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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Perfect Mother in Books
Apr 3, 2019
The May Mothers is a group of first time mothers in New York City who all have babies coming in May. Winnie, Francie, Nell, Collette, and Token seem to have the closest relationships in the group. The ladies meet before the babies are born and then a couple of months after the babies are born, they decide it's a good time for them to have a night out to enjoy themselves. Nell arranges for them to all meet at a bar called The Jolly Llama. While there, Winnie's son, Midas goes missing. All of the women are determined to find out what happened. But in their investigations, they find out more about each other than they ever could have imagined.
I really enjoyed this book. Normally, I listen to audio books on they way back and forth to work or when I'm in the car, but I found myself listening to this book as often as I could, so I could find out what happened to Baby Midas. The author has you fooled for a while thinking one person is responsible for this heinous crime, but then the twist comes along and **BOOM** mind blown. I didn't see it coming.
The funny part was when the twist did come, I was walking around the grocery store and I said a little loudly, "What the F***!" That got a few people to look in my direction. I was never a part of a mommy group, so I couldn't quite relate to that part of the story. But being concerned about the welfare of your child is something every mother can relate too. There were parts when I was sure I knew how this story was going to end. But I was quite shocked. Another great un-put-downable.
This is the first book I've read by Aimee Molloy, but I look forward to reading more. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend that you do.
I really enjoyed this book. Normally, I listen to audio books on they way back and forth to work or when I'm in the car, but I found myself listening to this book as often as I could, so I could find out what happened to Baby Midas. The author has you fooled for a while thinking one person is responsible for this heinous crime, but then the twist comes along and **BOOM** mind blown. I didn't see it coming.
The funny part was when the twist did come, I was walking around the grocery store and I said a little loudly, "What the F***!" That got a few people to look in my direction. I was never a part of a mommy group, so I couldn't quite relate to that part of the story. But being concerned about the welfare of your child is something every mother can relate too. There were parts when I was sure I knew how this story was going to end. But I was quite shocked. Another great un-put-downable.
This is the first book I've read by Aimee Molloy, but I look forward to reading more. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend that you do.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Gray Mountain in Books
Feb 13, 2018
It's a little unfair to John Grisham, but I probably would have rated this book 4 stars if he didn't write it. It was a pretty good book, but I kept waiting for the typical Grisham-flair to pop up - a huge courtroom battle, an epic good versus evil duel, etc.
Instead, the battle and storyline I would have really wanted to read about goes on in the background as a secondary storyline. The main plot follows Samantha Kofer, a young law associate at a powerful firm in New York City. However, when the recession hits in '08, Samantha finds herself furloughed and in order to keep her health insurance, and to potentially get her old job back, must intern at a rural legal aid clinic in Brady, Virginia.
There Samantha meets a cast of characters, including Mattie, who runs the clinic; her nephew, Donovan, also a lawyer; Donovan's shady brother, Jeff; and a host of other rural townsfolk. She also gets her first taste of real law. We, the reader, learn about the atrocities of Big Coal and strip mining, including Black Lung Disease, which the book goes into in great detail (and which personally, makes me want to become a lawyer or social worker, as it's all awful).
It's interesting to have Grisham write in the voice of a young female. It takes me back to Darby Shaw (of "The Pelican Brief" - one of my all-time favorite Grisham novels), though Samantha is *no* Darby Shaw, by any stretch of the imagination. She's a bit spineless, though, really, she's not given much story to work with. The first 3/4 of the book I mostly enjoyed and then the last 1/4 just sort of tapers off. It almost seems as if a sequel is in order, but who knows.
Again, I think I might have liked Samantha and her story a bit more if it wasn't Grisham, as I might have expected a bit less. It's a good read, but leaves you wanting more.
Instead, the battle and storyline I would have really wanted to read about goes on in the background as a secondary storyline. The main plot follows Samantha Kofer, a young law associate at a powerful firm in New York City. However, when the recession hits in '08, Samantha finds herself furloughed and in order to keep her health insurance, and to potentially get her old job back, must intern at a rural legal aid clinic in Brady, Virginia.
There Samantha meets a cast of characters, including Mattie, who runs the clinic; her nephew, Donovan, also a lawyer; Donovan's shady brother, Jeff; and a host of other rural townsfolk. She also gets her first taste of real law. We, the reader, learn about the atrocities of Big Coal and strip mining, including Black Lung Disease, which the book goes into in great detail (and which personally, makes me want to become a lawyer or social worker, as it's all awful).
