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Kinsey and Me: Stories
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My name is Kinsey Millhone. I'm a private investigator, licensed, bonded, insured; white, female,...
Merissa (12660 KP) rated Meet Me at the Top in Books
Jul 27, 2022 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)
A short but oh-so-sweet story.
MEET ME AT THE TOP is a short but oh-so-sweet story about two people who meet by accident and yet make an impact on each others' lives.
Alice is having a dream trip to the city where her favourite film was made. She meets Sam when she goes to a bar to see if she can sit in the same seat. I would say the attraction is immediate, but neither of them acts upon it. After all, that would be a little weird! Instead, they chat and then bump into each other again later on. This leads to a dinner invitation that Alice has the choice to accept or not, completely on her terms.
I really enjoyed this story but I. NEED. MORE!!!! This is the reason novellas aren't my favourite. This only gave me a snippet and left me with so many questions I need answers to. I loved how Sam and Alice were together, how they admitted to their attraction whilst acknowledging the difficulties they faced. It was a bittersweet ending for me, only because I. NEED. MORE!!!! I need my HEA for both of them; they deserve it and so much more. Please, Ms Pratt, tell me they're happy and together! I'm begging you.
A wonderfully warm tip-of-the-hat to Nora Ephron, written in S.H. Pratt's heart-warming and succinct style. A great novella that I have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 22, 2022
Alice is having a dream trip to the city where her favourite film was made. She meets Sam when she goes to a bar to see if she can sit in the same seat. I would say the attraction is immediate, but neither of them acts upon it. After all, that would be a little weird! Instead, they chat and then bump into each other again later on. This leads to a dinner invitation that Alice has the choice to accept or not, completely on her terms.
I really enjoyed this story but I. NEED. MORE!!!! This is the reason novellas aren't my favourite. This only gave me a snippet and left me with so many questions I need answers to. I loved how Sam and Alice were together, how they admitted to their attraction whilst acknowledging the difficulties they faced. It was a bittersweet ending for me, only because I. NEED. MORE!!!! I need my HEA for both of them; they deserve it and so much more. Please, Ms Pratt, tell me they're happy and together! I'm begging you.
A wonderfully warm tip-of-the-hat to Nora Ephron, written in S.H. Pratt's heart-warming and succinct style. A great novella that I have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 22, 2022
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Assassin's Creed: Revelations in Books
May 15, 2017
No Den Defence to play (2 more)
A brilliant send off to Ezio
Combining Revelations with the Embers short film
The final journey of Ezio Auditore
Ezio Auditore is now old and frail in this final chapter of his life. Though he can still move and fight like an assassin, better than any civilized man, he is old and growing frail with each passing day.
Following the story of the third and final game in the Ezio story line, as seen in the Ezio Collection video game, and combining it with his final moments told in the 'Assassin's Creed: Embers' short film with more detail, as books do best.
The Revelations Novels offers us insight into the mind of an aging Ezio, as he journeys to Constantinople where the Templar Order are threatening to destabilize the Ottoman Empire. Ezio meets new friends even after all these years, such as Yusuf. Ezio also discovers more about his ancestor Altaïr and the mystery behind what lies in Altaïr's tomb beneath Masyaf.
His journey began as a pilgrimage, but quickly turns into a battle with the Templar's once more. With help from his new friends, and allies, Ezio must help stop the rising Templar army in order to find the missing keys to the Masyaf tomb. Through letters to his sister Claudia, and through the same format as the previous two Ezio novels, we read about Ezio as though we were watching him in the animus, but unable to control what happens, unlike the video game.
As mentioned in my previous review, I'm not sure how many times I can praise Bowden for his work on this series. All I can say is that he does not fail to entertain and reveal a new experience to the world of Assassin's Creed. If you have read my previous reviews then you know how much I praise this man for his work on the series of Novels he has written for the fans. Each one delivers a new thrilling experience and each one stays true to the events of the video game as much as possible. Of course each person who plays the video game plays differently. These novels give more of a sense of what the Assassin's themselves would have truly done in the events that unfold.
Following the story of the third and final game in the Ezio story line, as seen in the Ezio Collection video game, and combining it with his final moments told in the 'Assassin's Creed: Embers' short film with more detail, as books do best.
The Revelations Novels offers us insight into the mind of an aging Ezio, as he journeys to Constantinople where the Templar Order are threatening to destabilize the Ottoman Empire. Ezio meets new friends even after all these years, such as Yusuf. Ezio also discovers more about his ancestor Altaïr and the mystery behind what lies in Altaïr's tomb beneath Masyaf.
His journey began as a pilgrimage, but quickly turns into a battle with the Templar's once more. With help from his new friends, and allies, Ezio must help stop the rising Templar army in order to find the missing keys to the Masyaf tomb. Through letters to his sister Claudia, and through the same format as the previous two Ezio novels, we read about Ezio as though we were watching him in the animus, but unable to control what happens, unlike the video game.
As mentioned in my previous review, I'm not sure how many times I can praise Bowden for his work on this series. All I can say is that he does not fail to entertain and reveal a new experience to the world of Assassin's Creed. If you have read my previous reviews then you know how much I praise this man for his work on the series of Novels he has written for the fans. Each one delivers a new thrilling experience and each one stays true to the events of the video game as much as possible. Of course each person who plays the video game plays differently. These novels give more of a sense of what the Assassin's themselves would have truly done in the events that unfold.
Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated Lovecraft's Monsters in Books
Dec 19, 2017
I received an ARC copy of this anthology in exchange for my honest opinion, and regrettably, I wasn't overly impressed with it. I made notes as I read, and those notes are what I will be posting here now:
Well, I'm about to start the third story, but I thought I'd keep a running commentary on each story so that when it came time to review it, I wouldn't forget how I felt about each individual one.
"Only the End of the World Again" by Neil Gaiman was good. Probably 4 stars. It wasn't the typical greatness that I USUALLY associate with Gaiman, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read. I read it aloud to my eight year old son (editing out the few naughty words, of course) and even he really loved it. There were a few places where he didn't understand what was going on, but overall, he thought it was a great story.
"Bulldozer" by Laird Barron was terrible. I couldn't make it through the story. The writing style was AWFUL. I know that it was supposed to be written -- in parts -- in a stream of consciousness style, but it was awful. I stopped about halfway through and just said screw it. I wouldn't even give this story a star at all.
Finished "Red Goat Black Goat" by Nadia Bulkin. While it had some nice creepy vibes, it was, overall, a 2 star story. I realize, as a short story, it is limited by length and time constraints, but the story just starts in the middle of a world about which the reader has no idea whatsoever. It's not what I would call a good story, although, as I said, there were a couple of moments when I had to look up from my completely dark bedroom and make sure I didn't hear bumps in the night, so it gets one extra star for that.
"The Same Deep Waters As You" was actually fantastic. It's been the best story in the anthology so far. I know, I know... me saying something is better than a Gaiman story is almost unheard of, but this story by Hodge was truly good from beginning to end. It was completely unique, and even though it was a short story, it was completely self-contained. It didn't leave me wondering what happened before the story started to get us to this place, and it ended perfectly, not in a 'to be continued' style. Also, just wow. The ending was a killer. I did NOT see it coming AT ALL. Five stars.
"A Quarter to Three" gets 2.5 stars simply because of Newman's writing style. She is very articulate, and I loved the tone of this story. The content of the story, however, wasn't that great. However, I feel compelled to give it an extra half a star -- bumping it up to 3 stars -- for this one, perfect line:
"It was easy to see what she had seen in him; it left a thin damp trail between his scuffed footprints." Ha. Loved it
"The Dappled Things" was a total bust. 1 star, and that is being generous. So boring I nearly fell asleep twice trying to get through the first two pages. Not worth the time it took to read it.
"Inelastic Collisions" was decent. I have nothing really bad to say about it, but I have nothing super great to say about it either. Three stars.
"Remnants" deserves about 3.5 stars. It's pretty decent. I like the story and the way the plot developed. However, I dislike how abruptly it ended. If the ending had been a little more well-rounded, it could have easily been a 4.5 star story.
"Love is Forbidden We Croak and Howl" -- eh. Two stars. Didn't really hold my interest that much. I kept drifting off...
"The Sect of the Idiot" was a solid three stars. Overall the story wasn't super, but I really, really, REALLY did love the detail paid to the dream sequence. It was beautiful and creepy and dark. Lovely bit of storytelling, that was.
"Jar of Salts" is easily 4.5 stars. Short little Lovecraftian poem, but such a pleasure to read.
Well, I'm finally finished with Lovecraft's Monsters, but honestly, after the last update I made, none of the other stories were really worth reading. I was, overall, a bit disappointed with the book. :-/
Well, I'm about to start the third story, but I thought I'd keep a running commentary on each story so that when it came time to review it, I wouldn't forget how I felt about each individual one.
"Only the End of the World Again" by Neil Gaiman was good. Probably 4 stars. It wasn't the typical greatness that I USUALLY associate with Gaiman, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read. I read it aloud to my eight year old son (editing out the few naughty words, of course) and even he really loved it. There were a few places where he didn't understand what was going on, but overall, he thought it was a great story.
"Bulldozer" by Laird Barron was terrible. I couldn't make it through the story. The writing style was AWFUL. I know that it was supposed to be written -- in parts -- in a stream of consciousness style, but it was awful. I stopped about halfway through and just said screw it. I wouldn't even give this story a star at all.
Finished "Red Goat Black Goat" by Nadia Bulkin. While it had some nice creepy vibes, it was, overall, a 2 star story. I realize, as a short story, it is limited by length and time constraints, but the story just starts in the middle of a world about which the reader has no idea whatsoever. It's not what I would call a good story, although, as I said, there were a couple of moments when I had to look up from my completely dark bedroom and make sure I didn't hear bumps in the night, so it gets one extra star for that.
"The Same Deep Waters As You" was actually fantastic. It's been the best story in the anthology so far. I know, I know... me saying something is better than a Gaiman story is almost unheard of, but this story by Hodge was truly good from beginning to end. It was completely unique, and even though it was a short story, it was completely self-contained. It didn't leave me wondering what happened before the story started to get us to this place, and it ended perfectly, not in a 'to be continued' style. Also, just wow. The ending was a killer. I did NOT see it coming AT ALL. Five stars.
"A Quarter to Three" gets 2.5 stars simply because of Newman's writing style. She is very articulate, and I loved the tone of this story. The content of the story, however, wasn't that great. However, I feel compelled to give it an extra half a star -- bumping it up to 3 stars -- for this one, perfect line:
"It was easy to see what she had seen in him; it left a thin damp trail between his scuffed footprints." Ha. Loved it
"The Dappled Things" was a total bust. 1 star, and that is being generous. So boring I nearly fell asleep twice trying to get through the first two pages. Not worth the time it took to read it.
"Inelastic Collisions" was decent. I have nothing really bad to say about it, but I have nothing super great to say about it either. Three stars.
"Remnants" deserves about 3.5 stars. It's pretty decent. I like the story and the way the plot developed. However, I dislike how abruptly it ended. If the ending had been a little more well-rounded, it could have easily been a 4.5 star story.
"Love is Forbidden We Croak and Howl" -- eh. Two stars. Didn't really hold my interest that much. I kept drifting off...
"The Sect of the Idiot" was a solid three stars. Overall the story wasn't super, but I really, really, REALLY did love the detail paid to the dream sequence. It was beautiful and creepy and dark. Lovely bit of storytelling, that was.
"Jar of Salts" is easily 4.5 stars. Short little Lovecraftian poem, but such a pleasure to read.
Well, I'm finally finished with Lovecraft's Monsters, but honestly, after the last update I made, none of the other stories were really worth reading. I was, overall, a bit disappointed with the book. :-/
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The cover and summary were misleading for this book. I expected stories that were related to different interesting meetings and occurrences, screwy relationships, typical teen drama.
Instead I got a very strange and rather awkward mix of sex-addicts, homosexuals, transgender, and native Americans.
I'm not saying I don't like those stories, I'm just saying I wasn't expecting it.
The above reasons are not why I didn't like the stories: those are just facts about the characters. The stories themselves just didn't seem to connect to me, I couldn't relate to any of them. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weird girls with a completely functional romantic relationship, but a lot of the content in this book was just like "uh… why are they acting like that?"
Anyway, it felt awkward. that's the only word I can use to describe it. Some of them were good, some of them sucked. Most of the writing was mediocre.
I guess all I can say is… this is probably the worst short story collection I've ever read. Sorry, I wanted to like it… It was just awkward.
*This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Amazon Vine*
Instead I got a very strange and rather awkward mix of sex-addicts, homosexuals, transgender, and native Americans.
I'm not saying I don't like those stories, I'm just saying I wasn't expecting it.
The above reasons are not why I didn't like the stories: those are just facts about the characters. The stories themselves just didn't seem to connect to me, I couldn't relate to any of them. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weird girls with a completely functional romantic relationship, but a lot of the content in this book was just like "uh… why are they acting like that?"
Anyway, it felt awkward. that's the only word I can use to describe it. Some of them were good, some of them sucked. Most of the writing was mediocre.
I guess all I can say is… this is probably the worst short story collection I've ever read. Sorry, I wanted to like it… It was just awkward.
*This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Amazon Vine*
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Talk Show in Books
May 10, 2018
After reading this book for a week and only making it to 25% of the way through, I have decided to give it a rest for now. Reasons I could not finish this book:
1. The Language--While I am not offended by foul language, dropping the 'F' bomb 10+ times in the first 2% of the book is a bit extreme. I did a search for the word on the Kindle and found out it appears over 100 times throughout.
2. The story is moving way too slowly for me. At 12% there is a shooting and at this point I still don't know what happened to the victims. But, we've met a few strippers and a transgender priest who also babysits, and a crazy copy named Germany(at least I think he's a cop, I was quite confused when he entered the story).
