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Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
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2016 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR NONFICTION A 2016 NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK NEW YORK...
Politics social issues
I'll Be Your Blue Sky
9.0
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The New York Times bestselling author revisits the characters from her beloved novels Love Walked In...
fiction contemporary fiction series
The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution
6.0
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From the acclaimed author of River Town and Oracle Bones, an intimate excavation of life in one of...
Debbiereadsbook (1608 KP) rated Stronger Than Hope (Chesapeake Days #1) in Books
Mar 11, 2022
so much with the warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have to say, I think that Ms McIntyre's MM books are coming on in leaps and bounds! They've all been good but they get better and better!
I try really hard NOT to read other people's reviews before I read a book: I got burned once and will never do it again. I will, however, read them before I write mine. Mostly to see if what they thought and if I thought the same. The general consensus for this book is this:
It's a really sweet book, with most wanting to punch Linc in the face a time or two. And I have to say, I feel exactly the same!
Linc is self-sabotaging his life. He loved his wife, he really did, but dealing with a 6-year-old, his job and his grief is pulling him under. He's a bad bet in anyone's book, he thinks. Nate, on the other hand, thinks he's no good cos he won't settle. But he WANTS to settle, just not for the sake of it, you know? They really are polar opposites, but so well suited!
Linc grew on me, though, and I really did wanna wrap him up in cotton wool a time or two! He needed a hug!
The book deals with grief, Linc lost his wife in child birth. It is handled sensitively, making the point that there is no time line for your grief, it's up to you when you want to move on. Living in a small town is difficult at the best of times, but in this matter? making Linc want to run away. And it's that fact the most that he should have conveyed to Nate, once they decided they were a thing. That he wanted to run, but NOT from Nate.
It's an emotional read, a steamy read and a well-handled difficult read. It's full of the warm and fuzzies and is too stinking cute and I loved it!
Linc's friends, Nico and Jer, need a story, please, Ms McIntyre! I'll grovel if need be!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I have to say, I think that Ms McIntyre's MM books are coming on in leaps and bounds! They've all been good but they get better and better!
I try really hard NOT to read other people's reviews before I read a book: I got burned once and will never do it again. I will, however, read them before I write mine. Mostly to see if what they thought and if I thought the same. The general consensus for this book is this:
It's a really sweet book, with most wanting to punch Linc in the face a time or two. And I have to say, I feel exactly the same!
Linc is self-sabotaging his life. He loved his wife, he really did, but dealing with a 6-year-old, his job and his grief is pulling him under. He's a bad bet in anyone's book, he thinks. Nate, on the other hand, thinks he's no good cos he won't settle. But he WANTS to settle, just not for the sake of it, you know? They really are polar opposites, but so well suited!
Linc grew on me, though, and I really did wanna wrap him up in cotton wool a time or two! He needed a hug!
The book deals with grief, Linc lost his wife in child birth. It is handled sensitively, making the point that there is no time line for your grief, it's up to you when you want to move on. Living in a small town is difficult at the best of times, but in this matter? making Linc want to run away. And it's that fact the most that he should have conveyed to Nate, once they decided they were a thing. That he wanted to run, but NOT from Nate.
It's an emotional read, a steamy read and a well-handled difficult read. It's full of the warm and fuzzies and is too stinking cute and I loved it!
Linc's friends, Nico and Jer, need a story, please, Ms McIntyre! I'll grovel if need be!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (13575 KP) rated Renovating the Model (Forestville Silver Foxes #1) in Books
Apr 28, 2023
RENOVATING THE MODEL is the first book in a new contemporary series, Forestville Silver Foxes.
Forestville is a small town with five young friends, their lives still ahead of them. In the prologue, you get a flash-in-the-pan moment with them, which is still enough to give you a general feeling. Then we fast-forward to the present and the High School Reunion. There we catch up with what they've each been up to.
Tiago and Tomas are the twins who became world-famous models. Tomas still loves it. Tiago... not so much. Cas is the local handyman who walks in on Tiago, not knowing the room was occupied. And BOOM! There we go.
Let me say ALL the characters in here are fantastic in their own ways and I really can't wait to read more in this series. I was playing matchmaker in my mind as I read! But, back to this one. Cas is the charmer in here for me. He is confident in his work, although not as confident in his appearance due to scars on his face from a car accident. He will help anyone with anything if he can. He is also the younger of the two. And that is where my problem lay. I just couldn't believe that Tiago was that detached from the world! I understand his dyslexia. It runs in my family, so I know how hard it can be. Tiago had an innocence, a naivety, that just didn't hold true for me. I'm glad for both Tiago and Tomas that they are out of that unhealthy sibling relationship. It's past time for them both to spread their wings.
