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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Good Daughter in Books
Dec 24, 2017
spell-binding (2 more)
shocking
fascinating
Charlie and Sam grew up in Pikeville, Georgia, with anything but an idyllic childhood. When the girls were teens, they were part of a brutal assault at their family's farmhouse. The attack left their mother, "Gamma," dead and profoundly affected their father, a prominent local attorney. Years later, Charlie remains in Pikeville, a lawyer like her father, and trying to keep the past behind her. All that changes when the town witnesses violence yet again--and Charlie is right in the thick of it. Suddenly, she's forced to confront so many of the emotions she's buried for years and to fully deal with exactly what happened to her family so many years ago.
Slaughter's latest novel starts quickly out of the gate--with a brutal, graphic, and spell-binding description of the assault and attack on Charlie, Sam, and Gamma--and it never lets up from there. Seriously, this book never lets you take a breath or a break: it's just constant action and second guessing.
Told from the points of view of both Charlie and Sam, including their varying memories of the incident at the farmhouse, we are forced to see all the events and violence through the eyes of the two sisters alone. As I mentioned, this keeps you guessing--and reading. I completely put down the other novel I was reading at the time (FINAL GIRLS) to read this: I had to know how it ended.
All the characters in this book are entwined, and Slaughter does a great job of depicting the small town of Pikeville. It's a mystery at its core, sure, but it also goes deeper with commentary on race, class, and how modern society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are well-drawn: I immediately found myself intrigued by Sam, Charlie, their father (Rusty), the descriptions of Gamma, and by a slew of small-town folk, including Rusty's secretary Lenore, and Charlie's estranged husband, Ben. Slaughter is excellent with the details.
Indeed, she's great at doling out those "whoa" moments. The plot never lets down; in fact, it continues to pick up as the novel continues on. I truly gasped a couple of times and found myself going "wow"! That's not easy to do once, let alone consistently.
This is a beautiful book at times--the way the plot and characters weave together. It even makes you laugh at moments, despite some truly somber subject matter. I found myself a bit irked at times by Charlie and Sam's fighting (I've read a lot of books with sisters fighting as of late), but if that's my only nitpick, that's not bad at all.
Overall, a great mystery that keeps you guessing and surprised to the very end. Excellent, fascinating, and deep characters. Definitely worth a read.
Slaughter's latest novel starts quickly out of the gate--with a brutal, graphic, and spell-binding description of the assault and attack on Charlie, Sam, and Gamma--and it never lets up from there. Seriously, this book never lets you take a breath or a break: it's just constant action and second guessing.
Told from the points of view of both Charlie and Sam, including their varying memories of the incident at the farmhouse, we are forced to see all the events and violence through the eyes of the two sisters alone. As I mentioned, this keeps you guessing--and reading. I completely put down the other novel I was reading at the time (FINAL GIRLS) to read this: I had to know how it ended.
All the characters in this book are entwined, and Slaughter does a great job of depicting the small town of Pikeville. It's a mystery at its core, sure, but it also goes deeper with commentary on race, class, and how modern society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are well-drawn: I immediately found myself intrigued by Sam, Charlie, their father (Rusty), the descriptions of Gamma, and by a slew of small-town folk, including Rusty's secretary Lenore, and Charlie's estranged husband, Ben. Slaughter is excellent with the details.
Indeed, she's great at doling out those "whoa" moments. The plot never lets down; in fact, it continues to pick up as the novel continues on. I truly gasped a couple of times and found myself going "wow"! That's not easy to do once, let alone consistently.
This is a beautiful book at times--the way the plot and characters weave together. It even makes you laugh at moments, despite some truly somber subject matter. I found myself a bit irked at times by Charlie and Sam's fighting (I've read a lot of books with sisters fighting as of late), but if that's my only nitpick, that's not bad at all.
Overall, a great mystery that keeps you guessing and surprised to the very end. Excellent, fascinating, and deep characters. Definitely worth a read.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated The Art of Letting Go by Mauwe in Music
Jun 7, 2019
Mauwe (Portia & Jay) is a Bristol-based indie-pop duo. Not too long ago, they released their debut EP, entitled, “The Art of Letting Go”.
