“Bloody hands and broken backs. Strategy and trust. Complete trust that what the other does is for the best.
That we would value only ✰ 1.5 stars ✰
“Bloody hands and broken backs. Strategy and trust. Complete trust that what the other does is for the best.
That we would value only us. Being as one.”
To the Author,
I think you have a very compelling idea. The business world where lies and manipulation - distortion of the truth with no chance of a gray area for ethics is one that is a captivating one that can be both ruthless and invigorating to reach a daunting challenge. ...more
“For when one called a book too ugly for the world, one negated all the beauty found within. Books could have ugly parts, but no book wa✰ 2 stars ✰
“For when one called a book too ugly for the world, one negated all the beauty found within. Books could have ugly parts, but no book was ugly through and through.”
If I ever had to suggest a book to someone, Suggested Reading would not be one of them. Every banned book mentioned here - including even the recently-banned fictional Don't Tread On Me that stirs seventeen-year-old senior Carla into action to fight against the private school she attends for enforcing the law of banning certain books - is more appealing than this half-baked attempt at depicting how one student rallies her spirit and her classmates' resilience in fighting against the system and showing how important it is not to ban these books from reading.
[image]
There really is no way to sugarcoat this: I did not like it - this was not good. Despite how much the idea sounded so very appealing, Clara was so pretentious and self-involved and self-righteous in her way of approaching her fight against the school regime that I disliked the premise entirely. Add to that, for a list comprising nearly 50+ books, the author only recycled a handful of names repeatedly over and over! Plus, the usage of having black blurred lines at the start of each chapter was certainly an eyesore!
Merged review:
✰ 2 stars ✰
“For when one called a book too ugly for the world, one negated all the beauty found within. Books could have ugly parts, but no book was ugly through and through.”
If I ever had to suggest a book to someone, Suggested Reading would not be one of them. Every banned book mentioned here - including even the recently-banned fictional Don't Tread On Me that stirs seventeen-year-old senior Carla into action to fight against the private school she attends for enforcing the law of banning certain books - is more appealing than this half-baked attempt at depicting how one student rallies her spirit and her classmates' resilience in fighting against the system and showing how important it is not to ban these books from reading.
[image]
There really is no way to sugarcoat this: I did not like it - this was not good. Despite how much the idea sounded so very appealing, Clara was so pretentious and self-involved and self-righteous in her way of approaching her fight against the school regime that I disliked the premise entirely. Add to that, for a list comprising nearly 50+ books, the author only recycled a handful of names repeatedly over and over! Plus, the usage of having black blurred lines at the start of each chapter was certainly an eyesore!...more
“I’m the lucky one who gets to have you. They get a show for a few minutes. I get you for the rest of my life.”
The final installm✰ 2 stars ✰
“I’m the lucky one who gets to have you. They get a show for a few minutes. I get you for the rest of my life.”
The final installment of Power Exchange has Ben and Gavin teaming up once once more while on their honeymoon to uncover the truth behind the supposed accidental death of Ben's parents. These startling truths that their death was no accident, but rather a murder that went beyond the realm of their expectations and exploitations, and ones which will have them setting aside their own constituents and beliefs to pull off an elaborate and dangerous heist with a snarky if not sassy thief who will teach, push, prove and remind them of what was still missing in their dynamic, in order for them to truly move on. ...more
“Very poor indeed. Have you ever wondered, Rosa, what happens to ignorant, lazy children when they finally grow up?”
Rosa shook her h✰ 2 stars ✰
“Very poor indeed. Have you ever wondered, Rosa, what happens to ignorant, lazy children when they finally grow up?”
Rosa shook her head. She’d often wondered about running away but never about growing up.”
With traces of Roald Dahl's dark & whimsical humor, Rosa by Starlight had the potential to charm me with magical cats and a sympathetic eleven-year-old orphan, but it wasn't entirely able to do so. It is rather disappointing to admit how very odd this is.
Disoriented. That's the best way I can sum up my feelings after completing it; my mind and the writing did not blend together all the magical exploits or the whimsical dangers that Rosa embarked on, once she and her caretakers arrived in Venice. ...more
“You’re suspended in the present. Getting through each day without anyone finding out about you.
Running hard enough that you feel ✰ 2 stars ✰
“You’re suspended in the present. Getting through each day without anyone finding out about you.
Running hard enough that you feel okay.”
