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A Life of My Own: A Biographer's Life
A Life of My Own: A Biographer's Life
Claire Tomalin | 2017 | Biography
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stunning memoir of a life well lived
A biographer's autobiography makes for fascinating reading. Claire Tomalin attempts to recount the past 84 years of her life to the best of her ability, revealing tragic losses without self-pity, and an enduring spirit.

From an unstable childhood, moving from place to place during the war, with her family living across several countries, to having an unstable marriage. She describes her unusual relationship with her first husband, the renowned journalist Nick Tomalin, who was killed while covering the Yom Kippur war in 1973. His constant fleeting from his family to other women, and abusive behaviour is dark and quite a difficult read. In this instance, Tomalin appears to be stuck in a pattern of staying with her abuser for the sake of her children, a common occurrence in the 1960's. In between the chaos of her life, she loses a baby only one month old and has another who is permanently disabled.

In the same way, the dark, inexplicable suicide of her youngest daughter is laid bare, but out of it comes a change of direction of life dimension as Claire's vocation as a literary biographer floods in to fill the gap. These are, ironically, the most touching and well-written scenes. Through her own writings of women such as Mary Wollstonecraft, and Charles Dickens' affair with Ellen Ternan, we see Tomalin's own creativity and resilience. She copes because she must, and because she can.

The literary name dropping is everywhere because it is woven into the huge patchwork quilt of her long life. The candour of her resentment for the Murdoch empire is matched by the awe and admiration she has for Harold Evans and her mother.

One of the final scenes, in which she describes her father's great grandchildren dancing unknowingly on the bed, where he himself lay dead in his coffin only hours before, encapsulates the spirit of this beautiful book. A truly wonderful look into her life.
  
Montpelier Parade
Montpelier Parade
Karl Geary | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sylvia Plath-esque
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.

Montpelier Parade is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanour results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.

Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.

Montpelier Parade is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.

 A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, Montpelier Parade will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
  
Swiss Army Man (2016)
Swiss Army Man (2016)
2016 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The movie ends with more questions than what it started with as turn after delightful turn unfold
Contains spoilers, click to show
OK so this is something that I thought looked absolutely stupid when I first saw the previews for it in the movies. I must say how horribly wrong I was. Swiss Army Man is unique and inspired. Daniel Radcliffe is amazing as Manny "the multipurpose tool man".

The movie opens with Hank (Dando) waking up on a deserted beach, unaware of where he is or what has transpired for him to be there. As he takes in his surroundings he gives way to despair and preps to commit suicide, when he notices a body on the beach. He races over to the body which begins to expel gas on which Hank rides Manny like a jet ski to get off an island. Shortly after,

Manny begins showing signs of semipermeable intelligence. At which point he slowly comes "alive" in a have animated have dead state, almost like a paraplegic zombie. The story centers around the two learning how to live again and a story of finding oneself and making it in the world.

Through out the movie Dano and Radcliffe are stuck in the middle of the woods, where Manny's many talents come to save Hank from the brink of death time and time again. While in the woods Hank tries to teach Manny how to live again, the two undergo a spiritual journey that eventually leads Hank and Manny back to civilization.

The movie ends with more questions than what it started with as turn after delightful turn unfold, you are left wondering what the hell is going on. It is a very funny, tongue in cheek, and almost campy movie at times, but I found it to be surprisingly delightful.

Due to some of the language and brief nudity of Daniel's butt, I would suggest that this not be watched with young children as it is Rated R.
  
TB
The Beach House
James Patterson | 2002 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jake Mullin is currently in law school at Columbia. He is working for a large firm over the summer and handling a small pro-bono case. Arriving home to the Hamptons one Friday night, he is met at the train station by his girlfriend, which is typical, but also his father and his grandfather. Not sure why such a big fanfare, he is even more disturbed by the looks on their faces, their news is devastating. His younger brother Peter had been found washed up on the beach, and the police are claiming suicide. Jake knows better and is determined to figure out why everyone is covering up his brothers death.

I'm going through all of James Patterson's stand alone books this year. I have read many of his books in the past and he has long been one of my favorite authors. His books may be long, but getting through them is always quick and easy.

Jake is determined to find out who killed his brother. His brother was not an angel, but he would not kill himself. When Jakes enlists the help from his friends in order to investigate his brother's murder, he finds out that finding the answers is going to be more difficult than he had expected. He's dealing with prominent people in the community who have the police force and other officials in their back pocket and Jake doesn't have the kind of money to change that. So he has to be creative and come up with a way to solve the problem. After the death of his father and another friend at the hands of the goons hired by the people Peter worked for, Jakes determination increases.

You will have to read or listen to the book to find out whether or not Jake is able to bring his brothers killers to justice or will he end up losing his life in the process.

This is an older James Patterson book, but a really good one. The next book up for me is [bookcover:The Christmas Wedding|10844125].
  
The Cheerleaders
The Cheerleaders
Kara Thomas | 2018 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Captivating mystery with some heartbreaking, dark undertones
There are no longer cheerleaders allowed at Sunnybrook High School. It's been that way for five years, ever since five members of the team died within a short span of each other. One of those girls was Monica's sister, Jen. Jen committed suicide after four of her fellow cheerleaders died--two in a car accident and two in a brutal murder at the hands of a fellow Sunnybrook resident. That man is dead, killed by the police. Still, Monica doesn't understand why her confident, beautiful sister killed herself. And now she's finding strange things about Jen's death that don't add up: her phone, left behind in her stepfather's desk, weird letters in his drawer, and more. What really happened five years ago? And are people done dying?

This was my first book from Kara Thomas, but it won't be my last. While this is billed as a YA novel--and there are definitely some aspects--it's also dark and twisted. I found it to be a compelling mystery that kept me guessing the entire time. Thomas does a wonderful job of painting suspense and unease as Monica slowly unravels more and more details surrounding the cheerleaders' deaths. It's impossible to trust anyone in this novel, which makes it all the more delightful. From one page to the next, I was convinced someone else was the culprit.

There's a varied set of characters in this one, but Monica is definitely the star. She's a strong narrator, even she doesn't always make the best decisions. Again, this isn't a sweet, touchy feely YA novel and neither is our narrator. She's made some bad choices (and been through a lot), but she's also feisty and determined.

Overall, this has a Pretty Little Liars vibe at times, but it's also a captivating mystery with some heartbreaking, dark undertones. It will keep you guessing and engaged. Plus, there's that wonderful, twisty ending. 4 stars.
  
40x40

Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated After Life in TV

Apr 3, 2019 (Updated Apr 3, 2019)  
After Life
After Life
2019 | Comedy, Drama
Brilliantly written (1 more)
Fantastically performed by the entire cast
Beautiful
Ricky Gervais seems to be like Marmite to most people. I have always really liked the guy. I love The Office and Extras and his first 3 stand up shows are amongst some of the funniest that I have ever seen. In the years since however, I have seem to fallen away from his projects. Not for any particular reason, but this lull meant that shows like Derek, Life's Too Short and An Idiot Abroad all passed me by. I'm not sure what it was about After Life that got me back on-board, maybe it was the fact alone that it was on Netflix.

Regardless, this show is fantastic. It is hilarious, it is truly touching, it is brilliantly written, acted and surprisingly well shot for what it is. The characters are all fantastic and their relationships with each other and the way that they analyse and question each other is brilliant too.

I think that the most impressive thing about the show overall though, is how much Gervais is able to say with such a simple premise and a small cast. There are only about 15 characters that we see in the small village where the show is set and yet Gervais has managed to tackle some really serious issues like grief, depression and suicide in a realistically convincing way and on top of that, he still manage to make you laugh. It really a masterful script and the entire cast do a brilliant job in their respective roles.

Overall, this is one of the best things that I have seen this year and I would strongly encourage everyone to give it a go, even if you are not a fan of Gervais or his previous projects. This show can take you from splitting your sides laughing to tearing up in an instant and any piece of art that can make me feel that way is extremely valuable in my eyes. Also the dog is amazing.
  
Buried Deep (Jessie Cole, #4)
Buried Deep (Jessie Cole, #4)
T.R. Ragan | 2019
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Two missing persons. One apparent suicide. Three cases pushing PI Jessie Cole and crime reporter Ben Morrison closer to the edge.
Lacey Geiger could be a very rich woman. If Jessie Cole can find her. The beneficiary of a sizable estate, Lacey vanished years ago after escaping an abusive childhood and is veiled now behind a new identity. Jessie has two weeks to find her. It’s enough time to discover that Lacey is hiding from so much more than anyone realized. But she isn’t the only one with secrets. And Jessie’s not the only one searching for the truth.
A concerned daughter has asked for help finding her mother—a woman said to have been murdered thirty years ago. And Jessie’s colleague Ben, an amnesiac still struggling with the bloody memories of a shattered life, is nearer to piecing together a very dark picture. Especially when someone he detests is found dead, hanging from a tree by a riverbank.
Now as the mysteries, puzzles, and lies of three investigations are unearthed, Jessie and Ben will risk everything to bring all that is hidden into the light.