It's interesting to have Grisham write in the voice of a young female. It takes me back to Darby Shaw (of "The Pelican Brief" - one of my all-time favorite Grisham novels), though Samantha is *no* Darby Shaw, by any stretch of the imagination. She's a bit spineless, though, really, she's not given much story to work with. The first 3/4 of the book I mostly enjoyed and then the last 1/4 just sort of tapers off. It almost seems as if a sequel is in order, but who knows.
Again, I think I might have liked Samantha and her story a bit more if it wasn't Grisham, as I might have expected a bit less. It's a good read, but leaves you wanting more.
TacoDave (3808 KP) rated The Good Liar (2019) in Movies
Nov 12, 2019
Acting (2 more)
Actors
Story
Unexpected violence (2 more)
Unexpected adult themes
One random scene of nudity for no reason
A Good-ish Thriller
I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of "The Good Liar" on November 6 in New York City. (I won a sweepstakes to attend.) I was already interested in seeing the movie, but getting to watch it in a theater full of the people who made the movie was thrilling.
"The Good Liar" is the story of two people in their 70's who meet on a dating app. The man, played by Sir Ian McKellen, is clearly a con man. We get to see him interact with the woman - a fantastic Dame Helen Mirren - with a certain old man, kind hound-dog attitude, then immediately leave the room and work on a scam to steal thousands of pounds from unlucky rubes.
It seems, at face value, that he is indeed a good liar. But things are not always clear cut in a game of shells, and although we don't know what Helen Mirren's character is doing, it starts to become clear that she hasn't been completely honest about herself...
I won't spoil anything else in the plot: this is the kind of movie that unravels slowly as it builds with twists and turns. You should go into it with no more knowledge than what I've posted above.
If that was it - if the whole movie was a fun cat-and-mouse game between two phenomenal actors - I would have given it a higher score. But the movie also has a dark underbelly that surprised me and turned me off a bit. There is one gratuitous shot of nudity at the beginning of the film that makes little narrative sense and feels shoehorned in. There are a few moments of unexpected, brutal violence. And the reveal at the end relates to adult themes that left me feeling unsettled when the movie ended.
In short, I liked the movie quite a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it to my mom.
"The Good Liar" is the story of two people in their 70's who meet on a dating app. The man, played by Sir Ian McKellen, is clearly a con man. We get to see him interact with the woman - a fantastic Dame Helen Mirren - with a certain old man, kind hound-dog attitude, then immediately leave the room and work on a scam to steal thousands of pounds from unlucky rubes.
It seems, at face value, that he is indeed a good liar. But things are not always clear cut in a game of shells, and although we don't know what Helen Mirren's character is doing, it starts to become clear that she hasn't been completely honest about herself...
I won't spoil anything else in the plot: this is the kind of movie that unravels slowly as it builds with twists and turns. You should go into it with no more knowledge than what I've posted above.
If that was it - if the whole movie was a fun cat-and-mouse game between two phenomenal actors - I would have given it a higher score. But the movie also has a dark underbelly that surprised me and turned me off a bit. There is one gratuitous shot of nudity at the beginning of the film that makes little narrative sense and feels shoehorned in. There are a few moments of unexpected, brutal violence. And the reveal at the end relates to adult themes that left me feeling unsettled when the movie ended.
In short, I liked the movie quite a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it to my mom.
A Grid and a Conversation: Morris Adjmi Architects
Morris Adjmi, Diane Ghirardo, Jimmy Stamp and Bill Higgins
Book
A Grid and a Conversation presents a survey of work by the New York City-based firm Morris Adjmi...
All Our Waves are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride
Book
In this meditative memoir-a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas...
Now and at the Hour of Our Death
Susana Moreira Marques and Julia Sanches
Book
"This book is fearless and luminous and full of grace; it travels to the edge of death and finds...
Gordon Gano recommended track Sweet Jane by Lou Reed in Live in Italy by Lou Reed in Music (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated More Than Words in Books
Apr 22, 2021
This is the thirteenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Nina Gregory has always been a loyal daughter. After her mother's death, she was raised by her father, the owner of the Gregory Hotels, a renowned chain in New York City. She knows she will take over the family business someday. And her father has always taught her that family (and reputation) come before everything. But when Nina's father dies, she finds herself adrift. Not even her boyfriend, Tim, whom she's been raised with since childhood (his parents work with her father) can provide comfort. When Nina finds out something about her father that causes her to question everything, she finds herself turning to her boss, mayoral candidate Rafael. Nina's always been cautious and proper. But now, she's not so sure what to believe.