The internalized homophobia is very strong here. Colin's life has been dictated by the sheer need to appease his father, despite how he knows he perhaps will never get anything of value from him - be it love or respect, so the most he can do is behave in a way that will prevent him from ever earning a harsh rebuke from him. 'And, god help me, I don’t think I can live with that.'...more
“Friends you need to let go and hopefully, eventually, welcome back. And they’re all necessary. All friends are necessary.”
Tomas Moni✰ 2 stars ✰
“Friends you need to let go and hopefully, eventually, welcome back. And they’re all necessary. All friends are necessary.”
Tomas Moniz's latest novel All Friends Are Necessary is an ode to friendship and the joys and trials that come within a group of friends who weather the storms together through the eyes of the main character, Chino - a young man fresh off the path of a palpable heartache that came in a tragedy that broke off his marriage. With candid heart-to-heart, intimate reflections, it was a vivid portrayal of emotional connections with personal touches that are both humorous and emotional, it draws upon the aftermaths of the pandemic, while also learning to cope with it in their lives. ...more
“Everything and everyone in Humboldt County was connected to each other in that annoying and sometimes insidious way that visitors liked✰ 2 stars ✰
“Everything and everyone in Humboldt County was connected to each other in that annoying and sometimes insidious way that visitors liked to call “quaint” in tones that denoted their regard for such small-town trappings, so long as they were only experiencing them from the outside.”
There are a few select Four Letter Word options that I would like to use to describe my overall feelings, but I'll go with the most polite one I know, which is fine. Fine, because I thought it would be more of a gripping thriller, but it became obvious even before the halfway mark who was behind everything, and Izzy became a protagonist very hard to root for. The story takes place in a small seaside town where she and her rather troubled family are all set to host an Italian stranger, while a serial killer is on the large stalking young women. It had the potential to be an engrossing read, one with a bit more to it to intrigue me, but the tone and dynamics of the relationships was just too displeasing for me to get into it. ...more
“Horse people are always walking that line between being brave and being crazy. Sometimes it just depends on how things end up.”
As so✰ 1.5 stars ✰
“Horse people are always walking that line between being brave and being crazy. Sometimes it just depends on how things end up.”
As someone who loves horses, it's a shame that this didn't work its way into my heart - not for lack of trying, of course. The author had a nice idea, but it failed to land on me because of its weak execution and sadly, very unlikable protagonist, fourteen-year-old Sid, who has a dream of being a Catch Rider - a show rider who can ride anything— despite the hurdles she faces due to her poor background and competition from the more privileged girls.
It was a rather mediocre YA Novel - generic and predictable, which depicted a story of how someone can be so passionate for their love for something and still face numerous obstacles of which she has no control over - simply because of their social status. And Sid definitely did not shy away from stating how unfair her situation was - how very much more deserving she is of everything that the rich girls are already so very entitled to. I get it - you're poor, they're rich - they don't have a talent for horses the way you do, even though nothing you really did was exemplary or impressive compared to the others. ...more
How often do we think to ourselves if the life that we're leading is the one that we want? How o✰ 2 stars ✰
“The measure of your life lies within.”
How often do we think to ourselves if the life that we're leading is the one that we want? How often do you wonder if you're living life to your full potential, knowing that at some point, you'll have to wonder - is it enough? And what would you do if you were suddenly presented with a box that contained a string with a measurement that defined just how much of life you had left to live? Would you want to know what that number would be? How would you react to whatever it may have been? And when you know the inescapable truth, what would you do with the life that you have been left to lead? Nikki Elrick's debut novel The Measure is a portrayal of what the true measure of humanity is in the face of this strange phenomenon and how it drastically changes their lives forever.
“If I’ve learned anything from all the stories I’ve read—of love and friendship, adventure and bravery—it’s that living long is not the same as living well.”
It is always very jarring to have multiple points of views - even when you know that in the end that they are all going to come together. And yet, if the author had chosen to only depict a few select people and their reactions to this doomed box appearing in their lives, I believe the story could have been a much more tangible one. ...more
“They’re all too honest. It’s so simple, so easy. Life isn’t like this. They’re all living in some kind of delusion. This isn’t the re✰ 1.5 stars ✰
“They’re all too honest. It’s so simple, so easy. Life isn’t like this. They’re all living in some kind of delusion. This isn’t the real world.
And yet, maybe it is. Maybe out here in this small town, it really is just that simple.”
