BookInspector (124 KP) rated Outcry: Holocaust Memoirs in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really admired Manny’s and his brother’s creativity to survive in the concentration camps. Both of them are incredibly smart and, to be honest, lucky men. This book is heartbreaking, filled with violence, torture, disgusting human actions which my brain can’t comprehend. So, if you are sensitive, this book is not for you. I really liked the writing style of this book, it is truly beautiful. It is not like a history textbook, crammed with facts, but more like cruel but an amazing evening story, told to you by your grandpa, where it catches your attention and you won’t go away until you will hear it all.
I really liked the way this book was divided into parts, describing each stage in Manny’s life. The chapters were pretty long, but the book was so engrossing to me, that the pages just flew by. Even though Germans are very ashamed of this period in history, it should not be forgotten! The generation who suffered in these events are dying, but I hope the memoirs will survive from not only those who suffered from Germans but as well of those, who suffered from Russians in the same concentration camps in Siberia, during WWII. I truly hope that these books will be read not only in Europe, which was affected but in other countries as well, especially in the US. As Manny mentioned in this book, they were all neighbours, they used to visit each other and were happy until racism, jealousy and violence were encouraged by the government, and that is what I see happening with Trump and his followers.
Broken Horses
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The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer, and five-time Grammy winner opens up about a...
Midge (525 KP) rated Sugar: My Life as a Sugar Babe in Books
Dec 11, 2018
Monique is a loving single mother, who is trying to create a happy home for her two daughters and she's also a Sugar Babe, dating wealthy men, a practice known as Sugar Daddy dating. She mostly meets her Sugar Daddies during the day, when the children are at school or when they are with their father. Monique finds a thousand pounds in her purse after one night of passionate and very hot sex, and she realises that Sugar Daddy dating could be her way to survive as a single mother.
A heady life of wealthy men, luxury hotels and glamorous experiences ensue. One of my favourites was Iranian engineer Farshad, who liked to lavish Monique with gifts such as expensive jewellery and leather boots and wine and dine her in exotic restaurants.
Dates with Sugar Daddies see her flying to Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, Milan, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong and skydiving in Dubai. Thanks to her Sugar Daddies, Monique can provide for her children, she has some independence, and experiences a whole new range of sexual fantasies.
She deactivates her account with her agency, Seeking Arrangement, and her ex-husband stops paying for the children's' upkeep. She is then prepared to do anything for the sake of her children. Money becomes her top priority and she starts living in the dangerous waters of the escort world. Now she realises that she must find a way out before this hollow existence becomes a habit.
I absolutely loved reading Sugar. Maybe it was the novelty of reading a book told as memoirs and based on true events. It was fascinating to read about Monique's travels to different countries and about the different nationalities, cultures and personalities of the gentlemen she dated. However, she ends up working as an escort rather than a Sugar Babe, as it's all about basic survival instincts, money and very spicy sex.
Sugar is steamy and hot, passionate and caring, intense and emotional and there are definitely moments where you will laugh. It is such a fun, fast and interesting read.
Monique X is a brilliant storyteller and really draws you in with her descriptiveness.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for my ARC.
The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets, and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis
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The Book Smugglers is the nearly unbelievable story of ghetto residents who rescued thousands of...
history
A Promised Land
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A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making-from the president who inspired us to...
From Day to Day: One Man's Diary of Survival in Nazi Concentration Camps
Odd Nansen and Timothy J. Boyce
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In 1942 Norwegian Odd Nansen was arrested by the Nazis, and he spent the remainder of World War II...
Root For The Villian: Rap, Bull$hit ad a Celebration of Failure
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Yawn. Another book from another musician. Let's guess: He rose from the depths of hell with his...
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A warm, insightful look at the twelve phrases that strengthen and sustain our relationships, from...
women mind and body
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Sworn Virgin in Books
Sep 28, 2017
The first half of the book was great and got the reading going pretty quickly. It wasn’t until the last third of the novel where things bog down and I was afraid of this: the moment the ‘man of the her dreams’ came into the story. Then I was instantly reminded as to why I hated “Memoirs of a Geisha” so much and this mirrors it. Holy mother. The guy was the sun, moon and stars for Eleanora. I kind of get it after what happened to her dad but for crying out loud I was rooting for Eleanora for taking the vow and being strong. All it takes is an Adonis to break that all down. Eleanora then takes a complete 360 and becomes a mooncalf.
I lost admiration after her treatment of Meria. I get it. Meria shouldn’t have done that nonsense because she’s all obsessed with family honor and had Eleanora’s best interest even though it was far from beneficial. I thought her treatment was excessive to the point of abuse and cruelty and I felt like jumping in and giving Eleanora the beat down for her stupidities.
Then Eleanora’s mood swings go from pity party to guilt and goes back and forth for what seemed like the entire last third of the novel and it got tiresome to read. You know Eleanora, you could have solved all this if you JUST. TELL. HIM.
And when she does. Your patience is done with the book and depending how you found the book you either breathe a sigh in relief or roll your eyes because it took about 50 pages to get Eleanora to smarten up and the book would have ended sooner than later.
I liked the book at first, but it just didn’t hold it for me. The pity trips, and the self torment Eleanora goes through is just too much and made up a good half of the novel. I wish it could have been better because the historical aspect was excellent.



