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In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la...
Historical fiction Opera
Hazel (1853 KP) rated How Not to Fall in Love, Actually: A Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
Nadya R (9 KP) rated The Nightingale in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I am speechless. I finished the book 15 minutes ago, but I am still staring in the wall and tears are falling down my cheeks. It’s been a while since I’ve been that touched by a book. This story and this two sisters turn upside down the idea of the women’s role in WWII.
Kristin Hanna leads us through the dangerous way of Isabelle Rossignol - The Nightingale why fly to the freedom. She is one of the most active person in the Resistance. Fully opposite to her is her sister Vianne. She is humble and mild tempered she doesn’t want to be a hero. Her only wish is to survive the war together with her family. The Rossignol sisters were abandoned by their father (veteran of WWI) after their mother dead. Soon Vianne met Antoine and has a family with him. While Isabelle’s rebellious temper doesn’t allow her to accept her father decision and escape from every boarding school, she was sent to, and continue to go back to her father and to fight for his love. Exactly this part of her character made her The Nightingale- a woman equal to the men.
"Women were integral to the Resistance. Why couldn't men see that?"
On the other side Vianne doesn’t want to take part in the war. She doesn’t rise her voice, doesn’t ask questions. She’s been comfortable to the Nazis. And that is her point- been quiet and invisible means that you will survive. But as much as you want to close your eyes for injustice there is a breaking point - all these brutalities and injustice make us leave our ‘comfortable’ lives in the name of hundreds of saved lives.
The rebellious in Isabelle takes her to the centre of the French Resistance. First- used as a courier, she prove herself and began an important member in no time. Exposing her life to danger, she leads a pilot after a pilot through the high peaks of Pyrenees to their freedom. Meanwhile Vianne is living with Nazi officer, when one day the war bent her. She initiated a mission to save the Jews children.
"Vianne started them off on a song and they picked it up instantly, singing loudly as they clapped and bounced and skipped. Did they even notice the bombed out buildings they passed? The smoking piles of ribble that had once been homes? Or was destruction the ordinary view of their childhoods, unremarkable, unnoticeable."
But the war left its mark on all these kids, forced them to grow up fast and even in very young age they have already seen all these misfortunes in the world.
"Really, Maman? How long must we pretend?" The sadness-and the anger-in those beautiful eyes was heartbreaking. Vianne apparently had hidden nothing from this child who'd lost her childhood to war."
The author doesn’t save anything. At the end of the book she takes us to the Ravensbrück - the concentration camp in Germany for women why took an action against the Nazis. It’s known as one of the most brutal of them all. The picture, the author shows us, are breathtaking. All these tortures, rapes all these things that they did to women... I kinda felt it son deep and personal. I am not really able to write about this.
And at the end let’s speak about the love in the book. Here you can find lots of love.
Love of country.
Mother love.
Sisters love.
Love in the wartime is strong but faded at the same time. Set on the background, love is there but she(love) realises that in this times there is no place for blind love stories. On other hand this love is even stronger.
Every stolen second.
Every kiss is unspoken ‘Goodbye'.
Every meeting may be the last one.
".. a broken heart hurts as badly in wartime as in peace. Say good-bye to your young man well."
When it comes to war we imagine all these men risking their lives in the name of their country. But this is the story about war but trough women’s view. A women’s war on the shadow. Taking a risk of being caught and executed they keep delivering the message between the Resistance members. They are the connection between all pieces of the puzzle.
"Men tell stories. Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over."
Kristin Hanna leads us through the dangerous way of Isabelle Rossignol - The Nightingale why fly to the freedom. She is one of the most active person in the Resistance. Fully opposite to her is her sister Vianne. She is humble and mild tempered she doesn’t want to be a hero. Her only wish is to survive the war together with her family. The Rossignol sisters were abandoned by their father (veteran of WWI) after their mother dead. Soon Vianne met Antoine and has a family with him. While Isabelle’s rebellious temper doesn’t allow her to accept her father decision and escape from every boarding school, she was sent to, and continue to go back to her father and to fight for his love. Exactly this part of her character made her The Nightingale- a woman equal to the men.