Jimbob, or as I like to call him, Jimbo, was a character introduced in Cora Rose + Nicole Dyke's collaborative series Behind the Camera - a 'sugary-sweet, innocent man who seems too fucking good for the big, bad world'. Having never read a book by Cora Rose and also realizing after two rather unappealing attempts with Nicole Dykes, I figured maybe the combined efforts of these two authors would prove to be a success; and surprisingly, I did enjoy reading that series - not taking itself too seriously, but still with enough heart and written well enough for me to look forward to Jimbob's story that was teased in the later books of the series - hoping against hope that they would continue to surprise me. ...more
“When the sun goes down each day it turns its back on the present and steps into the past,” she started with a strong, even voice, “but ✰ 2 stars ✰
“When the sun goes down each day it turns its back on the present and steps into the past,” she started with a strong, even voice, “but it is never dead. History is a form of nature, like the mountains and sea and sky {...}
Every living soul is a book of their own history, which sits on the ever-growing shelf in the library of human memories.”
Were it not for the fact that I was continuing my trend of reading the recipients of the Newbery Award, I probably would have never considered reading Dead End in Norvelt. And having read it, I am surprised that it did actually receive it, considering how I felt that it didn't quite serve as a middle grade read - add to the fact that the dead in the title plays such a pivotal part to the plot that I couldn't bring myself to really enjoy it as much as I should have.
“Norvelt was built so that families would have a fresh start in life, but now those people are old as the hills and the longer they hang on the less likely it is this town will survive.”
Set in the ancient sleepy town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack spends his summer grounded for an accident that literally backfired on him, which results in him being assigned to assist his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker with various unusual chores around the house, along with the task of typing out obituaries for their town newspaper, as the number of elderly people starts to escalate at an increasingly rapid pace. And while battling nose bleeds and chasing down varmints, he learns a little bit about the impact of history and the meaning of life.
So I'm going to be as gentle as I can with my thoughts, because as far as Middle Grade reads go, it definitely falls into a category that is not just unpleasant, but rather odd. ...more
“I wanted to ask if they missed me, if they could explain what it was like to fall in love? All these questions felt important in that m✰ 2 stars ✰
“I wanted to ask if they missed me, if they could explain what it was like to fall in love? All these questions felt important in that moment.
All of it felt as unknowable as where words came from, why stars were given their names, how two friends could learn to be more.”
I don't deny that being a debut author is a challenge all on its own; it takes courage and a lot of strength to share a part of your voice and see how they'll respond to it. I applaud authors who try to do something different than the norm - attempt to bring about a different take on a story that has been told numerous times in various forms - each hoping that there will be one that will leave a positive mark in the literary world. And sadly, How We Named the Stars may have had the potential to be an impactful read, the choice of writing style severely affected its overall promise.
“You hugged me so tightly you nearly knocked over my tray. But I didn’t mind, because being held by you was everything. It was, I was starting to realize, one step closer to what I really longed for but could not yet say aloud.”
For it was in the telling rather than the showing that the coming-of-age story of eighteen-year-old college student Daniel de Luna Luna suffered greatly. It has all the ingredients for an interesting story, albeit one done multiple times already. Daniel is shy and reserved, still uncomfortable in accepting his sexuality, still not prepared to be the social butterfly that his classmates and family so easily become. But, Sam, his engaging and vibrant roommate, is the one who sees something more in him - sees that under the shadow of a quiet person who wishes to remain in the shadows, lies the soul of someone he wants to get to know - someone who shines brighter than the stars that they're both fascinated with. ...more
“Where there is love, there is pain. Sometimes you just have to love people enough to let them go no matter how much it hurts.”
The only✰ 2 stars ✰
“Where there is love, there is pain. Sometimes you just have to love people enough to let them go no matter how much it hurts.”
The only real tragedy here was that I once again took a chance on a seemingly unknown book, only to admit that maybe why it is so unknown is that it really doesn't have much to show for it, either. It pains me always to write negative thoughts about a story, because I do recognize and appreciate the author's efforts. But when you have a title like The Tragedy of Us, you'd expect it to be something a bit more different than the usual generic cliché tropes that have been done and recycled more times than I can count.
“However, it is not the circumstances they meet in nor why they’d loved each other that makes their tale epic. It is the power of that love.
This all-in romance is what makes them epic. Who wouldn’t want to be someone’s everything?”
What actually irritated me even further is that despite how much I enjoy platonic friendships, if so much is centered on developing those relationships, rather than highlighting what it is about the romantic interest that draws the narrator towards them - then, how am I going to believe that their love is something as true and special as they make it out to be? ...more
“Somebody knows what happened, somebody remembers every detail, just not me.
