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What Beauty There Is
What Beauty There Is
Cory Anderson | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What Beauty There Is has to be my most surprising read of the year so far. What I wasn’t expecting was the beautiful, lyrical, desolate story of two brothers struggling to survive together against the odds. Everything is so well expressed in this novel: two boys left alone with nothing.

The older brother, 17 year old Jack, is determined not to lose his younger brother to the foster care system. When they find themselves alone with no chance of help, Jack decides that he needs to find the drug money that his father hid before his arrest. The thing is, he’s not the only one looking for the money. The man who is also looking for it, Bardem, will do anything to get what he believes is his. Jack and Matty’s lives are in danger. And not just from Bardem. The local drug dealers also want payback for what Jack and Matty’s father did, and they’re happy for the boys to pay for it - with their lives.
I spent most of this book with my heart in my mouth. These boys, even with the help of Ava, are in so much danger. The fact that Ava is Bardem’s daughter (an I’m giving nothing away here)did nothing to calm my fears for them.
I won’t sugar coat this - it’s not a happy book, and another clear example of the term “Young Adult” being completely arbitrary. The fact that it is under the YA heading really shouldn’t put anyone off reading it. It is so well written, stunningly so, and I’d highly recommend it.
  
Nine Small Sips (Tales Of Bryant #2)
Nine Small Sips (Tales Of Bryant #2)
V.L. Locey | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
my only fault? No Brian!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is NOT a stand alone, you really MUST read Tales of Bryant before this one, it is a continuation of Isamu and Brian’s story.

Brian and Isamu have a wedding coming up, and with an over sensitive-to-change wedding planner, a grandmother who demands traditions and a job that could take Isamu away from Brian so soon after their wedding, things are not going to plan!

Again, only the fact that Brian does not have a say is the only fault I can find with this book!

Adrian, the wedding planner, provides hysterical moments, that made me laugh out loud, cos the man simply does NOT like to change his wedding plans. But as Brian points out, it is NOT Adrian’s wedding, it is Isamu and Brian’s wedding, and Isamu needs to stand his ground.

Isamu’s grandmother and parents provide the serious side to this tale. Baba wants Isamu to embrace his Japanese heritage and include a ceremony that would honour his grandfather. I loved Isamu’s family. While they were still unsure about the age gap, they could see that Brian loves Isamu, and Isamu loves Brian.

We catch up with Isamu’s boss, Canada, oh, sorry, Caiden (love that Brian calls him Canada!) and with Isamu’s friend, Devon. Devon and Caiden have instant and powerful attraction, and I hope they get a tale of their own!

Its sexy and steamy in the most sweetest way, not quite as sweet as Tales of Bryant but still sugar rush enducing.

Like I said, just the fact that Brian isn’t given a voice, is the only reason I can’t stretch to 5 stars, and I am sorry for that!

4 very good stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies

Oct 5, 2019 (Updated Oct 5, 2019)  
Joker (2019)
Joker (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama
You were never really here.
Joker buries a knife deep into your chest right from the start and just when you feel it might finally be pulled out to give you relief it twists it in a little deeper. Make no mistake about it Joker is a slow burn drama/character study so those expecting big action and Batman are in for a real shock here but then again thats also what I think is so special. Joker works hard and earns its big explosive moments with such a steady, progresive, careful character build up that ensures when vilolence hits its shocking, powrful, cold and chilling and thats whats so refreshing and brave about it especially for a mainstream film. Theres no hand holding, no sugar coating and no holding back here and its absolutely riveting and glorious to behold playing out a cross between taxi driver and you were never really here joaquin phoenix plays an already dangerously unstable man pushed over his breaking point by life and society. From the moment we first set eyes on Arthur we see his pain seeping out through his pupils and an insight into his tortured mind. Its a story about an already fragile mind being pushed to a point where it finally snaps and shows how especially without the right help and support an avoidable monster is unleashed. We have all become so uncaring and selfish because of our own problems in life we fail to care and empathise with each other but its lack of care and understanding of mental ilness (treating it esentially like a joke) that leads Arther to finally snap. When he does finaly give its like a release for him all his sadness, anxiety and lack of confidence vanishes and we see man reshaped and reborn. Then theres his uncontrolable laugh which seems to come about when he's anxious or stressed and actually feels like it physicaly pains him everytime its released. Character progression is steady and realistic this man is clearly sick, had a rough upbringing, suffering from mental illness and he longs for a father figure and just to be loved which he tries to achieve from performing. Theres so many themes explored here the big one being how society and the media are partaily responsible for glamorising and encouraging violent behavior/serial killers making them popular/trendy and swaying other fragile tried and tested minds to rise up a follow the lead. Theres just so much to say about this film and its frying my head trying to get it all down and in readable state. At the end of the day Joker is fantastic and without a doubt the best comic book movie we have had to date setting the bar for all those that follow now. Its mature, graphic, highly depresing, intricate, unnerving, relevant and iteligent leaving such a thought provoking lasting impression that you cant help but be fearful and worried about the current state of the world we live in and how its changing for the worse becoming such a terifying and unsafe place.
  
Suspiciously Sweet
Suspiciously Sweet
Samantha SoRelle | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
so sweet but sexy too! Loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

What this book is, right, is a whole lotta weight gain, that's what it is! And I bloody loved it!

Grumpy meets sweet, Owen meets Trevor and both kinda fall into a friendship followed by a relationship. But both have secrets, and either one could break the heart of the other.

I think I gained ten pounds reading this, I really did!

It's so freaking sweet, and sexy but also quite emotional in a way I wasn't expecting for such a short book! It's only 137 pages, but it packs quite the sugar rush!

I loved that Trevor knows he can make or break a business, and for some reason, just walking into Nana O'Neill's bakery makes him want to save this one, on a level he never knew could exist. Throw in Owen and Trevor is in heaven. But Trevor wants more with Owen, and it takes time for them to get down and dirty, and I loved being made to wait for the main event!

Trevor creeps under Owen's skin, I think. It's not quite so instant, the things Owen wants creep up on him, and I loved watching the big man fall, and fall HARD!

The food descriptions are outta this world, and now I want to eat everything described here. ALL the things! I'll be so ill but hey, I don't freaking care!

I've not read anything else by this author, but my TBR pile just grew a bit bigger. This is what I love most about reviewing, finding new-to-me authors, with back lists for me to feast on!

A delicious, so incredibly too-stinking-cute and so much with the warm-and-fuzzies book, I've not had in a long ass time!

5 full and sweet stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere