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ClareR (6238 KP) rated The Prophets in Books

Jan 5, 2021  
The Prophets
The Prophets
Robert Jones Jr. | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’ve agonised over writing something about this. How can whatever I write possibly do this book any justice? It’s beautiful, it’s haunting and it’s terrible. I don’t mean that it’s bad-terrible. I mean that it’s a book that I wish never had to be written. What is terrible, is mans inhumanity to man.
The story centres around the slaves on the Elizabeth Plantation (also known as ‘Empty’ to the slaves), and in particular, Samuel and Isaiah. They are betrayed by the other slaves, as if by revealing their love, it will make their lives safer. Of course this is not the case, as we see when we read the chapters centred around some of the other slaves. We learn about the inhumane treatment of the slaves by their immoral white owners (or toubabs, as they are called by their black slaves). I felt that the white people in this book had a mad, mentally unhinged quality about them: after all, how else could you reconcile treating human beings worse than animals?
I found the chapters written from the African people’s perspective, as they were free then captured and imprisoned, so interesting. It made them even more real to me. These were real people (as opposed to the animals that they were seen as by the slavers) with families, traditions, lives, loves and beliefs. The scenes on board the slave ships were harrowing.
It has taken me over a week to tackle this review. This book really affected me deeply, and there were many times that I had to put the book down and walk away. Then, I would feel guilty that I had the luxury of doing just that, unlike the slaves who lived every moment of their lives as some white mans possession to do with as he saw fit.
I can’t believe that this is a debut novel. The writing is beautiful, even in the most horrific moments. The magical elements add a suggestion of hope and the indomitable spirit of these people. And the ending is just perfection. I’m sure that this book will win awards - it SHOULD win - and I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to read it.
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this book via NetGalley. It has been a privilege to read it.
  
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Christmas is the happiest time of the year. At least it’s supposed to be, Moms are expected to work tirelessly throughout the Christmas season to ensure that the holiday is absolute perfection for their families. The gifts are to be wrapped with precision, decorations hanging from every available bough, food that could be lifted from the pages of Bon Appétit magazine, all done without breaking a sweat. Tis the season for family and frolic, yet our Bad Moms are stressed beyond their imagination this holiday season. Why? Because their mothers have arrived.

This Christmas, Amy (Mila Kunis), Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) are enter the holiday season feeling the pressure of Christmas present. With all that need to be done, they agree that this is the Christmas where they make the rules. Amy decides that they are going to have a low key holiday. However, that goes against the everything Ruth (Christine Baranski), Amy’s mom believes and expects as she arrives in a tornado of holiday perfection, trailed by her blissfully oblivious husband Hank (Peter Gallagher). Ruth is a perfectionist, a task master extraordinaire who expects no less from her child. Amy, tired of trying to get her mother’s approval, decides to change the traditions.

 Kiki’s Mom Sandy (Cheryl Hines) is the clinging, overbearing type who’s behavior could be classified as stalker; if she were not Kiki’s mom. Sandy’s need to be close to her daughter crosses the comfort zone in so many ways. Kiki decides to see Dr. Karl (Wanda Sykes), the family therapist, who explains the maternal process of insanity in hilariously truthful detail.

Isis (Susan Sarandon) shows up at Carla’s house unexpectedly. She seems to only show up at Carla’s door when she has run out of money. She is on the other side of the maternal spectrum, the hands off type. Carla has had to fend for herself for years and expects her mother to take off without a moment’s notice.

I enjoyed the first Bad Moms, but I was hesitant to watch the sequel because there was a chance that it would not be as good as the first. I quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. It made me snort laugh more than once. This is the perfect movie for a Girls Night Out. Grab your BFFs and head to the theater to take a break this holiday season!
  
Fox Tale (Sacred Emblems #0)
Fox Tale (Sacred Emblems #0)
Karen Hulene Bartell | 2024 | Paranormal, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
great reading about Japan.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Ava is in Japan, writing a travel article. Meeting Chase, with his wonderful tales of Japanese myths and legends, helps her write a different take. But she never expected to meet up with her ex, Rafe, who left her two years ago without a word. Both men are hiking things. Can Ava choose?

I don't read reviews before I read a book, not anymore, but I will read them AFTER I've read said book, but before I write my review for one reason only: did they feel the same about this book as I did.

In this case: nope. They all loved this book and I . . . didn't.

I'm not saying I didn't like this book, I just found it hard work.

It's almost all written from Ava's point of view, in the first person. Rafe gets two very small bits, not even a chapter, in the third. I needed more from Rafe, and Chase, to be fair, to offset Ava.

There is a huge amount of repeated wording. Mostly around how Ava feels and thinks about Chase. "Apart from his silver hair, he looks young" or words to that effect are the most common. It began to get a bit much. "Seven hundred and seventy *something*, next winter" is another. The same things about the fox stories from Japanese lore pop up time and again too.

Apart from that, I liked this book. I couldn't see where it was going, nor how it was getting there, so when it did all go down, I was surprised and I liked the way it all happened.

Although there is the repetition of the lore, I did enjoy reading about the Japanese traditions and myths and legends.

There are some difficult topics here: death of a spouse, suicide, mental health issues and readers do need to be aware. Things are not how they seem, however, but the warning still needs to be made.

This is the first I've read of this author, and I always ask myself, will I read more? Not at this time. I won't say no to reading something else at a later date though.

3 good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere