“If you want to live where people are not afraid of mice, you must give up living in pFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“If you want to live where people are not afraid of mice, you must give up living in palaces.”
After reading We Were Liars I’ve come to the conclusion that there might be only two types of people in the world. Those who are fascinated by the glitz and glamour of the lifestyle of the Kennedy family and those who would rather hear all of the gory details about the train wreck which are the Bouviers. Wanna guess which camp I’d route for???
I don’t think there’s a lot of middle ground to be had with this book. It’s very much love it or hate it and obviously from my rating I hated it. The writing style was shallow and perturbed me to no end, the characters were superficial and completely unrelatable, and the “shocking ending” only works if you gave a shit about any of the characters in the first place . . . which I did not. If you want to read a whole lot of nothing about some unlikeable rich buttholes then this is a good choice. If you’d rather spend your time on some real interesting characters, I recommend watching the documentary Grey Gardens instead . . .
ARC requested and DENIED from NetGalley. I should say “thank you, NetGalley” but instead I’m an idiot who put herself on the waiting list at the library in order to read this pile of stink....more
In this case (like most) it isn’t even true. Now, I am admittedly a drinker of the Flynn Kool-Aid. I think she kind of shits the bed when it comes to her endings, but she provides a wild ride for 99% of the story, so I have been forgiving. McHugh’s writing on the other hand . . . What can I even call it? Grit lit? Hick lit? Who the hell knows. All I know is it kept my attention like a slap to the face and made me incorporate words like “HOOOOOO-DOGGIE!” into my language.
“You grow up feeling the weight of blood, of family. There’s no forsaking kin. But you can’t help when kin forsakes you or when strangers come to be family.”
A simple synopsis is this was a two-fold story of the Dane family and their small community in the Ozarks. Part I of the book was told through the voice of Lila (in the past) and Lucy (in the present). (Usually the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff has a tendency to get on my nerves since it’s sooooooo overused, but in this case it worked.) By the end of that section I looked a little something like this . .
Parts II and III were told through alternating voices of nearly every character who was introduced in Part I. Not only did the additional narratives add depth to the story, having added perspectives was necessary because of . . . . reasons.
The Weight of Blood will be given the generic label of “mystery” for the simple fact that the present-day story loosely revolves around a murdered girl and the flashback story revolves around the disappearance of one. Since that’s the case, I’m pretty much going to tell you diddly squat about what happens. I will say that I never read a synopsis, another review, and don’t remember what made me put this book on hold at the library, so I read 100 pages before even realizing I was reading a “mystery.” This wasn't a book that tried to hide the bad guys. In fact, it pointed the finger right at them and listed out examples of why they were terrible. The end result was a story about the community I was so caught up in that I forgot all about the poor dead girl!
Not to mention how invested I became in the characters. Especially the women. These broads were no shrinking violets. You’ll have to read between the lines a bit on the following quote, but let’s just say the snake didn’t end up having such a good day ; )
“That so?” he sneered. “Didn’t see one single thing all day? Not one thing that caught your eye?”
“Maybe I saw a snake,” she said, “laying in the dirt. But the next time I looked, it was gone.”
I hemmed and hawed all evening about what rating to give this one. I can’t come up with any legitimate complaints, so it’s getting all 5 Stars. And y’all know I don’t hand out 5 Stars very often. What’s that old saying? “The sun shines on a dog’s ass every now and again”???????
“I knew how to die. It was the living that scared me.”
At a time when cancer has become nearly cliché in young adult romance stories, Julie Murphy comes up with a new spin on things. Everything was going great for Alice. She was surviving her freshman year in high school, was the best ballet student in her class, had landed a popular boyfriend . . . but then she saw something that she couldn’t unsee, found out Mr. Perfect was cheating on her with her arch nemesis and as a cherry on the shit sundae she was diagnosed with leukemia. When the chemo stops working and she is faced with the reality that she is going to die, Alice creates a “Just Dying To-Do List” and enlists the help of her former BFF Harvey. The one thing Alice wasn’t prepared for after getting her revenge??? Remission.
It should go without saying that I am an old lady who really digs reading young adult stories. At this point it’s probably safe to officially declare my love for Julie Murphy as well, so let me count the ways:
1. I may love her so much that I subconsciously single-white femaled her because I pulled up her author page and realized I just cut and colored my hair so now we kind of look alike;
2. I love that she writes stories that make me feel like a kid again, and I’m really impressed that she makes me feel feelings . . . . .
