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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2316 KP) rated Feta Attraction (Greek to Me Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Georgie’s husband goes missing, she doesn’t think much of it. Spiro has done that several times since he came out of the closet. However, when he doesn’t show up for an appointment, she begins to worry, and the strange notes she is receiving aren’t helping. However, finding the body floating in the St. Lawrence River really makes her start to investigate. What is going on?
There are lots of threads at the start of this book, but they soon begin to weave into one coherent story. Georgie helps hold things together, too; she is such a likable main character, you can’t help but root for her to get a happy ending. I really enjoyed this debut and think it looks like the start of a fun series.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-feta-attraction-by-susannah.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
There are lots of threads at the start of this book, but they soon begin to weave into one coherent story. Georgie helps hold things together, too; she is such a likable main character, you can’t help but root for her to get a happy ending. I really enjoyed this debut and think it looks like the start of a fun series.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-feta-attraction-by-susannah.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Cutie's Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard in Books
Jun 16, 2018
Cutie’s Big Adventures: Cutie Meets Mr. Lizard by Felicia Di John is a wonderful story.
Cutie is a sweet, curious and adventurous dog who lives in a house in the desert. Her mom Ava Rose is six years old and loves Cutie very much. She would like to play with her all day, but she must go to school. Cutie is never happy when her mom leaves her for school because that means she will be home all alone. So today, Cutie decides to go outdoors by herself to play. She explores the desert around her, makes a new friend, and finds that some animals eat strange things. She is having so much fun that she almost forgets to get back home before her mom arrives.
I read this book to my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students. They loved the book and begged for more stories of Cutie. The story was captivating and the pictures appeared to jump off the page.
Cutie is a sweet, curious and adventurous dog who lives in a house in the desert. Her mom Ava Rose is six years old and loves Cutie very much. She would like to play with her all day, but she must go to school. Cutie is never happy when her mom leaves her for school because that means she will be home all alone. So today, Cutie decides to go outdoors by herself to play. She explores the desert around her, makes a new friend, and finds that some animals eat strange things. She is having so much fun that she almost forgets to get back home before her mom arrives.
I read this book to my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students. They loved the book and begged for more stories of Cutie. The story was captivating and the pictures appeared to jump off the page.

Kristin (149 KP) rated Forbidden (Arotas Trilogy, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the very first chapter, I was captured, hook, line, and sinker. The fate of Roseline's family/friends was just so raw, I could picture it in my head, and it made me shudder. I read as fast as I could to find out what happened to her as she started her new life in the U.S. as Rose. Her new-found friends, the strange connection she feels with the star quarterback, and her worries of being found definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would all come together for her, and if she could continue to evade her immortal family.
The ending was INCREDIBLY awesome, and I'll definitely be waiting on pins and needles for more of this story. I can't wait to see how it continues from here, and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.
5 stars
From the very first chapter, I was captured, hook, line, and sinker. The fate of Roseline's family/friends was just so raw, I could picture it in my head, and it made me shudder. I read as fast as I could to find out what happened to her as she started her new life in the U.S. as Rose. Her new-found friends, the strange connection she feels with the star quarterback, and her worries of being found definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would all come together for her, and if she could continue to evade her immortal family.
The ending was INCREDIBLY awesome, and I'll definitely be waiting on pins and needles for more of this story. I can't wait to see how it continues from here, and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.
5 stars

Lindsay (1735 KP) rated The Inn at Ocean's Edge (Sunset Cove, #1) in Books
Aug 30, 2018
I would say this book is really a good read. It sure has the mystery element to it. We learn the mysteries throughout the book. It more of a thriller and mystery combination.
There are crime and detective going on as well in this story plot. Claire returns to the Inn at the Ocean Edge and things start to happen to her. Is she the real Claire Delmore?
There seems to be a cover-up story or is Harry Delmore hiding something from his daughter? Her grandmother also is acting strange when Claire starts wondering and questing about herself.
We also meet Luke Rocco and his sister. He thinks that Claire had disappeared around the same time his mother disappeared. Is there a connection between the two?
Colleen does tell a story that will make hungry for more. The plot is written well. The characters are developed and show their personalities. This book a cannot put down the book once you get into the action.
There are crime and detective going on as well in this story plot. Claire returns to the Inn at the Ocean Edge and things start to happen to her. Is she the real Claire Delmore?
There seems to be a cover-up story or is Harry Delmore hiding something from his daughter? Her grandmother also is acting strange when Claire starts wondering and questing about herself.
We also meet Luke Rocco and his sister. He thinks that Claire had disappeared around the same time his mother disappeared. Is there a connection between the two?
Colleen does tell a story that will make hungry for more. The plot is written well. The characters are developed and show their personalities. This book a cannot put down the book once you get into the action.

Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated The Regulars in Books
Oct 1, 2018
I was SO excited to read this book, it was on a ton of hottest/best books of the summer lists so I figured it just had to be great. Not so much. I was very disappointed when I finally finished it. It started out good enough but as it progressed the characters just got on my nerves. I couldn't relate to any of them and the things they did often made little sense. The constant feminism was annoying and felt like all there was to that particular character, another was flakey to the extreme and while somewhat funny at first it became grating as, again, that's all there was to her character, and the remaining protagonist was just strange. She was perhaps the least flat of the three but I found it impossible to relate or identity with her. The plot was intriguing and unlike anything I've read before but it seemed to be more afterthought than integral. A serious let down :(
This is a novella, which I think threw a lot of people who were expecting a full length book. What surprised me, is how rounded the characters were in only 132 pages.
The main character, Scott, realises he is losing weight at an alarming weight, and the strange thing is, is that he looks exactly the same. He seeks the advice of a friend - a retired doctor who is as clueless as he is.
Meanwhile, he has an encounter with some new neighbours, a married lesbian couple whose dogs have been using his lawn as their toilet. DeeDee, one of the women, is very defensive, blows it out of proportion and wants nothing to do with him. But after a local 12K race, this all changes.
What happens though, to a man who continues to lose weight? What will happen when he hits zero?
I really enjoyed this. I really liked the characters, and the ending was quite something!!
The main character, Scott, realises he is losing weight at an alarming weight, and the strange thing is, is that he looks exactly the same. He seeks the advice of a friend - a retired doctor who is as clueless as he is.
Meanwhile, he has an encounter with some new neighbours, a married lesbian couple whose dogs have been using his lawn as their toilet. DeeDee, one of the women, is very defensive, blows it out of proportion and wants nothing to do with him. But after a local 12K race, this all changes.
What happens though, to a man who continues to lose weight? What will happen when he hits zero?
I really enjoyed this. I really liked the characters, and the ending was quite something!!

MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated An Anonymous Girl in Books
Dec 4, 2018
Missing that big reveal.
Like other reviewers, I was super excited when I learned that the authors of The Wife Between Us would be releasing a new book, and I could not wait to dive in! While An Anonymous Girl was GOOD, it wasn't GREAT.
I enjoyed the actual story very much, and I felt like I needed to find out what was going on. I liked the concept of the morality study, and puzzled over some of the questions myself. I sympathized with Jess, and found Dr. Shields to be fascinatingly twisted. The characters were well-written and the plot was well-developed, however it's missing a "big reveal," as we were gifted with in The Wife Between Us. There are plenty of smaller reveals throughout the story to keep it interesting, but I kept waiting for the big one, and was disappointed.
The ending was also a bit strange...kind of "that's it?"
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARE!
I enjoyed the actual story very much, and I felt like I needed to find out what was going on. I liked the concept of the morality study, and puzzled over some of the questions myself. I sympathized with Jess, and found Dr. Shields to be fascinatingly twisted. The characters were well-written and the plot was well-developed, however it's missing a "big reveal," as we were gifted with in The Wife Between Us. There are plenty of smaller reveals throughout the story to keep it interesting, but I kept waiting for the big one, and was disappointed.
The ending was also a bit strange...kind of "that's it?"
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARE!

