Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 2, 2021  
Sneak a peek at the clean contemporary romance novel THE YES DARE by Kathleen Y'Barbo and watch her video guest post on my blog. Enter the giveaway to win all the books in her Pies, Books & Jesus Book Club series signed by her and the real Bonnie Sue (1 winner) or a signed copy of The Yes Dare (3 winners).

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/11/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-yes-dare.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS FOR THE YES DARE**
Have you ever wished for a second chance to fix something you’ve messed up or for the courage to say yes to something that just may change your life? Sometimes saying yes to the last thing you want can mean saying yes to exactly what you need.

Ryan “The Rocket” Sutton’s winning streak is legendary makes him the undisputed best quarterback in the NFL. However, thanks to one dumb mistake, he’s a failure as a husband to Coco, the only woman he’s ever loved. When a judge’s mistake in divorce paperwork means Coco is still his wife, Ryan makes up his mind to fix what he ruined. Ryan’s game plan doesn’t count on an internationally famous movie director’s camera crew following him as he competes for Coco’s love.

After spending most of her adult life as a football wife and mother to twin sons, fashionista Coco Sutton is learning how to be single and fabulous. Emphasis on Fabulous. The sports trophies, memorabilia, and heavy masculine wood furniture in the home she used to share with Ryan have been banished to the attic, and her home is now a cozy haven of plush candle-scented comfort. She’s got big plans that include owning a boutique or maybe an art gallery, but she never planned to take on the biggest challenge of her life: staying single. Then her best friend gives her a copy of a book called The Yes Dare, and all her plans are turned upside down.

From a Hollywood movie to the local spring event formerly known as the Cow Chip Toss Festival and a country crooner with a crush on Coco, will Ryan dodge the obstacles to win back the only woman he ever loved?
     
40x40

Dana (24 KP) rated Tender Buttons in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
Tender Buttons
Tender Buttons
Gertrude Stein | 2012 | Essays
8
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book of poetry is chaotic, at best. But that does not mean it is without meaning or cohesion. Through its chaos, the story emerges in little hints and connections that track and follow the speaker through their thought processes in each of the sections of the book: Objects, Food, and Rooms.

I don't normally enjoy modernist poetry much because I feel it tries too hard to be something it is not. It tries to solve problems it cannot, but I have enjoyed this book a lot. Instead of always trying to solve problems, it states how it is. The problems are still there, the chaos is still there, but there is still a sense of peace at what the world is. The speaker is an ordinary person doing ordinary things, thinking about a world that has gone to shit, and that is really relatable.

There is a lot of attention to color in this collection. In the first section, there was a focus on Red and Yellow. In the second, coal is a constant. The colors represent the changing times, the coal especially. Red, the color of blood and war. Yellow, the color of change, and illness. The war had become an illness that had spread across Europe and eventually, the world.

I love how the style is not really a poetic style. Instead it is written in a prose form, but not as a coherent story with a plot line. I appreciate how Stein is creating and experimenting with different styles of writing to try to convey what she wants to.

In the section Objects, there was a quote that I very much liked because I felt like it summed up how that section had been flowing, for me at least. "Book was there, it was there. Book was there. Stop it, stop it, it was a cleaner, a wet cleaner and it was not where it was wet, it was not high, it was directly placed back, not back again, back, it was returned, it was needless, it put a bank, a bank when, a bank care." (30) This quote is showing the chaos of the mind, the disruptions of how it thinks when trying to focus or process what is happening to it. This is how many people's thoughts may have seemed during and after the two World Wars, something Modernist literature and poetry often brings up.

"There is coagulation in cold and there is none in prudence. Something is preserved and the evening is long and the colder spring has sudden shadows in a sun." (40) I like this quotation from the second section, Food, because it acknowledges that even in a time of rebirth, there is still coldness and death. There are shadows in Spring because it is acknowledging the death that had to happen for the rebirth to occur. The "coagulation" can be a congregation of people when the times get tough. When it is "cold" people come together, but in times of prudence, or in times of happiness and peace, people do not feel the need to come together. There is a self-isolation that occurs in the good times.

"A sentence of vagueness that is violence is authority and a mission and stumbling and also certainly also a prison. Calmness, calm beside the plate and in way in. There is no turn in terror. There is no volume in sound." (40) In this section, there it shows that you cannot control the world. There will always be chaos and pain and violence, but you have to learn how to live through it and survive because if you do not, you will be left in your pain with no way out.

