Search

Search only in certain items:

Me Before You
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.3 (59 Ratings)
Book Rating
Louisa Clark leads a calm and simple (perhaps even boring) life in her village. She has a job in a cafe, she lives with her parents, and she has a boyfriend, Patrick, who is predictable, even if she might not actually love him. But one day, Louisa's life is turned upside down when she arrives at work and finds out the cafe is closing. Forced into the world of unemployment, Lou eventually ends up as a caregiver for the Traynor family -- specifically Will, a quadriplegic, a once active and passionate man whose life was changed irrevocably by an accident. Confined to a wheelchair, unable to move most of his limbs, and in great pain many days, Will's life is nothing like it was before. However, when Lou arrives in his world, she brings a bit of joy and fun to his otherwise bland days. However, neither of them realize how much they will change and affect each others' lives.

This was an interesting book, for sure. I'd avoided it for a while, hearing how sad it was, and frankly, I have enough of that in my life. But it eventually came up in my library queue, and I decided to give it a shot, basically because I'd read Moye's "One Plus One" and really loved it. I will try not to reveal much of the plot, for those who may not have read anything about it. However, I'll say the book touches on timely topics such as assisted suicide. Should Will be confined to his chair for the rest of life, living half a life, much of it in pain? What role should his family play in his life, and in his decisions? And how much responsibility does he owe his family and those who care for him? All deep questions, for sure.

The book is enjoyable purely on the strength of Lou's character. Just like "One Plus One," Moyes has an uncanny ability to create a main character whom you start to inhabit, love, and root for - quirks, frustrations, and flaws included. Lou is real and you can't help but like her. It's a fast read, as well - I tore through it in less than two days. There's a sequel out now, and I'm a little sad that I just put it on hold at the library, and I'll have to wait a while to find out what happens - but perhaps that's for the best.

Anyway, I was definitely drawn in by Lou's voice. A lot of her character and situation hit home, in a weird sort of way - her being trapped in her life by fear and an inability to get out beyond the confines of the life she'd created for herself. Her relationship with Will is a fascinating one, for sure. The ending of the book is tough, and without spoiling anything, leaves you feeling a bit deflated. I felt a lot of complicated emotions about it all, which I suppose is the sign of a good book, but kept me from pushing it up to a full 4-star review. Still, a mesmerizing read.
  
40x40

Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Misery in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
Misery
Misery
Stephen King | 1987 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Thriller
10
8.7 (86 Ratings)
Book Rating
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/misery-by-stephen-king

<b><i>”Annie Annie oh Annie please please no please don’t Annie I swear to you I’ll be good I swear to God I’ll be good please give me a chance to be good OH ANNIE PLEASE LET ME BE GOOD -”
“Just a little pain. Then this nasty business will be behind us for good Paul.”</b></i>

Well hot fucking damn. Is this the best book I’ve read all year? <b>I think it might be.</b> I am officially a Stephen King fan. A “Stephen King convert” as my mother is calling me. Misery is a goddamn masterpiece. It’s <i>so</i> tense. I don’t know how anyone can write so well that I’m actually squirming. <b>LEGIT SQUIRMING AS I READ.</b>

Misery is about a bestselling author, Paul Sheldon, who, after celebrating his completion of his next (and best) book, drinks a little too much champagne and gets himself into a nasty car accident in the middle of nowhere. He wakes to find his legs shattered but splintered (splinted???) in a mysterious house. Luckily, or unluckily, he’s found himself saved and in the capable hands of his number one fan and ex-nurse, Annie Wilkes.

I put off reading Misery for, oh I don’t know, maybe 5 years? I watched the film, of course, because disliking a film can be down to a number of variables, the wrong director, actors you dislike, bad script etc, but not liking a book, <i>a Stephen King book</i>, is down to one and one thing only, the author. And I was <i>so</i> terrified I wouldn’t like Stephen King! Honestly, terrified is this right word for it. I didn’t want to turn around in a house, no, a society, that claims Stephen King is a modern day Charles Dickens, of sorts, and say “nah, not that into him myself”. But lo and behold, I ended up liking both the film and the book, thank Christ. The book more so than the film, but isn’t that usually the case? Although the actors for both Paul and Annie in the film version were <i>spot on.</i>

I don’t think I’ve ever been so vocal whilst reading a book. Misery had me yelping and oohing and arring and laughing and yucking all the way through. King’s writing is so vivid you <i>are</i> Paul Sheldon for the duration of the book. You’re Paul, rolling around in his wheelchair, holding your breath and crying and sweating, hoping that car you hear isn’t Annie’s. Hoping she’s holding those Godsent Novril tablets every few hours to subdue your pain. Wondering how the hell you’re ever going to be able to escape. You completely immerse yourself in the nail biting story, page by page. This is a perfect novel from start to finish, that’s all I have left to say.

