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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Microman USA: The "right" Hero at the Right Time in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Microman USA is a book of political cartoons, focusing on anti-socialism, the Tea Party Movement, and… lunch. Microman really likes lunch. You’ll have to read the book to know why.
The concept behind Microman is simple: Stop worrying about the country’s problems, because they’re not yours to worry about… and live in your own life, socialize with your neighbors, be with your family, and only get involved with politics when you absolutely have to. Focus on you. Focus on the small community… hence Microman.
It’s a great philosophy, and Microman shares my viewpoint on politics… but half of the cartoons weren’t what I expected. I was expecting political cartoons to be funny, witty, and a little sarcastic. These weren’t that entertaining. They had their points, they were interesting, and the characters said some good stuff, but they just weren’t funny… to me anyway. Please know that this has nothing to do with not knowing what politician they’re talking about, or the like. I understood them all, they just weren’t what I expected.
Microman has it’s goods and it’s not-so-goods. Not so good for the reasons I just explained, but good for it’s straight-forward viewpoints on socialism, the community, and the philosophy about living in your life, not your politician’s.
Content/recommendation: clean, Ages 14+
The concept behind Microman is simple: Stop worrying about the country’s problems, because they’re not yours to worry about… and live in your own life, socialize with your neighbors, be with your family, and only get involved with politics when you absolutely have to. Focus on you. Focus on the small community… hence Microman.
It’s a great philosophy, and Microman shares my viewpoint on politics… but half of the cartoons weren’t what I expected. I was expecting political cartoons to be funny, witty, and a little sarcastic. These weren’t that entertaining. They had their points, they were interesting, and the characters said some good stuff, but they just weren’t funny… to me anyway. Please know that this has nothing to do with not knowing what politician they’re talking about, or the like. I understood them all, they just weren’t what I expected.
Microman has it’s goods and it’s not-so-goods. Not so good for the reasons I just explained, but good for it’s straight-forward viewpoints on socialism, the community, and the philosophy about living in your life, not your politician’s.
Content/recommendation: clean, Ages 14+
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Craven Manor in Books
May 15, 2018
Craven Manor by Darcy Coates ended up as the first pick for the #spookyfriendsbookclub, a buddy read group I started initially on Litsy – a social media app for readers. When we selected it, I only knew that we’d be reading a haunted house story and of course, I was excited. Haunted houses are, after all, my first love when it comes to horror. In that regard, Coates doesn’t disappoint.
Craven Manor tells the story of a long-forgotten house and a similarly forgotten town hidden away in the woods. With an elaborate backstory woven into its history, she pens an intricate plot that, once you think you’ve got it figured out, she quickly tells you otherwise. When young Daniel Kane ends up employed at the Manor to clean it up, the mystery quickly unravels and what has been forgotten is soon remembered.
The characters are just as unique, with none of the cast fitting into any one stereotype – which is a much welcomed change from many of the books I’ve read lately. Although, I can say that I thoroughly disliked Daniel’s cousin, Kyle. He an asshole, and I think anyone who has read this book will agree with me on that.
Coates clearly masters the creepy in her work and I certainly look forward to reading more of her work. If you haven’t checked her out, I highly recommend it.
Craven Manor tells the story of a long-forgotten house and a similarly forgotten town hidden away in the woods. With an elaborate backstory woven into its history, she pens an intricate plot that, once you think you’ve got it figured out, she quickly tells you otherwise. When young Daniel Kane ends up employed at the Manor to clean it up, the mystery quickly unravels and what has been forgotten is soon remembered.
The characters are just as unique, with none of the cast fitting into any one stereotype – which is a much welcomed change from many of the books I’ve read lately. Although, I can say that I thoroughly disliked Daniel’s cousin, Kyle. He an asshole, and I think anyone who has read this book will agree with me on that.
Coates clearly masters the creepy in her work and I certainly look forward to reading more of her work. If you haven’t checked her out, I highly recommend it.
Since I'm a crafty-ish person, I wanted to like this book better than how it ended up. That's not to say there aren't some cute things in here, like the Monster Week Tampon/Pad Case, which could be used to hold other items as well, or handy, like the Secret Stash in Your Rack craft. Even the silly ones could be fun for a craft party or something. However, I don't see myself making many of these as they're just not how I am as a feminist. I'd like more crafts that have to do with equality than how women-centric those in this book are. I do like the cassette tape turned into a business card holder, although I could see ways of making it better, plus I'd urge those to keep the inside workings as they can be used for other things. I've had plans for more years than I care to think about to crochet with the tape. I like that there are recommendations for books, music, films, plus some quotations. I think this book would be better for newer crafters as the projects are fairly basic, but even those who are more advanced could think of ways of making the crafts more clean and upscale. Overall, this is a silly book and not to be taken too seriously.