"This shows the disorder, it does, it shows more likeness than anything else, it shows the single mind that directs an apple. All the coats have a different shape, that does not mean that they differ in color, it means a union between use and exercise and a horse." (67) This quote shows the reason and necessity of the poem. Like I said before, this book is chaotic to show the connections in chaos. It is a portrayal of the mind in a chaotic state. Everything is able to be connected because it is all from one mind and person.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was very relevant to today, even though it was written over one hundred years ago. I recommend that you read this, even if you are not really in to modernist writing because, even though it is confusing at first, once you start thinking about it, it becomes very poignant and interesting.
  
Truth or Dare (2018)
Truth or Dare (2018)
2018 | Horror, Thriller
Growing up with four sisters who would regularly have slumber parties, I was no stranger to the game Truth or Dare. For those who were never lucky enough to experience this game for themselves, the premise is simple, decide whether to tell the truth, regardless of what was asked or take a dare. I’m certain many friendships and relationships were lost over this simple game, because most people probably didn’t want to tell the truth or had friends who would come up with the most embarrassing dare imaginable. Hopefully, the game didn’t result in the death of most of your friends though, unlike the film Truth or Dare produced by Blumhouse Productions and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2).

Truth or Dare is a film that starts off with simple beginnings, a group of friends in their final year of college decide to spend their last spring break partying it up in Mexico. Olivia (Lucy Hale), being the responsible one, is reluctant to go choosing instead to spend her spring break building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Her best friend Markie (Violett Bean) pulls out all the stops and convinces her reluctant bestie to forgo Habitat and spend the week in Mexico instead. On their final night Olivia is approached by a handsome stranger named Carter (Landon Liboiron) who convinces her and her friends to join him for a rousing game of Truth or Dare in a spooky old abandoned Mexican mission. What could go wrong?

The game seemed simple enough, and everyone traveled home thinking that the game was only a game and ended when they left Mexico. It is only after their return, and strangers begin smiling at them and Truth or Dare voices appear from out of nowhere, that the game has only just begun. Play the game or face the consequences, fail to tell the truth, you die; fail your dare, you die…the rules are simple, but obeying them is what gradually tears the group of friends apart.

Truth or Dare follows much of the same plot twists and turns that other teen-based horror movies (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Final Destination, etc.) do. Initially the characters don’t buy into what is happening and it takes a few horrific events to convince them that what is going on is real. While the movie sticks very close to the formula of those before it, there are still the occasional plot twists or jump scares to keep things interesting. The movie attempts to play on the moral dilemma that comes with playing a game of Truth or Dare; the player must usually decide between hurting someone with honesty or harming themselves or someone else by taking the dare. Without giving away any spoilers, there is a “truth” question posed to Olivia at the beginning of the game that comes full circle at the end which demonstrates this point brilliantly.

Lucy Hale did an incredible job in her portrayal of Olivia, a young college student who tries to do the right thing, even if that happens to be at the expense of those around her. The rest of the cast however seemed to be a little more inconsistent in their character portrayals. It’s not that any one of them did a particularly poor job, their characters just felt more like cardboard cutouts, sticking to their given teen stereotype that teetered between believable and frustrating. There are certainly plenty of moments where you will be face-palming yourself on how the characters are behaving, considering the very real consequences they are facing. Remember they are all very aware of the rules, so accepting someone’s truth or the consequences of a dare, you’d think would be a given.

Overall, I enjoyed Truth or Dare. It doesn’t break any new ground and in many ways, resembles the teen suspense/horror movies of the mid 90’s. There are plenty of jump scares, and also a fair share of groan worthy moments. It’s the type of movie that won’t likely have any lasting impact once you leave the theater but is entertaining enough that you won’t be looking at your watch wondering when it’ll be over. It’s a fun movie that likely won’t be nominated for any awards, but that’s okay. Sometimes all you want is an escape, a movie that accepts what it is, and hopefully gives the audience exactly what they were expecting.
  
40x40

Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The One in Books

Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)  
The One
The One
John Marrs | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is what I love about reviewing books, it takes you out of your comfort zone and you get to experience author's that perhaps might never cross your radar and what a shame that would be as, The One by John Marrs was one of those gems that I may have passed by, an utterly brilliant captivating phycological thriller which kept me entranced till the final pages.

