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How It Was
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'IMMERSIVE, AMAZING, REMARKABLE' MARIAN KEYES 'WONDERFUL' EMMA KENNEDY 'JANET ELLIS WRITES WITH...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Lover Come Hack in Books
Nov 15, 2022 (Updated Nov 15, 2022)
Killer Hacks
Madison Night thought she and her new friend, Jane Strong, were going to enter the Very Important Projects (VIP) design contest together until she gets a nasty email from Jane. Madison’s attempt to talk to Jane about it doesn’t go well, and a few hours later Jane is dead. The police are looking at Madison as their primary suspect, so she has to balance the contest with figuring out what really happened to Jane. All of this is made harder by a hacker targeting her and others involved in the contest. What really happened?
This book starts out strongly and never really lets up. I held on through the twists and turns and was rewarded with a good climax. It was a little rushed, but that was minor. Another minor complaint was the timeline issues that should have been caught with a good edit. I love Madison and the rest of the supporting cast, so I was happy to visit them again. I’m curious to see what the results of some of the sub-plots here means for the next book in the series. I do wish Madison would trust people in her life more, but again, this is minor. Overall, this was a fun book that kept me entertained from start to finish.
This book starts out strongly and never really lets up. I held on through the twists and turns and was rewarded with a good climax. It was a little rushed, but that was minor. Another minor complaint was the timeline issues that should have been caught with a good edit. I love Madison and the rest of the supporting cast, so I was happy to visit them again. I’m curious to see what the results of some of the sub-plots here means for the next book in the series. I do wish Madison would trust people in her life more, but again, this is minor. Overall, this was a fun book that kept me entertained from start to finish.
ClareR (5686 KP) rated Madgermanes in Books
Feb 20, 2022
This is a really interesting period of history (for me, anyway!) and I enjoyed finding out about the ‘Madgermanes” or the Mozambicans who went to work in East Germany. After the wall between East and West Germany was erected, East Germany realised that they’d lost a lot of their workers to the West. So East Germany chose Mozambique as a sister country, and workers were sent to the GDR with promises of education, good work and good wages. Whilst they did get some education (if they largely sorted it out for themselves), the work could be simple and repetitive. What’s more, they only received half of their wages. They never got the half that had been sent back to Mozambique for ‘safekeeping’.
Housing for these visiting workers was usually in basic hostels, shared rooms, and away from the East Germans. Mixing was discouraged, as were relationships. Pregnancies were either terminated or the woman was sent home.
The pictures in the book are a wonderful mix of African and European, and some really big feelings are clearly illustrated. I loved it. I’d be really interested to know how many Mozambicans were able to stay in Germany and become German citizens. The novel implies that life was difficult for those who returned to Mozambique, financially, socially and culturally.
It’s a fascinating read, and one I’d recommend.
Housing for these visiting workers was usually in basic hostels, shared rooms, and away from the East Germans. Mixing was discouraged, as were relationships. Pregnancies were either terminated or the woman was sent home.
The pictures in the book are a wonderful mix of African and European, and some really big feelings are clearly illustrated. I loved it. I’d be really interested to know how many Mozambicans were able to stay in Germany and become German citizens. The novel implies that life was difficult for those who returned to Mozambique, financially, socially and culturally.
It’s a fascinating read, and one I’d recommend.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Shuggie Bain in Books
Jan 30, 2021
I don't typically read bildungsromans, I find them tedious, and I can't really relate to them. I decided to give this one a try, after it won the Booker Prize.
I don't think I ever need to read another coming of age story ever again, this one was so good. Now, this is a 'novel', but I think it's pretty obvious that it may be pretty close to the author's life.
This was the second book I read in 2020 that was named after the child 'Shuggie', but, in truth, it was about his alcoholic mother. It was mostly focused on her, which really made me think.
This book stuck with me because as I read it, it made me wonder if some of this was what my own father went through. He was the youngest, left by all his siblings, to care for his alcoholic mother after his father cheated on her and left her (exact story line of the novel). I have to thank Douglas Stuart for this novel, it really helped me understand my father's family dynamic and situation.
Damn, it was so good.
I don't think I ever need to read another coming of age story ever again, this one was so good. Now, this is a 'novel', but I think it's pretty obvious that it may be pretty close to the author's life.
This was the second book I read in 2020 that was named after the child 'Shuggie', but, in truth, it was about his alcoholic mother. It was mostly focused on her, which really made me think.
