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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Saving Ruby King in Books
Jun 18, 2020
Ruby King is twenty-four-years-old when her mother, Alice, is found murdered in the home she shared with Ruby and Ruby's father, Lebanon. The police show little interest in--to them--another death in the King's black neighborhood, but Alice's death unhinges Ruby and leaves her alone with her violent, abusive father. Her only confidante is her best friend, Layla, who knows how long Alice and Ruby have suffered under Lebanon's wrath. But Layla is angry that Ruby won't do more to get away from Lebanon and she's even angrier at her father, a pastor, who has been close to Lebanon all these years, and yet never did anything to free Alice or Ruby from his abuse. Layla is determined to save Ruby, but as she works to rescue her friend, she starts to uncover a world of secrets and lies flowing back generations.
"I'm stitched together by the lies I tell myself and the lies people want to believe about me." ~Alice
I found this excellent and timely book to be incredibly well-written, with a power and tenderness to it that goes far behind your typical debut novel (I had to double check that this was actually West's first novel, I was so impressed).
West tells her story from a variety of points of view--Ruby; her late mother, Alice; her father, Lebanon; her best friend, Layla; Layla's father, a pastor; and more. We even hear from a central figure in all of these characters' lives--their church, via its omnipresent voice. The plot spans generations, with West giving a nuanced look at each of her complex characters. She does an amazing job of showing the power of family, for both good and bad. How choices can affect generations: one person's bad decisions can pass poison on, with children reliving dysfunction and sins.
"How can there be a me without her?" ~Ruby
No one is simply good or bad here, though Lebanon is not an easy-to-like man. Abused and neglected by his own parent, Sara, we see how Sara's neglect has turned Lebanon hard. But West is such a good writer that Lebanon is not a one-dimensional bad guy, as much as you want to hate him. I was incredibly impressed at how she could create sympathy for so many of her players, even when they did despicable things.
"Without Sara, who do I blame for...being me? Are children supposed to forgive their parents for the horrible things they've done?" ~Lebanon
This novel does an impressive job at delving into racism, domestic abuse, and sexual assault and trauma. The city of Chicago appears as its own character, springing to life via West's lovely prose. She expertly shows the difficulties black people face on the south side (and in general). I read this book during George Floyd's murder and found myself highlighting passages about police brutality that just hit me right in the gut. It's very powerful.
West's book features a variety of characters--they can be hard to keep track of at first, and I was glad to have the family tree in the beginning of the book. A few times the plot felt repetitious and the middle dragged a bit, but it picked up in the second half. There's a surprising amount of twists and turns. Overall, this is a realistic look at racism and domestic violence, but also friendship. It's quite well-written and layered with a twinge of hope throughout. I can't wait to see what West writes next. 4+ stars.
"I'm stitched together by the lies I tell myself and the lies people want to believe about me." ~Alice
I found this excellent and timely book to be incredibly well-written, with a power and tenderness to it that goes far behind your typical debut novel (I had to double check that this was actually West's first novel, I was so impressed).
West tells her story from a variety of points of view--Ruby; her late mother, Alice; her father, Lebanon; her best friend, Layla; Layla's father, a pastor; and more. We even hear from a central figure in all of these characters' lives--their church, via its omnipresent voice. The plot spans generations, with West giving a nuanced look at each of her complex characters. She does an amazing job of showing the power of family, for both good and bad. How choices can affect generations: one person's bad decisions can pass poison on, with children reliving dysfunction and sins.
"How can there be a me without her?" ~Ruby
No one is simply good or bad here, though Lebanon is not an easy-to-like man. Abused and neglected by his own parent, Sara, we see how Sara's neglect has turned Lebanon hard. But West is such a good writer that Lebanon is not a one-dimensional bad guy, as much as you want to hate him. I was incredibly impressed at how she could create sympathy for so many of her players, even when they did despicable things.
