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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Kind Of People in Books
May 21, 2020
This novel cemented Duffy as one of my absolute favorite writers. This is a lovely and touching read, bringing to life the group of islanders who come together to care for Sky. Duffy builds her worlds so perfectly: I was lost on Ichabod Island with these characters--all of whom are so uniquely them. This book will go straight to your heart.
I fell immediately for sweet Sky. We learn that Brian and Ann are Sky's adoptive parents, so she's basically been orphaned twice. She is troubled as her parents were fighting a lot right before they died--going against the town view of them as the "perfect couple." While this novel is mostly a deep dive into its characters, there is a touch of mystery here. Why were Sky's parents fighting, and did it have anything to do with the car crash that caused their death? Also, a mysterious woman arrives in town--what is her role to play in the story? Duffy weaves together all of these plot points so well; I was captivated by the book and even though I wanted to slow down and savor it, I also wanted to know what had happened, to find out what would happen to Sky and Leo.
"A fearless girl who doesn't just think she's safe alone in the dark on an island in the Atlantic. She knows it."
I love that Duffy included a gay couple in her novel--and treats them like regular people. Leo is a wonderful character: complex and struggling with new parenthood. In the end, you feel like you know the entire neighborhood block, from sweet Joe; to Maggie, who is coming into her own in her '50s; to longtime resident Agnes, who is set in her ways; to Sky's tough best friend Frankie; and Sky's newly found grandmother, Lillian. All of these characters play a real role in this story: not an easy feat when the focus is on Leo and Sky.
Overall, this is a wonderfully written novel that covers family, marriage, tragedy, love, and so much more. Duffy's characters are beautiful, and she has an amazing way of bringing you right into the world she has created. I will always read anything she writes. 4.5 stars.
I fell immediately for sweet Sky. We learn that Brian and Ann are Sky's adoptive parents, so she's basically been orphaned twice. She is troubled as her parents were fighting a lot right before they died--going against the town view of them as the "perfect couple." While this novel is mostly a deep dive into its characters, there is a touch of mystery here. Why were Sky's parents fighting, and did it have anything to do with the car crash that caused their death? Also, a mysterious woman arrives in town--what is her role to play in the story? Duffy weaves together all of these plot points so well; I was captivated by the book and even though I wanted to slow down and savor it, I also wanted to know what had happened, to find out what would happen to Sky and Leo.
"A fearless girl who doesn't just think she's safe alone in the dark on an island in the Atlantic. She knows it."
I love that Duffy included a gay couple in her novel--and treats them like regular people. Leo is a wonderful character: complex and struggling with new parenthood. In the end, you feel like you know the entire neighborhood block, from sweet Joe; to Maggie, who is coming into her own in her '50s; to longtime resident Agnes, who is set in her ways; to Sky's tough best friend Frankie; and Sky's newly found grandmother, Lillian. All of these characters play a real role in this story: not an easy feat when the focus is on Leo and Sky.
Overall, this is a wonderfully written novel that covers family, marriage, tragedy, love, and so much more. Duffy's characters are beautiful, and she has an amazing way of bringing you right into the world she has created. I will always read anything she writes. 4.5 stars.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Lucidity in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I was lucky enough to be part of a Partners in Crime blog tour for this novel. Please go check out my post for extra info about the book, an excerpt and the chance to with an Amazon gift card! https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/blog-tour-review-lucidity-by-david-carnoy/
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<b><i>Do whatever you do with conviction. Always.</b></i>
This is my first Carnoy novel but Im definitely going to check out his others. <i>Lucidity</i> did not give up all its secrets at once! It was incredible at leaving you guessing what was going to happen next and being able to come up with your own theories on what was going on. That being said, it was still fast paced and exciting enough to keep you hooked. I only say this when I really mean it, but this was <i>unputdownable!</i> I liked the mix of morbidity, mystery and wit in this novel. It had a good mix of all three that made for some excellent, fast paced reading.
To begin with, I wasnt so sure how the two stories connected. When, at 50%, the stories still hadnt really crossed I was a bit unsure if I was going to understand how the separate plots worked together. However, be patient! Its well worth the wait! Even though there are parts that can be predicted, this doesnt take away from the excitement of reading about it.