5. I love that I didn’t know Side Effects May Vary was by the author of Dumplin’, but when I started reading it, I was all like “I KNOW I have read this author before;”
6. I love that Alice was an asshole. Like right away you find out Alice has never watched/ends up hating A Christmas Story so you know she’s going to be awful, and the more you read the more it becomes clear that Alice was an asshole waaaaaaaay before almost dying. That’s real life, though. People – especially hormonal teens – sometimes ARE assholes. I’m tired of reading about perfect “John Greeny” types of adolescents and was happy to suffer through Alice’s most cringey behavior in hopes of her getting a redemption arc at the end so I could be all . . . . .
(Come on. You really didn't think you were getting out of an alien review without a little Goldblum did you????)
“How do you rid the Earth of humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.”
Obviously I’m super late to this party so there’s not a whole heck of a lot left to say. I’ll be totally honest and say I had a “been there/done that” attitude with respect to The 5th Wave for eternity and had zero intentions of reading it. Then the movie was released and it was my kids’ reward for being brainiacs (I know, hard to believe I’m actually raising NOT juvenile delinquents, right?) so I requested it from the library. Along with everyone else. Yeah, the kids saw the movie weeks ago but my turn at the book just now came around. I was lucky to not get spoiled (I mean AT ALL – I never even bothered reading the blurb) so I’m going to not spoil any of you and just briefly cover what worked and didn’t for me.
First question I was faced with was: Is it possible to enjoy a book while mostly wanting to murder one of the main characters? Answer? Surprisingly so. The world building in this book was off-the-charts good. I assume many have complained about it being too detailed, but it was just what I was looking for. AND HALLELUJAH TO A FEMALE LEAD IN A SUPERAWFUL NEW ‘MURICA TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO STOCK UP ON TAMPONS. Finally! Praise Jeebus! That being said, unfortunately said female character also talked about a male MC’s eyes being “chocolaty warm – so melty and sad.” Excuse me a moment . . . .
But as much as I’m done with the instalust bullshittery that gets thrown in to every YA story like this, I was able to keep on keepin’ on – mainly because there was a whole other cast of characters who were not idiots. And even though I could figure out what was coming and things sometimes seemed a bit too familiar . . .
I still had a pretty good time. If this is on your TBR, don’t give it the boot. 3 Stars for the simple fact that even though this is a series I could really give a rat fart about reading book 2.
“Review” (term used as loosely as possible) portion aside, let’s talk about casting choices for the film. Female lead is a wallflower with frizzy hair that no one has ever given a second glance to. This I love because at least the “oh I’m plain but errrryone magically falls in love with me” Bella Swan syndrome wasn’t in play. However, the film version looks like this . . .
Except for the whole “melty chocolatey eyes” thing. Whoops.
I haven’t yet watched the movie, but I will say I hope to shout it focuses on the action and not the luuuuuuuurv.
Generally Sh3lly and I end up reading porn the same thing because she pushes me down and won’t let me up until I submit to her. This time it was coincidental (probably because we are the only people left on the planet who had not yet read this). I like that she shared my opinion of the punchability factor contained in the character Cassie and yet was still able to enjoy the book as a whole. See kids? No need to rage out about everything just because some stupid stuff gets thrown in to the mix. ...more
Thanks for the reminder. Now that all of my friends are reading/have already read Book #3 I figured it was time to get off my butt.
The Silkworm is the follow up to “Robert Galbraith’s” bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling. The difference this time around is everyone knows the author is really J.K. Rowling. The leading male, Cormoran Strike, is a little different too. Rather than getting by on a wish and a prayer that he’ll be able to pay the bills on time, Strike has more clients than he can handle and . . .
When novelist Owen Quine’s wife contacts Strike, he thinks there isn’t much to the mystery but decides to take the case purely for curiosity’s sake. Once Strike starts digging in to the potential whereabouts of the missing author he discovers an unpublished “fictional” tell-all that dishes so much even Kitty Kelley would cringe has been written and that the author is most definitely not missing at all . . . .
We also get a bit of a sidestory with Robin, who although hired as a receptionist is ready to start proving she’s capable of so much more and is getting just a wee bit ticked at Strike for underutilizing her . . . .
Lucky for Robin she’s woman enough to speak up for herself rather than simply filling out one of Shelby’s trademarked “Butthurt Forms” and that this mystery becomes big enough her help is needed.
And that’s that. I can’t tell you if you’ll like this book or not. Just because you loved (or hated) Harry Potter doesn’t mean you’ll love (or hate) this because they are sooooooo not the same type of book. And just because you loooooooove mysteries doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll love this one because it doesn’t follow the formula of most bestselling mystery books today. There aren’t a lot of twists in the road, or shock and awe, and there are LOTS of pages. But I found the pages to be filled with nearly 100% good stuff. The only thing I’m not on board with is the potential developing relationship between Strike and Robin. Dear J.K. Rowling . . .
The folks who don’t make the “lists” every week are most definitely better reviewers than most who do (and they won’t ever bog your feed down bumping 50 reviews at a clip in order to fulfill some bizarro high school fantasy of being “popular”). I’d like to throw in a dissenting opinion, but seriously were NONE from my friends. Ron 2.0, you should read this so you can tell us all we’re wrong ; ) ...more
^^^^^ I know, right? I bet you never would have expected that out of me! I’d blame it on my period, but I wasn’t buddy reading with Aunt Flo. Maybe I hit my head like Alice. *shrug* Whatever the reason, I just loved this story.
What Alice Forgot is about . . . .
“The day Alice Mary Love went to the gym and carelessly misplaced a decade of her life.”
Actually, it happened in spin class but Swifty eating it on the treadmill makes me laugh real loud.
When Alice wakes up she discovers 10 years of her life missing. No longer 29, pregnant and enamored with her spouse, Alice is now pushing 40 with three children and a pending divorce. And that’s not all . . . .
Why yes, McFly. Alice has indeed become an asshole – a/k/a an overachieving supermom of the most hellish variety . . . .
“A bull terrier? How had she changed so much in just ten years? She was more like a Labrador. Anxious to please and overexecited.”
With her memory misplaced, Alice decides to take the bull by the horns and get her old life – and more importantly her husband – back, but she’ll have to navigate her way through co-parenting in the interim . . . .
I don’t know if it was simply a case of right place/right time or what, but I enjoyed this book so much. Alice (and her sister and grandmother) were relatable (and sometimes hilarious) and I ate it up . . . .
Really the only thing I didn't like was the whole "Gina" storyline. I didn't think it was particularly interesting, and it seemed like a copout for Alice becoming such a douche. This was also my first Liane Moriarty (I'm on an eternal library hold for Big Little Lies) and it seemed like she was trying to create some sort of "mystery" vibe rather than being willing to fully grab the Women's Fiction genre by the balls.
Super chick litty, but still bigly recommended.
My buddy Ron 2.0 tends to add a little inspirational song stylings to his reviews. Normally music doesn’t play in the background while I’m reading, but since I just discovered this is in the works to be a movie I haven’t been able to get “Once In A Lifetime” by the Talking Heads from playing on an endless loop . . . .
And you may ask yourself, well How did I get here? Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
I noticed Not a Drop to Drink still sitting on my “Currently Reading” shelf this morning. Uhhhhh, I read it last Fall. I’m pretty sure I even wrote a review about it . . . but I obviously didn’t bother posting said review anywhere or saving it. I think I need to start taking some Gingko every day for my memory problems : (
Anyway, I read this book a long time ago and I think you all should read it too so I’m posting a review.
Lynn has spent her entire life with her mother on their rural property. In Lynn’s world, leaving the safety of your home (and more importantly your water source) is asking for trouble. Outsiders are automatic enemies. It’s kill or be killed and Lynn has become pretty adept at killing. When Lynn’s situation changes drastically, she has to decide if she too is willing to change. A reluctant trust must be built with her nearest neighbor, Stebbs, in order to survive . . . especially with strangers squatting in the nearby forest.
This was a humdinger of a book. My favorite dystopian stories are the ones where world building isn’t a requirement, because the world is OUR world . . . just a shittier version. That’s the case here. The world is Lynn’s property, and you don’t need anything more than that. This book was intense. Seriously edge-of-your-seat reading at times. It took everything I typically hate about YA and simply “disappeared” it. Aside from the no bad world building, there is also no instalove, and there is no flowery prose and characters who talktalktalktalk like no human you’ve ever met. In fact, I think what makes this book so striking is how sparse the writing is. What is said is what needs to be said. No fluff. No filler. And Lynn? Lynn isn’t your typical young adult heroine like this:
Nope, she kicks ass and doesn’t generally bother taking names . . . but occasionally she’ll take some boots, or coat, or something else she finds useful. Now, that's not saying this book is 100% problem free. It's not (hence the 4 Stars rather than 5), but the good is soooooo much better than the norm I was able to forget all about the bad. Oh, and even though this book is marked #1 in a series (GOD GIVE ME CANCER BEFORE I READ ANOTHER FREAKING SERIES!!!!), the ending is completely satisfying so you can just pretend there isn’t going to be another book.