"Without Sara, who do I blame for...being me? Are children supposed to forgive their parents for the horrible things they've done?" ~Lebanon
This novel does an impressive job at delving into racism, domestic abuse, and sexual assault and trauma. The city of Chicago appears as its own character, springing to life via West's lovely prose. She expertly shows the difficulties black people face on the south side (and in general). I read this book during George Floyd's murder and found myself highlighting passages about police brutality that just hit me right in the gut. It's very powerful.
West's book features a variety of characters--they can be hard to keep track of at first, and I was glad to have the family tree in the beginning of the book. A few times the plot felt repetitious and the middle dragged a bit, but it picked up in the second half. There's a surprising amount of twists and turns. Overall, this is a realistic look at racism and domestic violence, but also friendship. It's quite well-written and layered with a twinge of hope throughout. I can't wait to see what West writes next. 4+ stars.
Henry Rollins recommended Seven Samurai (1954) in Movies (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Soulmate Equation in Books
May 27, 2021
A witty & wonderful romance!!
Jess Davis is a single mom who loves crunching numbers almost as much as she loves her daughter Juno and her grandparents. They are her entire world and honestly, she doesn't have a lot of desire to step back into the dating world. It's just so much work. Then Jess and her best friend, Fizzy, hear about GenticAlly, a new dating site that predicts love through your DNA. Matchmaking through genetics and numbers? Jess could get behind that. But it's not until she's had a particularly bad, lonely day that she agrees to send in a sample. Suddenly she finds out she's matched with GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena at an unheard sky-high percentage of 98% compatibility. However, Jess is immediately skeptical because she knows River. And he's a pompous jerk. But River and GeneticAlly have a proposition for Jess. Go out with River, get to know him, and they'll pay her for her time. For struggling Jess, this is something she has to consider. As the two go to dinner and do press for GeneticAlly, Jess starts to see a different side of River--one that makes her wonder if there's something to this DNA matching idea after all.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Give It To Me (MacAteer Brothers #5) in Books
Jul 12, 2021
saved the best for last!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 5, the final book, in the MacAteer Brothers series. While not strictly NECESSARY, I recommend you read all four of the other books before this one. It will give you a better understanding of just for fast these men fall in love. Also, some references to the other couple's stories are made here, but not fully explained and if you have read them, you might wonder, you know?
We met Angus in the last book, when he and his twin, Patrick, came to work with Connor, Owen and Garrett at their growing home improvement business. Rhyleigh is co-owner at the yoga gym the girls go to. Angus has a powerful reaction to Rhyleigh, but Rhyleigh's to Angus is more of a dawning realisation about what he could do for her, TO her.
When Rhyleigh indulges in her one true secret, someone else pushes her buttons and suddenly she has TWO men who she dreams about. And when Rhyleigh's mother and sister upset her so bad that she does something stupid, everything changes.
These books have been wonderful to read. They are all 4 and 5 star reads, and I *think*, for me, the best was saved for last, I really do!
I loved Angus and Rhyleigh, together and as individuals. Angus knows, he KNOWS Rhyleigh is his, and Patrick (his book, Risk It All, runs alongside this one, so he's flirting at the beginning!) gets the look from Angus to tell him she is Angus'. Patrick gets the message 🙂
Angus gets to know Rhyleigh secret, and he knows that he can really set her free, he can give her what she didn't get from others. He just needs her to let him.
Rhyleigh does something stupid, and I broke for her, I really did. Her mother and sister really are nasty pieces of work, and poor Rhyleigh bears the brunt of that nastiness. After a particularly nasty attack (verbal, but still) Rhyleigh makes a dreadful decision that Angus saves her from. At that point, Angus broke me too, because his heart broke when Rhyleigh does what she does, and he wasn't sure he could get to her in time.
It's quite an emotional book. But also a hawt one! BUT, while the level of heat is possible the highest of all 5 books, the actual smexy stuff is quite low. I mean, there is heat and passion, and when Angus gives Rhyleigh want she so desperately wants, the temp is off the charts, but there is just that one scene between them and I bloody LOVED that!