Saying all of the above though, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. A great start to a series that I will be continuing. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 28, 2023
Forestville is a small town with five young friends, their lives still ahead of them. In the prologue, you get a flash-in-the-pan moment with them, which is still enough to give you a general feeling. Then we fast-forward to the present and the High School Reunion. There we catch up with what they've each been up to.
Tiago and Tomas are the twins who became world-famous models. Tomas still loves it. Tiago... not so much. Cas is the local handyman who walks in on Tiago, not knowing the room was occupied. And BOOM! There we go.
Let me say ALL the characters in here are fantastic in their own ways and I really can't wait to read more in this series. I was playing matchmaker in my mind as I read! But, back to this one. Cas is the charmer in here for me. He is confident in his work, although not as confident in his appearance due to scars on his face from a car accident. He will help anyone with anything if he can. He is also the younger of the two. And that is where my problem lay. I just couldn't believe that Tiago was that detached from the world! I understand his dyslexia. It runs in my family, so I know how hard it can be. Tiago had an innocence, a naivety, that just didn't hold true for me. I'm glad for both Tiago and Tomas that they are out of that unhealthy sibling relationship. It's past time for them both to spread their wings.
Saying all of the above though, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. A great start to a series that I will be continuing. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 28, 2023
The Treasure of Rigmore House (Betwixt the Sea and Shore #3)
8.0
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An heiress forced to choose a husband by her next birthday. A former selkie bent on revenge. Can...
Historical Fantasy Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1608 KP) rated The Color of Summer in Books
May 30, 2019
bloody loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Most Dangerous Place on Earth in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Mill Valley is the perfect little town, and Molly Nicoll is excited to start a teaching career in English at the local high school. However, when she starts up mid-year, she has no idea about a tragedy that occurred in her students' eighth grade year. To Miss Nicoll, these kids are in deep need of understanding and guidance, even if they are sometimes a bit rude and unfocused. There's Abby, the perfect student prepping for her Ivy League future, but also hiding a secret; Nick, an intelligent kid with a trick for every situation; Cally, a prominent player in the early tragedy, who now floats through school with the other hippie kids; Emma, a talented dancer who loves to let go and party on the weekends; Damon, who just wants to have fun; Ryan, a popular kid who hangs with Nick and Damon; Elizabeth, the most beautiful girl in school - and the one without any friends; and Dave, who is struggling with the weight of his parents' expectations. These kids have known each other for years, and their lives are shared in every way possible - in their small town, at school, and across all forms of social media.
I'd heard a lot of advance praise for this novel, and had put it on hold at my local library ages ago. I was excited to finally get a chance to read it, but upon finishing it, was left feeling conflicted. This is going to be yet another one of those lauded novels that everyone loves where I feel a bit "eh." Don't get me wrong: this is a well-written book--even a beautiful one at times--and it often tells a compelling and sometimes frightening story of kids growing up in suburbia. The novel starts with the gang in eighth grade and goes through their senior year. It's told in snippets from various students, as well as Miss Nicoll.
The problem, for me, is that it read more like a series of interconnected short stories than a novel. We get brief insights into a variety of students, but no real depth or insight into anyone. You're able to infer a lot about each and how their home life and past has affected them, but every student's piece leaves you wanting more, feeling unfinished. Even Miss Nicoll's role sort of trails off. It's a shame, because most of the teens are so clearly written that you can visualize them so well - they each stand out on the page, and each one could have commanded the book on their own. Instead, they come and go, and at times, the plot veers off into strange side stories that seem unnecessary or unbelievable.
This is one of those novels that terrifies me to have my children grow up, because it presents high school as one never-ending saga of bullying and partying. The rich, disaffected teens are abandoned by their similarly rich and disaffected parents and no one really seems to care about anything. Still, you find yourself getting into one kids' story, only to have the point of view turn and you're thrust into another student's life instead. By the end, I found myself frustrated, wanting to know more, and wishing for more finality to, well, everything. 3.5 stars
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
I'd heard a lot of advance praise for this novel, and had put it on hold at my local library ages ago. I was excited to finally get a chance to read it, but upon finishing it, was left feeling conflicted. This is going to be yet another one of those lauded novels that everyone loves where I feel a bit "eh." Don't get me wrong: this is a well-written book--even a beautiful one at times--and it often tells a compelling and sometimes frightening story of kids growing up in suburbia. The novel starts with the gang in eighth grade and goes through their senior year. It's told in snippets from various students, as well as Miss Nicoll.
