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Suzanne is a fictionalized biography of the author's grandmother. Anais Barbeau-Lavalette's grandmother, the eponymous Suzanne, abandoned Barbeau-Lavalette's mother and uncle at a young age and went on to live on the fringes of important artistic and political movements throughout most of her lifetime.
From the first line, I was hooked. Barbeau-Lavalette's writing is beautiful and poetic. Suzanne is written in the second person and the reader is invited to empathize with a mother who left her children, a woman who alienates herself from family while searching for her place in society.
This book is more the author's way of learning to love her estranged grandmother than a straightforward biography. Many feelings are evoked for Suzanne, empathy, anger, disgust, and admiration to name a few. But in some ways, along with the author, we start to understand Suzanne and maybe forgive her.
I really enjoyed Suzanne and found it hard to put down. Suzanne Meloche is a very interesting figure who I loved learning about. Reading this book gave me some insight into history but mostly an insight into parts of the human experience that are sometimes difficult to understand.
From the first line, I was hooked. Barbeau-Lavalette's writing is beautiful and poetic. Suzanne is written in the second person and the reader is invited to empathize with a mother who left her children, a woman who alienates herself from family while searching for her place in society.
This book is more the author's way of learning to love her estranged grandmother than a straightforward biography. Many feelings are evoked for Suzanne, empathy, anger, disgust, and admiration to name a few. But in some ways, along with the author, we start to understand Suzanne and maybe forgive her.
I really enjoyed Suzanne and found it hard to put down. Suzanne Meloche is a very interesting figure who I loved learning about. Reading this book gave me some insight into history but mostly an insight into parts of the human experience that are sometimes difficult to understand.
ClareR (5884 KP) rated Future Home of the Living God in Books
Aug 2, 2018
It’s all been done before...
Cedar Hawk Songmaker is pregnant. Unfortunately, evolution seems to be going backwards at an alarming rate in all things: animals, crops, babies....
Society goes mad, the giver collapses, and a religious government takes over. Another story where a woman is just a womb and the baby is the only important thing. This frustrates me: there’s only a finite number of women, and surely only a small number who are able to give birth to babies who haven’t ‘devolved’? Why risk them dying? Why force them to ‘breed’? I just don’t get these stories. I liked the first person, diary entry approach to the novel, by the way. It works really well.
This is very similar to A Handmaids Tale: men and religion controls the state, a declining birth rate, Big Brother is watching (thanks to George Orwell for that little sort device). Nice touch with the Native American Indians, by the way.
I have an idea - how about a (good, well-written) story where there’s a declining birth rate, men are to blame and WOMEN are in charge?! Has anyone written that yet? I’d buy it! Any suggestions will probably be read!
Society goes mad, the giver collapses, and a religious government takes over. Another story where a woman is just a womb and the baby is the only important thing. This frustrates me: there’s only a finite number of women, and surely only a small number who are able to give birth to babies who haven’t ‘devolved’? Why risk them dying? Why force them to ‘breed’? I just don’t get these stories. I liked the first person, diary entry approach to the novel, by the way. It works really well.
This is very similar to A Handmaids Tale: men and religion controls the state, a declining birth rate, Big Brother is watching (thanks to George Orwell for that little sort device). Nice touch with the Native American Indians, by the way.
I have an idea - how about a (good, well-written) story where there’s a declining birth rate, men are to blame and WOMEN are in charge?! Has anyone written that yet? I’d buy it! Any suggestions will probably be read!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Fault in Our Stars in Books
Aug 21, 2018
I don't know how to start. I assume that everything I say will make the special effect of this book to disappear. There's one thing I learned from this book. We all have to die. It's the way it is. We can't change our Judgment Day. But we can define all our days before that day. The girl, Heizel, made me think about what it looks like to be diagnosed with cancer. I can't imagine it. She made me realize how lucky I am to be 17 and to be perfectly fine. It also made me think and not to forget that it all can actually change. As the teacher in the movie ,,Dead Poets Society'' said: Carpe diem - Seize the day. I realized I have to spend everyday like it is my last. But not to try to be remembered by all the people, but to be loved by the people that I also love. This is not a perfect Hollywood love story ok.. This is a reality show, it's exactly described as it is - painful and awful life. The one we all have to live...