Jessie Cole a private investigator, girlfriend to Colin, friend to Ben, mother to sister's daughter Olivia, and boss to Zee has another round of nail biting, page turning, what the heck is going on cases to solve.
This series just keeps getting g better and better. Jessie Cole is super busy now with several cases open when she gets two more cases added to the load and they just happen to be missing person cases.
The story was well written with characters I love. It was fast paced with lots of suspense.
We finally come to some conclusion and magnificent reveals for some.
Wow what an ending this one had!
Waiting and hoping there will be a book 5.; if not a spin off series???!
Highly recommend reading.

A Special Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC
  
Montpelier Parade
Montpelier Parade
Karl Geary | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.

<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanor results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.

Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.

<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.

 A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, <i>Montpelier Parade</i> will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
  
Our House
Our House
Louise Candlish | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
6
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clever narrative that flips through different mediums (0 more)
So. Much. Talking. Ending was blah. (0 more)
Started great - fell flat quick.
What sh*tshow these people's lives are!! I cannot even start to fathom the choices some of these characters made, but hey - it makes for a great story! What would you do if you came home one day and people were moving into your house? All your stuff is gone (including your estranged husband - totally missing) and the moving truck is backed up to your front door and unloading someone else's stuff??? Bonkers. Totally bonkers.

Safe to sat Fiona Lawson is about to lose her mind. Who are these strangers and how on Earth did they find, purchase, and move into her house when she was just away for the weekend! And um... where the F are her kids?!?! Her missing husband may or may not have something to do with it. And the secrets! They just come spewing out from every side, every angle, and everyone!

SUCH an interesting way to tell a story, too! I really enjoyed the back and forth, and different mediums used - though normal narrative - past and present, podcasts (with listener comments and hashtags too!) and even a suicide note... so crazy! This was shaping up to be a definite 5 star read for sure.. but meh. The end was SO abrupt. I was like, "um... did someone remove some pages in the back of my book? Did the printer run out of ink?" OK, OK I get that it's one of those, 'whats gonna happen?' type endings maybe? But too much unanswered for me, too much left up in the air, that I almost felt like there was no direction or solution to things so let's just STOP. Eh, no. I was all-in until the last few chapters - and then totally bummed.

Overall, a really cool story, great narrative, clever twists - but the abruptness of that ending just made feel like someone got a bit lazy.
  
All My Friends - Single by Col3man
All My Friends - Single by Col3man
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Armen Paul is an NYC-based singer-songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts. Col3man is an electronic producer who grew up in Heber City, Utah. Not too long ago, they released an introspective dance tune, entitled, “All My Friends”.

“Can’t walk on water, never figured it out. Waves break like me and you. Wade in my worries, but I’m human to doubt, feel you in every mood when I’m angry. I get down on my myself and I get anxious when I need help.” – lyrics

‘All My Friends’ tells an interesting tale of a depressed young man who prays for someone to call his phone.

Apparently, he’s not strong mentality, but somehow he blindly makes it through the day.

‘All My Friends’ contains a relatable storyline, harmonious vocals, and vibey instrumentation flavored with a futuristic blend of indie-pop and electronic elements.

“My friend Col3man and I wrote this song in hopes of helping to erase some of the social stigmas around talking about depression and suicide. It can be challenging to approach friends, family, or professionals and ask for help, but talking about it is often the healthiest way of coping. There is always someone out there willing to listen. We hope this song helps others be the person to reach out and offer help or alternatively, be the person who asks for help. Both efforts take a tremendous amount of courage and they can be life-changing.” – Armen Paul

Armen Paul’s silky falsetto and shimmering vibrato coupled with his subtle grit and soulful melodies create a beautiful musical atmosphere. Not too long ago, the bubbly entertainer appeared on the television show, The X-Factor.

Greggory “Col3man” Ellis has been making a name by creating a unique blend of urban and electronic music.

After touring Africa and Europe as a concert pianist in high school, he found his love for production and dance music.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/col3man-armen-paul-all-my-friends/