The problem, for me, is that it read more like a series of interconnected short stories than a novel. We get brief insights into a variety of students, but no real depth or insight into anyone. You're able to infer a lot about each and how their home life and past has affected them, but every student's piece leaves you wanting more, feeling unfinished. Even Miss Nicoll's role sort of trails off. It's a shame, because most of the teens are so clearly written that you can visualize them so well - they each stand out on the page, and each one could have commanded the book on their own. Instead, they come and go, and at times, the plot veers off into strange side stories that seem unnecessary or unbelievable.
This is one of those novels that terrifies me to have my children grow up, because it presents high school as one never-ending saga of bullying and partying. The rich, disaffected teens are abandoned by their similarly rich and disaffected parents and no one really seems to care about anything. Still, you find yourself getting into one kids' story, only to have the point of view turn and you're thrust into another student's life instead. By the end, I found myself frustrated, wanting to know more, and wishing for more finality to, well, everything. 3.5 stars
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Judge (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Family dramas are nothing new for most people but for hotshot defense lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), things are about to get supremely intense following the passing of his mother. Forced to go back to the small Indiana town that he grew up in, Hank has very much become the victim of his success in Chicago. While he has material goods and a wonderful daughter, his marriage is falling apart and he returns home out of a sense of duty, eager to get away from their at his earliest opportunity. His brothers Glen and Dale (Vincent D’Ofrio and Jeremy Strong), are happy to see him but unfortunately the visit brings up old wounds between Hank and his father Judge Palmer (Robert Duvall).
The duo have a very bitter history between them and at their mothers wake things can best be described as icily civil between them. Hank looks forward to catching the early flight out in the morning eager to put the town behind him forever when early the next morning their lives take a change when the judges prize Cadillac is discovered to have damage consistent from a collision.
These feisty and defiant judge claims he hit nothing and he maintains this stance even when the police show up and he is suspected of vehicular homicide. Further compounding the case is that the victim was known to the judge and had been recently released after being sentenced for murder. The fact that the two individuals had a prior and bitter history with one another makes the judge a prime candidate for vehicular homicide.
Despite his best wishes and in defiance of his father, Hank decides to represent his father and pending trial as he clearly sees that his father’s representative (Dax Sheppard), is no match for the hotshot prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton), that is been brought in to prosecute the judge. In what can best be described as a hate/hate relationship Hank is supremely conflicted but wants to do right by his father.
Further complicating matters is the emergence of his old high school girlfriend Samantha (Vera Farmiga), who causes Hank to revisit childhood memories both painful and pleasant. Along the way new discoveries are made that causes Hank to reevaluate his father as well as his life and family and take stock of his priorities.
The film has some funny and tender moments in between the courtroom proceedings which at times our little incredulous yet always captivating.
The cast is first-rate specifically Downey Jr. and Duvall who do Oscar quality work in their roles. While some may be quick to dismiss the film is courtroom procedural, I found “The Judge” to be a very interesting and engaging human drama about very real characters and their all too relatable clauses human beings. These are not Teflon superheroes but rather real flesh and blood people confronted with problems and emotions that people in the audience should be able to rate late to even if they had not experienced them first-hand.
The supporting cast was fantastic and the pacing of the film helped to move things along despite the nearly two-hour runtime. The film is rated R due to some very intense moments and conversations between the characters but stands out as one of the more memorable and enjoyable films of 2014 .
http://sknr.net/2014/10/10/judge/
The duo have a very bitter history between them and at their mothers wake things can best be described as icily civil between them. Hank looks forward to catching the early flight out in the morning eager to put the town behind him forever when early the next morning their lives take a change when the judges prize Cadillac is discovered to have damage consistent from a collision.
These feisty and defiant judge claims he hit nothing and he maintains this stance even when the police show up and he is suspected of vehicular homicide. Further compounding the case is that the victim was known to the judge and had been recently released after being sentenced for murder. The fact that the two individuals had a prior and bitter history with one another makes the judge a prime candidate for vehicular homicide.
Despite his best wishes and in defiance of his father, Hank decides to represent his father and pending trial as he clearly sees that his father’s representative (Dax Sheppard), is no match for the hotshot prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton), that is been brought in to prosecute the judge. In what can best be described as a hate/hate relationship Hank is supremely conflicted but wants to do right by his father.
Further complicating matters is the emergence of his old high school girlfriend Samantha (Vera Farmiga), who causes Hank to revisit childhood memories both painful and pleasant. Along the way new discoveries are made that causes Hank to reevaluate his father as well as his life and family and take stock of his priorities.
The film has some funny and tender moments in between the courtroom proceedings which at times our little incredulous yet always captivating.