The characters in this novel are really well executed. Even though I hadnt read any of the other books featuring Madden, I didnt feel like I didnt know him. When you go into a series midway, even when theyre standalone books but with the same characters, you often find yourself a little bit lost on the mc as you dont have their history. This wasnt the case here. Madden was well introduced and maintained throughout the read.
Fremmer was a fun character to get to know. Its not often that you get a character like him in a novel. He was intelligent and quick witted, but he was also arrogant and a little bit self absorbed, so its amazing how likable he still was.
The only negative thing I have to say is that the ending got a little cheesy which felt out of place when compared to tone the book kept throughout, but it wasnt that much of an issue.
<i>Thanks to Partners in Crime book tours for giving me a free copy of the book to read, review & promote!</i>
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<b><i>Do whatever you do with conviction. Always.</b></i>
This is my first Carnoy novel but Im definitely going to check out his others. <i>Lucidity</i> did not give up all its secrets at once! It was incredible at leaving you guessing what was going to happen next and being able to come up with your own theories on what was going on. That being said, it was still fast paced and exciting enough to keep you hooked. I only say this when I really mean it, but this was <i>unputdownable!</i> I liked the mix of morbidity, mystery and wit in this novel. It had a good mix of all three that made for some excellent, fast paced reading.
To begin with, I wasnt so sure how the two stories connected. When, at 50%, the stories still hadnt really crossed I was a bit unsure if I was going to understand how the separate plots worked together. However, be patient! Its well worth the wait! Even though there are parts that can be predicted, this doesnt take away from the excitement of reading about it.
The characters in this novel are really well executed. Even though I hadnt read any of the other books featuring Madden, I didnt feel like I didnt know him. When you go into a series midway, even when theyre standalone books but with the same characters, you often find yourself a little bit lost on the mc as you dont have their history. This wasnt the case here. Madden was well introduced and maintained throughout the read.
Fremmer was a fun character to get to know. Its not often that you get a character like him in a novel. He was intelligent and quick witted, but he was also arrogant and a little bit self absorbed, so its amazing how likable he still was.
The only negative thing I have to say is that the ending got a little cheesy which felt out of place when compared to tone the book kept throughout, but it wasnt that much of an issue.
<i>Thanks to Partners in Crime book tours for giving me a free copy of the book to read, review & promote!</i>
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Fair warning, if you see this film you will want Blake Lively to be your lover by the end of the it.
There's no denying that this is an entertaining film. There's also no denying that it's predictable. Even without knowing the plot you can basically guess the way it's going to progress.
Blake Lively is amazing though. I honestly thought I'd never seen her in anything, but of course she's been in Green Lantern and Accepted. The latter being a favourite and the former... well, I thought Deadpool had taken care of that one for us... oh well. She does a great job of her role in this one. You can see her devious nature in the way she interacts with everyone and she really does improve the scenes she's in.
I love Anna Kendrick, she's funny and very talented but I wasn't overly keen on her character in this. While I understand that Stephanie takes a major character shift when she realises what has happened, I didn't enjoy the way they did that on the screen. There were some baby steps followed by some huge leaps. At one point I was convinced that they'd gone... "Anna Kendrick always sings... we should get some of that in there." I don't feel like it added anything to the film at all. I'd be interested to see how her character unfolds in the book.
The humour in it is entertaining but the side story of the other "mums" and particularly their inclusion in the summing up of the story feels out of place and more comedy than was right for this film.
Rating this one is tricky. Apart from those odd bits I didn't hate the film and none of it was badly dont... but I don't think I enjoyed it either. I took the evening to think it over and honestly I'm still not sure so therefore it's sitting at the three and a half mark. There's an outside possibility that I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out, but I don't think it'll be any time soon unless I'm really at a loose end.
Based on the book A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell.
What should you do?
I personally wouldn't recommend watching this until it's streaming. But plenty of other people would disagree with me on that.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Emily and Sean's house. Although I'm baffled as to why the kitchen is so small so I'd probably expand into the living room space.
There's no denying that this is an entertaining film. There's also no denying that it's predictable. Even without knowing the plot you can basically guess the way it's going to progress.
Blake Lively is amazing though. I honestly thought I'd never seen her in anything, but of course she's been in Green Lantern and Accepted. The latter being a favourite and the former... well, I thought Deadpool had taken care of that one for us... oh well. She does a great job of her role in this one. You can see her devious nature in the way she interacts with everyone and she really does improve the scenes she's in.
