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I am still relatively "newb"-ish to GoodReads, meaning I *really* need to write reviews for many, er, most of the books I have on my "Read" shelf. Ah well, with the likely possibility of my wife and I relocating to NC (goodbye, antisocial, overtaxed NJ!) by summer's end, I will have more time to update the other reviews in the coming years. Yay! Okay, onto my review..
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Cracking the CRM Code in Books
Jan 9, 2021
Ancient Indian knowledge and wisdom have been expressed through storytelling for thousands of years. With this in mind, Limesh Parekh wrote his first business book Cracking the CRM Code in fiction format. CRM, which the author fails to define in the book, stands for Customer Relationship Management and is a useful process for businesses to interact with their customers.
Rather than produce a mundane manual about how to purchase and use CRM software, Parekh writes a story about four friends and their journey with CRM. Liladhar Shastri, a successful business owner, is encouraging his friends, Anubhav, Jagdeep and Irshad to consider using CRM to improve their businesses. What follows is a lengthy discussion about buying CRM, using CRM and getting the most out of the software.
As the Indian entrepreneur, Rashmi Bansal writes in the introduction, Limesh Parekh is "not a salesman but a friend." The author gives advice through the voice of Liladhar, and the other three friends express the reader's questions and concerns. The book is written for small business with the potential to grow with the help of CRM. The story analyses what the friends do wrong and what they need to change.
Cracking the CRM Code is written for business-minded people who understand the jargon and acronyms, many of which are unexplained. As a layperson, some of the information went over my head, but the fiction format helped hold my interest. English is presumably not the author's first language, hence the sentences do not always flow, and the punctuation is far from perfect. At times, it is difficult to work out which character is speaking, making it a little confusing to follow.
Many business books and manuals are nondescript and boring, whereas Limesh Parekh keeps the reader engaged with anecdotes, stories and quotes. Rather than learning how to use CRM, the characters show the process of purchasing and using the software, which is far more enlightening than a step-by-step guide. Cracking the CRM Code has the potential to be a big hit with small business owners and business consultants.
Rather than produce a mundane manual about how to purchase and use CRM software, Parekh writes a story about four friends and their journey with CRM. Liladhar Shastri, a successful business owner, is encouraging his friends, Anubhav, Jagdeep and Irshad to consider using CRM to improve their businesses. What follows is a lengthy discussion about buying CRM, using CRM and getting the most out of the software.
As the Indian entrepreneur, Rashmi Bansal writes in the introduction, Limesh Parekh is "not a salesman but a friend." The author gives advice through the voice of Liladhar, and the other three friends express the reader's questions and concerns. The book is written for small business with the potential to grow with the help of CRM. The story analyses what the friends do wrong and what they need to change.
Cracking the CRM Code is written for business-minded people who understand the jargon and acronyms, many of which are unexplained. As a layperson, some of the information went over my head, but the fiction format helped hold my interest. English is presumably not the author's first language, hence the sentences do not always flow, and the punctuation is far from perfect. At times, it is difficult to work out which character is speaking, making it a little confusing to follow.
Many business books and manuals are nondescript and boring, whereas Limesh Parekh keeps the reader engaged with anecdotes, stories and quotes. Rather than learning how to use CRM, the characters show the process of purchasing and using the software, which is far more enlightening than a step-by-step guide. Cracking the CRM Code has the potential to be a big hit with small business owners and business consultants.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 2 in TV
Jan 15, 2018
Series 2 includes 4 more episodes (three plus a Christmas special) of the cult Charlie Brooker series exploring the use of technology and extrapolating it to show where society could be headed.
We explore the use of our online personalities to recreate ourselves after we die (though this quickly became more about robots than the differences in our personalities between online and the real world so for me a trick missed to an extent).
We see a post-apocalyptic world where one woman wakes up to be haunted by people filming her on mobile phones while she runs from psychopaths trying to kill her. This is a look at how obsessed the world is with filming and documenting everything, even unpleasant events happening to other people, and voyeurism as a whole. There is a massive twist at the end which makes what was a jarring, inconsistent episode (as in doesn't fit in with the rest of the series) into an exceptional look at an aspect of the world (spoiler avoided).
I found the Waldo episode to be incredibly irritating. As if a rude, cartoonish character with tiny hands could ever really be taken seriously in the world of politics?! Waldo shows an echo of Ali G's rise to fame but takes it to the next level. While I don't think we are meant to actually find Waldo funny, I found him very annoying and a step too far. Weirdly he reminded me of the banter comedy in Nathan Barley (it turns out this story was originally written for Nathan Barley).
The Christmas special was possibly my favourite of the episodes, Rafe Spall and Jon Hamm (Don Draper) living in awkward circumstances in a cabin. We are led to believe they are working at a remote mining operation or some such and finally start to bond over Christmas dinner and open up. They share stories about their lives before they moved, all three showing the benefits and perils of the technology whereby people can stream their lives to others (and get real-time dating advice) but can also block others from their lives (whereby they are pixelated to you and vice versa). Parts of this story were truly harrowing, how a happy relationship could quickly turn sour and the technology mean years of upset that could be avoided.
We explore the use of our online personalities to recreate ourselves after we die (though this quickly became more about robots than the differences in our personalities between online and the real world so for me a trick missed to an extent).
We see a post-apocalyptic world where one woman wakes up to be haunted by people filming her on mobile phones while she runs from psychopaths trying to kill her. This is a look at how obsessed the world is with filming and documenting everything, even unpleasant events happening to other people, and voyeurism as a whole. There is a massive twist at the end which makes what was a jarring, inconsistent episode (as in doesn't fit in with the rest of the series) into an exceptional look at an aspect of the world (spoiler avoided).
I found the Waldo episode to be incredibly irritating. As if a rude, cartoonish character with tiny hands could ever really be taken seriously in the world of politics?! Waldo shows an echo of Ali G's rise to fame but takes it to the next level. While I don't think we are meant to actually find Waldo funny, I found him very annoying and a step too far. Weirdly he reminded me of the banter comedy in Nathan Barley (it turns out this story was originally written for Nathan Barley).
The Christmas special was possibly my favourite of the episodes, Rafe Spall and Jon Hamm (Don Draper) living in awkward circumstances in a cabin. We are led to believe they are working at a remote mining operation or some such and finally start to bond over Christmas dinner and open up. They share stories about their lives before they moved, all three showing the benefits and perils of the technology whereby people can stream their lives to others (and get real-time dating advice) but can also block others from their lives (whereby they are pixelated to you and vice versa). Parts of this story were truly harrowing, how a happy relationship could quickly turn sour and the technology mean years of upset that could be avoided.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Yarn Bombing—the art of crochet and knit graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain
Genre: craft/art
Rating: 4/5
Yarn Bombing is an extremely inspirational and creative book. It got my knitting juices flowing and made my hands itch for the needles when I saw pictures of colorful yarn knit into… beautiful graffiti?
Yes, yarn graffiti. Yarn Bombing is a rather large thing in big cities and even other countries where knitting is prominent, especially Sweden (see links below).
Yarn Bombing has many fantastic pictures, ideas for bombing, some basics for getting started, points and tips, advice on what to say if you get caught in the act (either by passer-bys or police), interviews with yarn bombers, and some patterns.
Here is my favorite pattern:
this pattern is for chain-link fence weave:
1. Cast On 12.
2. Open a bottle of wine.
3. Knit every row until sober.
4. Bind off
5. Repeat 1-4 seven more times…
I find this hilarious, though some people who aren’t knitters may not. By the way, the real pattern for the chain link fence weave is written in the book right under that ;)
There are patterns in the book for knitting items for yourself, such as arm warmers, hoods that cover your whole face except your eyes (so you can be a ninja-yarn-bomber!) sweaters, and some other stuff. Some of the bombing patterns include treesweaters, knit tulips and mushrooms, Knit sneakers to hang over wires, Bolo balls, Elf Stockings, and more.
I give it a 4/5 because, considering that graffiti is illegal and I’m perusing Criminology… let’s just say that I’m being gracious.(and I’m actually considering giving this a try… I’ll keep you posted on that one ;). Also, it was laid out a little odd and it was a bit hard to find some things. Lastly it didn’t have quite as many patterns as I expected. But, all in all, it was an awesome craft book!
Recommendation: knitters and Crocheters of any age, anyone interested in graffiti or contemporary art.
Here are some links to some yarn-bombers that you should check out, there are tons more! Follow the links you find on their blogs and explore the yarn-bombing community.
Genre: craft/art
Rating: 4/5
Yarn Bombing is an extremely inspirational and creative book. It got my knitting juices flowing and made my hands itch for the needles when I saw pictures of colorful yarn knit into… beautiful graffiti?
Yes, yarn graffiti. Yarn Bombing is a rather large thing in big cities and even other countries where knitting is prominent, especially Sweden (see links below).
Yarn Bombing has many fantastic pictures, ideas for bombing, some basics for getting started, points and tips, advice on what to say if you get caught in the act (either by passer-bys or police), interviews with yarn bombers, and some patterns.
Here is my favorite pattern:
this pattern is for chain-link fence weave:
1. Cast On 12.
2. Open a bottle of wine.
3. Knit every row until sober.
4. Bind off
5. Repeat 1-4 seven more times…
I find this hilarious, though some people who aren’t knitters may not. By the way, the real pattern for the chain link fence weave is written in the book right under that ;)
There are patterns in the book for knitting items for yourself, such as arm warmers, hoods that cover your whole face except your eyes (so you can be a ninja-yarn-bomber!) sweaters, and some other stuff. Some of the bombing patterns include treesweaters, knit tulips and mushrooms, Knit sneakers to hang over wires, Bolo balls, Elf Stockings, and more.
I give it a 4/5 because, considering that graffiti is illegal and I’m perusing Criminology… let’s just say that I’m being gracious.(and I’m actually considering giving this a try… I’ll keep you posted on that one ;). Also, it was laid out a little odd and it was a bit hard to find some things. Lastly it didn’t have quite as many patterns as I expected. But, all in all, it was an awesome craft book!
Recommendation: knitters and Crocheters of any age, anyone interested in graffiti or contemporary art.
Here are some links to some yarn-bombers that you should check out, there are tons more! Follow the links you find on their blogs and explore the yarn-bombing community.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Before I Go to Sleep in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I read this book on the avid insistence of a friend, and I am sure glad I read this book. The premise is quite intriguing - a woman with a very unique type of amnesia in which she wakes up every morning not remembering anything from as much as several decades of her life. What is most interesting is that sometimes she wakes thinking she is a child, while others she believes she is a young adult. There is no predicting at what believed age she will be when she wakes, and no controlling it.
A few things bugged me about the plot, the first of which was that on the mornings that she was supposed to wake as a child, nothing in her behavior indicated that of a child - she still behaved the same as when she woke as a full-grown adult. I was also immediately suspicious of Ben, as his behavior towards her did not seem very motivated towards achieving a return of her memory- but I suppose that was the point.
Despite Christine's loss of memory, in many ways her actions are instinctual - which is very realistic and made for some tense scenes. A Dr. Nash comes to her aid in secret, both because her case is no unusual and because he really does want to help her. Despite the difficulties of Christine not remembering him from day-to-day, he is still able to make progress with her - all behind Ben's back. On his advice, Christine begins keeping a journal of each day, as well as what memories return to her. This is when the book really picks up in intensity, as Christine comes to realize that her own mind could be her own worst enemy. At times she is not even certain if she can trust the words in her journal, since she cannot remember writing them.
As she fills up her journal, she begins to uncover lies and secrets in her life that create nail-biting, mind-blowing scenes that had me riveted. I was a little disappointed with how the book ends - after all of the build up, it seemed almost anti-climactic. Other than that, the book was an excellent read, especially for a first-time author. Everyone should read this book!
A few things bugged me about the plot, the first of which was that on the mornings that she was supposed to wake as a child, nothing in her behavior indicated that of a child - she still behaved the same as when she woke as a full-grown adult. I was also immediately suspicious of Ben, as his behavior towards her did not seem very motivated towards achieving a return of her memory- but I suppose that was the point.
Despite Christine's loss of memory, in many ways her actions are instinctual - which is very realistic and made for some tense scenes. A Dr. Nash comes to her aid in secret, both because her case is no unusual and because he really does want to help her. Despite the difficulties of Christine not remembering him from day-to-day, he is still able to make progress with her - all behind Ben's back. On his advice, Christine begins keeping a journal of each day, as well as what memories return to her. This is when the book really picks up in intensity, as Christine comes to realize that her own mind could be her own worst enemy. At times she is not even certain if she can trust the words in her journal, since she cannot remember writing them.
As she fills up her journal, she begins to uncover lies and secrets in her life that create nail-biting, mind-blowing scenes that had me riveted. I was a little disappointed with how the book ends - after all of the build up, it seemed almost anti-climactic. Other than that, the book was an excellent read, especially for a first-time author. Everyone should read this book!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Every Fifteen Minutes in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Dr. Eric Parrish is a busy psychiatrist juggling his work as Chief at a hospital unit, as well as his own private practice. He is also reeling from his recent separation from his wife and the subsequent time he must spend away from his daughter, Hannah, who is only seven-years-old. One day, Eric is called to treat an elderly woman who is dying from cancer, but it quickly becomes clear the real patient is her grandson Max, who, at 17, is having difficulty dealing with his grandmother's impending death. Eric quickly discovers that Max is depressed, struggling with OCD, and having violent thoughts about a girl he knows from his job. However, as Eric treats Max, he suddenly finds his own life breaking apart around him. There is a murder, a violent incident, problems with his wife and daughter, issues at work, and much more.
I never really got "into" this book. To me, Eric is not a likeable character. Throughout the course of the novel he seems to make a remarkable number of questionable decisions, even if his life is somewhat spiraling out of control. For instance, as he goes through the divorce with Caitlin, Eric is constantly lamenting about Hannah and the effects of the divorce on her. So much so that he comes by the house unasked, calls his wife and daughter at all hours, completely ignores the advice of his lawyer, etc. He seems to lack knowledge of any basic divorce or legal protocol - not to mention common sense.
The lack of common sense prevails throughout the book. So much of the plot is supposedly driven by what Eric knows about Max, this teenage kid he meets at the hospital, but really they have two sessions together before things go awry. It seems insane that he would have learned so much about his patient in this time. So much of the plot just seemed implausible and annoying. We hear constant talk about Eric's past anxiety and how he overcame it. OK - so what?
Overall, I just found myself irritated by Eric and annoyed by his decisions. Parts of the book seem completely improbable and the plot is so thinly constructed that once you figure out how everything comes together, it seems barely possible. Then Scottoline throws in another twist that seems completely unnecessary. Overall, rather disappointing read.
I never really got "into" this book. To me, Eric is not a likeable character. Throughout the course of the novel he seems to make a remarkable number of questionable decisions, even if his life is somewhat spiraling out of control. For instance, as he goes through the divorce with Caitlin, Eric is constantly lamenting about Hannah and the effects of the divorce on her. So much so that he comes by the house unasked, calls his wife and daughter at all hours, completely ignores the advice of his lawyer, etc. He seems to lack knowledge of any basic divorce or legal protocol - not to mention common sense.
The lack of common sense prevails throughout the book. So much of the plot is supposedly driven by what Eric knows about Max, this teenage kid he meets at the hospital, but really they have two sessions together before things go awry. It seems insane that he would have learned so much about his patient in this time. So much of the plot just seemed implausible and annoying. We hear constant talk about Eric's past anxiety and how he overcame it. OK - so what?
Overall, I just found myself irritated by Eric and annoyed by his decisions. Parts of the book seem completely improbable and the plot is so thinly constructed that once you figure out how everything comes together, it seems barely possible. Then Scottoline throws in another twist that seems completely unnecessary. Overall, rather disappointing read.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Playing with Matches in Books
Jun 27, 2018 (Updated Jun 27, 2018)
Fun, but predictable
Ummm can I please be a matchmaker for my job so I can just date cute boys all day and my husband has to let me cause um hello - it's my JOB! OK that sounds weird, and I think I'm a bit old saying "cute boys" but hey, I'm just dreaming right?!
Sasha Goldberg is young, pretty, fresh out of NYU, has a gorgeous boyfriend working in finance, and an amazing roommate who is basically a sister to her. When her dream job working for People.com falls though, she applies to work at Bliss. An elite matchmaking service for those who can afford such a thing. With ZERO experience in the match making business (and almost equally the same amount in dating in general) - she gets hired because of a family secret she reveals, that makes her stand out.
She soon realizes matchmaking is hard work! It's definitely a full time job pairing up the desperate, the picky, the insane! But she is all in - swiping on Tinder for matches for her clients, setting up unique dates, wrangling and fielding calls and texts, giving "advice" to women twice her age!
Her boyfriend Jonathan is perfect and perfect FOR her. She initially thinks, 'hey I've found my forever guy - how hard could it be to help find someone else their one and only?' Until something happens that makes her question if Jonathan really is THAT guy. And question basically every life choice she makes.