Highly recommended to young adults and old adults alike. ...more
Super Sad True Love Story is not a book I’d normally choose to read, but since I needed a final selection in order to complete my library’s Winter Reading Challenge I picked it up. Dear Library Winter Reading Challenge: I should cut you!
I WASTED THREE DAYS OF MY LIFE THAT I WILL NEVER GET BACK ON THIS BOOK. I’M GOING TO SPOIL THE SHIT OUT OF THIS MOTHERF*&^%R!!!!!
I’m fairly certain I’ll be accused of being too stupid to understand all of the “hilarious political satire” contained in this novel, so here’s a "pitcherbook" confirming I’m an idiot and explaining why I hated it.
Super Sad True Love Story is a book about how America is destined to go in the toilet in the next week or so.
Although Americans stood up and said they were going to make a difference . . .
Yeah, that didn’t end up working out so well. My enjoyment of this story obviously didn’t work out so well either. But hey, as long as there's still a chance old dudes can bump uglies with young chicks 'Murica will be A-Okay!!!
I began reading this book Saturday morning out on the deck along with a piping hot cup of Joe and what I call the “widowmaker” – maple/bacon donuts frI began reading this book Saturday morning out on the deck along with a piping hot cup of Joe and what I call the “widowmaker” – maple/bacon donuts from The Donut King. I don’t know if I really loved this as much as I think I did or if I was simply high from the sugar/Springtime combo. Whatever the case, I’m happy to report I was not a wrongreader.
Out is a book that has been on my TBR for eternity, it seems, and one I’ve even checked out from the library a couple of times only to return without ever reading. You’d think it was due to the fear that all of my friends would break up with me and troll me for sucking turtles, but you would be wrong. Once I simply ran out of time because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach??? brain???? whatever sounds best when it comes to checking out too many books at once. The second time it was because this was only available in paperback and that font was effing killin’ me old eyeholes. But per usual FOMO eventually won out and I just resigned myself to the fact that I would have a blistering headache come Sunday while I read this in one sitting.
The story here is about a group of women who have formed a less than friend, but more than acquaintance, type of relationship while all working the night shift at a factory that makes boxed lunches. When one of the gals finally gets fed up with her deadbeat husband after he takes his gambling and cheating to a new level and adds wife beating to the mix, she does what every self-respecting woman would do and kills him. *waves at husband in case he has ever been curious what would happen should he do this to me* The only thing left to do is dispose of the body. That’s where the other gals come in and where the readers will find themselves saying . . . .
What comes next are some cops, some crooks, some bribes and payoffs and some more opportunities in the disposal business. Warning to all that when it comes to the translated dialogue – well . . . .
Pretty much like any time I’ve watched a subtitled film. However, when it comes to the content? Believe the hype. I can see why this has become such a cult classic. ...more
For anyone out there who wants to claim people who don’t enjoy Nick Offerman’s writings oFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
For anyone out there who wants to claim people who don’t enjoy Nick Offerman’s writings only fall on that side of the fence because they want a “Ron Swanson” book rather than a Nick Offerman book, I have this to say . . . .
Seriously, though, Nick Offerman IS Ron Swanson. At least as far as his character traits go. He grows a great mustache, he enjoys eating animal carcasses washed down by fine brown liquors, he builds shit and he’s married to Tammy. The difference between Nick and Ron is Ron had Greg Daniels to make him funny and Nick isn’t a particularly humorous guy. This book would be great if you’re one of Offerman’s family members, a former classmate, acquaintance, etc. because there’s a very good chance your name has been dropped somewhere. If you’re a regular Joe like me whose only “in depth” knowledge of the man behind the legend is you’re kind of from the same neck of the woods and definitely know what it means to walk beans, you might find this a little meh when all is said and done. I appreciated his take on hot button topics such as politics and religion – and especially liked that he made his point without beating a dead horse about it – but at the end of the day it felt like I had been listening to him talk about pretty much nothing for around 11,000 years by the time the audio was wrapped up. On the bright side, he has a marvelous speaking voice. I highly recommend listening to him as part of the ensemble reading cast of Lincoln in the Bardo if given the opportunity....more
“My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make youFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury. Your job is to help me.”
