
The Open MIC Night: Campus Programs That Champion College Student Voice and Engagement
Toby S. Jenkins, Marla L. Jaksch, Crystal L. Endsley and Anthony R. Keith
Book
While campuses across the United States have been offering spoken word programs for over 20 years,...

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
Book
Written with the same light-hearted satirical voice as Jonas Jonasson's bestselling debut novel,...

The Golden Egg
Book
Twenty-one years ago, when a conductor was poisoned and the Questura sent a man to investigate,...

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Carson McCullers and Kasia Boddy
Book
Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a powerful exploration of alienation and...

The Husband's Secret
Book
The Husband's Secret is a gripping story about love, deception and how the smallest choice can have...

Cate Le Bon recommended Selda by Selda in Music (curated)

Alice (117 KP) rated Children of Virtue and Vengeance in Books
Mar 3, 2021
(There's proabably spoilers in here)
Okay so I hadn't heard great things about this so I was apprehensive about picking it up and after the first half I didn't really see what all the fuss was about but then it happened. This whole book stressed me out and made me angry. The lack of communication was so frustrating that nobody would believe anybody else and it just led to so many unnecessary conflicts. The whole overarching plot was about the war but then every chapter had the exact same conflicts that happened in every chapter before... "Inan is bad, no wait Inan is good, how could we be so stupid of course iInan is bad, but maybe he's good nope still bad" you catch my drift. Also Inan even did this himself because he may be the king but he's not in control of his kingdom which I'm not mad about I think it was good to show that he was a puppet (I'm an Inan sympathiser okay I'm sorry) but when nobody would believe that he was trying because everytime he tried someone else would step in and ruin it. Then there was Zelie flitting between being too weak to be an elder and wanting to run away and vowing to be the leader that her clan needs. Don't get me started on Amari, she had zero chemistry with Inan like I don't think she thought about him at all when he wasn't around and that thing she did towards the end of the book WHAT THE ACTUAL F was that!!!!! Unnecessary love triangles when clearly the only person that Zelie loves is herself. We spent the whole book gaging up for this big battle and then at the end it just never happened??? Need I go on. I don't want to be too scathing because I loved the first book so by proxy still care about this series but I don't really know what happened here.

ClareR (5859 KP) rated The End of Men in Books
Jun 8, 2021
This is told from multiple perspectives. There are mostly recurring characters, such as Dr Maclean, some scientists, the anthropologist, intelligence and government types, interspersed with ‘ordinary’ people who were also affected and lost friends and family. We see perspectives from all over the world. The voices of these people all seem so real: their pain, confusion and determination coming through in their own voices, as their stories are all told in journal form.
The End of Men had pretty much the same effect on me as World War Z: I was checking the news and the windows (just in case), completely preoccupied with the book whilst I was reading it, and I predictably experienced a stonking book-hangover when it ended.
This is science fiction for people who wouldn’t normally pick up science fiction (a bit like a gateway drug!). It reads like contemporary fiction - the here and now.
This novel had me on the edge of my seat and in tears - and a bit angry at times, truth be told. This doesn’t feel like you’re reading science-fiction, it has a tinge of the non-fiction about it. Perhaps that’s because of the times we’re living in...
Would I recommend it? You’d better believe I would!

Tyondai Braxton recommended The Complete Works by Edgard Varese in Music (curated)

Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Elite (The Selection, #2) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
First of all, I'd like to say that this book was actually a lot better than I had originally expected it to be. I'm not much into romances, and the main plot of this is relatively predictable, but there are definitely some unique aspects. Honestly, the situation with Marlee was just... awful. But in a good way. I mean, it was written wonderfully, and it made me really angry. But Maxon managed to bring it around so well, in a way that I really wasn't expecting (and neither was America!).
As for the king's reaction... I really wasn't expecting that either. I think it really brings some depth to Maxon's character, and some suspense to America's fight within the contest.
One thing I'm not so sure about is the way America just decides to accept the way Maxon flirts with the other girls. I understand that he has to have a back-up in case things don't work out with his first choice, but I would not be as calm as her about it. She does get a little upset by it, but I just feel like Maxon's just that bit shallower thanks to his relationships with the other girls.
America continues to be a strong character, and as defiant as ever. But something about her was missing in this sequel. I'm not sure, perhaps she seemed a little less passionate in this book or something. Something with her just didn't seem quite right.
Anyway, I did enjoy this book. There's a decent amount of action with the rebel attacks, and a fair amount of romance (if you're into that kinda thing). Some parts were a bit rushed in my opinion, but there were multiple unexpected, unique parts too. I think The Elite just about deserves 4 stars.