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I am I Between Worlds and Between Shadows
Book
During the last decade, the work of Greek-born artist Kalliopi Lemos exposed the wounding of human...
Magnifeco: Your Head-to-Toe Guide to Ethical Fashion and Non-Toxic Beauty
Book
In the wake of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh-the worst garment industry accident in...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated #Rev (GearShark, #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I got this from the Kindle Unlimited Library after having it on my Amazon wish list for several years after finishing book 1. I'll admit now that I've forgotten a lot of what happened with it being so long ago (2016.)
It starts with Drew trying to get himself under control after being dumped by Trent in an effort to stop any abuse they may face in the future for being gay, especially since Trent is nursing some bruises and cracked ribs after being jumped by four members of his own fraternity. They argue for a while before it becomes obvious that they're stronger and better together and figure out how to tell everyone that they're a couple.
I think the fact that it's been 4 years since i finished the first book ruined this one for me. I didn't remember a lot of what went on but my 4.5 star rating tells me I fell in love with these two. They are pretty great separately but together? They're super cute.
As for their parents, what is up with them? They are your children! You're supposed to love them regardless of their sexuality. Why does who they fall in love with have to change how you feel about them? I really don't get it. They're still the same person you raised for the last however many years.
This is most likely to be my last book of 2020 and I'm glad it's been a good one - I still wish I'd come back to this sooner.
#TrewLove
It starts with Drew trying to get himself under control after being dumped by Trent in an effort to stop any abuse they may face in the future for being gay, especially since Trent is nursing some bruises and cracked ribs after being jumped by four members of his own fraternity. They argue for a while before it becomes obvious that they're stronger and better together and figure out how to tell everyone that they're a couple.
I think the fact that it's been 4 years since i finished the first book ruined this one for me. I didn't remember a lot of what went on but my 4.5 star rating tells me I fell in love with these two. They are pretty great separately but together? They're super cute.
As for their parents, what is up with them? They are your children! You're supposed to love them regardless of their sexuality. Why does who they fall in love with have to change how you feel about them? I really don't get it. They're still the same person you raised for the last however many years.
This is most likely to be my last book of 2020 and I'm glad it's been a good one - I still wish I'd come back to this sooner.
#TrewLove
ClareR (5864 KP) rated Mirrorland in Books
Apr 3, 2021
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone is a fantastic psychological thriller that will have you wondering who is telling the truth, what exactly that truth IS and what on earth could possibly happen next! I loved it.
The narrator is completely unreliable, mainly because she appears to have blocked out a huge part of her life.
Cat returns, reluctantly, to Edinburgh from California, because her sister has gone missing on her sailing boat. Cat seems unsurprised that her sister should have a boat - she and her sister spent hours as children playing in Mirrorland, pretending to be pirates, sailing the Seven Seas. But her disappearance is unexpected.
Has El been murdered? If so, by whom? Who is sending Cat on a treasure hunt and leaving written messages for her? Who is sending emails? Is El’s husband, Ross, implicated in her disappearance? And what DID happen to Cat and El when they were children?
This is such a delicious, rub-your-hands-together-with-evil-glee kind of book.
There are some pretty shocking subjects covered in this novel, so if you don’t like reading about abuse of any kind, this may not be for you. However, I was glued to it. I’m trying to think of some synonyms of ‘loved’ (I realise that i completely overuse this word when I talk about books), so: adored, enjoyed greatly, was besotted with, couldn’t get enough of. Well. You get the gist. It’s just well worth the read!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Carole Johnstone for joining in with the chat in the margins!
The narrator is completely unreliable, mainly because she appears to have blocked out a huge part of her life.
Cat returns, reluctantly, to Edinburgh from California, because her sister has gone missing on her sailing boat. Cat seems unsurprised that her sister should have a boat - she and her sister spent hours as children playing in Mirrorland, pretending to be pirates, sailing the Seven Seas. But her disappearance is unexpected.
Has El been murdered? If so, by whom? Who is sending Cat on a treasure hunt and leaving written messages for her? Who is sending emails? Is El’s husband, Ross, implicated in her disappearance? And what DID happen to Cat and El when they were children?
This is such a delicious, rub-your-hands-together-with-evil-glee kind of book.
There are some pretty shocking subjects covered in this novel, so if you don’t like reading about abuse of any kind, this may not be for you. However, I was glued to it. I’m trying to think of some synonyms of ‘loved’ (I realise that i completely overuse this word when I talk about books), so: adored, enjoyed greatly, was besotted with, couldn’t get enough of. Well. You get the gist. It’s just well worth the read!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Carole Johnstone for joining in with the chat in the margins!
ClareR (5864 KP) rated Tall Bones in Books
Apr 6, 2021
Tall Bones by Anna Bailey is a beautiful, terrible, haunting book. This is not the USA of Soccer Moms and happy church gatherings. Whistling Ridge is a town with deep problems: domestic and child abuse, racism, corruption, drugs, homophobia and a Pastor who condones most of these things.