In a couple of the other books, I said I would have loved the books without any smexy stuff, and I stand by that here. So long as Angus gives Rhyleigh what she needs, cos I needed that bit too! That bit was sensual and emotional and the connection between them was amazing.
I'm starting to ramble, and rambling does not a good review make, so I'll leave you with this:
Read
These
Books!
I still need to go back and read Stud (The second Dragon Runners book) because that book is about Eva, the only MacAteer sister. She pops up here and there throughout this series, but I need to round them all out, I think.
5 full and shiny stars
PS, loved the epilogue!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 5, the final book, in the MacAteer Brothers series. While not strictly NECESSARY, I recommend you read all four of the other books before this one. It will give you a better understanding of just for fast these men fall in love. Also, some references to the other couple's stories are made here, but not fully explained and if you have read them, you might wonder, you know?
We met Angus in the last book, when he and his twin, Patrick, came to work with Connor, Owen and Garrett at their growing home improvement business. Rhyleigh is co-owner at the yoga gym the girls go to. Angus has a powerful reaction to Rhyleigh, but Rhyleigh's to Angus is more of a dawning realisation about what he could do for her, TO her.
When Rhyleigh indulges in her one true secret, someone else pushes her buttons and suddenly she has TWO men who she dreams about. And when Rhyleigh's mother and sister upset her so bad that she does something stupid, everything changes.
These books have been wonderful to read. They are all 4 and 5 star reads, and I *think*, for me, the best was saved for last, I really do!
I loved Angus and Rhyleigh, together and as individuals. Angus knows, he KNOWS Rhyleigh is his, and Patrick (his book, Risk It All, runs alongside this one, so he's flirting at the beginning!) gets the look from Angus to tell him she is Angus'. Patrick gets the message 🙂
Angus gets to know Rhyleigh secret, and he knows that he can really set her free, he can give her what she didn't get from others. He just needs her to let him.
Rhyleigh does something stupid, and I broke for her, I really did. Her mother and sister really are nasty pieces of work, and poor Rhyleigh bears the brunt of that nastiness. After a particularly nasty attack (verbal, but still) Rhyleigh makes a dreadful decision that Angus saves her from. At that point, Angus broke me too, because his heart broke when Rhyleigh does what she does, and he wasn't sure he could get to her in time.
It's quite an emotional book. But also a hawt one! BUT, while the level of heat is possible the highest of all 5 books, the actual smexy stuff is quite low. I mean, there is heat and passion, and when Angus gives Rhyleigh want she so desperately wants, the temp is off the charts, but there is just that one scene between them and I bloody LOVED that!
In a couple of the other books, I said I would have loved the books without any smexy stuff, and I stand by that here. So long as Angus gives Rhyleigh what she needs, cos I needed that bit too! That bit was sensual and emotional and the connection between them was amazing.
I'm starting to ramble, and rambling does not a good review make, so I'll leave you with this:
Read
These
Books!
I still need to go back and read Stud (The second Dragon Runners book) because that book is about Eva, the only MacAteer sister. She pops up here and there throughout this series, but I need to round them all out, I think.
5 full and shiny stars
PS, loved the epilogue!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Green Book (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
It's always nice getting advanced screenings, but two months in advance has to be some sort of record. By the fact that the entire audience went "what?!" when the title card came up it was a very well kept secret screening.
I'm so pleased that this played to a packed screen. We lost maybe a dozen people within the first five minutes, which I think just goes to show how much of an unknown it was because normally people will leave immediately. I had seen it on the app, but not read the synopsis or seen a trailer so it was brilliant to be able to go into the film without any prejudgment.
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make a wonderful duo. They bounce of each other really well throughout the whole film.
One of the things I was dying to know was who was playing the piano. I'm reliably informed by IMDb's trivia that Kris Bowers who is the film's composer is Ali's piano double. I have no idea how they do that considering that a fair amount of the shots show Ali playing. It was certainly well done.