The 5-track project is a chronicle of love lessons that Mauwe learned in life. Also, hopefulness is the common theme throughout the EP.
“That’s All”
That’s All wishes an old flame the best. Nothing more nothing less. The song is sung from a female’s point of view, where the woman in question is thinking about her ex-boyfriend.
She knows their relationship is over. Plus, she’s dealing with the fact that he has moved on with another woman. But that doesn’t stop her from telling him that she’s thinking about him.
“Smoked a Pack”
Smoke a Pack is an edgy song about a woman that’s waiting for a phone call from a man she regrets being in a relationship with. While waiting, she realizes she should have never gotten into a relationship with him in the first place.
The woman is thinking about her friends warning her not to get into the relationship and other regretful actions. The situation is nerve-racking so she smokes a pack of cigarettes. She’s trying to release her stress and anger the cheapest way she knows how.
“Gold”
Gold is an apprehensive song about falling for someone new. The song places a woman that’s drunk in love with a man that makes her feel like gold.
The woman compares her current state of drunken love to someone who is on drink number three. Depending on what that person is drinking, probably means she’s feeling good inside.
“Walls”
Walls is an emotional R&B/Soul ballad. It’s about a woman who’s losing her mind. Although she’s out of a broken relationship, her heart is still imprisoned there.
The woman is going insane trying to forget her ex’s name. She used to have control, but since he let her go, she writes on the walls to past time. Sometimes, love is a pretty gloomy thing isn’t it?
“Strangers”
If you’ve ever taken the time to look back at some of life’s more challenging moments, accompanied by a tub of Ben & Jerry’s or a bottle of wine, you’ll probably relate to Strangers.
The song is built on the sereneness of solitary thought. On moments that give us the clarity needed to see things how they really were.
Mauwe’s songwriting directions have a clear lineage to what they were influenced by prior to their formation.
Jay outlines contemporary folk and electronica as his staples growing up.
In conclusion, we highly recommend that you listen to Mauwe’s debut EP, entitled, “The Art of Letting Go”.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mauwe-art-letting-go/
The 5-track project is a chronicle of love lessons that Mauwe learned in life. Also, hopefulness is the common theme throughout the EP.
“That’s All”
That’s All wishes an old flame the best. Nothing more nothing less. The song is sung from a female’s point of view, where the woman in question is thinking about her ex-boyfriend.
She knows their relationship is over. Plus, she’s dealing with the fact that he has moved on with another woman. But that doesn’t stop her from telling him that she’s thinking about him.
“Smoked a Pack”
Smoke a Pack is an edgy song about a woman that’s waiting for a phone call from a man she regrets being in a relationship with. While waiting, she realizes she should have never gotten into a relationship with him in the first place.
The woman is thinking about her friends warning her not to get into the relationship and other regretful actions. The situation is nerve-racking so she smokes a pack of cigarettes. She’s trying to release her stress and anger the cheapest way she knows how.
“Gold”
Gold is an apprehensive song about falling for someone new. The song places a woman that’s drunk in love with a man that makes her feel like gold.
The woman compares her current state of drunken love to someone who is on drink number three. Depending on what that person is drinking, probably means she’s feeling good inside.
“Walls”
Walls is an emotional R&B/Soul ballad. It’s about a woman who’s losing her mind. Although she’s out of a broken relationship, her heart is still imprisoned there.
The woman is going insane trying to forget her ex’s name. She used to have control, but since he let her go, she writes on the walls to past time. Sometimes, love is a pretty gloomy thing isn’t it?
“Strangers”
If you’ve ever taken the time to look back at some of life’s more challenging moments, accompanied by a tub of Ben & Jerry’s or a bottle of wine, you’ll probably relate to Strangers.
The song is built on the sereneness of solitary thought. On moments that give us the clarity needed to see things how they really were.
Mauwe’s songwriting directions have a clear lineage to what they were influenced by prior to their formation.
Jay outlines contemporary folk and electronica as his staples growing up.