And if I never remember, I’ll be stuck in here for life.”
Wi✰ 2 stars ✰
“Somebody knows what happened, somebody remembers every detail, just not me.
And if I never remember, I’ll be stuck in here for life.”
With a compelling start, I was hoping An Inquiry Into Innocence would hold my interest till the very end. Unfortunately, the grip it had on me started to loosen, when I felt that the story wasn't really following the intent of what the blurb had hinted towards. For a story that promised to talk about the inconsistencies of the legal system, I don't quite think it was covered enough - or even served as a worthwhile story line to the narrative.
“I’ve been here for seven years and am destined to be here for much longer.
Life was the recommended sentencing verdict, and life is what I got.”
For the last seven years, Eli Kelly has been imprisoned in the Irish prison - without any recollection of the fateful night that he was arrested for murder. It's difficult for him to recall the faintest memory of that night - bits of his memory scattered in his head - oftentimes leading him to believe that he may have been, in fact, been guilty. But, once his case garners the attention of a promising solicitor, who believes that his case was dismissed too easily, he starts working with a psychiatrist, who slowly but surely helps him regain the repressed memories of a life that may have been worse off than the life he has in prison. ...more
It’s not sentimental or endearing or uplifting, but it calms him. Maybe, for once, I said t✰ 2 stars ✰
“That’s what fake boyfriends are for, right?”
It’s not sentimental or endearing or uplifting, but it calms him. Maybe, for once, I said the right thing after all.
“Guess I picked a good one, then.” He returns to the counter with a certain glimmer in his warm brown eyes—maybe sadness, maybe hope.
“The very best,” I reply, and let myself believe that it’s the latter.”
With such a cute and colorful cover, I can't believe how not so cute and colorful Caught in a Bad Fauxmance turned out to be. If nothing else, it further asserted my belief that the fake dating trope just isn't for me. ...more
“There is always something more, he supposed, beyond the gorge. Grief never stays where you think it is going to rest.
You think it has s✰ 2 stars ✰
“There is always something more, he supposed, beyond the gorge. Grief never stays where you think it is going to rest.
You think it has spent itself, and it persists; you feel like luxuriating in it, but then only pickings are left to play with.
Willful creature, this grief.”
I think I'm not the target audience for the abstract writing style Spring on the Peninsula excelled at. I'm sure it's not a bad read for those who appreciate this method of telling a story, but rather than being compelled by the story, it read more to me like a self-reflective read - one that was more about commenting on the nature of human beings, rather than reaching a constructive and worthwhile ending. ...more
“I’m mad at Dreama and God and Jimmy Smart for stirring something inside I haven’t any name for. Mostly I’m mad at myself.
Desire is cun✰ 2 stars ✰
“I’m mad at Dreama and God and Jimmy Smart for stirring something inside I haven’t any name for. Mostly I’m mad at myself.
Desire is cunning like that.”
While reading The Gallopers I was in so much pain. Not because the story was that heart-breaking, because the writing was pure torture to get through. And I blame the blurb - 'Three men bound together in a blistering story that spans 30 years, from 1953 into the 1980s and the AIDS epidemic' - which sadly didn't even cover up half of what this premise promised to depict. ...more
““Human beings are complex, dolly. And what you learn by the time you get to my age is that there are all kinds of reasons good people d✰ 2 stars ✰
““Human beings are complex, dolly. And what you learn by the time you get to my age is that there are all kinds of reasons good people do bad things.
But usually, it comes down to just being human.”
A paragraph into Becoming Ted I seriously considered not continuing any further. A paragraph in; that has to be a record and a first for me. Sadly, my brain would not allow me to exit, as the ever-pressing question would forever linger in my mind, that perhaps there is a chance it would get better. So I inhaled deeply and read on, cautiously optimistic that my fears would be unwarranted. ...more
“The killer might’ve been caught but the fear lingers. It changes you, makes you more cautious, less trusting.”
If I had known beforehan✰ 2 stars ✰
“The killer might’ve been caught but the fear lingers. It changes you, makes you more cautious, less trusting.”
If I had known beforehand The Haunting was going to be a complete homage to the Scream franchise, maybe I would have thought twice before reading it. Clearly I misjudged myself on this, especially since I am not a fan of the original series, itself. I've always classified horror as a theme that has to involve a supernatural element or a paranormal entity that gives that presences of the otherworldly. I really need to re-classify that, because there was nothing like that here. Sometimes I read GR blurbs and I suffer; and sometimes I don't read them, and I still suffer. ...more