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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The White Book in Books
Jan 3, 2018
The fragility of life
This is a heartbreaking, autobiographical account surrounding the death of the author's newborn sister, and the subsequent grieving process she goes through, seeing 'white' throughout her life.
Unlike @The Vegetarian: A Novel and @Human Acts, this book is not designed to have the narrative reach of those two novels. Instead, it is a fragmented meditation on the death of the unnamed baby sister, who died two hours after her birth. Han wisely gives as much value to those heightened two hours of life as she does to her death. The story of her birth, as narrated from the point of view of the mother, who is 22 when she is obliged to deliver the premature baby herself, is simply told.
The book is structured around the white things that become part of the rituals of mourning and remembering. The dominant theme is of transience, of fleeting life and the acceptance of human fragility. It feels mysterious and abstract at time, which seems to reflect the death itself. Hats off to Han Kang and @Deborah Smith for another wonderful translation.
Unlike @The Vegetarian: A Novel and @Human Acts, this book is not designed to have the narrative reach of those two novels. Instead, it is a fragmented meditation on the death of the unnamed baby sister, who died two hours after her birth. Han wisely gives as much value to those heightened two hours of life as she does to her death. The story of her birth, as narrated from the point of view of the mother, who is 22 when she is obliged to deliver the premature baby herself, is simply told.
The book is structured around the white things that become part of the rituals of mourning and remembering. The dominant theme is of transience, of fleeting life and the acceptance of human fragility. It feels mysterious and abstract at time, which seems to reflect the death itself. Hats off to Han Kang and @Deborah Smith for another wonderful translation.
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated A Royal Christmas Wedding in Books
Sep 7, 2017
Avery Truitt is someone who was going to college to be a professional volleyball player. 5 years before she meets Prince Colin when she was with her sister Susanna went to Cathedral City. What ever happen to Avery and Colin?
Susanna has invited both her sister and mother to the Brington Kingdom for the Christmas season. Will their mother get over their father’s death? There appear someone brings Avery and Colin together at every turn. Will Colin father help or harm Colin? The old bell rings and who has pulled it and rung it?
People do not believe that God had pulled the 600-pound bell that started ringing and brings all people to the where the accident of Prince Michael died. Do I love that fact that there is a meaning and some true relationship trouble and Hauck shows that in each story in The Royal Wedding Series? She let the characters work it out their own problems. She does not rush them. Rachel Hauck does well with the plot and her writing is wonderful as well.
Susanna has invited both her sister and mother to the Brington Kingdom for the Christmas season. Will their mother get over their father’s death? There appear someone brings Avery and Colin together at every turn. Will Colin father help or harm Colin? The old bell rings and who has pulled it and rung it?
People do not believe that God had pulled the 600-pound bell that started ringing and brings all people to the where the accident of Prince Michael died. Do I love that fact that there is a meaning and some true relationship trouble and Hauck shows that in each story in The Royal Wedding Series? She let the characters work it out their own problems. She does not rush them. Rachel Hauck does well with the plot and her writing is wonderful as well.
ClareR (5975 KP) rated Star of the North in Books
May 3, 2018 (Updated May 3, 2018)
One of my favourite books of the year!
I feel like I’ve just stepped off a roller coaster - what a ride that was!!
Twelve years after her sister was kidnapped on a South Korean beach, Jenna, a Korean-American and a well-respected lecturer in North Korean studies, joins the CIA. She thinks that she may be able to track down her sister, who she believes is alive. Mrs Moon is a North Korean peasant, who builds a business after finding contraband food that was sent over by balloon from South Korea. Cho is a high ranking North Korean official who is found to have undesirable ancestors and is punished. These three storylines end up coming together so cleverly, in a story that is exciting and told at a breakneck speed. I loved it. This is one of those ‘un-put-downable’ books. The ending is so unexpected and explosive - just wow!! Honestly, this has ‘movie adaptation’ written all over it. And when you realise that this is all based on fact and true stories...
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for my copy!!
