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Ross (3284 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.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Other Woman in Books
Mar 12, 2019
Disappointed me (but many others loved it!)
Emily thinks she's finally met the perfect man when she runs into Adam at a bar. They quickly begin dating and all seems great, until Emily goes to meet Adam's mother, Pammie. Upon meeting Pammie, Emily realizes that the woman not only seemingly despises her, she will do just about anything to keep Emily and Adam apart. As Emily and Adam get closer, Pammie seems more and more determined to break the two up. Even worse, Adam seems oblivious to his beloved mother's schemes. Emily loves Adam, but she is powerless against Pammie's path of destruction.
I was so excited to read this one, as I had heard so many good things about it, but I wound up being really disappointed. This novel just wasn't for me. For a good portion of it, I felt like I was reading a similar-themed (better) book (Michelle Frances' The Girlfriend), and I couldn't shake that feeling of familiarity.
But, the worst part for me was Emily. I just found her to be so incredibly annoying and whiny. Most of the situations that involved her and Pammie seemed contrived and overblown, and I lost my patience over and over while reading these dramatic and ridiculous scenes. If I were Emily, I would have just walked away. It was all so stupid. I could have had so much sympathy for her if she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but no. She was wimpy and self-centered and ugh. I would have stopped reading, but everyone had promised such a great twist.
So yeah. Twist?! There were no twists here that surprised me. I guessed the "big surprise" part of the book early on, though I still found a bit of the ending somewhat enjoyable. Still, it was not enough to make up for the rest of the book frustrating me so.
So, overall, irritating main character and no crazy, enjoyable twists--definitely not my favorite. Still, tons and tons of people *loved* this one, so it might be a good fit for you. It just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
I was so excited to read this one, as I had heard so many good things about it, but I wound up being really disappointed. This novel just wasn't for me. For a good portion of it, I felt like I was reading a similar-themed (better) book (Michelle Frances' The Girlfriend), and I couldn't shake that feeling of familiarity.
But, the worst part for me was Emily. I just found her to be so incredibly annoying and whiny. Most of the situations that involved her and Pammie seemed contrived and overblown, and I lost my patience over and over while reading these dramatic and ridiculous scenes. If I were Emily, I would have just walked away. It was all so stupid. I could have had so much sympathy for her if she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but no. She was wimpy and self-centered and ugh. I would have stopped reading, but everyone had promised such a great twist.
So yeah. Twist?! There were no twists here that surprised me. I guessed the "big surprise" part of the book early on, though I still found a bit of the ending somewhat enjoyable. Still, it was not enough to make up for the rest of the book frustrating me so.
So, overall, irritating main character and no crazy, enjoyable twists--definitely not my favorite. Still, tons and tons of people *loved* this one, so it might be a good fit for you. It just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Rachel Howser Roberts (96 KP) rated Crazy Rich Asians in Books
Jun 21, 2018 (Updated Jun 21, 2018)
Modern Cinderella
Imagine if Cinderella lived today, she was a college professor, and she was already dating the Prince Charming of Singapore. That’s what Kwan’s debut novel reminded me of. Rachel Chu agrees to visit her boyfriend’s family in Singapore over the summer, only to slowly realize that they are crazy rich and live a lifestyle very different from how Rachel and Nick live in New York. I found the novel to be a fresh take on the Cinderella-type story. I also enjoyed learning how the crazy rich Asians of the title live.
I found the main character, Rachel, to be quite relatable. Despite the fact, that her mother immigrated from mainland China, Rachel is thoroughly American. She was thrown into this world of the crazy rich with no warning from her boyfriend. I liked that she behaved with dignity, even if she was often unaware of what was happening around her or how to act in a particular social situation.
The character of Nick, Rachel’s boyfriend, is not quite as fleshed out as Rachel’s. The reader sees him being generally a good guy (not participating in drugs and prostitutes brought in for a bachelor party), but I would have liked to see him realize and react to the way his family and family friends behave towards the woman he loves. It does not occur to him that they are treating her abhorrently until near the end of the novel.
The pacing of the novel was quick. Each chapter is from a different point of view, quickly switching from one experience to another. Although the book focused on relationships, and I’m more of a Sci-Fi or suspense girl, I found myself unable to put the book down. I read it in a day.
I honestly picked up this book, because many of my friends are excited about the upcoming movie. After reading the book, I’m excited to see it, too. But as with any movie, I would recommend reading the book first.
Most of all, the book made me want to visit Asia again! I’ve been to Mainland China and Taiwan, but never Singapore. The crazy rich people did not sound pleasant to be around, but I would love to experience the culture. I would love to visit the food stalls Rachel visits as soon as she lands in Singapore.
I found the main character, Rachel, to be quite relatable. Despite the fact, that her mother immigrated from mainland China, Rachel is thoroughly American. She was thrown into this world of the crazy rich with no warning from her boyfriend. I liked that she behaved with dignity, even if she was often unaware of what was happening around her or how to act in a particular social situation.
The character of Nick, Rachel’s boyfriend, is not quite as fleshed out as Rachel’s. The reader sees him being generally a good guy (not participating in drugs and prostitutes brought in for a bachelor party), but I would have liked to see him realize and react to the way his family and family friends behave towards the woman he loves. It does not occur to him that they are treating her abhorrently until near the end of the novel.
The pacing of the novel was quick. Each chapter is from a different point of view, quickly switching from one experience to another. Although the book focused on relationships, and I’m more of a Sci-Fi or suspense girl, I found myself unable to put the book down. I read it in a day.
I honestly picked up this book, because many of my friends are excited about the upcoming movie. After reading the book, I’m excited to see it, too. But as with any movie, I would recommend reading the book first.
Most of all, the book made me want to visit Asia again! I’ve been to Mainland China and Taiwan, but never Singapore. The crazy rich people did not sound pleasant to be around, but I would love to experience the culture. I would love to visit the food stalls Rachel visits as soon as she lands in Singapore.
Lesley (60 KP) rated A Steep Price in Books
Aug 10, 2018
Tracy Crosswhite never disappoints!
I LOVE Tracy Crosswhite and this newest entry into the series was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is the review that I posted on my blog.
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Midge (525 KP) rated Wedding Wipeout in Books
Dec 10, 2018
A Brilliant and Witty Mystery!
I really enjoyed Wedding Wipeout far more than I was expecting to. The story-line is brilliant and the mystery is so good that you want to keep on reading.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
Midge (525 KP) rated Playing with Fire in Books
Jan 29, 2019
Full of drama, romance and hot desire (2 more)
Good character development
Great plot
A Great, Spicy Romance Novella!
Wow, Jen Talty is straight into all of the action and keeps it coming with this thrilling romance novella, set in Lake George, New York. It is a delightful story that has a bit of everything, from drama and hot desire to tension and conflict, there is something for everyone.
I really like that, in the opening chapter, we are introduced to hot and sexy fire-fighter, Cade Nash. Next, we meet his gorgeous new neighbour, but Heather Holbrook is a dentist and Cade has a deep-rooted fear of dentists, dating back to a bad experience from his childhood. Cade loves to help people in their hour of need so when Heather’s car has a flat battery and she needs a jump-start, he is there to assist.
Heather has recently divorced and is trying to start over in her new neighbourhood. After leaving her abusive husband, she just wants a happy, quiet life. You could immediately sense that there was an intense physical attraction between Cade and Heather and one of the highlights of the book was following how they dealt with their emotionally-charged feelings for one another. After some problems with her ex-husband, Heather is forced to rely on Cade more than she would have chosen to, until he oversteps the mark, although his main goal was to protect her. Can Heather forgive him?
I thought both the plot and the character development were great and found the story-line to be very believable. The story is well-told, captivating and engaging. It held my interest right from the beginning and I found myself rooting for both Heather and Cade as they tried to deal with all of their conflicting emotions. This was a short, fast-paced read with plenty of action, some suspense and lots of lust and love. I enjoyed their instant attraction and the banter between them and I laughed-out-loud a few times while reading it. I thought the ending was very appropriate for this great novella.
I have been inspired to read more from Jen Talty and I highly recommend "Playing With Fire."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Jen Talty for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
I really like that, in the opening chapter, we are introduced to hot and sexy fire-fighter, Cade Nash. Next, we meet his gorgeous new neighbour, but Heather Holbrook is a dentist and Cade has a deep-rooted fear of dentists, dating back to a bad experience from his childhood. Cade loves to help people in their hour of need so when Heather’s car has a flat battery and she needs a jump-start, he is there to assist.
