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The Year of No Rules
The Year of No Rules
Rose McClelland | 2020 | Contemporary, Humor & Comedy, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The blurb of this book, describes it quite accurately, however, there is way more to this book. It goes through all the parts of the relationship: love, separation, depression, acceptance and moving on.

The main characters of this book were Sasha and Kirk, later joined by Sam. The whole narrative was told only from Sasha’s perspective, so we have to believe of how Sasha portrayed them and don’t really have an insight into their personalities to judge them ourselves. Even though Sasha was the lead in this story, my favorite character in this book was Sam. I honestly liked him for his charisma, understanding nature, and all women should have a partner like him. Some of Sasha’s actions really annoyed me, it’s like watching a horror movie, where the actress is going to a dark cellar willingly when we know she is going to die. In these cases, I really want to shout to her “danger, don’t go!”/ “don’t be stupid, you are going to die!”, but the actress still does it and gets hurt in the end… Why Sasha? Why?

The whole book was divided into three parts: “The year with rules”; “After Kirk”; “The year of no rules”. In the first part, Sasha was sharing her life with Kirk. How their dates used to go, what Kirk did in the past, and how she loved to spoil him. In the second part, Sasha was telling how she was dealing (or not) with her life after Kirk walked off. She shared he sorrows, memories, and how Kirk was psychologically tormenting her even many months after their break up. (Sasha why did you allow it? WHY?) In the third part, Sasha started to gather her life again, by setting little goals to fight her major depression and finding a fantastic man.

The plot of this novel often jumped between past and present through Sasha’s memories about Kirk and their relationship. What I loved the most about this book, was the topics which McClelland discussed in this book: the danger of controlling partners; forgiving person even after grand betrayal; major depression and how people can fight it; how to deal with broken trust. I think this book can really help women who were/are in Sasha’s situation and need help, I think it could be a guide to taking those first steps to help yourself.

The writing style of this book was pleasant and really easy to read, with short chapters, which made it a great weekend read. It has a nice ending to the book, I would say realistic ending, not “happily ever after” one, which you can read in most fiction books. So, to conclude, even though there are many, many Sasha’s actions which made me question “Woman, why would you do this?”, I loved this book because it is funny, carries a strong message, and how relate-able it can be to some people. I do recommend it to all chick lit fans, and to all who are going through a nasty break up. Enjoy! :)

Was given this book by the author for honest review.
  
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Sweetpea in Books

Sep 24, 2020  
Sweetpea
Sweetpea
C.J. Skuse | 2017 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a first book I read, which is written by this author, and it is absolutely hilarious and fantastic. I absolutely loved it! Rhinannon is a psychopath, and this book is her diary, which is incredibly amusing. By day she acts as this loving, caring and sweet friend/ colleague/girlfriend, and by night, her only urge is to kill, and relieve her tension. She targets people with bad intentions, or who gave her hard time when she was little, but the urge to kill leaves her desperate for anyone, eventually.

The main character chosen for this book is incredibly funny and seriously disturbed. I really liked the way she expressed herself in this diary. We all sometimes want to kill some nasty people around us, of course just in our heads, but the character actually does it. Rhinannon is psychotic genius, I would say, she knows how to manipulate people to her advantage, knows how to lure them into her traps, like a clever spider. It’s just hard to explain her personality, it is so twisted and complex. In some places I was really grossed out by the fetishes of the main character, they are just nasty. All these details made this book so amazing.

The plot of this book happens in one of England’s small towns, and time frame of this diary is between New Year and first of June, so, six month. Most of the chapters used to start with character’s “kill list”, the people who annoyed her in one way or the other, and she would be more than happy to end their lives. The plot of this book is full of twists and turns, and more you get into the book, the more secrets and nastiness it unfolds. It was quite scary to read, how detailed the author described the feeling, when the murder used to take place. How does she know all this stuff? I found it interesting, how author showed, that stereotypes of serial killers can be broken, and that you never know who is seriously messed up in their heads.