The film shows yet another important story in a well thought out and sensitive way. Hidden Figures, Marshall and now Green Book. We're seeing sides of history that we hardly knew of before. The Green Book was a complete shock of a discovery to me and this certainly made me want to research more on the topic.
Ultimately this story is about friendship and acceptance in the face of adversity. It's good to see the circle of change in Tony, and the ending paints the hopeful picture of what would unfold in the future.
I feel a little bit harsh only giving this four and a half stars. While Mortensen and Cardellini were spot on, Ali left me a little disappointed. I have loved him ever since The 4400 and it's been great seeing him in so many shows and films since then. This role obviously has some very powerful moments, and while he delivered them with grace I couldn't help noticing that something was missing. There was one point where he delivers a poignant speech to Tony and I realised that is was lacking the emotional kicker. It felt detached. Whether it was script, acting or just the natural way of the character I'm not sure, it had the potential to bring me to tears and yet... dry eyes.
That is honestly the only glitch in this wonderful film. I got home and I couldn't sleep because I was still buzzing from the screening. (I'm paying for that now.) I read the comments on Twitter and I was really struck by how many people loved it. This deserves to win awards on a lot of counts, I just hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.
When I got my Unlimited card I wasn't convinced that I'd go and see a lot of films (yes I know, what a joke!), and certainly without the card I would never have seen this. At home I never used to pick films that I'd have to "think about". Unlimited has changed the way I watch movies and given me the opportunity to see incredible productions like this. That to me is well worth the money.
What you should do
You should absolutely see this. Not quite a child friendly as Hidden Figures was but it offers another great insight into the past.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Just a fraction of that musical talent would be incredible.
I'm so pleased that this played to a packed screen. We lost maybe a dozen people within the first five minutes, which I think just goes to show how much of an unknown it was because normally people will leave immediately. I had seen it on the app, but not read the synopsis or seen a trailer so it was brilliant to be able to go into the film without any prejudgment.
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make a wonderful duo. They bounce of each other really well throughout the whole film.
One of the things I was dying to know was who was playing the piano. I'm reliably informed by IMDb's trivia that Kris Bowers who is the film's composer is Ali's piano double. I have no idea how they do that considering that a fair amount of the shots show Ali playing. It was certainly well done.
The film shows yet another important story in a well thought out and sensitive way. Hidden Figures, Marshall and now Green Book. We're seeing sides of history that we hardly knew of before. The Green Book was a complete shock of a discovery to me and this certainly made me want to research more on the topic.
Ultimately this story is about friendship and acceptance in the face of adversity. It's good to see the circle of change in Tony, and the ending paints the hopeful picture of what would unfold in the future.
I feel a little bit harsh only giving this four and a half stars. While Mortensen and Cardellini were spot on, Ali left me a little disappointed. I have loved him ever since The 4400 and it's been great seeing him in so many shows and films since then. This role obviously has some very powerful moments, and while he delivered them with grace I couldn't help noticing that something was missing. There was one point where he delivers a poignant speech to Tony and I realised that is was lacking the emotional kicker. It felt detached. Whether it was script, acting or just the natural way of the character I'm not sure, it had the potential to bring me to tears and yet... dry eyes.
That is honestly the only glitch in this wonderful film. I got home and I couldn't sleep because I was still buzzing from the screening. (I'm paying for that now.) I read the comments on Twitter and I was really struck by how many people loved it. This deserves to win awards on a lot of counts, I just hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.
When I got my Unlimited card I wasn't convinced that I'd go and see a lot of films (yes I know, what a joke!), and certainly without the card I would never have seen this. At home I never used to pick films that I'd have to "think about". Unlimited has changed the way I watch movies and given me the opportunity to see incredible productions like this. That to me is well worth the money.
What you should do
You should absolutely see this. Not quite a child friendly as Hidden Figures was but it offers another great insight into the past.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Just a fraction of that musical talent would be incredible.
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