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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
2005 | Comedy, Drama
7
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Carmen, Lena, Bridget and Tibby are 4 16 year old best friends. They were born in the same week and grew up together, sharing each others grievances and celebrations. One day whilst shopping, they all decide to try on the same pair of jeans, and despite their different body types they fit them all perfectly. They buy the jeans and decide to share them as a way to stay connected during their summer vacations.
For the summer, the girls go their separate ways, Lenaand Carmen visit relatives, Bridget goes to camp and Tibby stays at home to work. Lena being the first person to have the jeans, then Tibby, Carmen and finally Bridget. But is this movie really just about a pair of jeans? No, infact the whole movie could have been done without the jeans as they literally have no impact on the storyline whatsoever, they're just mentioned on occasion.
It is a good movie, although out of the teens stories, I was only interested in 2 of the stories, Tibby and Carmen. This is probably because their story had more drama, whereas Lena and Bridget were just about getting a guy.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Cheddar Late Than Dead in Books

Apr 20, 2023 (Updated Apr 20, 2023)  
Cheddar Late Than Dead
Cheddar Late Than Dead
Linda Reilly | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
There Falls the Groom Down the Stairs
Carly Hale is surprised when Dawn and Klarissa walk into her restaurant. While she knew them in school, she hasn’t seen them since she’s been back in Balsam Dell, Vermont. The chance encounter winds up with Carly catering Klarissa’s wedding shower. But the day of the shower is filled with more tension than Carly expected. Things only get worse when the groom crashes the party. A little while later, Carly finds him at the bottom of the stairs, dead. Who would want to kill him?

This book starts off quickly, introducing us to suspects and conflict before the murder happens, then gives us some great twists that kept me reading. The climax logically resolves things, although I did have a couple of small niggles with the ending. It was great to see the characters again, and I like how their relationships are growing. There are some great new characters, including strong suspects. Meanwhile, the book introduces us to grilled cheese donuts, including a recipe in the back. If you are hungry for a fun cozy, pick this one up.
  
The Story contains excerpts of the NIV Bible in a modern day format, as if the Bible was a novel. The text fills up the full page rather than the usual two columns, and it it has the regular paragraph breaks and quotation marks. History and explanations are italics, poetry is indented, and events and dialogue are in regular body text.

One thing I really like about this version is the quotes. In many Bibles it's hard to tell when someone is saying something, or quoting something from somewhere else. In this version, it's very clear, because it sets it in a block quote, with proper quotation marks.

Again, this version is excerpts. It's not the full version. It's not something that can be referenced, because the books and chapters and verse numbers aren't shown. It's separated into chapters with titles rather than the traditional books and chapters.

This is good and bad. Good because I think it would be easier for some people to read, and maybe more friendly to teens who are just trying to get an overall grasp of the Bible. It's not so great because then if you say "Wait, where is that in the Bible, and what chapter/verse is it?" it's not going to be easy to find.

I think The Story is a nice way to read the Bible in a casual setting, or for a small group or Bible study for people who want to get the big picture of the Bible and want to see how it ties together on a larger scale, but it's not really suitable for intensive study (which is fine; you need both).
  
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen | 2007 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.5 (27 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I never thought that I would really fall in love with a book about the circus. I found it very difficult to put this book down, unfortunately I had to so I could take care of my family. I can't imagine would life would be like if I ran away with the circus, that's not something I have ever desired.

Jacob Jankowski loses everything in one day. His family, his home and his education. So he runs away with the circus(for real!). There he meets all kinds of interesting people and learns the ways of the circus. He also meets Marlena, the star of the show. He befriends her and her husband August, who is quite abusive to the animals, the roustabouts, and, at times, to Marlena. Shortly after Jacbo joins the Benzini Brothers Circus, they acquire an elephant, Rosie. Together Rosie and Marlena are bringing in the big money for Benzini Brothers. Of course there are a lot of ups and downs to get to that point.
The story is told through Jacob as an old man in a nursing home, waiting for his family to take him to the circus. He remineces about those days in anticipation for the event.
I want to tell so much more about this book, but I don't want to give it away. Please read this book, it will touch your heart and surprise you.

In the ebook version there is a conversation with the author, and she admits to never have gone to a circus before thinking about writing this book. I found that to be an interesting fact.
  
The Greenway (Mike Croft, #1)
The Greenway (Mike Croft, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
AUGUST 1975: Cassie Maltham’s life changes forever one scorching day. She and her twelve-year-old cousin Suzie take a shortcut through the Greenway, an ancient pathway steeped in Norfolk legend. Somewhere along this path Suzie simply vanishes . . .
TWENTY YEARS LATER: Cassie is still tormented by nightmares, parts of her memory completely erased. With her husband Fergus and friends Anna and Simon, she returns to Norfolk, determined to confront her fears and solve a mystery that won’t let her rest.
Then another young girl goes missing at the entrance to the Greenway, and Cassie is pushed once more into the darkest recesses of her mind.
John Tynan, the retired detective who’d been in charge of Suzie’s case, is still haunted by her disappearance. He offers his help to Detective Inspector Mike Croft who is leading the increasingly frantic search for the missing child. Has evil returned? And what really happened all those years ago and who can be believed?

First time for me reading this author and it wont be last. The Greenway is a kind of pathway that connects two large empty fields.
This is a gripping mystery story.
A genuinely scary, psychological thriller.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed the story and the building of the characters.
This book was published originally in 1995, and is now being repackaged and republished now.
Very enjoyable and I am pleased to see there are another three Mike Croft books already published.
Recommend reading!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Jane Adams for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.