Twelve years after her sister was kidnapped on a South Korean beach, Jenna, a Korean-American and a well-respected lecturer in North Korean studies, joins the CIA. She thinks that she may be able to track down her sister, who she believes is alive. Mrs Moon is a North Korean peasant, who builds a business after finding contraband food that was sent over by balloon from South Korea. Cho is a high ranking North Korean official who is found to have undesirable ancestors and is punished. These three storylines end up coming together so cleverly, in a story that is exciting and told at a breakneck speed. I loved it. This is one of those ‘un-put-downable’ books. The ending is so unexpected and explosive - just wow!! Honestly, this has ‘movie adaptation’ written all over it. And when you realise that this is all based on fact and true stories...
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for my copy!!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Silver Sparrow in Books
May 10, 2018
Two women, two daughters. One who can speak openly about her father, one who has to hide who her father is. He isn't even named correctly on her birth certificate. One knows about the other, one is in the dark. When the two of them become friends, what will be revealed about each others lives that makes this friendship seem a little odd.
Dana & Chaurisse are sisters. James Witherspoon is their father. They are only a few months apart in age. They live in the same town, and often cross paths. Dana misses out on a lot of things because her father doesn't want her to run into Chaurisse and expose this secret. But living in the same town, this secret won't stay secret for long. How will Chaurisse act when she find out the girl she has befriended is really her sister. That her father has been living a double life all these years. That she has been running into her sister and her mother all her life, but never realized that these people were of any significance to her.
Dana & Chaurisse are sisters. James Witherspoon is their father. They are only a few months apart in age. They live in the same town, and often cross paths. Dana misses out on a lot of things because her father doesn't want her to run into Chaurisse and expose this secret. But living in the same town, this secret won't stay secret for long. How will Chaurisse act when she find out the girl she has befriended is really her sister. That her father has been living a double life all these years. That she has been running into her sister and her mother all her life, but never realized that these people were of any significance to her.
Jessica Cashen (1 KP) rated True North (True Born Trilogy, #2) in Books
May 16, 2018
Another Fantastic book by L.E. Sterling. Well written with a great plot and characters. I was engrossed from start to finish. On the eve of Lucy and Margot's reveal, Lasters attack her home and Lucy is forced to run. Margot's has gone missing, Lucy is living with True Born Nolan Storm, unorthodox magic has been set loose upon the land, and Lucy is all mixed up when it comes to her fierce protector, Jared True Born Price.
Even though Lucy is upset about her circumstances, she still helps Storm navigate the Upper Circle. Wanting nothing more than to find her sister, Lucy finally makes some choices of her own. She tries to get help with where he sister might have been taken by a child in a kid gang. The child sets her up and it doesn't look good, but she is saved by Alistair. They wind up friends and he helps her try and find Margot. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.
Even though Lucy is upset about her circumstances, she still helps Storm navigate the Upper Circle. Wanting nothing more than to find her sister, Lucy finally makes some choices of her own. She tries to get help with where he sister might have been taken by a child in a kid gang. The child sets her up and it doesn't look good, but she is saved by Alistair. They wind up friends and he helps her try and find Margot. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Saving Grace (Hearthfire Romance, #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Grace Thatcher is the granddaughter of the duke of Salisbury and due to his death and an issue with her and her siblings inheritance is strong armed by her waste of space gambler father, into acquiring, or at least pretending to a husband.Grace feels better her than her younger shy timid sister. What follows is series of events that puts the three main characters of the story in the spotlight. We have Grace, sweet caring and totally unspoiled by her unfortunate upbringing which was untill later life a background of poverty. mr Samuel Preston a kind charming gentleman still grieving for his dead wife Elizabeth but determined to live his life as she would have wanted and lastly Nicholas Sutherland Elizabeth brother a dark bitter gruff man who blames Samuel for the death of his sister and his bent on revenge. Saving Grace is a clean sweet romance which shows the characters evolving through their interaction, i breezed through very quickly and loved seeing the way everyone changed for the better a must read for all historical romance fans..