The cast is first-rate specifically Downey Jr. and Duvall who do Oscar quality work in their roles. While some may be quick to dismiss the film is courtroom procedural, I found “The Judge” to be a very interesting and engaging human drama about very real characters and their all too relatable clauses human beings. These are not Teflon superheroes but rather real flesh and blood people confronted with problems and emotions that people in the audience should be able to rate late to even if they had not experienced them first-hand.
The supporting cast was fantastic and the pacing of the film helped to move things along despite the nearly two-hour runtime. The film is rated R due to some very intense moments and conversations between the characters but stands out as one of the more memorable and enjoyable films of 2014 .
http://sknr.net/2014/10/10/judge/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Vacancy (2007) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
While driving down a back road late one evening on their way to L.A. an embattled couple, are about to make a stop that could cost them their lives. In Vacancy, Amy and David Fox, are returning home from a trip to celebrate the anniversary of their in laws.
The fact that they had to hide their failing marriage, and the tensions that still remain as a result, have driven Amy and David to the point of irritability and they never cease to find new ways to verbally spar with one another.
When their car breaks down, they are happy to discover a gas station attendant who tells them that he can get their car repaired enough to make it to the next town where they will be able to get the help that they need in the morning.
This proves not to be the case as their car once again breaks down shortly after they resume their trip, which forces Amy and David to walk back into town and stay the night at the only hotel in the remote locale.
Frustrated by their situation, the two resign themselves to their situation and check into the hotel and soon make a startling discovery. A stack of video tapes in the room seems to indicate that a series of ghastly murders has been committed in their room, and when hidden cameras are discovered, Amy and David soon realize that they are to be the stars of a future tape.
Trapped and alone, the duo must stave off a series of attacks and find a way to survive, so they can escape the nightmare they have stumbled into.
At first the premise of the film seems to be a step above the usual genre film, as the two leads, Wilson and Beckinsale, bring acredibility to their roles, and do develop their characters beyond the paper thin constructs that are so common in films of this type.
Sadly the film does not take advantage of this advantage and soon becomes a series of pat situations and a surprisingly odd lack of tension and suspense in the film.
One of the biggest problems in the film is that it tips it’s hand way to early in the film, as we know what is going on as the discovery of the tapes eliminates much of the mystery. Had the film saved this piece of information until the end of the film, it might have had far more impact as the audience would be left wondering why the bizarre events were happening to the couple.
Another issue for me was the small cast, as with only Wilson and Beckinsale in peril for the majority of the film, the tension level was greatly reduced, as you know that neither of them is going to be killed early in the film, as that would leave the movie without any protagonists.
As much as I liked the concept and casting, especially Frank Whaley as the creepy hotel clerk, Vacancy is simply a good idea that never rises above its premise, and ends up content to recycle the same old formula from dozens of other horror films without offering any of the thrills or chills, and leaves you unsatisfied.
The fact that they had to hide their failing marriage, and the tensions that still remain as a result, have driven Amy and David to the point of irritability and they never cease to find new ways to verbally spar with one another.
When their car breaks down, they are happy to discover a gas station attendant who tells them that he can get their car repaired enough to make it to the next town where they will be able to get the help that they need in the morning.
This proves not to be the case as their car once again breaks down shortly after they resume their trip, which forces Amy and David to walk back into town and stay the night at the only hotel in the remote locale.
Frustrated by their situation, the two resign themselves to their situation and check into the hotel and soon make a startling discovery. A stack of video tapes in the room seems to indicate that a series of ghastly murders has been committed in their room, and when hidden cameras are discovered, Amy and David soon realize that they are to be the stars of a future tape.
Trapped and alone, the duo must stave off a series of attacks and find a way to survive, so they can escape the nightmare they have stumbled into.
At first the premise of the film seems to be a step above the usual genre film, as the two leads, Wilson and Beckinsale, bring acredibility to their roles, and do develop their characters beyond the paper thin constructs that are so common in films of this type.
Sadly the film does not take advantage of this advantage and soon becomes a series of pat situations and a surprisingly odd lack of tension and suspense in the film.
One of the biggest problems in the film is that it tips it’s hand way to early in the film, as we know what is going on as the discovery of the tapes eliminates much of the mystery. Had the film saved this piece of information until the end of the film, it might have had far more impact as the audience would be left wondering why the bizarre events were happening to the couple.
Another issue for me was the small cast, as with only Wilson and Beckinsale in peril for the majority of the film, the tension level was greatly reduced, as you know that neither of them is going to be killed early in the film, as that would leave the movie without any protagonists.
As much as I liked the concept and casting, especially Frank Whaley as the creepy hotel clerk, Vacancy is simply a good idea that never rises above its premise, and ends up content to recycle the same old formula from dozens of other horror films without offering any of the thrills or chills, and leaves you unsatisfied.