You may recall several months ago a horrific tragedy befell my family – I LOST MY KINDLE IN MY OWN HOUSE!!!! I did what any sane reader would do and immediately went into meltdown mode and demanded the okay to order a new one (which was promptly given to me because I = psychopath and even the hubs don’t want to mess with me when I’m having a B.F.). After an hour or so I came to my senses (well, as much as is possible) and realized I should be placing the emphasis of the Kindle being lost IN MY OWN HOUSE. I figured as soon as the new one arrived I’d find the old and have to eat serious amounts of crow for eternity. So I did another thing that’s sure to win me my Mother Of The Year Award once again and purloined the youngest’s reader instead (since he pretty much only used it for Minecraft and that is whack). Months went by and then like magic my Kindle fell out from between the slats in the dining room chair where it had managed to wedge itself and remain incognito so long ago and I realized that if both Kindles were attached to my account I could force suggest a buddy read . . . .
You see, the young one is not necessarily a fan of reading, but it does count for a pretty whopping portion of his ELA grade so he is obligated. Last year he proved he was definitely not adopted when he hid in the john for 20 minutes every night like a shady little son-of-a-gun and wasn’t really reading at all. This year I learned from my mistake and had him read a book I had already read (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian if you’re curious.) And guess what happened?????
He still doesn’t loooooooove to read (and most assuredly stops when his 20 page requirement is over no matter how interesting he finds what’s going on), but he doesn’t moan and groan if presented contemporary realistic fiction. He also likes a low page count and he prefers an unconventional style if we can find it. And allllllllllllllllllllllllll of that ramble is what led us to Monster.
Monster is . . . .
“The incredible story of how one guy’s life was turned around by a few events and how he might spend the rest of his life behind bars. Told as it actually happened!”
The main character is Steve Harmon, a 16 year old boy who is on trial for murder of a corner store owner in Harlem. While only being accused of playing “lookout” for the men who actually committed the robbery/ended up shooting the victim, a zero tolerance policy for violent crimes has Steve facing 25 to life just as if he were the one who pulled the trigger.
Before getting sent to jail to wait out his trial date, Steve’s favorite hobby was making movies. Therefore, Monster reads like a screenplay and the reader discovers that . . . .
“Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities – people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others.”
Over the course of 281 pages, you get to decide which category you think Steve belongs in.
This was a winner for both the kidlet and myself. A super fast read that easily held the interest of even the not-so-dedicated reader. It also presented quite the resume for itself: Michael L. Printz Award (2000), Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor (2000), Lincoln Award Nominee (2005), National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (1999), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor for Fiction (1999) which leads me to my one gripe –NOT about the book, but about middle-school teaching/philosophies/beliefs/whatever in general . . . .
This book was ON A GIANT BULLETIN BOARD OF “RECOMMENDED READS” in the teacher’s classroom when we went in for Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences. Like Ralphie’s father in A Christmas Story, it won alllll the major awards. My kid read it BASED ON THE TEACHER’S SUGGESTION. And yet it’s not a story that is allowed to be discussed in class. Why the eff not????? Seriously parents, these kids are 12 and 13 years old. Steve Harmon was only 16 in this book when his entire life was potentially going to be snatched away from him. Books like this show the privileged suburbanite a taste of what really goes on in the world. Stop hiding them from your children and stop bitching at teachers that your special snowflake is too precious and delicate to know about the atrocities of modern day American and READ THEM WITH YOUR KID. Then talk about it. Then tell them about real life situations when you hear them on the news. Make sure they know the consequences in order to see that they (hopefully) won’t put themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t stick your head in the sand for cripes sake!
If you have any other suggestions that fit the bill of realistic middle-grade fiction, please share below. My kid might not be super thankful, but I will be ; )
“You guys are sick in the head,” said Genevieve. “Prove it,” replied Tom.
First things first – I would like everyone to notice that little sticker in the corner of the cover of this here novel indicating that it was a National Book Award Finalist proving that I is kind, I is smart, I is important. Okay, maybe not, but . . . . .
Oh wait, I spoke to soon. I have no recollection of how Then We Came to the End wound up on my radar, but I do remember that I requested both library systems to buy the Kindle edition a waaaaaaaaaaay long time ago. We’re talking like two years. When my wish was finally granted, I woke up real early on Saturday morning, made my cup of Starbucks Veranda Blend in the ol’ Keurig and prepared to commence some slothery in the doublewide reading chair. And then for some reason I looked over at the bookshelves . . . . .