Fred (860 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Sep 15, 2018
Great characters (3 more)
Tense action
Tilda Swinton
Great directing & story telling
A chiller thriller!
So, everyone left alive on Earth is on a big train. They can't can't get off the train because the world is frozen. There are classes in society & of course, the higher ups abuse their power. So, the oppressed fight back. As the lower class moves up, we see how the train is laid out. We learn the secrets of the train. And then, well watch the movie. I don't want to give any more of the story away.
Let me say that Tilda Swinton is fantastic in her role. Her character is one of the greatest I've seen on film. You hate her, you laugh at her, she's nice, she's a bitch. She is so great, I just want to watch the movie again to enjoy her.
There are some great scenes as well, that use lighting to a great effect. The action scenes are great, but the characters are better. You really get to know them & you want to know them.
If you're into sci-fi thrillers, don't miss this one!
Let me say that Tilda Swinton is fantastic in her role. Her character is one of the greatest I've seen on film. You hate her, you laugh at her, she's nice, she's a bitch. She is so great, I just want to watch the movie again to enjoy her.
There are some great scenes as well, that use lighting to a great effect. The action scenes are great, but the characters are better. You really get to know them & you want to know them.
If you're into sci-fi thrillers, don't miss this one!
A very topical graphic novel
This is very relevant at the moment. It makes for depressing reading about our society. A woman, Sabrina, goes missing and her boyfriend goes to stay with a childhood friend who is in the military, in order to get away from the media scrum. His friend is actually a very central character in all of this.
When Sabrina is found murdered, there are those on the internet who believe that this is 'fake news', that her murderer has been framed, and when they find out where her boyfriend is staying, they target the friend he is staying with. They send him emails trying to prove a conspiracy. When the video that the murderer made of Sabrinas actual death (which has been sent to news outlets)is leaked on to the internet, it means that anyone can watch the murder. But the conspiracy theorists still don't believe that this is all real. The it is a set up.
It's depressing and scary, and it really happens. It's fictionalised in the book, but it HAS happened. And that is what has made it stand out.
When Sabrina is found murdered, there are those on the internet who believe that this is 'fake news', that her murderer has been framed, and when they find out where her boyfriend is staying, they target the friend he is staying with. They send him emails trying to prove a conspiracy. When the video that the murderer made of Sabrinas actual death (which has been sent to news outlets)is leaked on to the internet, it means that anyone can watch the murder. But the conspiracy theorists still don't believe that this is all real. The it is a set up.
It's depressing and scary, and it really happens. It's fictionalised in the book, but it HAS happened. And that is what has made it stand out.
Before reading this I knew I was nice but not that I had the nice girl syndrome...which according to this book I have quite a severe version of. Once I was diagnosed it was time to learn how to do something about it. I could relate to a very large proportion of this book, however, as extreme niceness is a massive part of my personality I thought there's no way I could change it. I discovered it's not to change a person from being nice it's to give a nice girl some backbone... something that I don't have. I found myself nodding in agreement to a lot of points made in this book. Although in places it seemed quite patronizing, I thought that it was somewhat necessary for it to be blunt, not sunshine and rainbows, we are told from the start...being too nice? Yup, that's a problem! which, unfortunately, is true in society today, you will get treated like a doormat. If you think you may need to give your inner nice girl that kick up the backside she needs in order to have your opinion valued once in while....pick up this book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazuko) (2018) in Movies
Dec 3, 2018 (Updated Dec 3, 2018)
Got to admit, feels a bit odd to be giving a Palm d'Or winning film only a 9 out of 10, but you have to call them as you see them. A loving but totally amoral family make a living from various types of fraud and petty crime; when they find an abused child lives not far from them they end up benevolently and accidentally kidnapping her. Not one of those films which is really driven by plot (until close to the end, at least), but an examination of the idea of family and its importance at all levels of society.
A notably warm and non-judgemental film, no matter how bleak the subject matter may sound, driven along by understated storytelling and with excellent performances from the 'parents' of the shoplifter family. The compassion of the director towards all of the characters is palpable, even when they are at their worst (which can be pretty bad). If the film never completely resolves the moral ambiguities at its heart, then it is surely wholly intentional. Probably no-one's idea of mainstream entertainment, but a notably fine and moving film nevertheless.
