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Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Comeback Cowboy in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The book starts out with much promise, as Ty and Adele have instant chemistry. Even though both have reservations about their relationship, it is obvious to the reader that the pair are good for each other, both romantically and on the ranch.
Ty is easily a rather likable guy, as he is able to humble himself enough to seek help for his career, as well as put aside his own competitiveness for the sake of the concerns of others. Adele, on the other hand, never really seems to mature beyond who is she is introduced in the beginning as. She uses the demise of her parents' marriage and her mother's promiscuous behavior to validate her avoidance of Ty, and later, her lies to him. Even when her mother comes to make amends and change her lifestyle, and she learns more about her parents' marriage, Adele still continues in her own bad behavior. Her behavior is also rather hypocritical from what she claims to want from life.
The ending was a disappointment simply because Adele never really changed her behavior - she only did what she was supposed to thanks to her meddling grandpa. If she had actually managed to make herself stop telling lies without being cornered into it, I likely would have liked her more.
Ty is easily a rather likable guy, as he is able to humble himself enough to seek help for his career, as well as put aside his own competitiveness for the sake of the concerns of others. Adele, on the other hand, never really seems to mature beyond who is she is introduced in the beginning as. She uses the demise of her parents' marriage and her mother's promiscuous behavior to validate her avoidance of Ty, and later, her lies to him. Even when her mother comes to make amends and change her lifestyle, and she learns more about her parents' marriage, Adele still continues in her own bad behavior. Her behavior is also rather hypocritical from what she claims to want from life.
The ending was a disappointment simply because Adele never really changed her behavior - she only did what she was supposed to thanks to her meddling grandpa. If she had actually managed to make herself stop telling lies without being cornered into it, I likely would have liked her more.
A much better sequel
Me Before You was such an unexpectedly good, sweet and heartwarming read. Sadly the sequel, After You, was a massive let down and I'd been expecting more of the same with Still Me. But fortunately, Still Me does fairly well in being the sequel we really should have had to begin with.
Louisa is a loveable character, although her chattiness and ineptitude sometimes comes across as either vexing or almost cringeworthy, and the same can be said of some of the predicaments she gets herself in. That's not to say I can't relate to parts of her life and emotions, and it's these parts that really drew me into this book. It was also nice to see Louisa finally doing what Will had wanted her to do. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear or two towards the end.
The main problem with this book is it's completely unnecessary. There was really no need for one sequel, let alone two, and despite the fact that this is a much better sequel, you get the feeling reading it that we would have been much better off leaving Louisa as she was at the end of Me Before You.
Louisa is a loveable character, although her chattiness and ineptitude sometimes comes across as either vexing or almost cringeworthy, and the same can be said of some of the predicaments she gets herself in. That's not to say I can't relate to parts of her life and emotions, and it's these parts that really drew me into this book. It was also nice to see Louisa finally doing what Will had wanted her to do. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear or two towards the end.
The main problem with this book is it's completely unnecessary. There was really no need for one sequel, let alone two, and despite the fact that this is a much better sequel, you get the feeling reading it that we would have been much better off leaving Louisa as she was at the end of Me Before You.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated The Ghost of Christmas Past (Molly Murphy #17) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
December of 1906 finds Molly Murphy Sullivan hoping that the new year will bring some changes and good news. When she, her husband Daniel, and their son Liam get invited to a house party for Christmas on the Hudson, Molly thinks this might help take her mind off everything going on in her life. However, she finds the household has a weird tension to it, with relationships she can’t quite read. Then she learns that a child disappeared from this house 10 years before right before Christmas. Molly is determined to figure out what happened, but has it been too long?
As is often the case, we start out with some updates on the series regulars before Molly fully plunges into the mystery, but once she does, I was hooked. In fact, as soon as I got off work, I sat down to finish. While I don’t feel like Daniel has grown, I love the rest of the cast, and the new characters are very strong. There is a more serious tone than you might expect from a Christmas mystery, but the contrast works well in this case.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-ghost-of-christmas-past-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As is often the case, we start out with some updates on the series regulars before Molly fully plunges into the mystery, but once she does, I was hooked. In fact, as soon as I got off work, I sat down to finish. While I don’t feel like Daniel has grown, I love the rest of the cast, and the new characters are very strong. There is a more serious tone than you might expect from a Christmas mystery, but the contrast works well in this case.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-ghost-of-christmas-past-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Kite Runner in Books
Jun 19, 2018
Moving and beautifully written
I can safely say that this is hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. This book has been on my ‘to read’ list now for years, and I’ve never been moved to read it until now, mainly because I wasn’t sure it’d be my kind of story.... how wrong could I be.
This is possibly the most moving and beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. The narration by the protagonist Amir is brilliantly done and it hooks you in from the very start. I was never bored for a second, whether reading about his childhood in Afghanistan or his later life in America and beyond. This is a heartwarming tale in parts, but for the most it is very sad and depressing and is a very good portrayal of war torn Afghanistan. I’ve never felt so moved to tears as I have when reading this book.The story itself too is not in the slightest bit predictable and to say I was surprised at the developments over the course of the book would be an understatement.
An amazing read and one that is sure to stick with me for some time.
This is possibly the most moving and beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. The narration by the protagonist Amir is brilliantly done and it hooks you in from the very start. I was never bored for a second, whether reading about his childhood in Afghanistan or his later life in America and beyond. This is a heartwarming tale in parts, but for the most it is very sad and depressing and is a very good portrayal of war torn Afghanistan. I’ve never felt so moved to tears as I have when reading this book.The story itself too is not in the slightest bit predictable and to say I was surprised at the developments over the course of the book would be an understatement.
An amazing read and one that is sure to stick with me for some time.
Merissa (11958 KP) rated The Cardinal's Whores in Books
Oct 16, 2018
The Cardinal's Whores by Adrienne Blake
The Cardinal's Whores is the first book by this author I have read, and with the intriguing mix of fact and fiction she twisted into this story, she is definitely one on my watch list.
Joan Larke is a young woman, living with her brother, and hopeful for a marriage to a noble. However, when her path brings her to the attention of Thomas Wolsley, her life takes a different route. We stay with Wolsley throughout most of this book, but also see things from other's perspectives. This story touches on actual figures and events from that period of history, and then puts the author's take on things to make them fit here.
This was a very well written story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. The pacing was smooth, and the transition from one person's POV to the next was seamless. For those that like historical stories, something with a bit of steam, then I have no hesitation in recommending this one. Thoroughly enjoyable.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Joan Larke is a young woman, living with her brother, and hopeful for a marriage to a noble. However, when her path brings her to the attention of Thomas Wolsley, her life takes a different route. We stay with Wolsley throughout most of this book, but also see things from other's perspectives. This story touches on actual figures and events from that period of history, and then puts the author's take on things to make them fit here.
This was a very well written story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. The pacing was smooth, and the transition from one person's POV to the next was seamless. For those that like historical stories, something with a bit of steam, then I have no hesitation in recommending this one. Thoroughly enjoyable.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
JT (287 KP) rated Brightburn (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
What if superheroes didn’t arrive on earth with the soul purpose of saving humanity? What if their main intention was to cause pain and suffering? This is the unique premise used in Brightburn to great effect and turns the superhero genre on its head.
Kansas couple Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman) have been desperately trying to have a child, without success. When a mysterious object lands on their property they discover that all of their prayers have been answered – sound familiar? What begins as the perfect family life starts to unravel in sheer terror as their little bundle of joy turns out to be something far sinister, despite their denial that he might just might be a little misunderstood.
“It’s a boy”
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it unfolded. There was a solid amount of tension packed with good levels of gore. The jump scare is a staple part of the horror genre but it can become tiresome if not delivered in the right way. Thankfully in this instance it works and works well.
Post credits deliver more to the story which has the potential to spawn a sequel, although I prefer the idea that this is a one off.
Kansas couple Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman) have been desperately trying to have a child, without success. When a mysterious object lands on their property they discover that all of their prayers have been answered – sound familiar? What begins as the perfect family life starts to unravel in sheer terror as their little bundle of joy turns out to be something far sinister, despite their denial that he might just might be a little misunderstood.
“It’s a boy”
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it unfolded. There was a solid amount of tension packed with good levels of gore. The jump scare is a staple part of the horror genre but it can become tiresome if not delivered in the right way. Thankfully in this instance it works and works well.
Post credits deliver more to the story which has the potential to spawn a sequel, although I prefer the idea that this is a one off.
What the Grown-ups Were Doing: An Odyssey Through 1950s Suburbia
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Rudy (1993)
8.8
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All his life, people have told Rudy he's not good enough, not smart enough, not big enough. But...
Cut the Crap: The No-Nonsense Plan for a Healthy Body and Mind
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