3. Finally, it's not holding my interest. Every time I start reading, I start to fall asleep.
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was excited about it, but it fell short of my expectations.
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**
1. The Language--While I am not offended by foul language, dropping the 'F' bomb 10+ times in the first 2% of the book is a bit extreme. I did a search for the word on the Kindle and found out it appears over 100 times throughout.
2. The story is moving way too slowly for me. At 12% there is a shooting and at this point I still don't know what happened to the victims. But, we've met a few strippers and a transgender priest who also babysits, and a crazy copy named Germany(at least I think he's a cop, I was quite confused when he entered the story).
3. Finally, it's not holding my interest. Every time I start reading, I start to fall asleep.
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was excited about it, but it fell short of my expectations.
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Maya's Notebook in Books
May 10, 2018
Maya Vidal may only be 20 years old, but she has been through a lot in that short time. Sent to live in a remote village in Chile after battling great challenges in her life, Maya uses her notebook to write about and learn from those challenges. The mistakes from her past will help her to hopefully lead a more productive and promising future.
Told from Maya's point of view, we are transported all over the world. Most of the book takes place in Chiloe, Chile, but you will also spend time in Berkeley, California, in Oregon, in Las Vegas and other countries throughout the world. Taken back and forth in time from Maya's present to the events of her past that brought her to Chile in the first place. This book is full of strong family ties that help Maya to keep her head on somewhat straight.
Overall this was a great story, but it took way too long to read. Full of great details it makes you feel as though you are in the setting of the book.
Favorite quote from the book: "...there's no fuel for the bonfires of despair."
Told from Maya's point of view, we are transported all over the world. Most of the book takes place in Chiloe, Chile, but you will also spend time in Berkeley, California, in Oregon, in Las Vegas and other countries throughout the world. Taken back and forth in time from Maya's present to the events of her past that brought her to Chile in the first place. This book is full of strong family ties that help Maya to keep her head on somewhat straight.
Overall this was a great story, but it took way too long to read. Full of great details it makes you feel as though you are in the setting of the book.
Favorite quote from the book: "...there's no fuel for the bonfires of despair."
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Feb 6, 2019
Intelligent writing (2 more)
Realistic mental health issues
Fandom representation and fanfiction
Wow. Just wow.
The synopsis for this book was very short, precisely 9 lines. The synopsis made me expect to read a book much like paper towns where they go on an adventure, detective style and find the missing person. However, this book was something so much more than that. The main concept of the book I felt was actually about the mental health of the main character Aza. Aza has severe intrusive thoughts that take control of her life. Near to the end of the book a sudden and dramatic incident occurs and you're left unknowing what the outcome will be. Although I wish it never ended, John Green ends the book perfectly.
When a book has help line contact details in the authors notes, you know it's going to be a serious book.
It took me less than 24hours to finish this book, I physically couldn't put it down. John notes in the AN that it took 6 years to finish the book, I can completely understand why. Just wow
When a book has help line contact details in the authors notes, you know it's going to be a serious book.
It took me less than 24hours to finish this book, I physically couldn't put it down. John notes in the AN that it took 6 years to finish the book, I can completely understand why. Just wow
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated The Gunslinger in Books
Apr 21, 2019
I first read The Gunslinger when I was in high school and at the height of my Stephen King obsession. Going in and didn't really know what to expect from the story since I didn't really look too much into the series when I first picked it up which I'm pretty glad I didn't because I have never been much of a western fan so I'm not sure if I really would have have this a fair shot.
The Gunslinger honestly can be on the slow side even for such a short book but King does an amazing job of really showing you the world ge is building while still leaving a lot open for the series to build around. After reading this for the first and second time in still not sure how I feel about Rowland aka The Gunslinger I do grow to really love the character in the next book but as an introduction my feelings are never really solid. The character that really peaks my interest is The Man In Black through out the book I just can't wait to find out more about him and why Rowland is chasing him.
The Gunslinger honestly can be on the slow side even for such a short book but King does an amazing job of really showing you the world ge is building while still leaving a lot open for the series to build around. After reading this for the first and second time in still not sure how I feel about Rowland aka The Gunslinger I do grow to really love the character in the next book but as an introduction my feelings are never really solid. The character that really peaks my interest is The Man In Black through out the book I just can't wait to find out more about him and why Rowland is chasing him.
Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated The Reaper and the Cop (Liberty Oakwood, #1) in Books
Jan 29, 2018
Just for reference - I will not be giving anything away in my review. Don;t wanna spoil it for all you potential readers. What I will say is: Wow.
As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.
Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.
Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.
Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.
Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3
As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.
Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.
Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.
Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.
Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3