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ClareR (5916 KP) rated Local Gone Missing in Books
Aug 24, 2022
Local Gone Missing is an engaging police procedural with a bit of a difference. The main character, Detective Elise King, is on sick leave, recovering from breast cancer treatment. But when one of the villagers in her village goes missing, she finds herself back at work in a more informal way.
I liked this a lot. For such a small village there’s a lot going on: drugs, tensions between new and old villagers, fires - and a disappearing neighbour. Honestly, it made me vow to never move to a village!
The main characters are great. Dee, who knows everyone’s secrets and flies under everyone’s radar; Ronnie, the typical nosey neighbour who wants to be Elise’s sidekick; and Elise, who is worried about going back to the job she clearly loves.
I didn’t guess who did it, as is usual.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this and expanding my reading horizons!
I liked this a lot. For such a small village there’s a lot going on: drugs, tensions between new and old villagers, fires - and a disappearing neighbour. Honestly, it made me vow to never move to a village!
The main characters are great. Dee, who knows everyone’s secrets and flies under everyone’s radar; Ronnie, the typical nosey neighbour who wants to be Elise’s sidekick; and Elise, who is worried about going back to the job she clearly loves.
I didn’t guess who did it, as is usual.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this and expanding my reading horizons!
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Big Little Lies in Books
Aug 25, 2018
So much more than I expected
This was my first read by Liane Moriarty and I'm fairly blown away by this book. BIG LITTLE LIES takes the ridiculousness of a bunch of mainly elitist mums surrounding their kids' kindergarten class. Oh and there's husbands too. It was a witty painting of cliques, bitchiness, friendships strong and true and tragedy.
"Jane, nice to meet you! I'm Amabella's mum, and I have Jackson in Year 2. That's Amabella by the way, not Annabella. It's French. We didn't make it up."
"We're a bit too white bread here in the peninsula. We like to think we're terribly diverse but it's only our bank accounts that vary."
There are three friends in this book, each carrying secrets but these three really did care for one another. I liked each flawed woman in this threesome, Madeline, Celeste and Jane. There were characters to love, like, hate and those that redeemed themselves.
Bullying and more is a thread in this book and I felt sick, heart-sick, at times in terms of the nature of these issues. There is also some gut wrenching heart ache and I felt each emotion in full technicolor.
"She'd always known that her reaction to this night had been too big, or perhaps too small. She hadn't ever cried. She hadn't told anyone. She'd swallowed it while and pretended it meant nothing, and therefore it had come to mean everything."
At the heart of BIG LITTLE LIES is a tale of suspense. The seeds are placed right at the beginning and I spent the whole book guessing, re-guessing and second-guessing all my suspicions. Liane Moriarty is a truly talented writer, I enjoyed the light, the witty quips and dialogue, alongside the dark and sad. I'm definitely eager to read more by her.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
"Jane, nice to meet you! I'm Amabella's mum, and I have Jackson in Year 2. That's Amabella by the way, not Annabella. It's French. We didn't make it up."
"We're a bit too white bread here in the peninsula. We like to think we're terribly diverse but it's only our bank accounts that vary."
There are three friends in this book, each carrying secrets but these three really did care for one another. I liked each flawed woman in this threesome, Madeline, Celeste and Jane. There were characters to love, like, hate and those that redeemed themselves.
Bullying and more is a thread in this book and I felt sick, heart-sick, at times in terms of the nature of these issues. There is also some gut wrenching heart ache and I felt each emotion in full technicolor.
"She'd always known that her reaction to this night had been too big, or perhaps too small. She hadn't ever cried. She hadn't told anyone. She'd swallowed it while and pretended it meant nothing, and therefore it had come to mean everything."
At the heart of BIG LITTLE LIES is a tale of suspense. The seeds are placed right at the beginning and I spent the whole book guessing, re-guessing and second-guessing all my suspicions. Liane Moriarty is a truly talented writer, I enjoyed the light, the witty quips and dialogue, alongside the dark and sad. I'm definitely eager to read more by her.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated On the Origin of Findo Gask in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Would You Rather (2012) in Movies
Sep 15, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Iris is a young woman who has returned to town to help her sick brother. She goes to a clinic to seek help for him only to be invited to a dinner party to play a game and whoever wins gets help for their loved one. Obviously she thinks it's a weird idea, says she will think about it and heads home.
After being turned down for a job and struggling to pay her bills, she decides to go to the dinner party. She is the 8th and final guest to arrive and is introduced to the group. Upon her arrival we skip to a scene with the host talking about the dinner party and you know somethings going to go down even though it isn't specifically mentioned,but it does leave you eager to find out.
A mini game starts almost immediately when Iris (a vegetarian) is told to eat meat for £10,000 which she reluctantly does. The host also tells a recovering alcoholic to drink alcohol for money.
The main game starts after dinner in which they take part in a game of 'would you rather' with a twist, the twist being they have to do their choice or face elimination. This is when it gets interesting because it is then known that if you try to leave you are shot!!
The first round is shock therapy and really messes with your head. Everybody has to choose to give an electric shock to themselves or someone else, and the rounds get worse as the game goes on, from stabbing each other to shooting another player.
It's a proper psychological thriller and incredibly disturbing in places but I couldn't stop watching, I needed to know who sees it through to the end. It definitely has a crazy shock ending which made me sick to the stomach. Overall though it was an enjoyable movie with an interesting plot, the acting was spot on and proceeded at a steady pace rather than rushed or being too slow.
After being turned down for a job and struggling to pay her bills, she decides to go to the dinner party. She is the 8th and final guest to arrive and is introduced to the group. Upon her arrival we skip to a scene with the host talking about the dinner party and you know somethings going to go down even though it isn't specifically mentioned,but it does leave you eager to find out.
A mini game starts almost immediately when Iris (a vegetarian) is told to eat meat for £10,000 which she reluctantly does. The host also tells a recovering alcoholic to drink alcohol for money.
The main game starts after dinner in which they take part in a game of 'would you rather' with a twist, the twist being they have to do their choice or face elimination. This is when it gets interesting because it is then known that if you try to leave you are shot!!
The first round is shock therapy and really messes with your head. Everybody has to choose to give an electric shock to themselves or someone else, and the rounds get worse as the game goes on, from stabbing each other to shooting another player.
It's a proper psychological thriller and incredibly disturbing in places but I couldn't stop watching, I needed to know who sees it through to the end. It definitely has a crazy shock ending which made me sick to the stomach. Overall though it was an enjoyable movie with an interesting plot, the acting was spot on and proceeded at a steady pace rather than rushed or being too slow.
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Debbiereadsbook (1481 KP) rated Honestly Yours by Jaime Reese in Books
Jun 2, 2022
so bloody good!
Its been a long LONG time since I had my Reese fix, but it was such a wonderful wait!!
Warren wants Gian, but Gian has only one rule: Be honest. It's the one thing he needs more than anything. But being honest with Gian might be the one thing that breaks Warren's heart.
I've been sick all week, and reading this was like a great big hug, wrapped around me, and made me feel so much better! (still sick, but getting there) I loved it, it could not have landed in my queue at a better time, and I will try to write a coherent review.
I loved Warren, he holds his cards close to his chest, but Gian pushes Warren, makes him want to be different this time. I loved Gian, and how bloody patient he is with Warren. I loved ALL the P words used here, I thought that was incredibly cute.
I loved being thrown for a loop when things went down, cos there were several things I did not see coming at me and I love being kept on my toes. I thought this was gonna be a light and fluffy romance, but it isn't and I loved being made to see that I didn't really want light and fluffy, I wanted deep and meaningful and something full of surprises!
It does get a bit dark, when Warren is describing his childhood, but you do need it to get the full package that is Warren. It is so smexy! But there are lighter moments too, Gian is a lot of fun and his parents are wonderful people who see Warren, and they see just what Warren means to Gian, even if Gian can't voice it yet.
Written from both Warren and Gian's point of view, it covers a whole range of emotions and situations and I blooming loved it!
Thank you, Ms Reese for my copy.
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Warren wants Gian, but Gian has only one rule: Be honest. It's the one thing he needs more than anything. But being honest with Gian might be the one thing that breaks Warren's heart.
I've been sick all week, and reading this was like a great big hug, wrapped around me, and made me feel so much better! (still sick, but getting there) I loved it, it could not have landed in my queue at a better time, and I will try to write a coherent review.
I loved Warren, he holds his cards close to his chest, but Gian pushes Warren, makes him want to be different this time. I loved Gian, and how bloody patient he is with Warren. I loved ALL the P words used here, I thought that was incredibly cute.
I loved being thrown for a loop when things went down, cos there were several things I did not see coming at me and I love being kept on my toes. I thought this was gonna be a light and fluffy romance, but it isn't and I loved being made to see that I didn't really want light and fluffy, I wanted deep and meaningful and something full of surprises!
It does get a bit dark, when Warren is describing his childhood, but you do need it to get the full package that is Warren. It is so smexy! But there are lighter moments too, Gian is a lot of fun and his parents are wonderful people who see Warren, and they see just what Warren means to Gian, even if Gian can't voice it yet.
Written from both Warren and Gian's point of view, it covers a whole range of emotions and situations and I blooming loved it!
Thank you, Ms Reese for my copy.
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated The Christmas Blessing in Books
Dec 8, 2017
The Christmas Blessing is a really good book. It had me emotional throughout the book. This shows the sad and the happy. It deals with a young woman with her son. The young woman thinks here soon to be husband has died and so do his parents.
Will the Bentley accept Amelia and her son? Amelia does something to help her son Jimmy? She cares about her son. Amelia sees Jimmy family putting together a Nativity the day after Thanksgiving. She worries about her son and that he is sick. She does something and the family finds him.
We meet James Bentley and what happened to him for sure. There a sweet ending and I do not want to give it away. Carlson does a good job writing the plot and it was done nicely. There some sweet moments and some teary moments.
It a great Christmas story and it is sweet. I loved it.
Will the Bentley accept Amelia and her son? Amelia does something to help her son Jimmy? She cares about her son. Amelia sees Jimmy family putting together a Nativity the day after Thanksgiving. She worries about her son and that he is sick. She does something and the family finds him.
We meet James Bentley and what happened to him for sure. There a sweet ending and I do not want to give it away. Carlson does a good job writing the plot and it was done nicely. There some sweet moments and some teary moments.
It a great Christmas story and it is sweet. I loved it.
Domonique (0 KP) rated Still Missing in Books
May 12, 2018
This was really good!! It seemed like I just flew through it because it was so captivating. I loved the way that it was told, in therapy sessions, I thought that was interesting and different although I would have like to have heard the therapist's perspective on some of Annie's thoughts, but I understood it wasn't about her. (SPOILERS AHEAD) I still can't believe that her mom was behind the whole thing, what kind of parent is that hard up for money and one-upmanship on her own sister that she would have her own daughter abducted? That was just sick and I can't believe that even at the end, she tried to make out like she was the victim. I felt so good that Annie finally took control and got away from her mother after she realized that she was never going to change and it was always going to be about her. I'll have to check out more books by this author.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) in Books
Feb 14, 2019 (Updated Feb 14, 2019)
Twisty stuff
Holy plots twists on a stick, I am agog. I thought I knew what was what and then Holly Black pulled the rug well and truly from under my feet and I cannot wait but will somehow have to wait until book three.
Jude Duarte remains a flawed relatable heroine. She's fierce, she overestimates her abilities and she has some hidden weaknesses - her family and that darn King. Carden was both weak and wiley in this book and frankly a little shocking. He continued to appeal to me but I felt a bit like Jude, I shouldn't like him. I am sick once again about Jude's family and where it all ends up.
I felt gripped to this story and enjoyed it more than THE CRUEL PRINCE, the storyline was totally gripping, from the undersea to Elfhame. This is shaping up to be a fantastic cresendo in book three. Sign me up.
Jude Duarte remains a flawed relatable heroine. She's fierce, she overestimates her abilities and she has some hidden weaknesses - her family and that darn King. Carden was both weak and wiley in this book and frankly a little shocking. He continued to appeal to me but I felt a bit like Jude, I shouldn't like him. I am sick once again about Jude's family and where it all ends up.
I felt gripped to this story and enjoyed it more than THE CRUEL PRINCE, the storyline was totally gripping, from the undersea to Elfhame. This is shaping up to be a fantastic cresendo in book three. Sign me up.
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated A Letter from Lancaster County in Books
Apr 9, 2019
A Letter for Lancaster County is a good sweet story. It seems about a redemption and learning to deal with death and grief. What a lovely plot. Katie Lloyd does a good job with it. We get the perspective of the main characters named Rose and Angelina.
They get a letter from their aunt Sylvia. Both girls is dealing with their own problems and grief of their mother. Will they learn that letting go and have faith? There a budding romance going on as well. What could that be and can Glenn and Rose being a match? You will need to find out by reading.
Can Angelina figure out what going on at home and her husband and family? To find that out, you will need to read to determine that. They find out that their Aunt Sylvia is sick, Will Rose decide to stay or will she go back to her home in Washington? This is a lovely and sweet story of love, friendship, and redemptions.
They get a letter from their aunt Sylvia. Both girls is dealing with their own problems and grief of their mother. Will they learn that letting go and have faith? There a budding romance going on as well. What could that be and can Glenn and Rose being a match? You will need to find out by reading.
Can Angelina figure out what going on at home and her husband and family? To find that out, you will need to read to determine that. They find out that their Aunt Sylvia is sick, Will Rose decide to stay or will she go back to her home in Washington? This is a lovely and sweet story of love, friendship, and redemptions.