 The book itself contains heaps of strong language, which makes it really funny, and most probably, I looked really silly, while reading and smiling on the tube. The chapters of the book are really short, and the book is fast paced, so it makes it a real page turner, as you really want to find out what is coming up next. The writing style of this book is really great, and I had real pleasure while reading it, it’s easy to understand and uses great daily terms which are very realistic, and we all used them sometimes. The ending of the book left me questioning and curious, but at the same time it was obvious and concluding. But still, I really want to know what happened next. So, to conclude, I really loved this book and I strongly recommend getting it, it is a marvellous thriller which is extremely funny, but disturbing at the same time, full of layers and insight into the mind of the psychopath. It’s one of my favourites so far and a total must read.
  
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Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes
Sarah Pinborough | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.9 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the second 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!

Louise has a pretty boring life. A single mom and part-time secretary, most of her life revolves around her young son. But then one night she meets a man in a bar and feels an instant attraction. Though it stops with a kiss, she feels excited by the prospect of finally having met someone. So imagine Louise's surprise when, the next morning, she sees the man again. At work. He's her new boss. And he's also very married, to a beautiful younger wife, Adele. Soon, Louise accidentally runs into Adele and the two form a friendship. Louise knows it's wrong, but she feels drawn to Adele as well. She appears lonely. Plus, the more Louise learns about Adele, the more she feels something is off: Adele seems afraid and almost controlled by David. Before she knows it, Louise is spending time with Adele and David, unable to tell the other about what she's doing. She's also realizing that there's something very wrong with this marriage. But how wrong, Louise has no idea.

"You can never know everything about a person. You'd go mad trying to."

Well, this was a spellbinding thriller. It's a wild ride that keeps you guessing the entire time, wondering who is twisting whose mind and what on earth is going on between David, Adele, and even Louise. Is David an abusive husband controlling his wife? Is Adele a cowed and crazy housewife? What happened between David and Adele when they were young and Adele's parents died? Is Louise complicit in their games? I felt befuddled and mesmerized as I madly flipped the pages, trying to figure out what on earth was going on.

"The more I fall for David, the more fascinated I become with Adele. It's a vicious circle."

I knew I didn't really like any of these people, but I didn't care, as I had to know what was going to happen next. Trying to put together the pieces in this psychological puzzle is nearly impossible; it seems like everyone is playing mind games with everyone else. It's told in a Now and Then format, with perspectives from Adele and Louise. But who can we trust? Does anyone tell the truth in this book? I won't spoil it for you, but I can say that the short chapters and flip in time periods make for a captivating read.

Some of the plot is strange and again, the characters are not particularly likeable (Louise, come on, let's make better choices), but the book makes up for it in psychological thrills and twists. Behind Her Eyes has been on my shelf for a while, as I'd heard about its surprises and big ending. I'm glad I used this challenge to pick it up. It was a different read and a crazy one. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
  
Obessed #2: Meik & Sebastian
Obessed #2: Meik & Sebastian
Quin Perin | 2018 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
awesome follow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the authors.

This is part two of Meik and Sebastian's story, and you MUST read part one first. MUST!! And I strongly recommend you wait til you have all four parts in your possession, cos you will hate having to wait for the next one! I am!!

Again, this is so bloody short! 99 pages, poof, gone, just like that!

Meik is still obsessed with Sebastian, so much so, that he pulls Sebastian off the streets and into his home, to be HIS. But having Sebastian in his home is bringing up memories, long buried memories and Meik doesn't know how to deal with those memories, so he does what he does best, lashes out.

Something is wrong with Meik, he reckons he is sick. It's the only way he can explain his total and utter obsession with Sebastian! Personally, I think the poor man is simply deluded about what's up with him. But Meik, being Meik, he'll get there under his own steam, he's just gonna hurt a few people first.

As soon as Sebastian decides he is staying at Meik's, Meik goes all out to make him HIS, to mark him, inside and out. And oooeeee! Do these boys get up to some serious marking!

Meik's memories are surfacing though, and we don't get all of the whole story and they come at you out of order and out of left field. But you know, you just KNOW when it all comes out, and it does HAVE to come out, and we get the whole sorry story, its gonna be painful, it really is. He is unraveling, quickly, and I don't know where this is going, but its going really fast and you gotta keep up!