See that red arrow? Yep. I waited years to read a book I already owned. You know what Jack Burton would say about that???? Probably something that would turn my “yay me” into . . . .
If you’ve never worked in a large office environment, you may not be able to fully appreciate the near perfection which is Then We Came to the End. But, if you have you will recognize sooooooooo many of your current and/or former co-workers. People like the guy who just got “right-sized” out of his job and is taking the high road . . . . .
This was a read that was well worth the wait. Written in a style that won’t be everyone’s cuppa of the “we” (I’m no English major so I’m going to call it first person plural and hope that’s close enough to correct that y’all know what I mean), the tales of pointless meetings, pillaging the offices of the recently departed, coffee bar gatherings and cubicle discussions were just like coming to the office for me. Except I’m not smart enough to have ever thought of pulling a Hank Neary . . . .
“Hank Neary was an avid reader. He arrived early in his brown corduroy coat with a book taken from the library, copied all its pages on the Xerox machine, and sat at his desk reading what looked to passersby like the honest pages of business.”
And I’d get fired if I ever said what I really think like some of these guys do . . . .
“What are you doing right now?”
“Well, unlike some people, I’m trying to get some work done. Some people actually generate revenue around here, you handjob.”
Instead on bad days I passive-aggressively sip out of my favorite Office Space mug in hopes that my co-workers will get the point that I’m this close to pulling a Milton . . . .
Literally the only thing that kept me from calling in sick today was the fact that we get free lunch for March Madness kickoff. God help everyone if there isn’t cake . . . .
“Yes, it’s still God’s Own Country. The only question is, which gods?”
All Shadow wanted to do upon his early release from prison was get home to his beloved wife and start his new life working for his best buddy. He didn’t plan for their untimely demise (with bestie's peen in wifey’s mouth, no less) in a gruesome automobile accident. Broke and alone, Shadow accepts a job offer from a mysterious, elderly stranger known as Mr. Wednesday. And then the tale begins.
Gak! I don’t even know where to start with this. I’ve had much success with Gaiman’s work in the past (so much so he’s made it to my pretty limited list of “Favorite Authors”), but I admit to actively avoiding this one for years – mainly due to the fact that just the idea of 652 pages makes my brain bleed unless I’m in the right mood. But then the library dangled free crap in front of me and added this to its recommendation list of books that might “Push Your Shelf” so I bit the bullet.
And what did I find? Well, for a good chunk of time I was reminded a bit of one of my old faves . . . .
After meeting Shadow and Wednesday, a road trip of epic proportions commenced which introduced a bevy of additional characters into the mix. Characters such as a six-and-a-half foot tall leprechaun, a talking raven who refused to say “nevermore,” three strange sisters as well as a pretty decent checkers player who got his kicks betting on the right to bash his opponent's brains out, pagans unfamiliar with the goddess Ēostre, Lucille Ball talking through the television set, bus riders and a hitchhiker, a very Andy Taylor type of constable and one dead wife who just couldn’t seem to go away. American Gods became reminiscent of Seinfeld in the way that it seemed like nothing was really happening, aside from the fact that the reader continually was receiving reminders that . . . .
I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to let go and enjoy this story, mainly because I didn’t vibe with Shadow right away due to his proclivity for coin tricks which had me picturing . . . .
Blech. I was also a tad apprehensive that I wouldn’t be able to stop comparing American Gods to one of my blasphemous favorites, and since this wasn’t happening on the Starz television program . . . .
My husband wasn’t interested in tuning in on my behalf and telling me whether or not this puppy squisher would be worth my time.
Since I read it in roughly 24 hours, I’d say it was a winner. Now I’m not going to go out on a limb and say this is a book for everyone because it most definitely isn’t. I’m not lying when I say nearly the entire book is all about the build-up as you follow that one main player . . . .
But Gaiman’s words are smooth as butter and he once again works his magic weaving an oh-so-elaborate spider web of characters. That’s how it earns 4 Stars.
I can’t say I’ll be reading the second in this series anytime in the near future, but I have a feeling Norse Mythology will happen sooner rather than later for one simple fact . . . .
Now for a bitch session. Last night I did, in fact, finish reading this book and used the app to post a “Currently Reading” update for my next selection. Then I started acquiring “likes” on a “Finished Reading” status I DID NOT post . . . .