Abi and Emma are best friends, and when Emma leaves Abi, at Abi’s request, at a party at the Tall Bones, she expects to see her the next day. Except she doesn’t. Abi goes missing, seemingly without a trace. Everyone and no one is suspected of her disappearance. After all, her father, Samuel, is a thug and a bully, her mother is clearly beaten regularly, as are her children - why wouldn’t she run away?
To be honest, after reading this I couldn’t understand why any of the young people stayed in Whistling Ridge - unless their world view is like that of their, largely speaking, bigoted parents.
This book is shocking - a real kick in the guts type of story. And it’s not a one off kick. I hated 99% of the characters by the end: and this is the bit where I say how much I enjoyed reading it. Yes, here we are again with my love of the horrible characters. It’s easy to like nice characters, not so easy to get enjoyment out of the dark and evil types (or is it?!😈).
Either way it’s an atmospheric, dark, fascinating novel. And I loved it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fabulous novel.
Abi and Emma are best friends, and when Emma leaves Abi, at Abi’s request, at a party at the Tall Bones, she expects to see her the next day. Except she doesn’t. Abi goes missing, seemingly without a trace. Everyone and no one is suspected of her disappearance. After all, her father, Samuel, is a thug and a bully, her mother is clearly beaten regularly, as are her children - why wouldn’t she run away?
To be honest, after reading this I couldn’t understand why any of the young people stayed in Whistling Ridge - unless their world view is like that of their, largely speaking, bigoted parents.
This book is shocking - a real kick in the guts type of story. And it’s not a one off kick. I hated 99% of the characters by the end: and this is the bit where I say how much I enjoyed reading it. Yes, here we are again with my love of the horrible characters. It’s easy to like nice characters, not so easy to get enjoyment out of the dark and evil types (or is it?!😈).
Either way it’s an atmospheric, dark, fascinating novel. And I loved it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fabulous novel.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Invisible In A Bright Light in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This story is told from multiple perspectives and the protagonist of this book should be Celeste, a girl who wakes up in a basket as someone else, a girl called Maria. Celeste is very confused about who is this Maria, and why she is living her life. Even though this book tells Celeste’s journey, for me, the true protagonist of this book is Hildegard, a young girl, who was abused and bullied by her self centred mother. This whole story is kind of about her. That is the beauty of this book, the characters are so closely connected and entwined, that it makes this book a one beautiful and complex work of art.
I have to admit, this book was quite hard to read sometimes. Even though the plot is great and absorbing, the writing style felt quite jumpy and chaotic, and that made this book a little difficult to understand sometimes. I have to admit, if I would read it as a child, it would not make sense to me, but reading it as an adult, I truly learned how to enjoy it to the fullest. The author discussed very important topics in this book, such as emotional and physical abuse against children, lack of confidence in children, loss, friendship, self-obsession, and many more. The plot was quite layered, sometimes it is a ghost story, sometimes an adventure and it is filled with plenty of magic as well, all these changes in the atmosphere kept me entertained throughout the pages.
I have to admit, this book was quite hard to read sometimes. Even though the plot is great and absorbing, the writing style felt quite jumpy and chaotic, and that made this book a little difficult to understand sometimes. I have to admit, if I would read it as a child, it would not make sense to me, but reading it as an adult, I truly learned how to enjoy it to the fullest. The author discussed very important topics in this book, such as emotional and physical abuse against children, lack of confidence in children, loss, friendship, self-obsession, and many more. The plot was quite layered, sometimes it is a ghost story, sometimes an adventure and it is filled with plenty of magic as well, all these changes in the atmosphere kept me entertained throughout the pages.
ClareR (5864 KP) rated Afraid of the Christmas Lights in Books
Dec 1, 2020
I don’t like Christmas books. Usually. I like A Christmas Carol, but I tend not to read many modern Christmas books - unless they’re children’s ones at work, or when I used to read them for my own children when they were little. Which is probably why I liked this so much. Usually in anthologies, there will be a few standout stories that make reading the collection as a whole worthwhile, but I’ve really struggled to single out one or two - I enjoyed them all far too much for that.
Most of the stories are set around Christmas with only a couple of exceptions. That didn’t cause me to like them any less though. The real standouts for me (if I absolutely HAVE to choose!) were: Phoebe Morgan’s Unexpected Present - the gift wrapped so nicely in expensive M&S paper being the main protagonists husband; The Switch by James Delargy had a Stephen King vibe to it (and I should add that it wasn’t because of The Green Mile!); Fresh Meat by Elle Croft gives new meaning to a raw meat diet for your cat; and The Vigilante by Clare Empson was a sad story of a Charles Dickens look-a-like who tries to save victims of crime in the dead of night.