This book stuck with me because as I read it, it made me wonder if some of this was what my own father went through. He was the youngest, left by all his siblings, to care for his alcoholic mother after his father cheated on her and left her (exact story line of the novel). I have to thank Douglas Stuart for this novel, it really helped me understand my father's family dynamic and situation.
Damn, it was so good.
LOUISE HAY AFFIRMATION MEDITATIONS: ESSENTIAL AFFIRMATIONS FOR HEALTH, LOVE, SUCCESS & SELF-ESTEEM
Lifestyle and Health & Fitness
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Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Turning Forty in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Typical Mike Gayle
I loved this book. Written in a first person point of view, the reader counts down the days with Matt, until his 40th birthday. The beginning of the novel see's Matt in his expensive house, admiring his new shed paid for by his high flying job. This false sense of security is short lived and the reader watches as the protagonist's life falls apart.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Hair of the Dog in Books
May 11, 2018
Penny Has Another Hairy Case
Penny Lively’s cousin and best friend, Annie Moore, runs the animal clinic in town. Normally, everything flows smoothly there, but trouble is brewing. First, Annie has to fire Nicole, the clinic’s technician, for stealing medicine. Then Annie is caught over the dead body of Brian, her business partner. Naturally, the police start looking at Annie as their prime suspect, but Penny knows her cousin better than that. Brian was such a nice guy; who would want to kill him?
It is so wonderful to be back in the town of Cypress Cove. The characters are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing some relationships grow here. The new characters are just as strong. The plot is good, although the pacing is a little off in the second half. Still, things come together for a strong climax. I really felt like I was transported to the area. Penny, her town, and her vineyard were brought to wonderful life.
It is so wonderful to be back in the town of Cypress Cove. The characters are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing some relationships grow here. The new characters are just as strong. The plot is good, although the pacing is a little off in the second half. Still, things come together for a strong climax. I really felt like I was transported to the area. Penny, her town, and her vineyard were brought to wonderful life.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Samsung Galaxy S8 in Tech
May 28, 2019
So far, the S8 and the S8+ are simply the best phones I have ever had. The screen is beautiful, the operation is quick and accurate, the memory capacity is brilliant, and even the battery life, with fairly rigorous use (at full display setting etc), is pretty decent.
I say pretty decent; just by tweaking it slightly, and having slightly lower screen resolution (only noticable if you watch films) or extends it by a good few hours. By turning full power saving on (and even still having Facebook, WhatApp etc with notifications, and with light use) I have taken it camping on a Friday, and had enough battery to navigate my way home on the Monday.
For someone who wants a tablet, and a phone, go for the S8+ and just get that. They are absolutely brilliant, and although they are now a couple of years old, they are still right at the too of the leagues (in my opinion).
I say pretty decent; just by tweaking it slightly, and having slightly lower screen resolution (only noticable if you watch films) or extends it by a good few hours. By turning full power saving on (and even still having Facebook, WhatApp etc with notifications, and with light use) I have taken it camping on a Friday, and had enough battery to navigate my way home on the Monday.
For someone who wants a tablet, and a phone, go for the S8+ and just get that. They are absolutely brilliant, and although they are now a couple of years old, they are still right at the too of the leagues (in my opinion).
Awix (3310 KP) rated Legend (2015) in Movies
Jun 12, 2018 (Updated Jul 12, 2019)
Krays-y
Yet another movie glamourising the vicious real-life gangster siblings, with the principal gimmick of Tom Hardy playing both Krays through the wonders of something-or-other. Hardy is excellent as Reggie, the merely-psychotic brains of the outfit, but way over the top as Ronnie, who is portrayed as a slightly thick criminal maniac, and arguably played for laughs too. A friend of mine came out thinking this was intended to be a black comedy; she may not have been wrong.
There's a good supporting cast and it's quite well made, but the film seems much too keen to cut the Krays some slack, presenting them as roguish anti-heroes rather than the brutal thugs they actually were. The 1990 Peter Medak telling of the Krays' story was arguably more balanced - this is an uneasy combination of a 'those quaint old Brits' period drama and a modishly violent modern gangster film.
There's a good supporting cast and it's quite well made, but the film seems much too keen to cut the Krays some slack, presenting them as roguish anti-heroes rather than the brutal thugs they actually were. The 1990 Peter Medak telling of the Krays' story was arguably more balanced - this is an uneasy combination of a 'those quaint old Brits' period drama and a modishly violent modern gangster film.
A Beginner's Guide to Living on the Waterways
Book
An estimated 15,000 people live on board boats in the UK and at any one time thousands more are...