Get your shit together, Goodreads. I have a hard enough time remember which books I need to review. I don’t need you mucking things up even worse for me!...more
My library copy expires from my Kindle today so I figured I better barf up a review beforFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
My library copy expires from my Kindle today so I figured I better barf up a review before I lost all of my notes and highlights and whatnot. Turns out I didn’t add any . . . .
This is a story about Beatrice, a high schooler who is new to town. While “Mean Girls” stories have become the norm, How To Say Goodbye In Robot was quite the opposite. Yes, there were “mean girls” (and boys) who had been calling fellow student Jonah “Ghost Boy” since they were wee little children, but somehow Beatrice was able to balance a relationship with the cool kids as well as the social leper (and amazingly she did it all without magic powers).
This story obviously didn’t resonate with me very much at all. I enjoyed the idea behind trying something new in the world of YA, but I can’t say I really liked the end product. While I realize angst and strife are going to sell a lot more books, I think the majority of kids probably float pretty freely through the world of high school and don’t experience a lot of the hardcore bullying which makes for juicy reading and I appreciated that this book didn’t try to capitalize on that kind of drama. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a “love” story. Sure, Jonah and Beatrice loved each other, but it wasn’t really a romance. That being said, the drama that was contained regarding Jonah’s family situation and Beatrice’s cray-cray mother as well as the way their relationship progressed actually became quite co-dependent and not a friendship someone should actually strive for.
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, I probably read it wrong. Go read my friend Rachel’s review for a non-geezer perspective....more
The Casual Vacancy has been rated by nearly a quarter of a million Goodreaders and (in casFind all of my review at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
The Casual Vacancy has been rated by nearly a quarter of a million Goodreaders and (in case you can’t tell by the 3.27 rating) a good chunk of them weren’t terribly impressed. Although I’ve already trolled my nemesis pal Ron 2.0 about reading this wrong, I’m not entirely convinced he did this time around. I’m also not going to try to convince any of you to read it. I’m fairly certain J.K. Rowling won’t have to resort to prostitution for my crap review not generating an additional book sale. Instead I’ll do what I do best – not talk about the book at all.
Stephen King wrote a review on this book and made a spot-on comparison to another seedy little novel about the goings on amongst the population of a quaint little hamlet . . . .
(Although that was the first story that came to my mind, I couldn’t help also thinking this was a less stabby version of King’s own Needful Things due to all of the characters being absolutely wretched. However, it’s in pretty shit taste to name drop your own book so mad props to you for keeping it classy Uncle Stevie.)
When I was a kid I looooooooved movies like Peyton Place (and someone please remind my geriatric self that would be a good selection for Banned Books Week) and I was so envious of Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window . . . .
Who was able to peep on an entire apartment complex across from him when he was laid up (I totally would have been cool with having two broken legs if it meant I could people watch all day). Although Turner Classic Movies was a channel that played on the regular at my grandparents’ house, I had little interest in the happily-ever-after romances and giant production numbered musicals. Instead I tuned in over and over again to films like A Place In The Sun (are you familiar with that one? Dude knocks up his fat white trash girlfriend and then kills her when it looks like he has a shot of living the country club lifestyle with Elizabeth Taylor) . . . .
What can I say? I was a weirdo pretty much from the start and The Casual Vacancy fell in line with those mentioned above as being my type of story. The only decent human in the entire thing? Dead on page 1. Every other character ranged from depressing to despicable. Buuuuuuuut, even though I loved seeing how warped Rowling’s mind could go, this sucker was a slog. It took three solid days of reading to get through and if you know me, you know that’s a long time. It’s also a book where nothing really happens . . . . while everything is building up to happen. The big payout does come at the end but it is not without some serious investment in the lives of these townsfolk.
So read it if you want, don’t read it if you don’t want. And be thankful you won’t recognize yourself in any of these characters. Especially Samantha who is missing something in her real life that makes her develop a bit of an obsession with a member of one of her child’s favorite bands to the point where she buys concert tickets in order to go lust after the young man properly . . . .
I was promised a ghost and a zombie mother chained in the basement. I got very little of that, but an abundance of a couple angsty little twats who stI was promised a ghost and a zombie mother chained in the basement. I got very little of that, but an abundance of a couple angsty little twats who stole some poor old dude’s dog and a bunch of kittens in order to make them into dinner . . . .
I wish the mother would have eaten Ann and her friend Jackie and turned this into a five page short story. I’m all for the gross and uncomfortable if you give me some semblance of a plot to go along with it. But when it’s simply for shock and awe? Nope.