In conclusion, we highly recommend that you listen to Mauwe’s debut EP, entitled, “The Art of Letting Go”.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mauwe-art-letting-go/
Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Lonely Planet, Mark Baker, Richard Waters and Chris Deliso
Book
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria is your...
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Live From Studio Hotel Earth by Laura Jean Anderson in Music
Jun 25, 2019
Laura Jean Anderson is an LA-based singer-songwriter from Olympia, Washington. Not too long ago, she released an EP of live in-studio tracks, entitled, “Live From Studio Hotel Earth”.
The 6-track project contains songs from her debut EP, entitled, “Lonesome No More”, alongside a cover of The White Stripes’ “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)” single.
“I miss my mother, I miss being her one. As crazy as I was, I guess I wasn’t much fun. Sometimes, I miss her so much, want to hop on the next jet. I get lonely, but I ain’t that lonely yet.” – lyrics
‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ tells a depressing tale of a young woman who is in need of human contact. Apparently, she doesn’t want to bother her loved ones, therefore, she doesn’t tell them that she misses them.
Later, she admits that sometimes she wants to give them a call, but doesn’t want to feel like a pest. Even though she feels regret for being desolate, she keeps on keeping on. What she really wants is to find a friend, someone who she can talk to one on one.
‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ contains a gloomy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and guitar-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental blues and folk elements.
“Making a record and having the vast possibilities of production and instrumentation is exciting, but there is something special about limitation. This live EP brings the songs back to how they were written. Back to those intimate moments of writing alone late at night with just me and my guitar. These songs are really personal to me. All about very vivid moments and stories of my life so being able to record them stripped-down and intimately was really emotional but beautiful. The day of the recording was really special for me. I’m a huge believer in the power of a community of people. So it was really special having my old friend Theo Karon record this in his new studio.” – Laura Jean Anderson
Laura Jean Anderson had a strict Mormon upbringing. During her teenage years, she used music as an outlet for rebellion and enhanced her vocal skill in church choirs.
After a bronchitis-ridden audition, she gained acceptance to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she studied classical voice.
Since then, she has gained experience as a blue collared musician who built her career working odd jobs which involved painstaking hard labor.
Get acquainted with her music by streaming her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP via Spotify.
Laura Jean Anderson recorded her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP in one-take.
Also, this summer, she will embark on a tour as direct support with L.A. alt-rock outfit Grizfolk.
The 6-track project contains songs from her debut EP, entitled, “Lonesome No More”, alongside a cover of The White Stripes’ “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)” single.
“I miss my mother, I miss being her one. As crazy as I was, I guess I wasn’t much fun. Sometimes, I miss her so much, want to hop on the next jet. I get lonely, but I ain’t that lonely yet.” – lyrics
‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ tells a depressing tale of a young woman who is in need of human contact. Apparently, she doesn’t want to bother her loved ones, therefore, she doesn’t tell them that she misses them.
Later, she admits that sometimes she wants to give them a call, but doesn’t want to feel like a pest. Even though she feels regret for being desolate, she keeps on keeping on. What she really wants is to find a friend, someone who she can talk to one on one.
‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ contains a gloomy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and guitar-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental blues and folk elements.
“Making a record and having the vast possibilities of production and instrumentation is exciting, but there is something special about limitation. This live EP brings the songs back to how they were written. Back to those intimate moments of writing alone late at night with just me and my guitar. These songs are really personal to me. All about very vivid moments and stories of my life so being able to record them stripped-down and intimately was really emotional but beautiful. The day of the recording was really special for me. I’m a huge believer in the power of a community of people. So it was really special having my old friend Theo Karon record this in his new studio.” – Laura Jean Anderson
Laura Jean Anderson had a strict Mormon upbringing. During her teenage years, she used music as an outlet for rebellion and enhanced her vocal skill in church choirs.
After a bronchitis-ridden audition, she gained acceptance to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she studied classical voice.
Since then, she has gained experience as a blue collared musician who built her career working odd jobs which involved painstaking hard labor.
Get acquainted with her music by streaming her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP via Spotify.
Laura Jean Anderson recorded her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP in one-take.
Also, this summer, she will embark on a tour as direct support with L.A. alt-rock outfit Grizfolk.