I love Anna Kendrick, she's funny and very talented but I wasn't overly keen on her character in this. While I understand that Stephanie takes a major character shift when she realises what has happened, I didn't enjoy the way they did that on the screen. There were some baby steps followed by some huge leaps. At one point I was convinced that they'd gone... "Anna Kendrick always sings... we should get some of that in there." I don't feel like it added anything to the film at all. I'd be interested to see how her character unfolds in the book.
The humour in it is entertaining but the side story of the other "mums" and particularly their inclusion in the summing up of the story feels out of place and more comedy than was right for this film.
Rating this one is tricky. Apart from those odd bits I didn't hate the film and none of it was badly dont... but I don't think I enjoyed it either. I took the evening to think it over and honestly I'm still not sure so therefore it's sitting at the three and a half mark. There's an outside possibility that I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out, but I don't think it'll be any time soon unless I'm really at a loose end.
Based on the book A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell.
What should you do?
I personally wouldn't recommend watching this until it's streaming. But plenty of other people would disagree with me on that.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Emily and Sean's house. Although I'm baffled as to why the kitchen is so small so I'd probably expand into the living room space.
Maddog (122 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
May 16, 2020
A must see, even if your not a superhero fan.
I'm a massive Joker fan - always have been ever since I was little, so this may be a little one sided.
So out of all the films he's been involved with this is Joker’s first stand alone movie which I was so excited for. Joker’s back story has of course been talked about for many years as most of his life is unknown and simply everyone is guessing. The film 'Joker' decides to go down the back story of mental health which many believe is the cause of his behaviour.
The film starts off very simple, so much so that you believe you could be watching any other film. You get little hints of the Joker’s mental health issues and how people see him (at one point I felt sorry for him because of everything happening in the movie). As the movie progresses your then thrown into the world and mindset of the Joker himself; you start to see more mental health issues and start to notice the Joker that everyone knows. As the film progresses towards to the end, it creates many moments that leave you questioning your own sanity as you start to wonder what the truth is.
Yes this film has it flaws; it wasn’t quite the stand alone I was hoping for as I thought maybe a lesser well known reason would have been chosen but still the film did well with its chosen plot.
Yes it has 'that song' but in reality I feel it actually helps with the story that's happening. Here's my take; I feel that the song is in fact a hidden message. The song was performed by someone many would call 'a monster' so in truth is this not fitting for Joker? I believe that the playing of this song is Joker showing the audience in only true Joker fashion that 'the monster' he has hidden for so long is finally free.
There are many things I could say about this film but I feel I'd be here forever. In truth, many people don't enjoy this film for whatever their reason, or only enjoy parts. However, I enjoyed all of the film and everything it stands for or represents. As I said at the beginning I'm a Joker fan so this may seem one sided. I will say this though no matter what you may think about the film it’s 100% worth a watch, we can all take something away from this film, even if it's just how well done the movie was made. put together and portrayed.
So out of all the films he's been involved with this is Joker’s first stand alone movie which I was so excited for. Joker’s back story has of course been talked about for many years as most of his life is unknown and simply everyone is guessing. The film 'Joker' decides to go down the back story of mental health which many believe is the cause of his behaviour.
The film starts off very simple, so much so that you believe you could be watching any other film. You get little hints of the Joker’s mental health issues and how people see him (at one point I felt sorry for him because of everything happening in the movie). As the movie progresses your then thrown into the world and mindset of the Joker himself; you start to see more mental health issues and start to notice the Joker that everyone knows. As the film progresses towards to the end, it creates many moments that leave you questioning your own sanity as you start to wonder what the truth is.
Yes this film has it flaws; it wasn’t quite the stand alone I was hoping for as I thought maybe a lesser well known reason would have been chosen but still the film did well with its chosen plot.
Yes it has 'that song' but in reality I feel it actually helps with the story that's happening. Here's my take; I feel that the song is in fact a hidden message. The song was performed by someone many would call 'a monster' so in truth is this not fitting for Joker? I believe that the playing of this song is Joker showing the audience in only true Joker fashion that 'the monster' he has hidden for so long is finally free.
There are many things I could say about this film but I feel I'd be here forever. In truth, many people don't enjoy this film for whatever their reason, or only enjoy parts. However, I enjoyed all of the film and everything it stands for or represents. As I said at the beginning I'm a Joker fan so this may seem one sided. I will say this though no matter what you may think about the film it’s 100% worth a watch, we can all take something away from this film, even if it's just how well done the movie was made. put together and portrayed.
Zombies Everywhere! Augmented Reality Apocalypse (Halloween Edition)
Games and Entertainment
App
Fight zombies in the REAL WORLD with your iPhone! You wont believe your eyes! How long can you...
Sam (228 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2019
Wonderful Acting (1 more)
Heartwarming
Not Much Action for an Action Film (1 more)
Expected More
More Adorable Than Action
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge transformers fan. However, my friend really wanted to see it and so I ended up seeing it through. I'll admit that I liked it more than I thought I would but I find this is due to the fact that this movie did not follow the typical layout for a transformers movie. Rather I found it to be more in the spirit of teenhood flick than an action packed movie about robots from outer space. I found bumblebee
to be humorous, fun loving character as he learned the basics of earth and his female friend to be... well more whimsical than the usual strong, overly sexualized female lead the transformers movies often portray. It was a nice change, the whole film was very different, not what I was expecting at all. Whether this is a good thing or not has yet to be decided though as I wait to watch whether the transformers movies are going to continue and what will be released next. However, if you've come looking for an Action flick to watch then I would suggest something else because you will find nothing more than a whimsical teen flick here, all about building friendships between alien races, much like E.T.
to be humorous, fun loving character as he learned the basics of earth and his female friend to be... well more whimsical than the usual strong, overly sexualized female lead the transformers movies often portray. It was a nice change, the whole film was very different, not what I was expecting at all. Whether this is a good thing or not has yet to be decided though as I wait to watch whether the transformers movies are going to continue and what will be released next. However, if you've come looking for an Action flick to watch then I would suggest something else because you will find nothing more than a whimsical teen flick here, all about building friendships between alien races, much like E.T.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Animal Lust in Books
Jan 18, 2018
Did I miss something? Was there suppose to be a plot line somewhere? You think I would have learned my lesson by now in that <i>Aphrodisia</i> never publishes anything that isn't sex for the sake of sex. Every <i>Aphrodisia</i> novel I have ever read, has had a complete lack of thought or plot line.
This novel consists of four different stories, each dealing with one of the four brothers and them finding their mates. While each brother's story was different and they each had various sexual tastes, the overall novel was kind of boring. The brothers all blended together and lacked individual personalities outside of the bedroom.
I felt like Danes gave us bits and pieces of what could have been a plot line, but she was more focused on the couples hooking up than formulating an actual plot. I wish I could say that the erotic scenes made up for the rest of the novel, but in all honesty, I have read much better. I do give Danes credit for giving each brother completely unique stories from each other. It's what actually kept me reading. I was curious to see each brother find his mate and how he planned on pleasing her. I have to say Devon's story was by far the best and worth reading.
This novel consists of four different stories, each dealing with one of the four brothers and them finding their mates. While each brother's story was different and they each had various sexual tastes, the overall novel was kind of boring. The brothers all blended together and lacked individual personalities outside of the bedroom.
I felt like Danes gave us bits and pieces of what could have been a plot line, but she was more focused on the couples hooking up than formulating an actual plot. I wish I could say that the erotic scenes made up for the rest of the novel, but in all honesty, I have read much better. I do give Danes credit for giving each brother completely unique stories from each other. It's what actually kept me reading. I was curious to see each brother find his mate and how he planned on pleasing her. I have to say Devon's story was by far the best and worth reading.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Princess Bride in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I had never read the Princess Bride before, but I was quite familiar with the movie. The director did such a wonderful job translating this book into a movie, that every scene was familiar. I listened to it via audiobook and it was the version narrated by the director himself. It was interesting because he inserted a number of asides during his narration that illustrated the effect the story had on him as a young boy and the changes that his father made in the retelling.
This could be considered a spoiler, so ignore the next paragraph if you want to avoid any possible spoilers.
My biggest qualm about the story is that it does not have an ending. As interesting as it is to decide for yourself what happens, it's never quite as satisfying as reading the entire story from start to finish and knowing what the conclusion is. It feels abrupt and that is the only thing that isn't perfect about it.
