Smashbomb

"I include this quirky novel in my list, because it is a satiric gem and one of the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Terry Southern was a comic genius (Dr. Strangelove, Candy) who has never quite been given his due. The argument of The Magic Christian is a simple one, namely: There is no limit to what you can make people do, if you give them enough money. Everyone has his price. In this slim volume, Southern illustrates this point in a story that becomes increasingly outrageous and culminates in one of the most absurdly comic scenes in the American literary canon."

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Kudos

The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I in Books

Oct 5, 2020

In the summer of 1914, when England went to war with Germany, both the solders and the loved ones they left behind, were certain it would end quickly - by Christmas. Unfortunately, it took over four years for peace to come, and the only small respite both those at home and those away had, were letters to and from their loved ones. In this novel, Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor bring us a story of just such correspondence. Read more about this lovely book in my review here.
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/09/22/matching-wartime-messages/

Kudos

The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated See What I Have Done in Books

Oct 6, 2020

See What I Have Done

Sarah Schmidt | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

6.6

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

The infamous Lizzie Borden was the woman the public (but not a jury) believed murdered her father and stepmother with an axe. Since the science of forensics at the time was primitive at best, they found neither proof of Lizzie's guilt or any other suspects. That means we will never know the whole truth. Sarah Schmidt has her own ideas about Lizzie Borden, her family and the murders, all of which she put into her debut novel "See What I Have Done." Read my review of this fascinating book here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/06/10/the-clock-on-the-mantle-ticked-ticked/

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Dunwich Horror in Books

Dec 16, 2020

208
Kindle
The Dunwitch horror
By H. P. Lovecraft

Review will be completed on Smashbomb once read and link place in comments.

A mysterious bandaged stranger in an English village turns out to be a mad scientist, who has discovered how to turn himself invisible and plans to tak over the world.

This one bored me a little I know and yes I said it bored me!! Although I still find it fascinating how Lovecraft makes you think you have read a full length novel in just 7 chapters! I’m gradually starting to understand more and more of his work!

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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pet Sematary (1989) in Movies

Jun 27, 2019

Sometimes dead is better

Contains spoilers, click to show

Pet sematary- is a good adaption of the novel by stephen king.

Doctor Louis Creed moves his family to Maine, where he meets a friendly local named Jud Crandall. After the Creeds' cat is accidentally killed, Crandall advises Louis to bury it in the ground near the old pet cemetery. The cat returns to life, its personality changed for the worse. When Louis' son, Gage, dies tragically, Louis decides to bury the boy's body in the same ground despite the warnings of Crandall and Louis' visions of a deceased patient.

Its haunted, terrorfying, scary and overall good.

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Terri Wiltshire (21 KP) rated Brave New World in Books

Sep 1, 2019

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley | 1932 | Fiction & Poetry

7.7

(44 Ratings)

Book Rating

Well developed flawed protagonists who really come alive. (3 more)

Scarily believable future scape.

Feels like a warning without being preachy

Fantastically poignant ending

It ended (0 more)

Ahead of his time. A must for sci fi fans

If you like science fiction read this. This is part of our history, part of the beginning. So much other great literature sprang from and was inspired by this novel.
Detailed believable culture and characters that despite living in the dystopian world created by Huxley are relatable and real. Flawed humans trying to find meaning to their existence.
No spoilers...just read it.

Kudos

Terri Wiltshire (21 KP) rated The Ninth Life of Louis Drax in Books

Sep 1, 2019

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax

Liz Jensen | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Poignant and heart breaking reveals about flawed and disturbed characters (0 more)

Mind warping and brilliantly twisted

Given that the main character in this novel is a boy in a coma it is surprisingly fast paced. The characters are complex and the mystery around Louis condition deepens as each page us turned.
Liz Jensen really explores the limits life, family and indeed our own thoughts put on us and our families, explores the human capacity for warmth and destruction whole painting a very clear grey picture - not everything is good or bad, life is often somewhere in between.

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AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated The Sinner (Rizzoli & Isles, #3) in Books

Sep 2, 2019

Gripping Story (0 more)

If you read this one in the series first it can be confusing (0 more)

Rizzoli & Isles are Back

A murder investigation based on the the death of a nun, and one in a critical condition, inside the walls of their convent. The nuns were brutally and savagely attacked, and Rizzoli & Isles were called to the scene to figure things out.
In this well written novel you can expect some twists and turns, some surprising moments and an in depth view behind the facades of these two strong females.
The third in the series did not disappoint.