It is again only told from Meik's point of view. I knew that going in, but I STILL wanted to hear from Sebastian! It doesn't affect my star rating, this time, because I knew. But I'm just greedy with my books, and I ALWAYS want more.

How long do I have to wait for part three?? I dunno, I'm gonna be waiting, waiting, waiting, WAITING!

Oh just gimme already, okay?? I can't wait!

So, even though its so bloody short, and even though only Meik has his say, and because I can see some of his memories playing out and I don;t want them to play out the way I see it, but I really do (and if THAT makes any sense to you, you is good!) and BECAUSE it's such a cliff hanger...

5 full stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Only Child
Only Child
Rhiannon Navin | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Our protagonist in this book is a seven-year-old Zach, during shooting in his school, his older brother Andy got killed. This book is a story of how Zach and his parents deal with Andy’s loss. The variety of characters is pretty limited in this book, it sticks to Zach’s close family. I really liked Zach and his father Jim in this book. I think Zach is a very smart, kind and very cute boy. I liked his dad because he was the only one, who was paying attention to Zach after the tragedy. Father was trying to talk to Zach and make him open up about what he, as a child, is going through. I absolutely despised Zach’s mother. I think she is a self-centred cow, who cared only about what she feels and ignored her family for her own sake. I am not a parent, but I know one thing, I would put my child first.

As it says in the blurb, the narrative is told by Zach, and all the events are from his perspective. This book is like a seven-year-old’s diary. Zach talks a lot about what he sees around him, how he feels and how he deals with various situations. The narrative is very detailed, and even though there are some interesting nuances, there is not much happening in this book. I hoped that something groundbreaking will happen to pace up the book, but it kind of plodded along, making me pretty bored. There are some interesting topics discussed in this book, related to family and it’s issues, and the grown-ups have an insight into a child’s point of view. Which is quite interesting, and I am curious, how the author got all this information, and how she came up with this kind of writing style.

The writing style was very cute, simplified and easy to read. The setting of the book doesn’t change much and is concentrated around the family’s house. I liked that the chapters are pretty short, I didn’t want to DNF this book, so the short chapters helped to finish it. The ending rounded up the story nicely and left me satisfied with the outcome.

So, to conclude, even though it started really promising, this book wasn’t for me. It has well-developed characters, and I see where it can be heartbreaking for some people, but for me, it was too detailed and kind of draggy. If you like family drama, books about loss, and curious to find out how a child sees and deals with loss, give this book a try, and I hope you will enjoy it.
  
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
Katy Tur | 2017 | Biography, History & Politics
9
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clear Voice (1 more)
Easy to follow
Trump (0 more)
A fantastic report of a crazy event
This was my pick for the "song lyrics in the title" prompt for the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge. I feel a little like "Unbelievable" is a bit of a cop-out for the prompt, but it was already on my to be read list, and it works. And the book is fantastic.

This is the story of Katy Tur's time on the campaign trail as one of the journalists covering Donald Trump's campaign. It is, as she says, unbelievable. When it begins, she thinks it will be very short - as most of the American public thought. No one thought Trump would wind up being the Republican nominee. But as she attends rallies, and watches the vitriol of his supporters - which occasionally gets turned on her, as a member of the "lying, fake media," she begins to realize he could, in fact, win this thing.

We experience Tur's shock as he calls her out by name multiple times, leading to death threats by Trump supporters, and security being assigned to her specifically. Through all of this, Tur continues to do her job as a journalist, reporting on the travel, the rallies, the information from sources within the campaign as they criss-cross the country and promise ridiculous things.