If you’ve never read Stephen King before, start with Misery. <b>I double donkey dare you.</b>
  
NO
None of the Above
8
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Under different circumstances, I would totally recommend this to the school library, but due to the content and maturity, it probably wouldn't make it. It's the thought that counts, right?

Despite the fact <i>None of the Above</i> touches topics that are completely uncomfortable for me to read about, I really enjoyed Gregorio's debut novel (it was also used as an argument in one of my essays for Composition). I've never read a book with an intersex character before, so it was an absolute delight to read <i>None of the Above</i> and be a little more educated than I currently am with my high school years.

I, however, find it highly disturbing that no one even questions not ever having a period and accept that it's <i>completely</i> normal not getting it even once in eighteen years. (This is not a punctuation pun as everyone seems to think.) I mean, it makes sense, considering the fact Kristin's mom died when she was young and Kristin is an athlete – it's probably uncomfortable for the father to talk to a daughter about the birds and bees. (My mom never really gave me the birds and bees talk. I found out for myself, partially thanks to health class.) But <i>still</i>... her Aunt Carla knew and didn't question it ("Why, you're just a late bloomer! A really late bloomer, but a late one nonetheless!"), her best friends Vee and Faith don't question it.

It's not until Kristin experiences extreme pain during sexual intercourse (nononononooooo, it is not that whole first time pain business ya'll hear about, but to describe it would make me feel more awkward than I already am writing this paragraph) that she starts questioning if there's anything wrong with her, and decides to take a trip to the gynecologist to find out. Consider me very baffled.

The whole bullying part is a depressing thing to read about. I've experienced it, simply because I'm Asian. It's a very miserable life. I love how in the grand scheme of things, Kristin's father is extremely supportive and tolerant of Kristin's condition. Despite the fact he panicked when they initially found out that Kristin is intersex, he still does research to find out more about AIS and intersex in general, and he tries to find ways to make things as normal as possible for Kristin. He encourages Kristin to join an AIS support group where there are others in, or have been in, situations just like Kristin's. I also love how Darren, Jessica, and just a really small group of their friends just tuck Kristin under their wings and accept her for what she is instead of joining in the fray of bullying.

<i>None of the Above</i> is a book about what it means to find out you're not black or white, but what it means to be something in between. It's a thought-provoking and mind opening book written in a humorous yet heartbreaking way.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-none-of-the-above-by-iw-gregorio/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
The Hitman&#039;s Wife&#039;s Bodyguard (2021)
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
2021 | Action, Comedy, Crime
5
6.8 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Some great laugh out loud moments (0 more)
No tension in the thriller elements (1 more)
Some shoddy special effects.
A movie that’s a pain in the A-double-dollar sign.
Struck-off bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is plagued with nightmares about his failures, brought about by his nemesis Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) and his potty-mouthed wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). On doctor’s orders, he ‘retires’ from the business. But when Europe’s infrastructure is threatened by Greek megalomaniac Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas) he is rudely dragged away from his briefly peaceful life and pitched back into utter mayhem.

Positives:
- As a comedy thriller, it does pass the '6 laughs test' in terms of the 'comedy' element. Some of these are minor chuckles. A few are really good belly laughs.

- Among these are some of the outrageous tirades of Salma Hayek: her accent makes some of the dialogue unintelligible, but given its X-rated nature, that's not necessarily a bad thing! As a mid-50's actress (Oh God - - don't tell her I mentioned her age!), Ms Hayek indeed has an arrestingly attractive form.

- Seeing Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on the screen is never anything other than a positive. (Although Banderas is like Sean Connery in failing to tailor his natural accent to any role he's ever in!)

Negatives:
- A general problem I have with 'comedy thrillers' is that the comedy nearly always negates any of the thrills. Ryan Reynolds is not playing Deadpool in this one, although he might as well be doing so based on the number of times he is hit by cars and other solid objects. The result is that although it has the trappings of a Bond or a Bourne - exotic locations (here, mostly Italian ones) ; exotic woman; car chases; heavily-armed henchmen; huge explosions - it delivers none of the tension or excitement. When matched with some rather dodgy post-shoot special effects, the effect is generally underwhelming.

- If there was an award for the clumsiest movie title of 2021, we may already have a winner.

Summary Thoughts on "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": Sequels are very occasionally better. Often they are much worse. This one, I have to say, delivers very much "more of the same". Given that the writer/director team of Tom O'Connor and Patrick Hughes are in the driving seat, that's not much of a surprise. The shtick is mildly diverting, occasionally downright funny, but quickly outstays its welcome. The 100 minute run time felt, for me, much longer.

Looking back at my 2017 review of the first film, I think I was being over-kind giving it 6/10. I think this is neither better nor worse. So if you want to average the two and give each 5/10, I wouldn't object! But, again, it's one I will struggle to remember much about in a few month's time.

