjoy Alison Weir’s storytelling. I always know that I’m going to get a book that I can really sink my teeth into. I’m a big big book fan, through and through - how on earth can you write a short book about a monarch like Henry VIII?! Six wives, heads being chopped off, wars, reconciliations, breaking from the Catholic Church, hunting, sporting and womanising! I’m sure there’s more - and it’s all in the book!
It’s interesting to hear the story of his life from his own (fictionalised) point of view. We’ve seen what his wives think of him, and here we get to read what he thinks of himself. It’s a lot, by the way.
For the fact collectors (🙋🏼♀️) this is a real treat, and Weir has really done her research. There’s plenty of (Henry’s version of) romance - most chivalrous!
This kept me turning the pages throughout. I will admit, I listened to this at the same time on a NetGalley audiobook that came through as I started reading on The Pigeonhole. And it really added to the experience. The narrator, Elliot Fitzpatrick, was perfect. He brought Henry to life again, as well as the other characters. He was really “listenable” to (is that even a word?).
So, thanks to The Pigeonhole and Headline both - it was a really enjoyable experience!
It’s interesting to hear the story of his life from his own (fictionalised) point of view. We’ve seen what his wives think of him, and here we get to read what he thinks of himself. It’s a lot, by the way.
For the fact collectors (🙋🏼♀️) this is a real treat, and Weir has really done her research. There’s plenty of (Henry’s version of) romance - most chivalrous!
This kept me turning the pages throughout. I will admit, I listened to this at the same time on a NetGalley audiobook that came through as I started reading on The Pigeonhole. And it really added to the experience. The narrator, Elliot Fitzpatrick, was perfect. He brought Henry to life again, as well as the other characters. He was really “listenable” to (is that even a word?).
So, thanks to The Pigeonhole and Headline both - it was a really enjoyable experience!
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Levity (Gay Fairy Tales #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2023)
This is the tale about Efrosin and Dmitri, two polar opposites who are both under a curse. Will they be able to break the curses and be together, or is their love doomed to failure?
This book was exceptionally well-written - especially Efrosin's character. He annoyed me to start with as his way of speaking was SOO over the top, but I quickly realised just how much this suited him and his character. I found myself feeling sorry for this character that had annoyed me, as he admitted that he couldn't feel sad, bad or mad (or any other negative emotion). The levity didn't just affect his physical form, but his mental one too.
Dmitri is Efrosin's opposite - he is bound to the land. He can't ever leave and can only interact with those that come to him. Efrosin is a rich Prince, he is a poor farmer. And yet, these two have something so intense between them that all bets are off with them behaving in a decorous manner!
A short story packed full of emotion, humour, sadness and curses. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2016
This book was exceptionally well-written - especially Efrosin's character. He annoyed me to start with as his way of speaking was SOO over the top, but I quickly realised just how much this suited him and his character. I found myself feeling sorry for this character that had annoyed me, as he admitted that he couldn't feel sad, bad or mad (or any other negative emotion). The levity didn't just affect his physical form, but his mental one too.
Dmitri is Efrosin's opposite - he is bound to the land. He can't ever leave and can only interact with those that come to him. Efrosin is a rich Prince, he is a poor farmer. And yet, these two have something so intense between them that all bets are off with them behaving in a decorous manner!
A short story packed full of emotion, humour, sadness and curses. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 14, 2016
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Dead Animals in Books
May 26, 2024
Dead Animals by Phoebe Stuckes tells of an unnamed young woman who wakes up the morning after a party, covered in bruises. Over a period of time, she realises that she was sexually assaulted. Whilst trying to deal with the repercussions of this, we learn that she’s a zero hours waitress in an upmarket restaurant, specialising in offal - and she’s a vegetarian. She’s bullied because she doesn’t eat meat, and is tricked into eating it on a couple of occasions (they’re really unpleasant people).
She lives in a tiny flat that appears to be plagued with mould that only worsens after the attack. Whether this is real mould or a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil and distress is uncertain, but when she meets Hélène, a fellow sufferer of her attacker, she takes her up on the offer of moving in with her.
Hélène seems perfect at first, but the main character takes her unease and weird occurrences with her to the new flat. Hélène comes across as manipulative and controlling. In fact there’s a feel of the main character having no control of her own life at any point in this story - right up to the devastating end.
This was a really tense, creepy audiobook, read so well by Anna Burnett - her narration increased the feeling of unease!
A short but really hard-hitting listen.
She lives in a tiny flat that appears to be plagued with mould that only worsens after the attack. Whether this is real mould or a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil and distress is uncertain, but when she meets Hélène, a fellow sufferer of her attacker, she takes her up on the offer of moving in with her.
Hélène seems perfect at first, but the main character takes her unease and weird occurrences with her to the new flat. Hélène comes across as manipulative and controlling. In fact there’s a feel of the main character having no control of her own life at any point in this story - right up to the devastating end.
This was a really tense, creepy audiobook, read so well by Anna Burnett - her narration increased the feeling of unease!
A short but really hard-hitting listen.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated A Portable Shelter in Books
May 13, 2017
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015