I really wish there was a bit more matchmaking stories in this - they were so fun and interesting. But we mostly delve into Sasha and what's going on in her life - and some really horrible choices she makes. I found a lot of her choices a bit unbelievable and her struggle to make them a bit annoying. It's mostly probably because I found her a bit unlikeable and snooty - same with most of the other characters. The storyline was fairly predictable but I zipped through it one day. It was well-structured and easy flowing and fun to follow. The concept and the way the story unfolded was fun as well, and I enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Touchstone for the opportunity to read and review!
Sasha Goldberg is young, pretty, fresh out of NYU, has a gorgeous boyfriend working in finance, and an amazing roommate who is basically a sister to her. When her dream job working for People.com falls though, she applies to work at Bliss. An elite matchmaking service for those who can afford such a thing. With ZERO experience in the match making business (and almost equally the same amount in dating in general) - she gets hired because of a family secret she reveals, that makes her stand out.
She soon realizes matchmaking is hard work! It's definitely a full time job pairing up the desperate, the picky, the insane! But she is all in - swiping on Tinder for matches for her clients, setting up unique dates, wrangling and fielding calls and texts, giving "advice" to women twice her age!
Her boyfriend Jonathan is perfect and perfect FOR her. She initially thinks, 'hey I've found my forever guy - how hard could it be to help find someone else their one and only?' Until something happens that makes her question if Jonathan really is THAT guy. And question basically every life choice she makes.
I really wish there was a bit more matchmaking stories in this - they were so fun and interesting. But we mostly delve into Sasha and what's going on in her life - and some really horrible choices she makes. I found a lot of her choices a bit unbelievable and her struggle to make them a bit annoying. It's mostly probably because I found her a bit unlikeable and snooty - same with most of the other characters. The storyline was fairly predictable but I zipped through it one day. It was well-structured and easy flowing and fun to follow. The concept and the way the story unfolded was fun as well, and I enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Touchstone for the opportunity to read and review!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Rear Window (1954) in Movies
Dec 24, 2018
Great Mystery
A photojournalist is wheelchair-ridden, watching people in his apartment complex from his window for hours. He’s thrown for a loop when he witnesses what he thinks is a murder. He wants to get to the bottom of it or die trying.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Book of Essie in Books
Dec 25, 2018
It's so hard to decide where to start with this book. First: it's amazing. Second: Content Warning. For a number of reasons. Rape. Incest. Gay Conversion Therapy. Suicide. Nothing extremely graphic; the most graphic concerns the conversion therapy, which is where the suicide occurs. That section was hard to read. A lot of sections were hard to read. But the book was SO GOOD. It's about Essie and Roarke's escape from all that, so ultimately it focuses on the future, and it's a hopeful, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel kind of book. But daaaaang these topics.
I loved so many of the characters here. Essie and Roarke, Roarke's best friend Blake, Liberty, the reporter, her boyfriend and her camerawoman. They're all amazing. Essie's determination, Roarke's courage, Blake's understanding - every character has something to offer in this book. The way Liberty's history entwines with Essie's, so she knows where she's coming from and can offer advice from experience, and how Liberty flashes back to her childhood so the reader understands her conflicts - it's all just so amazing.
I identify pretty closely with a lot of this book myself; I was raised very conservative Christian, though at least not in a crazy cult like Liberty was. But the way Liberty talks about her boyfriend challenging her beliefs and waking her up from them hit very close to home. It was weird to see it on the page.
"I had been home as well, a painful few months during which I began to see my parents, our family, and our church as Mike might see them, as anyone who was not us would see them. I still loved my parents, very much, but I was also deeply ashamed. I began to wonder what would have happened if I'd seen it earlier....I decided that I would not go home again."
I was cheering for Essie as she broke free of her bigoted family. Every step of the way. And Roarke - oh, Roarke, who my heart broke for, who stepped up to the plate and loved Essie in his own way, and gave Essie what she needed. It helped that Essie offered him precisely what he needed, too, but I didn't expect how their relationship evolved.
I loved this book, start to finish. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2018.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I loved so many of the characters here. Essie and Roarke, Roarke's best friend Blake, Liberty, the reporter, her boyfriend and her camerawoman. They're all amazing. Essie's determination, Roarke's courage, Blake's understanding - every character has something to offer in this book. The way Liberty's history entwines with Essie's, so she knows where she's coming from and can offer advice from experience, and how Liberty flashes back to her childhood so the reader understands her conflicts - it's all just so amazing.
I identify pretty closely with a lot of this book myself; I was raised very conservative Christian, though at least not in a crazy cult like Liberty was. But the way Liberty talks about her boyfriend challenging her beliefs and waking her up from them hit very close to home. It was weird to see it on the page.
"I had been home as well, a painful few months during which I began to see my parents, our family, and our church as Mike might see them, as anyone who was not us would see them. I still loved my parents, very much, but I was also deeply ashamed. I began to wonder what would have happened if I'd seen it earlier....I decided that I would not go home again."
I was cheering for Essie as she broke free of her bigoted family. Every step of the way. And Roarke - oh, Roarke, who my heart broke for, who stepped up to the plate and loved Essie in his own way, and gave Essie what she needed. It helped that Essie offered him precisely what he needed, too, but I didn't expect how their relationship evolved.
I loved this book, start to finish. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2018.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Spider (Rough Ink #2) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
that epilogue broke me!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Meeting Emi 13 months ago had a profound effect on Spider. Not least because he saved her from her ex. Crossing paths again showed Spider how much he wanted to be with Emi. But Emi has her demons, and her secrets. Can she close the door on her past, and let Spider in?
This is book 2 in the Rough Ink series, but it’s not necessary to read Zed, book one, before this one. Zed and Vivi pop up, but not very much. I enjoyed THAT book, though and it gave me a feel for Ms Ellis’ work.
THIS book?? I LOVED this book!
Spider thinks something is wrong with him, because there are no problems in his life, no skeletons in his closet. Until one day, his world comes crashing down around him and he turns to the newly reacquainted with Emi for support. But Emi is dealing with her world crashing down, and needs Spider for support too. Spider keeps messing up though and I loved the advice Zed gives him, basically throwing his own words back at him. Emi is determined NOT to fall into her previous mistakes, and when Spider messes up, he MESSES up. He does, quite beautifully redeem himself a time a two though!
It’s dark though, be warned and readers with triggers for domestic violence will need to be careful. It’s quite violent in places, with Emi’s ex doing his thing and we do get some of that in detail.
It’s not overly explicit, but the heat level for Emi and Chris (which is Spider’s real name, and I loved that she kept the two names separate!) is hot off the page!
I read this book on one sitting, and I bloody loved it!
The bit that wrenched the most emotion from me, though, was NOT Spider and Emi, but that really was heart breaking. No, the bit that had me SOBBING was the epilogue!
A certain person has his say, in just that one chapter, and Lord does he have a lot to say! So well played there, Ms Ellis, very well played!
5 gut wrenching, emotional, extremely well written stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Meeting Emi 13 months ago had a profound effect on Spider. Not least because he saved her from her ex. Crossing paths again showed Spider how much he wanted to be with Emi. But Emi has her demons, and her secrets. Can she close the door on her past, and let Spider in?
This is book 2 in the Rough Ink series, but it’s not necessary to read Zed, book one, before this one. Zed and Vivi pop up, but not very much. I enjoyed THAT book, though and it gave me a feel for Ms Ellis’ work.
THIS book?? I LOVED this book!
Spider thinks something is wrong with him, because there are no problems in his life, no skeletons in his closet. Until one day, his world comes crashing down around him and he turns to the newly reacquainted with Emi for support. But Emi is dealing with her world crashing down, and needs Spider for support too. Spider keeps messing up though and I loved the advice Zed gives him, basically throwing his own words back at him. Emi is determined NOT to fall into her previous mistakes, and when Spider messes up, he MESSES up. He does, quite beautifully redeem himself a time a two though!
It’s dark though, be warned and readers with triggers for domestic violence will need to be careful. It’s quite violent in places, with Emi’s ex doing his thing and we do get some of that in detail.
It’s not overly explicit, but the heat level for Emi and Chris (which is Spider’s real name, and I loved that she kept the two names separate!) is hot off the page!
I read this book on one sitting, and I bloody loved it!
The bit that wrenched the most emotion from me, though, was NOT Spider and Emi, but that really was heart breaking. No, the bit that had me SOBBING was the epilogue!
A certain person has his say, in just that one chapter, and Lord does he have a lot to say! So well played there, Ms Ellis, very well played!
5 gut wrenching, emotional, extremely well written stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**