How to adequately convey this story and do it justice, as it truly is a unique concept. I have read an abundance of fiction over the years and the subject expressed in The One, A Gene that matches you with another individual romantically, a soul mate. is truly a unique idea.


In The One, we have what seems like five different stories all wrapped up in a shared Tale, Five Love matches all separate but also intertwined in a bigger picture. The unique writing style of John Marrs makes this very addictive reading, each chapter focusing on a gene match playing in an enthralling loop that makes you want to keep reading.


We have,
Mandy & Richard
Christopher & Amy
Jade & Kevin
Nick & Sally
Ellie & Tim


Finding the love of your life, the other half of you may seem an amazing and wonderous thing. But in reality, the obstacles this can throw at you if you think on this logically are truly shocking, What if your match is married or old, dead or disabled. He or she could be a criminal when you ponder deeper on this matter all sorts of shockingly crazy scenarios spring to mind.The one explores these situations giving us an insight into what could happen when we ask the question WHAT IF?


In conclusion, this book is a breathtaking phycological thriller that keeps you gripped throughout. I've tried to convey a sense of what The one gives you without giving too much away as this is one of those stories you really need to go in blind to truly appreciate the sheer brilliance of its storyline. Love doesn't always run smoothly, in fact in this tale don't expect the ordinary it abounds with twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout.


I Received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in return for a review and this is my own honest opinion.
  
Backyard Harvest
Backyard Harvest
Jo Whittingham | 2011 | Home & Garden
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An indispensable guide for the beginning gardener
Backyard Harvest is set up by months, which makes for a unique and absolutely essential (to me, a beginner) book. In every month, it tells you what you should be eating (provided you had planted it previously!), what you should be planting, what you should be pruning or transplanting or otherwise working on, and usually a few pages on a seasonal-appropriate subject. (A section on apples and apple trees in November, for example.) The layout is gorgeous, the instructions are easy to understand, and I feel like after a few years of following this book I’ll be eating from my garden every month of the year with ease.

For January, for example, if I had these things planted, harvested, or stored from last year, I should be eating pickles, stored root veggies, newly lifted Salsify, forced Belgian Endive, and winter radishes, among other tasty-looking things. I should be sowing (indoors, to transplant after the last frost) early-season leeks, summer onions, lettuce, broad beans, cut-and-come-again greens, and early peas and radishes. For tending, I should be amending my soil, keeping an eye on my stored fruits and veggies for signs of rot, pruning some of my fruit trees, and picking up fallen leaves from hardy winter brassicas so they don’t cause rot at the base of the plants. The feature for the month is building a seedbed, both raised and non. In January I should be harvesting celeriac, early broccoli, the aforementioned Belgian Endive, and spring greens. Another feature for the month is sprouting seeds for use in salads. Each of these categories gets its own two-page spread, the monthly features occasionally getting four or more.

It’s a lovely, really useful book, and one I HAD to own after getting it from the library. It will be getting heavy use in the coming months, I’m sure!

Whittingham has written or co-written three other books – Vegetable Gardening and Grow Vegetables before this book, and Simple Steps to Success: Fruit and Vegetables in Pots after. The latter appears to be a combination of the first two in a new format, but I could be wrong. So I’m not sure I’d recommend any of those three – I haven’t read them – but Backyard Harvest is awesome!

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
40x40

Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The One in Books

Feb 8, 2018  
The One
The One
John Marrs | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is what I love about reviewing books, it takes you out of your comfort zone and you get to experience author's that perhaps might never cross your radar and what a shame that would be as, The One by John Marrs was one of those gems that I may have passed by, an utterly brilliant captivating phycological thriller which kept me entranced till the final pages.

How to adequately convey this story and do it justice, as it truly is a unique concept. I have read an abundance of fiction over the years and the subject expressed in The One, A Gene that matches you with another individual romantically, a soul mate. is truly a unique idea.

In The One, we have what seems like five different stories all wrapped up in a shared Tale, Five Love matches all separate but also intertwined in a bigger picture. The unique writing style of John Marrs makes this very addictive reading, each chapter focusing on a gene match playing in an enthralling loop that makes you want to keep reading.

we have,

Mandy & Richard
Christopher & Amy
Jade & Kevin
Nick & Sally
Ellie & Tim

Finding the love of your life, the other half of you may seem an amazing and wonderous thing. But in reality, the obstacles this can throw at you if you think on this logically are truly shocking, What if your match is married or old, dead or disabled. He or she could be a criminal when you ponder deeper on this matter all sorts of shockingly crazy scenarios spring to mind.The one explores these situations giving us an insight into what could happen when we ask the question WHAT IF?

In conclusion, this book is a breathtaking phycological thriller that keeps you gripped throughout. I've tried to convey a sense of what The one gives you without giving too much away as this is one of those stories you really need to go in blind to truly appreciate the sheer brilliance of its storyline. Love doesn't always run smoothly, in fact in this tale don't expect the ordinary it abounds with twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout.

I Received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in return for a review and this is my own honest opinion.

https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
  
40x40

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Hiding in Books

Nov 14, 2019  
Hiding
Hiding
Jenny Morton Potts | 2018 | Thriller
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Keller Baye is the son of a murderer, a man he is about to watch die for his crime. A man who only wants one thing from his son: revenge.

Rebecca Brown is an orphan who has been brought up by relatives in a remote Scottish house and who's thirst for knowledge about her parents and the car crash in which they died only grows keener the less those around her are prepared to talk about it.

Despite the miles between these two people they are connected by a single thread, and that thread is set to bring them together and reveal the truth.

Roughly the first part of the book tells the backgrounds of the two main characters, gradually revealing one event at a time exactly who Baye and Brown are, what drives them and how the loss of their parents has had an indelible effect on both their lives. The second half relates the events that unfold once fate has driven them together.

Both characters feel very real, especially because of the care that has clearly gone into each of their back stories. Baye in particular could have just been a mere cipher of a child who went off the rails after his father went to prison. But that one event alone conspires with many others to shape Baye into the urgent tool of his father's revenge that he decides to be.

The stories of the character's very different childhoods is engrossing, effectively told a series of anecdotes. Baye delivering justice for his cat. Brown burning the playing cards. All these seem very real because they could really happen.

When the tension starts to build in the second half of the book it's not like a spring winding up; it is more like a boiler that is getting hotter and hotter and the pressure is rising all the time. It's not clear when something is going to break but it's clear that something will go very wrong at some point.

This is a superb thriller with an excellent plot, some very good twists and written at a perfect pace, fast enough to keep the momentum up but slow enough to ratchet the tension up at the end of each chapter. An easy 5 stars and a new J Morton Potts fan.

Rating: Scenes of sadistic violence and some others of a sexual nature
  
Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes, #2)
Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes, #2)
Sara Raasch | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.5 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
I don't know what to say about this one. (Aside from the fact the author is just another evil writing spawn...)

Anyways. Let's get this up and out of the way: I enjoyed <i><a title="Snow Like Ashes review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/04/review-snow-like-ashes-by-sara-raasch.html"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Snow Like Ashes</a></i> much much better than <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. In fact, it would have been <i>great</i> as a stand alone novel as well, aside from the fact it would be an open-ended ending that would probably just demand a series in the end.

<i>Ice Like Fire</i> is basically a reconstruction phrase for the Winterians, who are recovering from the harsh conditions of their work camps in Spring (or maybe another kingdom). Under Cordell's orders (and because Winter is in debt to the kingdom for their assistance in getting rid of Angra), the Winterians are mining and searching for the origins of the conduits, and the source of powerful magic. When they find the magic chasm, everyone has different viewpoints: Theron wants to open the chasm and unite the world, Meira wants to keep the chasm closed and answers, and Mather just wants the Winterians to be free.

And to hopefully accomplish all of that and gain allies, Meira and Theron set off on a journey to the other kingdoms, primarily Summer, Yakim, and Ventralli. If you ask me, nothing terribly action packed is going on in this sequel unless visiting kingdoms and seeing their traditions in action is considered "action."

But let's talk about this love triangle established from <i>Snow Like Ashes</i> and continuing with <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. Mather is compassionate and loyal and quotable, and Theron makes fantastic comments and has big dreams for the kingdoms. Both with good intentions and not exactly considered annoying thus far. I haven't actually made any progress with this love triangle – not when it comes to going with one side or another.

Ultimately, though, stay away from <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. The first book is more enjoyable, but the second book will leave readers wanting closure that won't actually happen until later on this year.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/chibi-views-touch-jennifer-snyder-ice-like-fire-sara-raasch/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>