I love Christmas, and I love a good cozy mystery and this book has both! Ms. Griep has talented hands and created a story that not only captured me instantly, but kept me hooked on this book the entire time. Her twists and turns, her characters, her messages woven through out the book, truly made for a wonderful, one sitting read!
Clara and Ben are chiseled wonderfully for their roles. Clara, stood up at the altar, and Ben, the one who caused the pain. I wanted to throttle Ben a time or two but if he wasn't the way he was, I wouldn't have loved the story half as much! These two come to life among the walls of Bleakly Manor and the story unfolds in a most fascinating way!
I definitely recommend this book to all who want a wonderful, clean romantic story, that is pieced together among a Christmas mystery. It's 4 star worthy and one of my favorite Christmas stories of 2017! I am looking forward to adding the print version to my keeper shelf and to reading more amazing books like this in the future from the talented Michelle Griep! Bravo!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Blog Tours and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Clara and Ben are chiseled wonderfully for their roles. Clara, stood up at the altar, and Ben, the one who caused the pain. I wanted to throttle Ben a time or two but if he wasn't the way he was, I wouldn't have loved the story half as much! These two come to life among the walls of Bleakly Manor and the story unfolds in a most fascinating way!
I definitely recommend this book to all who want a wonderful, clean romantic story, that is pieced together among a Christmas mystery. It's 4 star worthy and one of my favorite Christmas stories of 2017! I am looking forward to adding the print version to my keeper shelf and to reading more amazing books like this in the future from the talented Michelle Griep! Bravo!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Blog Tours and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Terminal Alliance in Books
May 9, 2019
wit (1 more)
Creative Aliens
pronoun confusion (1 more)
ends too soon
After the humans became ravaged from a plague that reverted all human life to cannibalistic savages, the benevolent Krakau cured them, as best they could. No longer savages their presence is barely tolerated and seen as boogey men by other sentient species.
The crew of the EMCS Pufferfish suddenly revert back to this crazed feral state killing their command Krakau crew. the only ones not affected are Marion "Mops" Adamopoulos and her team of Hygiene and Sanitation specialists. Completely in over their heads this ragtag crew have to figure out how to fly the ship, what kind of bioweapon was used, who used it, and what they have to do to clean up someone else's mess. Their world will never be the same.
Jim C. Hines does a wonderful job of bringing this futuristic world to life. His wit and humor elevate the craziness of the situation wanting more and more. The alien species are spectacular in their creativity. Although, I would have liked to know that some of the alien species used certain pronouns earlier in the book. The Glacidae species are referred to in the plural Them/they. I took me forever to realize Grom was one "person". Just wait until you meet a Tjikko, talk about a confusion of pronouns. An extremely fun, quick, and action packed read.
The crew of the EMCS Pufferfish suddenly revert back to this crazed feral state killing their command Krakau crew. the only ones not affected are Marion "Mops" Adamopoulos and her team of Hygiene and Sanitation specialists. Completely in over their heads this ragtag crew have to figure out how to fly the ship, what kind of bioweapon was used, who used it, and what they have to do to clean up someone else's mess. Their world will never be the same.
Jim C. Hines does a wonderful job of bringing this futuristic world to life. His wit and humor elevate the craziness of the situation wanting more and more. The alien species are spectacular in their creativity. Although, I would have liked to know that some of the alien species used certain pronouns earlier in the book. The Glacidae species are referred to in the plural Them/they. I took me forever to realize Grom was one "person". Just wait until you meet a Tjikko, talk about a confusion of pronouns. An extremely fun, quick, and action packed read.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated How to Murder Your Life in Books
Mar 2, 2018
Trivialises addiction, rather cringeworthy
It has been said that people who begin abusing drugs and alcohol at an early age, tend to stay stuck in that mindset - so it's hardly surprising that the shallow Cat Marnell writes like a teenager.
Marnell describes one ridiculous drug-fuelled event after another, and even talks about the $28,000 rehab facility her father pays for. She adds how she squandered one opportunity after another due to being completely unable to stay clean. And while you should feel sympathy for her, it's quite hard to do so.
So I can say without a doubt that I found this book rather irritating and narcisstic. After all, if Marnell wasn't a privileged white woman, she would have been in prison about 15 years ago. Her trivializing of her own addiction and frankly, bragging about her encounters, just represents how little understanding she has for the majority of other users. And though she does mention her privilege at times, it's almost an afterthought. The fact that the media have glorified her behaviour is equally despicable.
As someone who is aware of addiction, and knows those on the streets - about 90% of this book is cringeworthy. The last part is on her self realisation and it's the only honest part of the book and should have been placed as the prologue.
Marnell describes one ridiculous drug-fuelled event after another, and even talks about the $28,000 rehab facility her father pays for. She adds how she squandered one opportunity after another due to being completely unable to stay clean. And while you should feel sympathy for her, it's quite hard to do so.
So I can say without a doubt that I found this book rather irritating and narcisstic. After all, if Marnell wasn't a privileged white woman, she would have been in prison about 15 years ago. Her trivializing of her own addiction and frankly, bragging about her encounters, just represents how little understanding she has for the majority of other users. And though she does mention her privilege at times, it's almost an afterthought. The fact that the media have glorified her behaviour is equally despicable.
As someone who is aware of addiction, and knows those on the streets - about 90% of this book is cringeworthy. The last part is on her self realisation and it's the only honest part of the book and should have been placed as the prologue.
Reiko LJ (126 KP) rated Ocean’s 8 (2018) in Movies
Jul 26, 2018
Superb cast (2 more)
Snappy dialogue and didn't hold your hand
Sharp, clean camera work
It lulled a bit in the middle, needed to keep the pace up (1 more)
James Corden cannot act for toffee. Cast differently, his character might have made more impact
Crime Caper Fun
Contains spoilers, click to show
If I could, I would give it 7.5, my love for the cast meant a bump up rather than down.
The Ocean's films are a solid fixture in the crime caper/heist genre. This genre is never about changing the world or making a big statement. It's here to entertain as people more interesting and skilled than you pull off something amazing. This entry delivers this easily, and with style.
The characters slotted in nicely together and everyone had their part to play with authenticity. Cate Blanchett's 'Lou' had a screen presence dripping with confidence and played off Bullock's 'Debbie' with ease. You don't have to watch the PR tour interviews to know the cast got along well, it shows through the film.
I feel like it lacked a certain something to really make it pop, major conflict perhaps? Even the obvious obstacle with the investigator proved to be little more than a speed bump. Or maybe that's the point? Maybe the whole statement is that a well planned heist with the right people means nothing does go wrong. Think on that.
The Ocean's films are a solid fixture in the crime caper/heist genre. This genre is never about changing the world or making a big statement. It's here to entertain as people more interesting and skilled than you pull off something amazing. This entry delivers this easily, and with style.
The characters slotted in nicely together and everyone had their part to play with authenticity. Cate Blanchett's 'Lou' had a screen presence dripping with confidence and played off Bullock's 'Debbie' with ease. You don't have to watch the PR tour interviews to know the cast got along well, it shows through the film.
I feel like it lacked a certain something to really make it pop, major conflict perhaps? Even the obvious obstacle with the investigator proved to be little more than a speed bump. Or maybe that's the point? Maybe the whole statement is that a well planned heist with the right people means nothing does go wrong. Think on that.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Be prepared for a tale full of twists and turns that will knock you off your feet and steal the very breath from your lungs. Infused with the powers of the Elementals Storm Siren has everything a YA Fantasy novel should posses.
Epic battles, devastating loss, search for purpose, simmering romance, bad guys that are the most vicious sort of people and good guys that will sacrifice everything for the good of the people. Nym has totally swept me into her world and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series (which I was SMART this time around and placed all three books on hold at the same time at my library).
While the elements of faith are not blatantly in your face. I do recognize the threads weaving through the story. The constant battle between good and evil, the enemy being a deceiver, the good sacrificing everything. But maybe most importantly is seeing what is inside ourselves...and recognizing it for the GIFT it is rather than a curse.
If you enjoy Young Adult Fantasy with clean content and decent morals, you should definitely check this series out! Stay tuned for my thoughts on the remainder of the series.