Heather has recently divorced and is trying to start over in her new neighbourhood. After leaving her abusive husband, she just wants a happy, quiet life. You could immediately sense that there was an intense physical attraction between Cade and Heather and one of the highlights of the book was following how they dealt with their emotionally-charged feelings for one another. After some problems with her ex-husband, Heather is forced to rely on Cade more than she would have chosen to, until he oversteps the mark, although his main goal was to protect her. Can Heather forgive him?
I thought both the plot and the character development were great and found the story-line to be very believable. The story is well-told, captivating and engaging. It held my interest right from the beginning and I found myself rooting for both Heather and Cade as they tried to deal with all of their conflicting emotions. This was a short, fast-paced read with plenty of action, some suspense and lots of lust and love. I enjoyed their instant attraction and the banter between them and I laughed-out-loud a few times while reading it. I thought the ending was very appropriate for this great novella.
I have been inspired to read more from Jen Talty and I highly recommend "Playing With Fire."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Jen Talty for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Becs (244 KP) rated My Favorite Half-Night Stand in Books
Dec 8, 2019
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
Trigger Warnings: catfishing, loss of a loved one, talk of cancer and diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, questionable comments on physical appearance
Review:
When I first read this back in July, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. But after much thinking, I’m dropping my rating down to 3 out of 5 stars. I don’t really remember much of it but after rereading the synopsis, I realized that there were things that I didn’t like. I found the story to be a bit of a bore and extremely unbelievable at most parts.
The whole premise of the book follows a group of close-knit friends that work together, trying to find dates for an event. They all download a dating app and make accounts. But the four men of the group had a bit of trouble making their accounts so Millie, the main character, rewrites them.
First off, the event that this group of friends were trying to find dates for never even happened. So that was a bit of a let down! The internet lingo use was also really weird. It was like these characters didn’t know how to use the lingo even though they are only supposed to be 30 something, which isn’t much older than I am currently.
Millie also makes an account and the men think it’s a bore. So Millie makes a fake account that is a bit more realistic to who she is. But, she doesn’t put her real name on the account. When she ends up getting matched with Reid, she decides to send him a message that basically was catfishing herself. This goes on through the entirety of the novel.
Reading Millie’s actions seem apologetically at first due to her troublesome past, which she doesn’t ever talk about to her friends. But on her fake account, she thinks it’s okay to talk about it with Reid. “Because it’s not like it’s her.” This was really disgusting to read through the entire book. She’s basically lying to one of her best friends even though everything she says is the truth, it’s just under a different name. Overall, Reid was the only redeeming character of the entire book and the rest was just meh.
Trigger Warnings: catfishing, loss of a loved one, talk of cancer and diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, questionable comments on physical appearance
Review:
When I first read this back in July, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. But after much thinking, I’m dropping my rating down to 3 out of 5 stars. I don’t really remember much of it but after rereading the synopsis, I realized that there were things that I didn’t like. I found the story to be a bit of a bore and extremely unbelievable at most parts.
The whole premise of the book follows a group of close-knit friends that work together, trying to find dates for an event. They all download a dating app and make accounts. But the four men of the group had a bit of trouble making their accounts so Millie, the main character, rewrites them.
First off, the event that this group of friends were trying to find dates for never even happened. So that was a bit of a let down! The internet lingo use was also really weird. It was like these characters didn’t know how to use the lingo even though they are only supposed to be 30 something, which isn’t much older than I am currently.
Millie also makes an account and the men think it’s a bore. So Millie makes a fake account that is a bit more realistic to who she is. But, she doesn’t put her real name on the account. When she ends up getting matched with Reid, she decides to send him a message that basically was catfishing herself. This goes on through the entirety of the novel.
Reading Millie’s actions seem apologetically at first due to her troublesome past, which she doesn’t ever talk about to her friends. But on her fake account, she thinks it’s okay to talk about it with Reid. “Because it’s not like it’s her.” This was really disgusting to read through the entire book. She’s basically lying to one of her best friends even though everything she says is the truth, it’s just under a different name. Overall, Reid was the only redeeming character of the entire book and the rest was just meh.
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