Kristin (149 KP) rated Destined to Kill (Destined Novels, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Anala is a Hunter, the child of the Leaders of their society, and she's one of the best. Too bad her parents never let her go out and actually hunt any Cursed Ones. One night, she and her friend Thomas are out, and his sister scares them. When Thomas leaves Anala behind to take his sister home, she lets her guard down for one minute; however, that's all it takes. She's bitten, and her life will change forever.
This story pulled me in from the very first sentence. Everybody loves a good vampire story, but this was more than that. It was a coming-of-age story, of sorts, mixed with a little romance, some intrigue, and some good old-fashioned butt kicking. I'm fond of all the characters, even Jenna (the proverbial sour grape), and I would definitely love to read more about this group. I really hope there's a sequel already in the works!!
5 stars =)
Anala is a Hunter, the child of the Leaders of their society, and she's one of the best. Too bad her parents never let her go out and actually hunt any Cursed Ones. One night, she and her friend Thomas are out, and his sister scares them. When Thomas leaves Anala behind to take his sister home, she lets her guard down for one minute; however, that's all it takes. She's bitten, and her life will change forever.
This story pulled me in from the very first sentence. Everybody loves a good vampire story, but this was more than that. It was a coming-of-age story, of sorts, mixed with a little romance, some intrigue, and some good old-fashioned butt kicking. I'm fond of all the characters, even Jenna (the proverbial sour grape), and I would definitely love to read more about this group. I really hope there's a sequel already in the works!!
5 stars =)
Rambling and nonsensical
I’m always sceptical when it comes to anything that has won awards or prizes, usually because they tend to never appeal to the masses the way the appeal to the critics. And this is definitely the case for the Milkman.
To start off with, the writing style is very unusual. Written from the point of view of the protagonist ‘middle sister’, who has an unusual take on the written word and language. To being this style comes across as awkward and a little hard to read, but you soon get used to it. The major problem with this book is that it is completely bonkers, rambling and makes barely any sense. Whilst there are vague notions of an interesting plot, it’s lost entirely in the confused ramblings of middle sister. This book could have been cut down by half and still would’ve rambled on for a little too long. I really tried with this, I persevered and kept on reading but by the end I skim read the last 10% as I just couldn’t face the nonsense anymore.
To start off with, the writing style is very unusual. Written from the point of view of the protagonist ‘middle sister’, who has an unusual take on the written word and language. To being this style comes across as awkward and a little hard to read, but you soon get used to it. The major problem with this book is that it is completely bonkers, rambling and makes barely any sense. Whilst there are vague notions of an interesting plot, it’s lost entirely in the confused ramblings of middle sister. This book could have been cut down by half and still would’ve rambled on for a little too long. I really tried with this, I persevered and kept on reading but by the end I skim read the last 10% as I just couldn’t face the nonsense anymore.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Finding your feet (2018) in Movies
Jan 30, 2019
Delightful
Contains spoilers, click to show
Finding Your Feet is a sweet movie with endearing characters. The stellar cast consists of Celie Imrie, Imelda Staunton, Joanna Lumley, Timothy Spall, and David Haymen. Staunton plays an up middle-class snob, who after finding her husband in the arms of another woman, moves in with her bohemian sister, Imrie, who lives in a council house and who occupies herself with dancing with other seniors. Her sister convinces her to join the class; she had previously been a dancer but gave it up for marriage and motherhood, and slowly, the snobbery gives way to living her best life and having fun, making new friends, and finding romance and adventure. It's a feel-good, hopeful movie, full of laughter and dance.
What I love about the Brits is that unlike Hollywood, actors are allowed to look like the average person on the street in both face and figure, with gray hair, wrinkles, moles, and a paunch. It's about talent and acting, not whether or not they look like gods and goddesses. It's so refreshing.
What I love about the Brits is that unlike Hollywood, actors are allowed to look like the average person on the street in both face and figure, with gray hair, wrinkles, moles, and a paunch. It's about talent and acting, not whether or not they look like gods and goddesses. It's so refreshing.
The Berenstain Bears: Safe and Sound!
Book and Education
8.0
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