Awix (3310 KP) rated Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019) in Movies
Oct 23, 2019
Another customarily superb animation from Aardman. Strange goings-on at Mossy Bottom Farm presage the first contact between alien life and, er, sheepkind, as Shaun the Sheep befriends an excitable alien who is stranded on Earth. Can the flock get her home before she falls into the clutches of the sinister Ministry for Alien Detection?
Not quite the utterly perfect gem that the first movie was, but still tremendously enjoyable and made to the highest possible standards, both of animation and scripting (one of the best jokes comes at the very, very end of the film). Also manages to be surprisingly poignant in places - but mostly it's just witty and fun by turns. Many references to classic sci-fi fill the movie; some are obvious, others are buried in the background or only appear for a second or so - you have to be some kind of obsessive to get them all, but I would imagine this film is fun for regular type people too.
Not quite the utterly perfect gem that the first movie was, but still tremendously enjoyable and made to the highest possible standards, both of animation and scripting (one of the best jokes comes at the very, very end of the film). Also manages to be surprisingly poignant in places - but mostly it's just witty and fun by turns. Many references to classic sci-fi fill the movie; some are obvious, others are buried in the background or only appear for a second or so - you have to be some kind of obsessive to get them all, but I would imagine this film is fun for regular type people too.

ClareR (5846 KP) rated Walking to Aldebaran in Books
Jul 19, 2019
Walking to Aldebaran is an absolute corker of a novella. I loved it - if you enjoy science fiction, it’s a no-brainer, but this story is more than that. It’s about the slow (or fast! Err, you need to read it) descent into insanity of a man stranded alone inside a planet/ wormhole/ crypt! The main character, Gary Rendell, gets separated from his fellow crew members when they disembark from their ship to explore a strange planet-sized ‘rock’. It’s creepy, startling and SO WELL WRITTEN! You can’t help but like Gary - whether you should or not is another matter entirely!
How Adrian Tchaikovsky manages to cram so much in to 140 pages will be why he’s the writer that I want to read (and why I’m not the writer 🤷🏼♀️). Oh, and I did like what was done with the names - Gary’s name will become clearer nearer the end of the story!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this fab book!
How Adrian Tchaikovsky manages to cram so much in to 140 pages will be why he’s the writer that I want to read (and why I’m not the writer 🤷🏼♀️). Oh, and I did like what was done with the names - Gary’s name will become clearer nearer the end of the story!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this fab book!

Cori June (3033 KP) rated Lilo & Stitch (2002) in Movies
Jul 26, 2019 (Updated Jul 26, 2019)
Music (2 more)
Animation
Characters
Contains spoilers, click to show
An underrated Disney film, Lilo and Stitch is a great movie. It shows the hardships of keeping family together and the value of knowing you can pick your family, sort of.
Lolo is a strange kid even under Disney standards, with her stories, voodoo dolls, and taking random (tourist) pictures. There are two places that never fail to make me cry and if I don't at the scene with the hammock when Nani is singing to Lilo then I lose it when Stitch is lost in the forest waiting on his family. It's not all sad Lilo teaching Stitch about how to behave using Elvis as a model and everything falling apart is priceless.
I love David and although Nani is too busy to be looking for any romantic anything he doesn't overly pressure her and you can tell he cares for her and her family. Although he is way to chill when he meets all the other aliens.
Good movie for any age.
Lolo is a strange kid even under Disney standards, with her stories, voodoo dolls, and taking random (tourist) pictures. There are two places that never fail to make me cry and if I don't at the scene with the hammock when Nani is singing to Lilo then I lose it when Stitch is lost in the forest waiting on his family. It's not all sad Lilo teaching Stitch about how to behave using Elvis as a model and everything falling apart is priceless.
I love David and although Nani is too busy to be looking for any romantic anything he doesn't overly pressure her and you can tell he cares for her and her family. Although he is way to chill when he meets all the other aliens.
Good movie for any age.