I was worried at first that the book would be a dry rehash of the events, but it is far from it. Tur speaks with a refreshing, absorbing voice. Even knowing the outcome - that Trump is elected president - it's a page-turner that didn't let me go until the last page. Unbelievable is a fast-paced, fascinating book by a first-class journalist.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
The Portrait of Mr W.H.
The Portrait of Mr W.H.
Oscar Wilde | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quick read. Great insight into the Victorian fin de siecle . Great suspence. (0 more)
Too quick. I wanted more. (0 more)
. As a paradox to the realism and ethics of the period, decadent writers, artists, and poets challenged a society that strove for a standard in public discourse.
First published in 1889, Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Mr W.H., is a short story about the efforts of three characters trying to discover the identity of Shakespeare’s Mr W.H. ; the dedicatee of his many sonnets. Wilde’s novel is a prime example of decadent literature and aestheticism, which, as a result, challenges the Victorian ideals of moral decency and public rectitude. The author uses paradox in the novel to present a theory that contradicts the conservative critics of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Wilde presents a subjective interpretation of Shakespeare’s sonnets that portrays homoerotic sexual desire as the force for creative inspiration. Foremost, through the character Cyril Graham, the author demonstrates that art is ‘an attempt to realise one’s own personality on some imaginative plane out of reach of the trammelling accidents and limitations of real life’, (Wilde, p.111).
Taking from a hypothesis in the previous century by Edmund Malone and Thomas Tyrwhitt, the character of Cyril forms a theory in which Mr W.H. is a young actor named Willie Hughes, employed by Shakespeare and who is the muse to which the sonnets are devoted. Cyril investigates each poem and pieces together a theory he believes to be true.

On the surface, Cyril’s theory derives from feeling and beauty rather than logic and instruction.
The withholding of facts in Shakespeare’s sonnets energises Cyril. He scours the poems to find a clue that harmonise with his own feelings. Cyril believes that Shakespeare influences his readers by guiding them to Willie Hughes.

Cyril, spurned by the moralistic interpretations of previous critics, becomes enthralled by Shakespeare’s muse.
  
TF
Two From the Heart
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is divided into two short stories. The first is about Anne McWilliams. She lives on the beach in North Carolina, where she has lived for the past few years following a divorce from her husband. She is an old school photographer, so when a hurricane moves through and takes out half of her house that includes her darkroom, she is beyond devastated. Instead of dealing with the mess, she decides to travel the country and take new pictures and hear the stories of the people that go with those stories. How will this journey change the rest of her life?

In the second story, Tyler Bron is a millionaire, who, on paper, appears to have it all. But in reality, he has never had a life. Always focused on himself and getting to the top of his career field. He has no friends, only work colleagues who he really knows nothing about. So he hires a writer, Damian Crane to write a new life for him. But will Tyler be able to handle all that life has to offer?

This is a newer James Patterson novel released earlier this year. On my quest to read all of his stand alone books, I'm giving this on 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories and the one about Tyler was the most interesting to me. Each main character is at a point in their lives, where they need to make some changes in order to continue to live. I think that Tyler makes the most extreme change of all.

Even though James Patterson pumps out several books a year, he is still one of my favorites and I enjoy reading his books. I always know I can finish one of his books in 2-3 days and it will hold my attention.
  
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Overbite (Insatiable, #2)
Meg Cabot | 2011
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
As a sequel to Insatiable, there were certain things I expected from this book - one of which was Lucien's dark appeal, which seemed to be missing for a large chunk of the book. He brooded and moped and generally felt sorry for himself for his lack of "evilness" while mooning over losing Meena to the Palatine Guard. I also thought that Meena's joining of the Palatine Guard to be an awkward fit, but I understand her motivation - who wouldn't want to get at the secret archives of the Vatican?
Alaric's character grew on me gradually, even though I did not care for him much in the first book. His attraction to Meena is obvious to all but himself, and poor Meena is just confused as she battles with her own feelings between two very different men. I actually found it kind of satisfying that Alaric and Lucien are forced to work together towards the end of the novel.
The significance of the book pictured on the cover is what interested me the most, and I was often frustrated that I could not simply read that little book myself and solve the grand mystery of its power. Always a dramatist, Lucien's reaction to the final revelation is believable, though I found what happened to him to be bit of a cop-out so that Meena would not have to make any difficult decisions.
Some of the most humorous parts were Alaric's interactions with the couple, Mary Lou and Emil, as their very human behavior made it rather difficult for him to treat them as the species he made a living from despising. I also would have liked more development in the romance between Jon and Yelena. Overall, I still enjoyed the book, even though it seemed a bit short, and I hope there is another book to follow.