I borrowed a copy of Storm Siren from my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Epic battles, devastating loss, search for purpose, simmering romance, bad guys that are the most vicious sort of people and good guys that will sacrifice everything for the good of the people. Nym has totally swept me into her world and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series (which I was SMART this time around and placed all three books on hold at the same time at my library).
While the elements of faith are not blatantly in your face. I do recognize the threads weaving through the story. The constant battle between good and evil, the enemy being a deceiver, the good sacrificing everything. But maybe most importantly is seeing what is inside ourselves...and recognizing it for the GIFT it is rather than a curse.
If you enjoy Young Adult Fantasy with clean content and decent morals, you should definitely check this series out! Stay tuned for my thoughts on the remainder of the series.
I borrowed a copy of Storm Siren from my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
David McK (3600 KP) rated Thin Air (Weather Warden, #6) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Picking up almost exactly from where Firestorm left off, this novel starts with Joanne Baldwin waking up naked and freezing cold in a forest with no idea of who she is, or how she got there.
In other words, the good old amnesia plot.
As the novel progresses, Joanne must (re)learn how to use her powers, as well as struggling with the emergence of a new (to her) power, and with trying to reconnect with her past life. Alongside this, further insight is given into the state of affairs in ther Djinn 'nation' (is that the right word?), and we finally see a culmination to what has been brewing in the last couple of novels regarding Demons.
With all that in mind, and despite the fact that amnesia, in many ways, could provide a 'clean slate', this is definitely NOT a good chocie to enter the series on, with recurring characters and references to previous events (even if Joanne can't remember them, the people bringing them up can). For a change, this novel also does have an ending in its own right - indeed, it could be viewed as ending the plot strands introduced over the last 2 or 3 books in the series - while also leaving scope for more novels to be set in the same world with the same characters.
In other words, the good old amnesia plot.
As the novel progresses, Joanne must (re)learn how to use her powers, as well as struggling with the emergence of a new (to her) power, and with trying to reconnect with her past life. Alongside this, further insight is given into the state of affairs in ther Djinn 'nation' (is that the right word?), and we finally see a culmination to what has been brewing in the last couple of novels regarding Demons.
With all that in mind, and despite the fact that amnesia, in many ways, could provide a 'clean slate', this is definitely NOT a good chocie to enter the series on, with recurring characters and references to previous events (even if Joanne can't remember them, the people bringing them up can). For a change, this novel also does have an ending in its own right - indeed, it could be viewed as ending the plot strands introduced over the last 2 or 3 books in the series - while also leaving scope for more novels to be set in the same world with the same characters.
J Elizabeth Klug (21 KP) rated I'm Not Cinderella in Books
Dec 14, 2019
I received this book as a gift from my best friend who insisted I read it. (Thanks, Krystal. Darn you!) I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.
The story follows Brinlee, a 17-year-old girl from Idaho, as she accidentally switches places with Cinderella after finding a secret door in her attic bedroom. While stuck in this fairytale world, Brinlee threatens the happily ever after of this beloved tale; now with new mysteries surrounding the characters, Brinlee is determined to uncover those secrets. Along the way, she meets some new friends and finds unexpected love.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Especially given the fact that I almost gave up on it. It started out slow and didn’t really hold my attention until about halfway through, at which point the story took off including an unexpected twist that had me hooked and anxious to see how it would play out.
Once the story picked up, I found it hard to put down. However, I was slightly disappointed with the ending and the introduction or revelation of the identities of characters that were only vaguely introduced to begin with.
Overall, I found it to be a good clean read that I would recommend to any fan of Cinderella.
The story follows Brinlee, a 17-year-old girl from Idaho, as she accidentally switches places with Cinderella after finding a secret door in her attic bedroom. While stuck in this fairytale world, Brinlee threatens the happily ever after of this beloved tale; now with new mysteries surrounding the characters, Brinlee is determined to uncover those secrets. Along the way, she meets some new friends and finds unexpected love.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Especially given the fact that I almost gave up on it. It started out slow and didn’t really hold my attention until about halfway through, at which point the story took off including an unexpected twist that had me hooked and anxious to see how it would play out.
Once the story picked up, I found it hard to put down. However, I was slightly disappointed with the ending and the introduction or revelation of the identities of characters that were only vaguely introduced to begin with.
Overall, I found it to be a good clean read that I would recommend to any fan of Cinderella.