(For the full graphical review, please check out the One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/06/22/the-hitmans-wifes-bodyguard-a-movie-thats-a-pain-in-the-a-double-dollar-sign/. Thanks).
  
    Stock+Option

    Stock+Option

    Finance and Business

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    All-in-One stock market station plus advanced options analysis & research and buy sell money flow....

40x40

Merissa (12897 KP) rated Surfacing in Books

Nov 28, 2017  
Surfacing
Surfacing
Daniel Stephens | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Surfacing by Daniel Stephens
Surfacing is the engrossing story of a young man, hurt beyond belief and grieving, lost to his world but desperately trying to reconnect. Everywhere he turns, he drowns in memories of the life and loves that have been taken from him. So he returns to his roots, to the cabin where he spent the summers with his grandparents, hoping to find some solace. What he finds is a family - a group of people where many of them remember him from his youth. Where he can find out just who he is, and learn to deal with the grief, and maybe even move forwards and find love again.

The descriptions in this book are second to none - whether it is the characters, the wolf, or even the cabin. They will pull you in and keep you reading. It is a story of pain, of loss, of heartbreak. And yet there is also the glimmer of hope, of the future, if only you feed the right wolf! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. Whilst this book is also about love, the only thing that is 'shown' is kissing - the rest is fade to black.

This is a poignant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend to all.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
40x40

Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated Insomnia in Books

Feb 7, 2019  
Insomnia
Insomnia
Stephen King | 2011 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.7 (25 Ratings)
Book Rating
Likable characters (1 more)
Portrays actual life fears
Lengthy read (0 more)
I found this book was an amazingly in-depth read and so minutely detailed; I could see and feel everything that was happening at any given point in the story.
I really connected with the main characters, especially Ralph Roberts, and felt quite a bond towards them, although it did take a little longer to warm to Lois.
There were times I laughed out loud, felt a little scared, could feel the joy of the characters and (trying not to give anything away) felt their pain when close people passed away and the sheer terror or trauma felt at these losses.
I did take a long time to read this book but that was mainly down to my personal circumstances and some deep things I was going through at the time.
Some parts were complete non-sensical but still, I could see in a vivid plethora of colours exactly what was happening. I have to say I was going at the pace of understanding of the characters too - when they were confused and weren't sure what was next, I also felt the same. I have to say the ending and climatic moments weren't as I expected. I'm not even sure what I expected, if anything! But I wasn't able to second guess the main scenarios and felt compelled to continue reading to the end. Between reading sessions, I was literally itching to want to continue!
I would highly recommend this as an intrinsically described, oftentimes sarcastic, but also very witty read.
  
Wow, another great book by Ms. Harrison! I loved <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Undead</i> and had a hard time putting it down. The only reason I'm not giving it a ten is for editing; there were mistakes using tenses (or it just could be possible missing letters) and a major forgotten character (not a major character, just part of this particular plot) that may be missing/dead/or who knows what. Also, since it has been awhile since I read <i>Dead Witch Walking</i>, I don't remember who Francis is and there's no mini-recap for him. Oh well, now I need to get the first book so I can re-read it! :)

As for the rest of the story, I really like Rachel, although I don't know about the direction the author is taking (or had taken) with Ivy; it just seems too much like the Anita Blake thing with what's-his-name, at least a tad bit. The way Nick was written in this book detracted from the little bit readers got out of the first book, and frankly, he could be a major pain-in-the-@$$! I'm a bit disappointed in how he's portrayed, but the other two males in this series are way more exciting and intriguing than he is. I'm sorry to say that, but it's the truth, and maybe Kim Harrison plans on phasing him out of future books. Luckily I have the next two books handy!
4.5 stars
  
TM
Trust Me: A Novel
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have you ever read a book that left you in a complete and utter mind frozen state? On that you just sit and stare into space, wondering how could an author be that brilliant? Yea, that's me after reading TRUST ME. I mean, my God. I hadn't even heard of this author before but I sure am adding her to my ever growing list of autobuy authors, for sure. 

Mercer's character was completely realistic. Her thoughts, pain of her own tragedy, confusion and passion to uncover the truth for her book about "Baby Boston", all became my own. I felt myself becoming her, wanting to write down my own thoughts on Ashlyn, the mother on trial and accused of murdering her own baby. I mean, seriously? I was like Ashlyn should have been named Casey Anthony. What mother could harm their precious child? Trust me (no pun intended!), when I tell you I wouldn't! 

Reading this novel left me feeling like I just got off the most intense, most twisted,  most emotional rollercoaster ride ever (and that is saying something because I've NEVER been on a coaster before!). I felt like I would just begin to piece it all together and Ryan, with masterful skill, would throw something else into the mix. Magnificent! This novel is my top read of 2019 so far. It's brilliantly chiseled into a 5 star read that I will not soon forget. Psychological mind blowing thrills at it's finest, that's a fact! 

*I purchased this for my own collection. All opinions, negative or positive, are my own.*