"Women were integral to the Resistance. Why couldn't men see that?"
On the other side Vianne doesn’t want to take part in the war. She doesn’t rise her voice, doesn’t ask questions. She’s been comfortable to the Nazis. And that is her point- been quiet and invisible means that you will survive. But as much as you want to close your eyes for injustice there is a breaking point - all these brutalities and injustice make us leave our ‘comfortable’ lives in the name of hundreds of saved lives.
The rebellious in Isabelle takes her to the centre of the French Resistance. First- used as a courier, she prove herself and began an important member in no time. Exposing her life to danger, she leads a pilot after a pilot through the high peaks of Pyrenees to their freedom. Meanwhile Vianne is living with Nazi officer, when one day the war bent her. She initiated a mission to save the Jews children.
"Vianne started them off on a song and they picked it up instantly, singing loudly as they clapped and bounced and skipped. Did they even notice the bombed out buildings they passed? The smoking piles of ribble that had once been homes? Or was destruction the ordinary view of their childhoods, unremarkable, unnoticeable."
But the war left its mark on all these kids, forced them to grow up fast and even in very young age they have already seen all these misfortunes in the world.
"Really, Maman? How long must we pretend?" The sadness-and the anger-in those beautiful eyes was heartbreaking. Vianne apparently had hidden nothing from this child who'd lost her childhood to war."
The author doesn’t save anything. At the end of the book she takes us to the Ravensbrück - the concentration camp in Germany for women why took an action against the Nazis. It’s known as one of the most brutal of them all. The picture, the author shows us, are breathtaking. All these tortures, rapes all these things that they did to women... I kinda felt it son deep and personal. I am not really able to write about this.
And at the end let’s speak about the love in the book. Here you can find lots of love.
Love of country.
Mother love.
Sisters love.
Love in the wartime is strong but faded at the same time. Set on the background, love is there but she(love) realises that in this times there is no place for blind love stories. On other hand this love is even stronger.
Every stolen second.
Every kiss is unspoken ‘Goodbye'.
Every meeting may be the last one.
".. a broken heart hurts as badly in wartime as in peace. Say good-bye to your young man well."
When it comes to war we imagine all these men risking their lives in the name of their country. But this is the story about war but trough women’s view. A women’s war on the shadow. Taking a risk of being caught and executed they keep delivering the message between the Resistance members. They are the connection between all pieces of the puzzle.
"Men tell stories. Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over."
Merissa (12882 KP) rated Strike Out (Barlow Sisters #2) in Books
Oct 23, 2017
Strike Out (Barlow Sisters #2) by Jordan Ford
Strike Out hits the ball waaaay out of the park! Don't get me wrong, I still love Maddie and Holden, but wow... Max and Cairo! Max has lost her love for baseball, but has no idea how to tell her father when all his hopes and dreams rest on her. That's a lot of pressure on a young woman. On her first day at school, she gets lost and finds herself in the music room. There is a red Stratocaster in the room, and she can't help but be drawn to it. Cairo, the resident rock star, finds this strange blonde girl near to his precious guitar, but he doesn't think that she is there to steal it. Instead, it comes about that he offers to teach her how to play guitar - and Max finds something, and someone, who brings her alive.
Now, there are parts to this book that I didn't like - for example, how Max keeps Cairo a secret. I didn't like it, but I completely understood it, and my heart broke for both of them. Like I said in the first paragraph, Max is under a lot of pressure from her father, and doesn't want to disappoint him. The thought of losing the music though, and having to play baseball forever, hurts her more than she can say. Jordan Ford did an amazing job of making this so real. My emotions were swinging like a pendulum as I read, just like Max and Cairo's were.
The first part of the book takes you over ground already covered in Maddie and Hayden's story, but from Max's perspective. You never feel like you are bored reading this, because something is always happening that you didn't know about before.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The scenes changed smoothing, flowing from one to the next. The characters continue to engage the reader's interest, and you get updates on how things are going for characters you have met previously. No middle book slump for this series. Highly recommended by me, and I can't wait for Chloe's book.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, there are parts to this book that I didn't like - for example, how Max keeps Cairo a secret. I didn't like it, but I completely understood it, and my heart broke for both of them. Like I said in the first paragraph, Max is under a lot of pressure from her father, and doesn't want to disappoint him. The thought of losing the music though, and having to play baseball forever, hurts her more than she can say. Jordan Ford did an amazing job of making this so real. My emotions were swinging like a pendulum as I read, just like Max and Cairo's were.
The first part of the book takes you over ground already covered in Maddie and Hayden's story, but from Max's perspective. You never feel like you are bored reading this, because something is always happening that you didn't know about before.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The scenes changed smoothing, flowing from one to the next. The characters continue to engage the reader's interest, and you get updates on how things are going for characters you have met previously. No middle book slump for this series. Highly recommended by me, and I can't wait for Chloe's book.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Tempests and Slaughter: the Numair Chronicles Book 1 in Books
Apr 5, 2018
Tamora's excellent writing (2 more)
Awesome worldbuilding
ENZI
A new Tamora Pierce book! About the origins of Numair! YES! I waited SO ANXIOUSLY for this book to make its way through the line of holds at my library and get in my grabby hands, and I was rewarded. Tempests is classic Tamora Pierce. It's set in Carthak, not Tortall, but the themes and feel are exactly what I was expecting. I love diving back into my favorite fantasy worlds, and Tortall ranks right near the top. (It might be the top, I haven't sat down and attempted to rank them - that would probably be a futile effort!)
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Gamer bunnz (4 KP) rated New Amsterdam in TV
May 22, 2019
Bring the tissues
Contains spoilers, click to show
I watched the whole first series in about two weeks, at first I thought it was going to be another grey anatomy where we see drama, love lost and betrayal, we do see some of these but in a more subtle way, the main focus in on max and how he can turn things around for new Amsterdam and put the patience’s first not money which is how it should be, whilst trying to mix things up max starts to battle a personal health issues and save his marriage after he promised to settle down and give up such a demanding job to help bring up his unborn baby girl. We see max make changes to the hospital that not everyone agrees with but he pushes for it anyways and we watch him slowly begin to lose his fight with throat cancer but still battles on. All the actors/actress bring there own style to the show and you can’t help but full in love with them, unlike other tv series there wasn’t a character I didn’t like, I enjoy watching their own stories unfold along with max’s And when things happened to them I felt all the emotions that went along with it, I laugh, I cried(quite a bit) I got anger at things that happened and felt sad when I was down the final two episodes I was sad it was ending but the final episode didn’t disappoint it left me hoping a second season will be made and all the characters return for it but with the cliff hanger we was left on, I am unsure if all will be returning if they make a second. All in all the series was surprising and different from other medical program there wasn’t to many Far-fetched medical scenes or silly medical terms that don’t get used in real life,don’t get me wrong there was some but it wasn’t t litter with it, I would recommend this to anyone looking for something more than just another modern day ER, who doesn’t have time to watch the multi seasons of grey anatomy, it different in its own right and it Will certainly take you on a emotional rollercoaster.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated D.O.G.S (S.T.A.G.S, #2) in Books
Mar 25, 2021
This did not disappoint as a sequel and I was just as engrossed with it as I was with STAGS. I didn’t want to put it down at all once I started reading it.
It goes back to where we left off with the first book, as the narrator says “...because it annoys the shit out of me when stories are supposed to be sequels and it’s like: THREE YEARS LATER. I mean what the hell is that?” Which I wholeheartedly agree with! I love that it picked up right where we left off with our three characters Greer, Shafeen and Nel. We get to find out what happened with Greer and Shafeen, how that impacted their relationship with Nel and what the three of them becoming Medievals meant for the school.
We then have more de Warlencourts appear at the school, which obviously puts Greer on edge as to why they’re there and if they’re going to be anything like their cousin.
The main bulk of the book is taken up by Greer being gifted a play called The Isle of Dogs which has had no known surviving copies for 400 years. She is gifted the first act in the dead of night whilst trying to decide on a play to use as part of her drama exam to help get her into Oxford. She reads the play and decides that this is the one that she wants to use and speaks to her headmaster/drama teacher about it, who agrees, as no one has put on the play since it’s opening night 400 years previously. Thinking it’s the only surviving part of the play, Greer throws herself into casting a directing the act as well as having sets designed and music composed by other students taking their exams.
What follows is more mystery around the play as Greer is gifted the entire play in parts, and it leads her to going back to the place she vowed to never return to - Longcross.
This book had the same twists and turns as STAGS, and didn’t disappoint with the mystery and wanting to find out what was happening at each stage. It had the same movie references throughout that made me love the first book, and the writing style was so easy to follow that it really did make this book one that I couldn’t put down.
It goes back to where we left off with the first book, as the narrator says “...because it annoys the shit out of me when stories are supposed to be sequels and it’s like: THREE YEARS LATER. I mean what the hell is that?” Which I wholeheartedly agree with! I love that it picked up right where we left off with our three characters Greer, Shafeen and Nel. We get to find out what happened with Greer and Shafeen, how that impacted their relationship with Nel and what the three of them becoming Medievals meant for the school.
We then have more de Warlencourts appear at the school, which obviously puts Greer on edge as to why they’re there and if they’re going to be anything like their cousin.
The main bulk of the book is taken up by Greer being gifted a play called The Isle of Dogs which has had no known surviving copies for 400 years. She is gifted the first act in the dead of night whilst trying to decide on a play to use as part of her drama exam to help get her into Oxford. She reads the play and decides that this is the one that she wants to use and speaks to her headmaster/drama teacher about it, who agrees, as no one has put on the play since it’s opening night 400 years previously. Thinking it’s the only surviving part of the play, Greer throws herself into casting a directing the act as well as having sets designed and music composed by other students taking their exams.
What follows is more mystery around the play as Greer is gifted the entire play in parts, and it leads her to going back to the place she vowed to never return to - Longcross.
This book had the same twists and turns as STAGS, and didn’t disappoint with the mystery and wanting to find out what was happening at each stage. It had the same movie references throughout that made me love the first book, and the writing style was so easy to follow that it really did make this book one that I couldn’t put down.
Becs (244 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Oct 2, 2019
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy
Audience: Young Adult
Reading level: High School +
Interests: science fiction, fantasy, video games, 80’s
Style: Sci-Fi
Point of view: First person.
Difficulty reading: It started off great and I flew through the first half of the book. It’s towards the 55%-75% mark that was a bore for me. But the ending was great!
Promise: Dystopian Sci-Fi video game world
Quality: Minus the 20% that was pretty darn boring and long, the book as a whole was a great read.
Insights: I’m not a huge gaming geek, so without Cline explaining half the time what these gaming terms are, I’d be as lost as a pig in a supermarket. For that, I thank him. It was nice seeing a Dystopian world set in the future that was still in our lifetime. I have never read anything like that – cool to see how Cline wrote it.
Ah-Ha Moment: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Okay, I knew Aech was hiding something. But I could not figure out what it was for the life of me. But when Aech and Parzival first met, in real life, face to face, I WAS NOT EXPECTING him to actually be a ‘her’.
This was me:
Favorite Quotes: “Going outside is highly overrated.” – Yea, I feel ya too. I just want to stay in and read all day every day. Who needs a job, who needs to eat, all we need are books. Am I right?
“You’d be amazed how much research you can get done when you have no life whatsoever.” – I mean, you’re not wrong.
“One person can keep a secret, but not two.” – Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone.
Aesthetics: The whole book is an 80’s aesthetic that I love. Plus, it gives a brief inside scoop on the whole “if we don’t care for the planet now, there will be nothing in the future” debate. Which is true, we should care for the planet more than what we do now. I mean we only live on Earth just as much as everybody else. The copy of Ready Player One that I have, is a 2015 Special Edition copy – I love the cover on it.
“People are more than just the way they look.”
Audience: Young Adult
Reading level: High School +
Interests: science fiction, fantasy, video games, 80’s
Style: Sci-Fi
Point of view: First person.
Difficulty reading: It started off great and I flew through the first half of the book. It’s towards the 55%-75% mark that was a bore for me. But the ending was great!
