These books are bonkers and ridiculous and so much fun. I loved jumping into this world again and loved the new characters. I know many didn’t like thThese books are bonkers and ridiculous and so much fun. I loved jumping into this world again and loved the new characters. I know many didn’t like this as much as the first one. I enjoyed it just as much and can’t wait till my copy of the third one comes in at the library. I liked seeing what everyone’s been up to and I felt more of an attachment to the characters now that I’ve hung out with them more than once. Is it deep or profound? No. But that’s why I liked it and the first one. Reading them, I am able to armchair travel to decadent places I’ll never see and read about people I’ll never meet. ...more
I am glad to have this version of Achilles to wipe the Brad Pitt version from my mind. Having read Circe and this one recently, I can confidently say I am glad to have this version of Achilles to wipe the Brad Pitt version from my mind. Having read Circe and this one recently, I can confidently say that whatever Madeline Miller writes next, will be a must read for me. ...more
I wasn't the biggest fan of the authors last book so I confess this wasn't on my radar. So when the publisher emailed me a wi3.5 Stars
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I wasn't the biggest fan of the authors last book so I confess this wasn't on my radar. So when the publisher emailed me a widget, I didn't know if I was interested. The plot looked intriguing and I'm usually up for giving authors a second chance. I know I would like people to do that for me. After all, not every book is going to be the right fit. And I did remember the last one had been compulsively readable even if I hadn't ended up enjoying it.
So I jumped in. Makeup artist Jessica, is trying to keep her head above water with bills. Her current job doesn't pay that great. Not only that but she isn't just providing for herself. She's also secretly helping her family with expenses. Secretly because their pride wouldn't allow them to accept the help if they knew she was behind it. Jessica also carries around guilt regarding the reason for her parent's extra financial burdens. She weasels her way into an ethics and morality study. One that she didn't qualify for and wasn't invited to participate in. Ironic given the study but desperate times and it's easy money. Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't do the same. It did make me think. I think I would have shown myself out the door after the first session though but I won't spoil anything. It's safe to say that things take a turn and the money not as easy as she planned.
I'm so glad the publisher sent this to me and that I took another chance. This one was more up my alley. It was another cant put down read but I felt satisfied at the end. To me, they did better about not throwing twists in simply to have a twist.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this review copy!...more
There’s something soothing about a Nora Roberts book. I’ve been reading her since before I was supposed to be doing so. I used to grab my mom’s books There’s something soothing about a Nora Roberts book. I’ve been reading her since before I was supposed to be doing so. I used to grab my mom’s books and I’d feel so grown up. They seemed racy and steamy at the time but when I read them now, I realize they’re actually very tame. It’s not a bad thing. Just funny. I hadn’t read one in years but I felt compelled to pick this one up. The plot felt like it could be deeper than her usual fare. It tried to be and succeeded for a while but ultimately it was very much a typical Nora Roberts book. And that’s ok too. “Shelter in Place,” opens with a mass shooting at a mall. 16 year old Simone manages to survive by hiding in the bathroom and calling 911. Meanwhile, college student Reed also survives and also saves the life of a young boy. Simone pours her pain into art. Reed is inspired to become a cop. They meet up later in life on a place called, I kid you not, Tranquillity Island. Classic Nora Roberts. Of course sparks fly and of course the danger is far from over. Of course there are wacky side characters. Of course Simone is drop dead gorgeous. In fact, at the beginning, in the aftermath of the shooting, Reed notices the girl with, “tiger eyes.” My point is, if you’ve read Roberts before, this very much follows her (extremely successful) formula. And hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I did hope for more but it’s ok that it didn’t happen. I’ll continue to check in with Roberts every so often. She doesn’t bring me the same joy she used to bring but I think her books make a good, occasional, comfort read. If you’ve read the book and you’ve read this far in my review, two thoughts. One-did Reed’s love for CiCi seem kind of weird by the end of it? I get that he adored her but I found it off putting at times. Two-Did you find the constant, “slut shaming,” by Simone, friends and grandmother to not work with the story? I think old Nora needs to realize that when she’s supposedly writing sympathetic characters, actions like these greatly reduce sympathy. Just my two cents....more
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a national treasure. He’s a precious Cinnamon (Linnamon) Roll who needs to be protected always and is one of the only reasons I Lin-Manuel Miranda is a national treasure. He’s a precious Cinnamon (Linnamon) Roll who needs to be protected always and is one of the only reasons I use Twitter. Basically...I love him. He regularly does good morning and good night tweets. Little snippets of love and encouragement. You can hear his voice in them. They are delightful. This book is a collection of those tweets with illustrations. Perfect. I think it would also make a nice gift. (Hint hint-my copy was from the library. Just saying...) I have the audio version coming from the library too and can’t wait to hear Lin’s narration....more
An example of novella perfection. The subtle way it shifts in tone. The way it infuses you with dread but slowly. The fear is painstakingly slow to buAn example of novella perfection. The subtle way it shifts in tone. The way it infuses you with dread but slowly. The fear is painstakingly slow to build as well until at the end you feel so tense you could snap. So it turns out that I had read this before in school. I wasn’t sure but as I read it, I remembered and almost stopped reading because just the memory of the ending was making me shudder. Definitely worth another read. I don’t want to say much and spoil it but this is no lottery I would ever want to enter. Somehow this is the only work of Jackson’s that I have read and now I’ve read it twice. This needs to be remedied. Suggestions on her best? I had started watching Hill House on Netflix and decided that I wanted to read the book first. (Side note: I was scared too. I have a low tolerance for movies and shows with things that jump out at me. Therefore I’m making my sister watch first so she can watch with me and warn me of things.) Tell me which one to pick up next. And thank you Kevin for the link to read it for free....more
“I thought: I cannot bear this world a moment longer." "Then child, make another."
This was such a fa**Ebook on sale for 4.99 again today! 10/10/21**
“I thought: I cannot bear this world a moment longer." "Then child, make another."
This was such a fantastic book. It reminded me why I love Mythology but it also took the story of Circe and rejuvenated it. Gone was this bored witch, twiddling her thumbs and turning men into pigs for the heck of it. (There were pigs but it was more complex.) Gone was her name being only associated with Odysseus. Here was a badass goddess and, to quote my favorite Queer Eye guy Jonathan, I was here for it!
“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”
“I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open.” ...more
So yeah, I read some smutty books from time to time. I don’t think it’s anything to be embarrassed about. The only thing I never seem to be able to doSo yeah, I read some smutty books from time to time. I don’t think it’s anything to be embarrassed about. The only thing I never seem to be able to do is rate them. I can’t figure it out. Some, like this one, are way better than others. So I think to myself ok this is a four star read in this genre. Then I feel weird rating it four stars because when I think of it compared to other ones I rate this way, they aren’t really the same. Does that make sense? So I hem and I haw and I end up not rating it. I don’t normally end up writing anything. I’m hopeless. Seriously though, this is what I liked about this book. It was a slow burn romance which is my favorite kind. Some taboo elements. For reference, I think it took more than half the book before anything happened. So if you want a faster pace this isn’t the book for you but I liked that about it. I will definitely read more by this author. ...more
This book took forever to get going. The husband was a doofus. Second half picked up and was hard to put down. Short chapters kept me turning pages. FThis book took forever to get going. The husband was a doofus. Second half picked up and was hard to put down. Short chapters kept me turning pages. Full review to come. ...more
3.5 stars. My thoughts are floating around like bubbles about to pop and I’m afraid I’ll lose them. So here’s a rather scattered review. Ultimately th3.5 stars. My thoughts are floating around like bubbles about to pop and I’m afraid I’ll lose them. So here’s a rather scattered review. Ultimately the things I liked about this book outweighed the issues I had. But I did find some aspects troubling. I don’t want to dwell on those too much and zap all the fun out of it but I will list them in case it helps people decide whether to read it. I should say that I feel that some criticisms lessened towards the end and also the afterward by the author made me think. The plot in a nutshell is a high functioning Autistic woman, Stella, hires an escort, Michael, initially just for sex but later to be in a practice relationship with her to sort of test one out and get used to it. Naturally because this a romance, feelings come into play and things don’t go as planned. The good? I loved Stella and I loved Michael. They were fun to read about and their chemistry was off the charts. In fact, go into this knowing that there is a good amount of sex in this book. Maybe that seems obvious with the plot but I wasn’t expecting it. I thought it was going to be more a typical light romance, along the lines of Sophie Kinsella. It didn’t bother me. I’m not embarrassed to say I like those books from time to time. However, I just didn’t know this book veered that way. So yes, pretty steamy to say the least. I loved the supporting characters. Michaels family was the best. I’d read another book just about them. Another thing I liked was having a main character with Autism. We don’t see enough of that. Now for the things that troubled me. I’m not too big on insta-love and this was very much that. For a large part of the book, it also made it seem like Autism was something to overcome and, “cure.” It felt in parts like it was saying you could do these things quickly with the love of a good man. That didn’t sit right with me. However, to the books credit, I didn’t feel that way by the end of it. So I think I feel better about that now. I just sort of wish I hadn’t had to wait till the end to reach that opinion. In the afterward the author reveals that she was diagnosed with autism late in life and she gave some interesting information about how females are often diagnosed later and why. It was illuminating. She also stated that people fall all over the spectrum and this book wasn’t meant to speak for everyone. It was her experience that she funneled through Stella. Overall this was a fun, sexy read. I can’t wait for book two!...more
***1.99*** ebook available today. :) I’m behind on reviews again so for now I’ll just say that I enjoyed this. The writing was clever and fresh and I’***1.99*** ebook available today. :) I’m behind on reviews again so for now I’ll just say that I enjoyed this. The writing was clever and fresh and I’m hoping maybe this will become a series???...more
3.5 Editing to round up instead of down. See review of third in trilogy.
I've never been super into owning designer things. I don't know if it's becau3.5 Editing to round up instead of down. See review of third in trilogy.