If you need an excuse to buy this, then the proceeds go to ESDAS and Rights of Women, both domestic abuse charities.
Many thanks to The PIgeonhole for serialising this book, and to the authors who joined in. As always, it was a great experience!!
Most of the stories are set around Christmas with only a couple of exceptions. That didn’t cause me to like them any less though. The real standouts for me (if I absolutely HAVE to choose!) were: Phoebe Morgan’s Unexpected Present - the gift wrapped so nicely in expensive M&S paper being the main protagonists husband; The Switch by James Delargy had a Stephen King vibe to it (and I should add that it wasn’t because of The Green Mile!); Fresh Meat by Elle Croft gives new meaning to a raw meat diet for your cat; and The Vigilante by Clare Empson was a sad story of a Charles Dickens look-a-like who tries to save victims of crime in the dead of night.
If you need an excuse to buy this, then the proceeds go to ESDAS and Rights of Women, both domestic abuse charities.
Many thanks to The PIgeonhole for serialising this book, and to the authors who joined in. As always, it was a great experience!!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Foxhole Court (All for the Game, #1) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
This starts with Neil having a discussion with his Exy coach about people wanting to recruit him to their team and the thought of going into the limelight, when he's been on the run from his murdering father for years, sends him into a panic. But after some words and a few physical hits from his soon to be team-mates he agrees to go with them. What follows is a complicated mix of game play, mind games and secrets.
I couldn't put into words what it is about this story so far that has kept me reading because it's not exactly sunshine and roses - in fact it's quite the opposite - but I am so entrenched in the mystery of Kevin and the cousins and just what the heck is going on/going to happen next for this team that I straight away went and bought book 2 so I could find out - and at 99p each, this series is a bargain one.
One thing I will say is that I've never been so into a fictional sport before. Reading through the game about the 75% mark had me almost bouncing in my seat. I was very much behind the Foxes and wanted them to win so bad considering how unorthodox a team they are.
This does deal with some strong triggers such as drug taking, physical abuse and someone dies towards the end. It certainly isn't light reading but I am so intrigued by how their story line is going to play out so I'm off to start book 2.
I couldn't put into words what it is about this story so far that has kept me reading because it's not exactly sunshine and roses - in fact it's quite the opposite - but I am so entrenched in the mystery of Kevin and the cousins and just what the heck is going on/going to happen next for this team that I straight away went and bought book 2 so I could find out - and at 99p each, this series is a bargain one.
One thing I will say is that I've never been so into a fictional sport before. Reading through the game about the 75% mark had me almost bouncing in my seat. I was very much behind the Foxes and wanted them to win so bad considering how unorthodox a team they are.
This does deal with some strong triggers such as drug taking, physical abuse and someone dies towards the end. It certainly isn't light reading but I am so intrigued by how their story line is going to play out so I'm off to start book 2.
Defying Dystopia: Going on with the Human Journey After Technology Fails Us
Book
To most, the collapse of modern civilization is the stuff of fiction. Yet, science confirms that...
Merissa (12723 KP) rated Forgotten Storm (Storm #1) in Books
May 27, 2020
Forgotten Storm is the first book in the Storm series and, let me tell you, it certainly kicks up a storm! From beginning to end, this book grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go!
Nikki is a strong female character who has dealt with more than she should have done, which has left her with coping mechanisms she doesn't think anyone will understand. Logan is her mate and a strong character in his own right. He has done what he thought was right for Nikki, even to his own detriment, to ensure her safety. Of course, nothing goes according to plan so both of them have to deal with unforeseen issues.
This is, quite simply, an amazing book. There are some hard-hitting subjects raised here including sexual abuse, assault, BDSM, plus more that I won't go into. There are no slow points in the story and the pacing is perfect for the story. I loved how Nikki was into martial arts 'before' she knew anything so that helped her progression. Logan is a darling and I loved him! He's also an Alpha Male so obviously he needed a whomp upside the head at times and Nikki was the perfect one to do so.
A brilliant start to a series that I can't wait to read more about. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Nikki is a strong female character who has dealt with more than she should have done, which has left her with coping mechanisms she doesn't think anyone will understand. Logan is her mate and a strong character in his own right. He has done what he thought was right for Nikki, even to his own detriment, to ensure her safety. Of course, nothing goes according to plan so both of them have to deal with unforeseen issues.
This is, quite simply, an amazing book. There are some hard-hitting subjects raised here including sexual abuse, assault, BDSM, plus more that I won't go into. There are no slow points in the story and the pacing is perfect for the story. I loved how Nikki was into martial arts 'before' she knew anything so that helped her progression. Logan is a darling and I loved him! He's also an Alpha Male so obviously he needed a whomp upside the head at times and Nikki was the perfect one to do so.
A brilliant start to a series that I can't wait to read more about. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *