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Debbiereadsbook (1712 KP) rated His Steady Heart in Books
May 30, 2019
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I’m gonna jump straight in here, cos, well, because it’s my review and I can.
If you follow my reviews, you’ll know I have a particular dislike of several things.
First Person
Present Tense
Single Point of View.
So, when I started this book, and found it first person AND present tense, I got all ansty and twitchy and thought, nope, not doing it. THEN I realised it was single point of view, and my twitchiness went sky high and . . . .
bloody hell if I did not bloody LOVE this book!
Ashley or Buck, depending on who addresses him, was 22 years old when he first met Pippin and now, some 15 years (I was a bit unclear on that) later, he is still looking out for the little 6 year old boy who wormed his way into his heart. Now though, the little boy is all man, and when Pippin’s mother throws him under a bus (not literally, mind you!) of course Ashley will step up to look after the young man. But Pippin is proud, and won’t just take Ashley’s care, he must give back. The big bear of a man is Pippin’s idea of heaven, he just has to reach out and take him.
This has to be the sweetest, cutest CLEANEST book I've read in a long time, and I inhaled this book. I mean, I sat down, and didn’t move til I was done. It is only short, took me just over an hour but I really LOVED!
Ashley is the sweetest bear of a man, and no one can see that, except Pippin. Pippin sees Ashley, deep down, that he isn’t anyone’s “daddy”. He wants to look after people, yes, but PIPPIN is at the top of that very short list. PIPPIN is the one he realises he wants, even as he fights his attraction to the smaller man. PIPPIN tells Ashley he wants him, too, but not just for a quick lay. Pippin wants his first time to be special, and ASHLEY is that special man for Pippin.
I didn’t like what Pippin’s mum does to him, but you kinda saw that one coming like a train wreck and you can’t do anything to stop it.
The only thing, the one thing I cannot forgive is that Pippin doesn’t get a say! I wanted desperately to hear from him, even if it does make it first person/present tense/MULTI point of view (cos that would be my idea of Hell!) I NEEDED Pippin and I don’t get him. And I wanted to know, just what it was about Ashley that pushed his buttons, what he thought when Ashley’s ex turned up (and I LOVED how Pippin reacted to that!) and I wanted to know how he felt about his mum, and what she was doing to him.
That’s the only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 stars, was because I did not get Pippin and I really needed him.
I’ve not read anything by this author before, but if they are all this good, I’d gladly inhale a few more!
4 sweet, cute, warm and so bloody fuzzies stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I’m gonna jump straight in here, cos, well, because it’s my review and I can.
If you follow my reviews, you’ll know I have a particular dislike of several things.
First Person
Present Tense
Single Point of View.
So, when I started this book, and found it first person AND present tense, I got all ansty and twitchy and thought, nope, not doing it. THEN I realised it was single point of view, and my twitchiness went sky high and . . . .
bloody hell if I did not bloody LOVE this book!
Ashley or Buck, depending on who addresses him, was 22 years old when he first met Pippin and now, some 15 years (I was a bit unclear on that) later, he is still looking out for the little 6 year old boy who wormed his way into his heart. Now though, the little boy is all man, and when Pippin’s mother throws him under a bus (not literally, mind you!) of course Ashley will step up to look after the young man. But Pippin is proud, and won’t just take Ashley’s care, he must give back. The big bear of a man is Pippin’s idea of heaven, he just has to reach out and take him.
This has to be the sweetest, cutest CLEANEST book I've read in a long time, and I inhaled this book. I mean, I sat down, and didn’t move til I was done. It is only short, took me just over an hour but I really LOVED!
Ashley is the sweetest bear of a man, and no one can see that, except Pippin. Pippin sees Ashley, deep down, that he isn’t anyone’s “daddy”. He wants to look after people, yes, but PIPPIN is at the top of that very short list. PIPPIN is the one he realises he wants, even as he fights his attraction to the smaller man. PIPPIN tells Ashley he wants him, too, but not just for a quick lay. Pippin wants his first time to be special, and ASHLEY is that special man for Pippin.
I didn’t like what Pippin’s mum does to him, but you kinda saw that one coming like a train wreck and you can’t do anything to stop it.
The only thing, the one thing I cannot forgive is that Pippin doesn’t get a say! I wanted desperately to hear from him, even if it does make it first person/present tense/MULTI point of view (cos that would be my idea of Hell!) I NEEDED Pippin and I don’t get him. And I wanted to know, just what it was about Ashley that pushed his buttons, what he thought when Ashley’s ex turned up (and I LOVED how Pippin reacted to that!) and I wanted to know how he felt about his mum, and what she was doing to him.
That’s the only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 stars, was because I did not get Pippin and I really needed him.
I’ve not read anything by this author before, but if they are all this good, I’d gladly inhale a few more!
4 sweet, cute, warm and so bloody fuzzies stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Engleby in Books
Aug 20, 2017
Disappointing new book from Sebastian Faulks
I usually admire author Sebastian Faulks, who is a literary hero, especially for his lyrical and beautiful prose so I was definitely disappointed with the plot of this story. No doubt, it is well written, but the protagonist is so odious that I wanted to stop reading this. He is a pretentious, arrogant snob, and as you'll read, he also has a fair few demons. And I understand why he has been written as such because you'll hate him even more in the end. But it's borderline between having to read to the end and just wanting it to stop. So I'm not completely convinced.
There is an element of exploring mental illness and what makes a psychopath, but it is covered up by the self-serving first person narrative. Very cringe-worthy indeed.
There is an element of exploring mental illness and what makes a psychopath, but it is covered up by the self-serving first person narrative. Very cringe-worthy indeed.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated About a Boy (2002) in Movies
Feb 16, 2019
Heartwarming and funny
You can’t really go wrong with a Hugh Grant film based on a Nick Hornby book. Hugh Grant is his usual lovable, charming foppish self and the perfect person to play Will. Nicholas Hoult is great as Marcus and truly an up and coming star when this first came out. The rest of the supporting cast too are good, but it really is all about Will and Marcus. The plot is a little silly but is pretty much your almost typical British rom-com type film, but it stands out thanks to the funny and heartwarming script. It’s got enough serious moments in it too to not make it too silly either.
An altogether lovely and wonderful British film that may be over 16 years old now, but definitely stands the test of time and is worth a watch.
An altogether lovely and wonderful British film that may be over 16 years old now, but definitely stands the test of time and is worth a watch.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated They Both Die At The End in Books
Apr 22, 2019
Death- Cast is a company that calls and informs everyone when it is there last day. Mateo and Rufus both received the call on the same night. They then find themselves connect through an app called last friend.
This book was a fun journey. The two main characters were completely different, and they helped each other grow so much throughout the story.
It was also interesting to see how all the characters and events were connected. Some events that at first appeared small ended up having a larger effect on the overall story.
This book despite its name is truly more about living than dieing. The two MC needed to find the right person to spend what little time they had left with, and they ended up living a lot in one final night because of each other.
This book was a fun journey. The two main characters were completely different, and they helped each other grow so much throughout the story.
It was also interesting to see how all the characters and events were connected. Some events that at first appeared small ended up having a larger effect on the overall story.
This book despite its name is truly more about living than dieing. The two MC needed to find the right person to spend what little time they had left with, and they ended up living a lot in one final night because of each other.
Gisell Middleton (189 KP) rated The Raven Tower in Books
May 22, 2019
Reading, or listening (which I did), to this novel is like hearing an anecdote from an elderly relative who often goes off on tangents and digresses only to finally reach the point much later and seemingly at random. This story was a “detective mystery” that really, really wanted to incorporate gods somehow. The plot did not really come together until the very end and the rest of the novel was not compelling enough to really keep you interested throughout. The back and forth through time and different narrations, first and second person from the same narrator, was perplexing enough to be muddled and confusing for the majority of this seemingly endless novel. The more interesting details were never really addressed or explained and the richest characters remained as background noise. I wish this book had been better.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated Scene of the Climb (Pacific Northwest Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Meg Reed has finally landed her first post college job. Unfortunately, it’s at an outdoor magazine, and Meg is not an outdoor kind of person. Still, she bravely faces her fear of heights to cover the final leg in a cross country reality TV show competition. But when she witnesses one of the contestants plunge to his death, Meg realizes she might be in over her head.
Meg is a great main character, and I loved spending time with her. The rest of the cast is equally as strong. The pacing was off in the plot a bit, but everything does come together for a nice climax. I will definitely be back for more.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-scene-of-climb-by-kate-dyer.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Meg is a great main character, and I loved spending time with her. The rest of the cast is equally as strong. The pacing was off in the plot a bit, but everything does come together for a nice climax. I will definitely be back for more.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-scene-of-climb-by-kate-dyer.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Shoah (1985) in Movies
Jul 20, 2018
Unforgettable
Director Claude Lanzmann, who recently passed away at the age of 92, spent a significant portion of his life working on interviews, editing and putting together this immaculate epic masterpiece portrait of the Holocaust through the words of people who were there and lived through the torture.
I sobbed for days after watching the more than 13 hours of footage from the documentary and the DVD extras. Some of the descriptions and scenes were so moving I actually had to pause for a moment to collect myself before continuing.
I purchased when Criterion had one of their 50% off sales and it was well worth it. You will be changed forever as a person after watching this and you will start to think all your first-world problems are minuscule in comparison.
I sobbed for days after watching the more than 13 hours of footage from the documentary and the DVD extras. Some of the descriptions and scenes were so moving I actually had to pause for a moment to collect myself before continuing.
I purchased when Criterion had one of their 50% off sales and it was well worth it. You will be changed forever as a person after watching this and you will start to think all your first-world problems are minuscule in comparison.
Aasiyah Sidat (34 KP) rated Counting on You in Books
Oct 2, 2018
Counting on You
“She wasn’t the most boring person in the world, but she wasn’t exactly ready to start booking stand up routines at the comedy club either.”
Counting on You begins with our female lead, Hayleigh who is a successful maths teacher in her late twenties but has had some difficulty dating. Scratch that, she hasn’t dated since her high school boyfriend left her with a sour taste in her mouth. After an awkward first date at a dive bar, Amarillo Sour, she meets our male lead Ian; an app developer at Link digital who is Conveniently working on a dating app that is at the pinnacle of his career. This book follows Ian as he helps Hayleigh navigate the murky waters of the online dating world.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/08/counting-on-you-by-laura-chapman.html
Counting on You begins with our female lead, Hayleigh who is a successful maths teacher in her late twenties but has had some difficulty dating. Scratch that, she hasn’t dated since her high school boyfriend left her with a sour taste in her mouth. After an awkward first date at a dive bar, Amarillo Sour, she meets our male lead Ian; an app developer at Link digital who is Conveniently working on a dating app that is at the pinnacle of his career. This book follows Ian as he helps Hayleigh navigate the murky waters of the online dating world.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/08/counting-on-you-by-laura-chapman.html
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
9.5
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Book
The mesmerizing story of Queen Cleopatra in her own words - by bestselling novelist Margaret George,...
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Prison Ramen
Clifton Collins and Gustavo ''Goose'' Alvarez
Book
Think of this as a cookbook of ramen hacks. Here's Ramen Goulash. Onion Tortilla Ramen Soup. The...