The characters, action and adventure, and story hit all of the right notes. It has become a classic for a reason and I'm so glad that I finally got a chance to read it. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as it was an enjoyable way to experience the book.
This could be considered a spoiler, so ignore the next paragraph if you want to avoid any possible spoilers.
My biggest qualm about the story is that it does not have an ending. As interesting as it is to decide for yourself what happens, it's never quite as satisfying as reading the entire story from start to finish and knowing what the conclusion is. It feels abrupt and that is the only thing that isn't perfect about it.
The characters, action and adventure, and story hit all of the right notes. It has become a classic for a reason and I'm so glad that I finally got a chance to read it. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as it was an enjoyable way to experience the book.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
4.5 stars for Anna Dressed in Blood.
If you ever wanted to know how to write a decent and great ghost story, this is it! I had high hopes for this book, and it didn't disappoint.
However, I was expecting it to be a bit more scary, but I didn't find it scary at all. I wouldn't consider it as a horror book. Paranormal ghost story, yes.
I loved, loved, loved the character of Anna. I loved her so much, in fact, that I was wishing that she actually did exist so we could be friends.
I also loved the fact that it had swearing in it that wasn't OTT like a lot of older teen books. The way Cas swears made him feel more like a real teenage boy. What 17 year old boy doesn't swear!?!
The plot was quite good although, when it came to the story line of how Anna died and why she was the way she was, it was quite predictable...This is what made me give the book 4.5 stars instead of 5...well, that and it wasn't scary which I was hoping for.
Overall, this is definitely a good read! I can't wait to read Girl of Nightmares to find out more about (hopefully) Anna, Cas, Carmel, and Thomas.
This is a book not to be missed!
If you ever wanted to know how to write a decent and great ghost story, this is it! I had high hopes for this book, and it didn't disappoint.
However, I was expecting it to be a bit more scary, but I didn't find it scary at all. I wouldn't consider it as a horror book. Paranormal ghost story, yes.
I loved, loved, loved the character of Anna. I loved her so much, in fact, that I was wishing that she actually did exist so we could be friends.
I also loved the fact that it had swearing in it that wasn't OTT like a lot of older teen books. The way Cas swears made him feel more like a real teenage boy. What 17 year old boy doesn't swear!?!
The plot was quite good although, when it came to the story line of how Anna died and why she was the way she was, it was quite predictable...This is what made me give the book 4.5 stars instead of 5...well, that and it wasn't scary which I was hoping for.
Overall, this is definitely a good read! I can't wait to read Girl of Nightmares to find out more about (hopefully) Anna, Cas, Carmel, and Thomas.
This is a book not to be missed!
Merissa (11972 KP) rated Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.
I enjoyed this story but will admit to liking Landon a bit more than Ty. That may be for a couple of reasons - there is a lot more depth and information about Landon than Ty for a start. The second thing is that I wished Ty had a bit more spine about him. I know the story was about will they/won't they and did give you quite clearly an idea of what each of them could lose as well as what they could gain by making their relationship public. However, Ty was one minute strong and in charge of the situation and in the next, to me, it seemed like he was a young schoolboy who had no idea of anything, let along a political reporter. We all have days like this but Ty seemed to have more than most.
Saying that, I really enjoyed this story. It was nice to read a story were waiting was involved (ok, so maybe not at the beginning!) and the consequences of this sort of decision were taken into account.
I am loving this series by Samantha Ann King, I now have all 3 and am waiting to see if there will be a fourth.
Definitely recommended to all M/M fans.
I enjoyed this story but will admit to liking Landon a bit more than Ty. That may be for a couple of reasons - there is a lot more depth and information about Landon than Ty for a start. The second thing is that I wished Ty had a bit more spine about him. I know the story was about will they/won't they and did give you quite clearly an idea of what each of them could lose as well as what they could gain by making their relationship public. However, Ty was one minute strong and in charge of the situation and in the next, to me, it seemed like he was a young schoolboy who had no idea of anything, let along a political reporter. We all have days like this but Ty seemed to have more than most.
Saying that, I really enjoyed this story. It was nice to read a story were waiting was involved (ok, so maybe not at the beginning!) and the consequences of this sort of decision were taken into account.
I am loving this series by Samantha Ann King, I now have all 3 and am waiting to see if there will be a fourth.
Definitely recommended to all M/M fans.