Promise: Dystopian Sci-Fi video game world
Quality: Minus the 20% that was pretty darn boring and long, the book as a whole was a great read.
Insights: I’m not a huge gaming geek, so without Cline explaining half the time what these gaming terms are, I’d be as lost as a pig in a supermarket. For that, I thank him. It was nice seeing a Dystopian world set in the future that was still in our lifetime. I have never read anything like that – cool to see how Cline wrote it.
Ah-Ha Moment: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Okay, I knew Aech was hiding something. But I could not figure out what it was for the life of me. But when Aech and Parzival first met, in real life, face to face, I WAS NOT EXPECTING him to actually be a ‘her’.
This was me:
Favorite Quotes: “Going outside is highly overrated.” – Yea, I feel ya too. I just want to stay in and read all day every day. Who needs a job, who needs to eat, all we need are books. Am I right?
“You’d be amazed how much research you can get done when you have no life whatsoever.” – I mean, you’re not wrong.
“One person can keep a secret, but not two.” – Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone.
Aesthetics: The whole book is an 80’s aesthetic that I love. Plus, it gives a brief inside scoop on the whole “if we don’t care for the planet now, there will be nothing in the future” debate. Which is true, we should care for the planet more than what we do now. I mean we only live on Earth just as much as everybody else. The copy of Ready Player One that I have, is a 2015 Special Edition copy – I love the cover on it.
“People are more than just the way they look.”
jmercado (1 KP) rated Forever for a Year in Books
Jan 15, 2018
2.5
Sooo..... YYEAAAAHHH this was crap.
Not in the worst way imaginable but this was a high struggle for me to get through.
But i couldn't put it down.
I was going to DNF this at first due to the writing and the dialect and the god awful main characters but after 100 pages in I put myself back in my freshman years and holy crap did this book do Freshman 1st love justice.
I remember thinking a lot of the same things and being that over-exaggerated at that age
But it was still a struggle not to continue to roll my eyes through most of this.
I was okay with the ending .
It gave it a fresh take on real relationships and i could appreciate the author ending it the way he did.
I definitely want to try another book from this author that's not in YA.
Sooo..... YYEAAAAHHH this was crap.
Not in the worst way imaginable but this was a high struggle for me to get through.
But i couldn't put it down.
I was going to DNF this at first due to the writing and the dialect and the god awful main characters but after 100 pages in I put myself back in my freshman years and holy crap did this book do Freshman 1st love justice.
I remember thinking a lot of the same things and being that over-exaggerated at that age
But it was still a struggle not to continue to roll my eyes through most of this.
I was okay with the ending .
It gave it a fresh take on real relationships and i could appreciate the author ending it the way he did.
I definitely want to try another book from this author that's not in YA.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Hope and Red in Books
Apr 27, 2018
There are 2 things I want to say about this audiobook.
1. The narration does not fit the feel of the book. The narrator would be great for a kids story but not for an adventure story like this. So if I were you, I would read it, not listen to it.
2. When I first started it, I had my doubts; but about 2 chapters in, I knew I was hooked. Even though the narration irritated me, this story is so involved, exciting, entertaining, and all-consuming, that I am dying for the next one. I am so excited and will be waiting for the release date.
If you love adventures, pirates, revenge, and a little hint of magic, this one is for you.
Content/Recommendation: Some violence and mention of sex, but no sexual content. Ages 16+
- See more at: http://www.thelifeandlies.com/2016/09/review-hope-and-red.html
1. The narration does not fit the feel of the book. The narrator would be great for a kids story but not for an adventure story like this. So if I were you, I would read it, not listen to it.
2. When I first started it, I had my doubts; but about 2 chapters in, I knew I was hooked. Even though the narration irritated me, this story is so involved, exciting, entertaining, and all-consuming, that I am dying for the next one. I am so excited and will be waiting for the release date.
If you love adventures, pirates, revenge, and a little hint of magic, this one is for you.
Content/Recommendation: Some violence and mention of sex, but no sexual content. Ages 16+
- See more at: http://www.thelifeandlies.com/2016/09/review-hope-and-red.html