I've never been super into owning designer things. I don't know if it's because I've never really had the budget to be interested. That's probably part of it. Very, very rarely, will I purchase something fancy. When I do, I will wear or use it until it falls apart. Also, I'll take forever to actually make the purchase. I'll save up and then hem and haw for days or weeks because I just can't fathom spending so much money on one item. I did it with my Kate Spade sunglasses and my Calvin Klein purse. Now I have to use them for life or until they disintegrate to get my moneys worth.
However, I have always LOVED looking at fancy things and reading about the people who own them. I guess it's a guilty pleasure. When I went to visit my friend in Irvine last year, we were trying to think of things to do and he mentioned there was a mall called Fashion Island. My early 2000's tv memory reminded me that this mall had been in an episode of, "The O.C," and while I primarily watched the show for Peter Gallagher's eyebrows, I did enjoy all the glitz of Newport Beach so I knew I had to go. The trip to Fashion Island consisted of wandering around super expensive stores feeling like Julia Roberts in pretty woman. Not the hooker part but the part where they don't let her shop.
Anyhow, in all honesty, that was one of the selling points for me with this book. I needed something light after finishing a heavy read and if it had lots of descriptions of lavish parties, fashion and jewelry, well then even better. Boy did it deliver on that. I couldn't go more than a few pages without reading about something luxurious and expensive. The descriptions of food were also top notch but I did get rather hungry and then disappointed that I didn't have anything as yummy in my fridge.
The basic plot of Crazy Rich Asians revolves around a couple named Rachel and Nick. They've been together for two years. It's getting serious. He invites her back home to Singapore for the wedding of his best friend. He neglects to tell her until they get there that his family his loaded. Naturally, many members of his family see Rachel as a gold digger and scheme to break them up. Each chapter is from a different characters point of view and there are several subplots with other family members.
A few overall thoughts. There were so many family members that I had a hard time keeping track. A family tree in the beginning of the book did help but it was too much at times. Plus I had a first world problem of being irritated at constantly going back and forth. The book, like this review, was too darn long. I can't really say what should have been edited out but it needed some editing. I was kind of over it by the 60% mark on my ipad. This isn't necessarily the books fault, more a personal preference but when I read a fluffy read, I can't do 500+ pages.
Overall it was fun and some parts were delightful. I liked the characters and reading about lifestyles of the rich and famous. I would be interested enough to read the second one in the distant future....more
4 stars? 5? I’m going with 5 for now. What a weird, dark, funny, wonderful, sad, depressing, uplifting book. Yes I know that there are contradictions 4 stars? 5? I’m going with 5 for now. What a weird, dark, funny, wonderful, sad, depressing, uplifting book. Yes I know that there are contradictions with that description. But that’s how I felt. As someone who struggles with mental health issues and has had addiction issues, this book resonated with me. As someone who because of said issues, has slept a large amount of life away, I connected intensely to the unnamed narrator’s wish to hibernate for a year. I remain unmotivated to write many reviews but I will try to later because I do have some strong feelings about this one. Of course I’ve had strong feelings about many books I’ve left unreviewed this year. Still, I will do my best to come back to it. ...more
Mary Kubica's new novel, "When the Lights Go Out," deals with a topic that many people have either experienced or hope to never experie**On sale now**
Mary Kubica's new novel, "When the Lights Go Out," deals with a topic that many people have either experienced or hope to never experience; identity theft. Right before Jesse's mom passes away, she tells her daughter to go find herself. Jesse decides to enroll in community college but is told by the school that her information belongs to a dead person. Already grief stricken and not sleeping, this new information makes things go even further south.
Guys, I was excited about this book and I really wanted to like it. The premise was interesting. I hadn't enjoyed Kubica's last two books but I was cautiously hopeful this would be good and that she would be back on my must read list. Instead, the opposite happened. I have to permanently part ways with her.
I hate a lazy ending and this was one of the laziest I have ever read. Many things that I was led to believe were essential to the book were just forgotten and the twist? It was terrible. I'm sorry but there's no other way to describe it. I felt a Jodi Picoult or Stephen King like rage build in me only worse and for a few minutes I literally looked like the anger character from Inside Out. (Side note: I actually have been known to love Jodi Picoult and Stephen King. Many of their books are amazing. But they both have quite a few bad endings in their repertoire. You know it's true.)
I'm sorry to be a negative Nancy but this didn't work for me at all. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy. ...more