"Not only was she going to lose her father, she was going to lose the life she'd imagined for herself. The future she'd expected would be hers."
This was a good read about love, loss, and politics. I think parts of it might have annoyed me more, but I read it at a good time. Nina honestly came across as self-centered at moments, but she was certainly going through a lot, trying to find herself in the wake of her father's death. With her family legacy, she was under a lot of pressure. The book did a good job of capturing grief and loss. I also really liked Rafael--he was a character I could root for. The story seemed to meander a little and could be heartbreaking, but it was a book centered around death, after all.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It's sad, but hopeful too. A good read if you go in with the right mindset. 3.5 stars.
Nina Gregory has always been a loyal daughter. After her mother's death, she was raised by her father, the owner of the Gregory Hotels, a renowned chain in New York City. She knows she will take over the family business someday. And her father has always taught her that family (and reputation) come before everything. But when Nina's father dies, she finds herself adrift. Not even her boyfriend, Tim, whom she's been raised with since childhood (his parents work with her father) can provide comfort. When Nina finds out something about her father that causes her to question everything, she finds herself turning to her boss, mayoral candidate Rafael. Nina's always been cautious and proper. But now, she's not so sure what to believe.
"Not only was she going to lose her father, she was going to lose the life she'd imagined for herself. The future she'd expected would be hers."
This was a good read about love, loss, and politics. I think parts of it might have annoyed me more, but I read it at a good time. Nina honestly came across as self-centered at moments, but she was certainly going through a lot, trying to find herself in the wake of her father's death. With her family legacy, she was under a lot of pressure. The book did a good job of capturing grief and loss. I also really liked Rafael--he was a character I could root for. The story seemed to meander a little and could be heartbreaking, but it was a book centered around death, after all.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It's sad, but hopeful too. A good read if you go in with the right mindset. 3.5 stars.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Love, Hate, and Other Filters in Books
Apr 15, 2021
A lovely teen read that delves into deep topics
This is the twelfth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Maya Aziz feels like she lives two lives. In one, she's the dutiful daughter to her Indian Muslim parents: attending college near home, marrying a suitable Muslim boy, and becoming a lawyer. In the other, she goes to school in New York City to become a filmmaker and falls in love with whomever she wants--maybe even Phil, the boy she's loved forever. And in Maya's real world, horrible things happen, often hate crime motivated, that can turn her world upside down.
This is such a beautiful book, and I completely fell in love with Maya and her voice. As the child of the only Indian Muslim family in her small suburban Chicago town, she's always felt different. She dreams of making films, not conforming the way her parents desire. But she also wants to please them. And she's scared, as she deals with all the terrible bigotry and Islamophobia that her family faces.
Ahmed writes so lyrically, weaving her story about Maya finding her way in the world, while still painting a stark and timely picture of racism. It's a bit of a love story, yes, but also one of discovering yourself and finding strength in yourself and the people around you. Maya and Phil's relationship is sweet, and it's so easy to root for her on all levels.
I found this to be a profound read. In many ways, it's simply about a teenager trying to stand up for herself, but it also speaks deeply about Islamophobia. It's often sad, but it's quite hopeful too. I found myself tearing up a bit while reading. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 stars.
Maya Aziz feels like she lives two lives. In one, she's the dutiful daughter to her Indian Muslim parents: attending college near home, marrying a suitable Muslim boy, and becoming a lawyer. In the other, she goes to school in New York City to become a filmmaker and falls in love with whomever she wants--maybe even Phil, the boy she's loved forever. And in Maya's real world, horrible things happen, often hate crime motivated, that can turn her world upside down.
This is such a beautiful book, and I completely fell in love with Maya and her voice. As the child of the only Indian Muslim family in her small suburban Chicago town, she's always felt different. She dreams of making films, not conforming the way her parents desire. But she also wants to please them. And she's scared, as she deals with all the terrible bigotry and Islamophobia that her family faces.
Ahmed writes so lyrically, weaving her story about Maya finding her way in the world, while still painting a stark and timely picture of racism. It's a bit of a love story, yes, but also one of discovering yourself and finding strength in yourself and the people around you. Maya and Phil's relationship is sweet, and it's so easy to root for her on all levels.
I found this to be a profound read. In many ways, it's simply about a teenager trying to stand up for herself, but it also speaks deeply about Islamophobia. It's often sad, but it's quite hopeful too. I found myself tearing up a bit while reading. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 stars.
Nevertheless: A Memoir
Book
Drawing on his characteristic charisma, intelligence, and honesty, Alec Baldwin—one of the most...
Biography memoir entertainment