Search
Search results
Vicki Coyne (45 KP) rated A Vintage Wedding in Books
Jul 13, 2019
Too rushed and not believable
I genuinely enjoyed all the other novels by Katie Fforde. I felt cheated by this one. Three people meeting, becoming best friends and setting up a business in such a short space of time was not believable. It feels like a deadline was coming up and something had to be sent to the publishers. Not recognisable as a Katie Fforde novel until more than halfway through the book. If you haven't read any of her stuff, please don't start with this one. She is so much better at developing characters and building plots than this one would suggest. I only rated it 5 because shoddy is the best description. A little more time on developing the characters and plot and this might have been good.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Graveyard Book in Books
Oct 7, 2019
An interesting tale
My biggest criticism about this book is that it has been written for kids, or young adults, and I feel like this is a big shame as it could have been pretty terrifying. But aside from the fairly creepy first chapter, it falls just a little short of being actually scary (at least for a fully grown adult).
But that doesn't mean it's not a good book, because it is and it's such a wonderful idea for a story. I found it well paced and intriguing, with a lot of interesting characters although j do wish we'd have seen more of some of them. There is a certain lack of threat even considering the death theme, aside for the ghoul gate episode, but this is still such an enjoyable read that this doesn't really matter.
But that doesn't mean it's not a good book, because it is and it's such a wonderful idea for a story. I found it well paced and intriguing, with a lot of interesting characters although j do wish we'd have seen more of some of them. There is a certain lack of threat even considering the death theme, aside for the ghoul gate episode, but this is still such an enjoyable read that this doesn't really matter.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Monticello in Books
Oct 7, 2021
If you buy one book in October, it should be this one. MY MONTICELLO is a collection of short stories and a novella that explore race, identity, and more. Beautifully written, nuanced, and insightful, they each make you think. My introverted self found myself wishing for a book club so I could discuss these stories with others.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Little Women (2019) in Movies
Dec 30, 2019
If I’m honest, Little Women probably isn’t the kind of movie I’d generally watch. But I’d heard great things about it, and my wife and daughter both wanted to watch it, so I decided to give it a shot. I haven’t read Little Women the book, and I haven’t seen any of the numerous adaptations prior to this one either, so you should probably take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
Little Women switches between two different periods in the lives of four sisters - their current lives and their lives seven years earlier. And I quite often struggled to tell when it switched, leaving me slightly confused on more than one occasion. I eventually learned to identify which timeframe we were in depending on which of the sisters Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) was currently hitting on, but there was a lengthy period around the middle where the meandering story, and the rather hot cinema, saw me gently closing my eyes for a short while
But, after my short power nap, I actually grew to enjoy the last third of the movie. I’m a big fan of Saoirse Ronan and, along with Florence Pugh, who is currently having the most amazing year, they really make this movie. Relaxed, authentic dialogue and great chemistry between the sisters and the other characters made this a lot more bearable than I was expecting!
Little Women switches between two different periods in the lives of four sisters - their current lives and their lives seven years earlier. And I quite often struggled to tell when it switched, leaving me slightly confused on more than one occasion. I eventually learned to identify which timeframe we were in depending on which of the sisters Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) was currently hitting on, but there was a lengthy period around the middle where the meandering story, and the rather hot cinema, saw me gently closing my eyes for a short while
But, after my short power nap, I actually grew to enjoy the last third of the movie. I’m a big fan of Saoirse Ronan and, along with Florence Pugh, who is currently having the most amazing year, they really make this movie. Relaxed, authentic dialogue and great chemistry between the sisters and the other characters made this a lot more bearable than I was expecting!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated Changing Habits in Books
Jan 26, 2019
Transitional Short Story
It's a week before Giulia Falcone's wedding to Frank Driscoll, her former boss and soon to be partner in Driscoll Investigations, and she has a few last-minute things to take care of. You know, typical details for the week before the wedding like getting the wedding favors together, finding a wedding dress, and figure out who is switching the valuable items in various churches in the area for cheap fakes. Nothing major, right? When the latest theft hits close to home, Giulia is determined to find the guilty party. Can she handle everything?
This short story was written to bridge the transition as Giulia switched publishers. It packs quite a bit into the story, but handles it all in an entertaining way. The story doesn't have quite the twists and turns of a novel, but it entertained me for the hour it took me to read it. Likewise, the characters don't show us any hidden depths, but we still get to enjoy time spent with them. Since I love this cast of characters, I was glad for that chance. Plus there are a few laughs along the way. Long time fans will enjoy this story, and those who jump in here will be left wanting to spend even more time with Giulia.