A notably warm and non-judgemental film, no matter how bleak the subject matter may sound, driven along by understated storytelling and with excellent performances from the 'parents' of the shoplifter family. The compassion of the director towards all of the characters is palpable, even when they are at their worst (which can be pretty bad). If the film never completely resolves the moral ambiguities at its heart, then it is surely wholly intentional. Probably no-one's idea of mainstream entertainment, but a notably fine and moving film nevertheless.
Alicia S (193 KP) rated Under the Northern Lights in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Mallory, a professional photographer, is making her annual flight up to Alaska to enjoy the remoteness and the capture images of the wildlife she loves so much. What she didn't expect is for her plane to go down in a remote area after unexpected weather hits her. Left without any supplies, badly injured and surrounded by danger, she assumes this is the end. Seconds away from death, a mysterious man, living alone in the mountains saves her life.
After spending years alone, having given up on society and life in general, Michael can't help but find himself growing more and more appreciative of Mallory's presence as they face the harsh realities of living in remote Alaska together. Stuck until Spring when he can finally fly them out and to safety, they must learn to live together, relying on each other in this remote land.
SC Stephens has an incredible way of writing that completely rips your heart out, yet you just can't turn away. She hooked me years ago with her Thoughtless series (still my all-time favorite) and she has once again created a beautiful story about survival, faith, and love. Highly, highly recommended!
After spending years alone, having given up on society and life in general, Michael can't help but find himself growing more and more appreciative of Mallory's presence as they face the harsh realities of living in remote Alaska together. Stuck until Spring when he can finally fly them out and to safety, they must learn to live together, relying on each other in this remote land.
SC Stephens has an incredible way of writing that completely rips your heart out, yet you just can't turn away. She hooked me years ago with her Thoughtless series (still my all-time favorite) and she has once again created a beautiful story about survival, faith, and love. Highly, highly recommended!
Natacha (374 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books
Aug 10, 2019
I pick this book just after finishing “Shades of Magic” trilogy. I wanted to read more V.E Schwab and I like the premises of the story.
Things I like:
- The main idea of the book. Violence creates real and deadly monsters. I thought the was very unique.
-The idea of killing using something as beautiful as music create a beautiful was conflicted
-August is such a complex character. Was born from the worst act of violence, he very own nature is to kill humans that have committed crimes but his heart he just wants to be normal.
- How morally grey the whole story was and how it makes you reflect on how people think and act and how sometimes people do bad things for good reason and if they should or not being all punished in the same way.
- The relation between the two main characters. Their relationship grew in a nice and mature way.
-It does reflect some issue that we have in our society.
Things I didn’t like:
- Cliche school scene. Our two protagonists are teenagers and the beginning of the book start with a loot of overused scene.
Things I like:
- The main idea of the book. Violence creates real and deadly monsters. I thought the was very unique.
-The idea of killing using something as beautiful as music create a beautiful was conflicted
-August is such a complex character. Was born from the worst act of violence, he very own nature is to kill humans that have committed crimes but his heart he just wants to be normal.
- How morally grey the whole story was and how it makes you reflect on how people think and act and how sometimes people do bad things for good reason and if they should or not being all punished in the same way.
- The relation between the two main characters. Their relationship grew in a nice and mature way.
-It does reflect some issue that we have in our society.
Things I didn’t like:
- Cliche school scene. Our two protagonists are teenagers and the beginning of the book start with a loot of overused scene.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Greig's book takes a look at the Beau Monde - the fashionable elite - ranging from the 'Glorious Revolution' up to the early part of the 19th century. The Beau Monde and The Season were instigated by the more important role of parliament following the deposition of James II by his daughter and her husband - William III & Mary II. The peerage would spend a good deal of their time in London attending parliament, and so so social 'Season' was born. It was interesting to see the extent to which politics permeated the fashionable society and the importance of 'gossip' and 'chit chat' which letters from wives to husbands can be full of. The book covers jewellery and dress, exile from the Beau Monde and fraudulent claims to membership, court attendance and much more. Particularly with the clothing and jewellery, I think this would really have been enhanced with coloured plates, but sadly all the illustrations are black and white.
In her introduction, Greig states that this book has grown out of her doctoral thesis on the subject. It is a quite a scholarly read, but not completely inaccessible to the general reader.
In her introduction, Greig states that this book has grown out of her doctoral thesis on the subject. It is a quite a scholarly read, but not completely inaccessible to the general reader.