Radio HQ (lite version)
Music and Entertainment
App
"Radio HQ (lite version)" is a modern internet radio receiver that enables you to listen lots of...
Trebel Music - Song Downloader
Music and Games
App
iOS 8.0 or GREATER REQUIRED. Please send questions to: hello@trebelmusic.com TREBEL is a music...
Louise (64 KP) rated Flight of a Starling in Books
Jul 2, 2018
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
After reading Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield last year I knew that I needed to read her latest book out. Lisa is UKYA author and I don’t think she gets enough credit for her work. This is another book that delivers a believable story with such rawness and emotion.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/6DfkKrGznukr6/giphy.gif"; width="200"height="200"alt="description"/>
Our story follows Rita and Lo, two sisters that are travelers and the trapeze act in their circus that moves around England on a regular basis. Life is how it has always been for the girls, set up their tent, do a few shows and move on to the next village – they haven’t known any other life and don’t really question it. They travel with another family and it’s presumed the girls will marry the boys of the other family and carry on the legacy of the circus. One evening when they explore the local area they start talking to some of the locals and sparks start to ignite between Lo and ‘a flattie'(a term for non traveler folk). With Lo slowly falling in love she starts to question her life,her role and existence in the circus – with wanting her freedom she finds cracks starting to appear and her life crumbling around her.
‘Flight of a Starling’ didn’t fail to deliver, I knew from past works that this was going to be an emotional, gritty and raw read. Heathfield has a great writing style that manages to evoke emotions – even from me who has a heart of stone. The story is told in dual perspective, swapping from Rita to Lo with just the right sized chapters. The first half of this book is rather slow what with it building a picture of what it was like to be in a travelling community and their traditions and beliefs. I loved learning about the performances that the girls were involved in such as the trapeze and their big costumes.
I must admit that I wasn’t too keen on the romance side of the book, It was lacking emotion and connection between the characters, I wanted the warm fuzziness that you get from reading about a couple that first meet, the excitement of it…which didn’t happen and it’s sad as it has such a big part of the story.
The second half of the book takes a change in pace, it was amazing and what really made the story for me. My heart was in my mouth and I could feel the blood pulsing around my body with anxiety. I was scared for the characters,I was hoping for a silver lining but Heathfield never shies away from her writing and sucker punches you in the gut.
I recommend if you want something gritty yet believable.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars
After reading Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield last year I knew that I needed to read her latest book out. Lisa is UKYA author and I don’t think she gets enough credit for her work. This is another book that delivers a believable story with such rawness and emotion.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/6DfkKrGznukr6/giphy.gif"; width="200"height="200"alt="description"/>
Our story follows Rita and Lo, two sisters that are travelers and the trapeze act in their circus that moves around England on a regular basis. Life is how it has always been for the girls, set up their tent, do a few shows and move on to the next village – they haven’t known any other life and don’t really question it. They travel with another family and it’s presumed the girls will marry the boys of the other family and carry on the legacy of the circus. One evening when they explore the local area they start talking to some of the locals and sparks start to ignite between Lo and ‘a flattie'(a term for non traveler folk). With Lo slowly falling in love she starts to question her life,her role and existence in the circus – with wanting her freedom she finds cracks starting to appear and her life crumbling around her.
‘Flight of a Starling’ didn’t fail to deliver, I knew from past works that this was going to be an emotional, gritty and raw read. Heathfield has a great writing style that manages to evoke emotions – even from me who has a heart of stone. The story is told in dual perspective, swapping from Rita to Lo with just the right sized chapters. The first half of this book is rather slow what with it building a picture of what it was like to be in a travelling community and their traditions and beliefs. I loved learning about the performances that the girls were involved in such as the trapeze and their big costumes.
I must admit that I wasn’t too keen on the romance side of the book, It was lacking emotion and connection between the characters, I wanted the warm fuzziness that you get from reading about a couple that first meet, the excitement of it…which didn’t happen and it’s sad as it has such a big part of the story.
The second half of the book takes a change in pace, it was amazing and what really made the story for me. My heart was in my mouth and I could feel the blood pulsing around my body with anxiety. I was scared for the characters,I was hoping for a silver lining but Heathfield never shies away from her writing and sucker punches you in the gut.
I recommend if you want something gritty yet believable.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars
Kate Nash recommended track Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Hair by Christy Moore in Live in Dublin by Christy Moore in Music (curated)
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Last Wish in Books
Aug 3, 2020
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#0.5 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3150137897">The Last Wish</a> - ★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Book-Review-Banner-59.png"/>;
For me, The Last Wish is the perfect introduction to start the Witcher series and meet Geralt of Rivia.
<b>Synopsis</b>
The Last Wish is the prequel to the Witcher series. In this book we are introduced to Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher - a man whose magic powers and strength training made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin.
However, Geralt is not an ordinary killer. He hunts the monsters that bring fear to people and creatures that attack the innocent.
But not everything is as seems, as some monsters are not evil, and not everything fair is good. In every fairy tale, there is a pinch of truth.
<b>My Thoughts:</b>
I loved the introduction of Geralt in this book. I have known Geralt from the video games, and then I watched the TV Show. Usually I am more attracted to the book characters rather than a movies/TV Show character, and this was no different. Even though, I have to admit that the video games and the TV Show are also extraordinary, when it comes to their characters. Geralt in this book is vivid and brave, and I was happy to follow him on the various adventures he went on.
The book is written in multiple chapters, each containing a call for a quest, and the following chapter containing the quest itself. Each quest is a completely different topic, all featuring Geralt, and many side characters joining him as we move along in the story.
Each chapter was magical on its own, and we get to meet various stories. We meet a girl that turned to a striga because of a curse. We encounter a beast hidden in a castle, a story that resembles the Beauty and the Beast. There are also stories that resemble the Snow White and Cinderella, all significantly darker and much more graphic in their retellings. I love how the author took those storylines and managed to create something much more sinister and cruel. Some of the stories also reminded me of the traditional Slavic folk tales, which brought back some nice feelings from my childhood too.
The last few chapters were the ones I enjoyed the most. Especially the moment when we get to meet Yennefer for the very first time. I cannot wait to read more about her in the books.
A truly beautiful and adventurous fantasy novel by Andrzej Sapkowski and published by Gollancz. I definitely recommend The Last Wish.
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#0.5 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3150137897">The Last Wish</a> - ★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Book-Review-Banner-59.png"/>;
For me, The Last Wish is the perfect introduction to start the Witcher series and meet Geralt of Rivia.
<b>Synopsis</b>
The Last Wish is the prequel to the Witcher series. In this book we are introduced to Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher - a man whose magic powers and strength training made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin.
However, Geralt is not an ordinary killer. He hunts the monsters that bring fear to people and creatures that attack the innocent.
But not everything is as seems, as some monsters are not evil, and not everything fair is good. In every fairy tale, there is a pinch of truth.
<b>My Thoughts:</b>
I loved the introduction of Geralt in this book. I have known Geralt from the video games, and then I watched the TV Show. Usually I am more attracted to the book characters rather than a movies/TV Show character, and this was no different. Even though, I have to admit that the video games and the TV Show are also extraordinary, when it comes to their characters. Geralt in this book is vivid and brave, and I was happy to follow him on the various adventures he went on.
The book is written in multiple chapters, each containing a call for a quest, and the following chapter containing the quest itself. Each quest is a completely different topic, all featuring Geralt, and many side characters joining him as we move along in the story.
Each chapter was magical on its own, and we get to meet various stories. We meet a girl that turned to a striga because of a curse. We encounter a beast hidden in a castle, a story that resembles the Beauty and the Beast. There are also stories that resemble the Snow White and Cinderella, all significantly darker and much more graphic in their retellings. I love how the author took those storylines and managed to create something much more sinister and cruel. Some of the stories also reminded me of the traditional Slavic folk tales, which brought back some nice feelings from my childhood too.
The last few chapters were the ones I enjoyed the most. Especially the moment when we get to meet Yennefer for the very first time. I cannot wait to read more about her in the books.
A truly beautiful and adventurous fantasy novel by Andrzej Sapkowski and published by Gollancz. I definitely recommend The Last Wish.