This short story was written to bridge the transition as Giulia switched publishers. It packs quite a bit into the story, but handles it all in an entertaining way. The story doesn't have quite the twists and turns of a novel, but it entertained me for the hour it took me to read it. Likewise, the characters don't show us any hidden depths, but we still get to enjoy time spent with them. Since I love this cast of characters, I was glad for that chance. Plus there are a few laughs along the way. Long time fans will enjoy this story, and those who jump in here will be left wanting to spend even more time with Giulia.
Tales of the Lost
Book
Tales of the Lost is a book of short stories for adults, ranging from realms of fantasy to...
ClareR (5911 KP) rated One of Them in Books
May 12, 2021
This is a memoir in short, punchy chapters, of Musa Okwonga’s experience of Eton College. Musa’s mother, a widowed doctor, supports Musa’s wish to go to one of the leading public schools in the country, and pays 50% of the fees that his scholarship doesn’t cover. It’s still a lot of money - and what does he get for that?
Well. I would say that I’m firmly in the anti- public/ private school camp, but I can’t find any fault in Musa’s education. He seems to have really enjoyed his time at Eton. He received a well-rounded education, and it comes across, largely speaking, as a caring institution. He does have some trouble with other boys: racist comments for example. He doesn’t seem to register these instances, and only finds out through another ex-student once he has left.
I liked how Musa looks at the reasons behind Brexit, about our continuing culture of the ‘Haves’ and “Have Nots’, and how if those who went to institutions such as Eton were less self-serving, just how much good they could contribute to this country. Instead, their attitudes seem to have contributed to the rise of the far right.
It’s a really interesting, if short, book, and well worth a read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, Unbound and to Musa for reading along.
Well. I would say that I’m firmly in the anti- public/ private school camp, but I can’t find any fault in Musa’s education. He seems to have really enjoyed his time at Eton. He received a well-rounded education, and it comes across, largely speaking, as a caring institution. He does have some trouble with other boys: racist comments for example. He doesn’t seem to register these instances, and only finds out through another ex-student once he has left.
I liked how Musa looks at the reasons behind Brexit, about our continuing culture of the ‘Haves’ and “Have Nots’, and how if those who went to institutions such as Eton were less self-serving, just how much good they could contribute to this country. Instead, their attitudes seem to have contributed to the rise of the far right.
It’s a really interesting, if short, book, and well worth a read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, Unbound and to Musa for reading along.
Debbiereadsbook (1478 KP) rated A Night in Prague (Diamonds in the Rough #1) in Books
Apr 23, 2021
not one for me, sorry
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This will be short, I really I am sorry!
I finished this, and I can honestly say that is why it gets 3 stars.
It’s not a BAD tale, not at all. It’s clear there is a lot we were not told, about Theo and Katy, and I wanted it, I wanted it all. It’s obvious that Theo is quite high up the food chain; he was very secretive about what he does. And all we know about Katy is she works in a hotel. I felt kinda short changed, from both of them.
What IS here, though, is fairly well written, and it’s been well edited. Then smexy level started to build, then went pfft. THEN went from zero to scorching in an instant! It just doesn’t work me, I’m afraid, and I do love the smexier books.
Prague sounds like a lovely place! We get a lot of Prague.
Only Theo has a say, but at the back of this book is the blurb for the next, and it appears that only KATY has a say in that one. Will I read it? Probably not.
I’m sorry, not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This will be short, I really I am sorry!
I finished this, and I can honestly say that is why it gets 3 stars.
It’s not a BAD tale, not at all. It’s clear there is a lot we were not told, about Theo and Katy, and I wanted it, I wanted it all. It’s obvious that Theo is quite high up the food chain; he was very secretive about what he does. And all we know about Katy is she works in a hotel. I felt kinda short changed, from both of them.
What IS here, though, is fairly well written, and it’s been well edited. Then smexy level started to build, then went pfft. THEN went from zero to scorching in an instant! It just doesn’t work me, I’m afraid, and I do love the smexier books.
Prague sounds like a lovely place! We get a lot of Prague.
Only Theo has a say, but at the back of this book is the blurb for the next, and it appears that only KATY has a say in that one. Will I read it? Probably not.
I’m sorry, not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Complete Stories: Kurt Vonnegut
Book
Here for the first time is the complete short fiction of one of the twentieth century's foremost...
Fiction anthology