As they work the last shift before their failing location is permanently closed. Some will simply be moving to the next nearest franchise for their next shift, some were such terrible employees at the current strip-mall site that there’s no way manager Manny could give them any sort of recommendation. Some will stick it out until the lights are switched off for the final time, some will cut out as early as possible either due to an impending blizzard or interpersonal conflicts. It’s sort of like a dramatic version of . . . .
I actually went to the library (in May – because of course I listened to this eighty-seven months ago, but remembered I never wrote anything when my kid asked to go to our local Red Lobster for dinner the other night) to maybe check out West of Sunset by this author as that one had been recommended to me. When I saw this short selection available on audio (knowing I had a short road-trip coming up) I figured I might as well roll the dice. I don’t really know what to say about this one. The entire experience was kind of like watching a Seinfeld marathon – it’s not really about anything, and yet somehow . . . . .
“What you don’t want is always going to be with you What you want is never goiFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
“What you don’t want is always going to be with you What you want is never going to be with you Where you don’t want to go, you have to go And the moment you think you’re going to live more, you’re going to die.”
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity has a blurb even longer than its title. To briefly sum up the plot, this is a the story of Annawadi, a slum settled right in the heart of the airport and luxury hotels of Mumbai, and what happened to its residents over the course of three years.
My glimpses of Mumbai have mainly been from the eyes of the stereotypical “ugly American” who passes through during one leg of the Amazing Race and from those glimpses I have developed a morose fascination (which probably makes me an even uglier American). I don’t get out much, so Katherine Boo’s novel is probably the closest I’ll ever come to experiencing life in the slums for myself. While I found the horrors I expected, such as unsanitary living conditions and life-threatening ways in which to earn enough money to survive, I also saw a people filled with hope. Hope for a better life – hope for a way out – hope for more equality – hope that the next generation wouldn’t have to experience quite as many hardships as the current one. The same hope as many of us here in America.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers loses some Stars because I got a little caught up in the mire of sooooooo many individual stories. While I realize that, were I in Ms. Boo’s situation, I too would want to share as much as possible about the Annawadi residents, at some point a line had to be drawn and characters cut. While the lives of Abdul and his family and Asha and hers felt nearly complete and were more vivid with detail, others like Kalu and Sunil seemed to be stories she had heard of “through the grapevine” so to speak and were included in order to add a bit more to the misery factor. At the end of the day, the main character of this book was the slum itself – the people only lived there.
Favorite quote:
“If the house is crooked and crumbling, and the land on which it sits is uneven, is it possible to make anything straight?”
“On this road there are no godspoke men. They are gone and I am left and they have takFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“On this road there are no godspoke men. They are gone and I am left and they have taken with them the world.”
This is another one of those “100 books you should read before you go to that big ol’ malt shop in the sky” that I attempt to read a couple of every year. For whatever reason there was a huge waiting list at the library and when it finally became my turn to ease on down The Road I discovered Jeff and The Hufflepuff were getting ready for a buddy read. Me being me, I immediately invited myself to join their party, but Jeff was all like . . .
Luckily I’m super strong (or he’s super weak – tomato/tomahto) so I was able to elbow my way right in to the cool kids table. Then I couldn’t stop myself from reading this book in like two hours and proved once again why no one should ever want to buddy up with me. I have a shame : (
The one perk of reading with me is you get Mitchell’s input when it comes to reviews. Jeff has already had the “full Mitchell experience” (if you know what I’m sayin’ *wink wink*) so he allowed Ashley temporary custody this go around – leaving me with Harvey Dent (get it, Two Face? because his face is in two different parts? Ha! I kill me!!!) as this review’s co-host . . .
What better friend to read a book about a lonely trek down a road through a deserted wasteland than a dude who looks like he might have been found on the side of the road in a deserted wasteland, right?
You’re probably beginning to wonder when I’m finally going to start talking about this book, huh? There’s not really much I can say. The Road is a love it or hate it kind of story. Obviously from my rating I fall into the love it category, but I can completely understand how it falls short for many. The setting is . . . well, the road – duh – that extends through a desolate post-apocalyptic 'Murica, but you don’t know how the world got to be that way. Tiny Easter Eggs are left to inform you that the story takes place in the near future, but again no definitive answer. The characters are minimally developed – I’m talking they don’t even have names. The writing is sparse, the situation bleak. And the road? As The Beatles once said, it’s long and winding . . . .
I sat down thinking I would read 50 pages and stop in order to stay on track with my buddies. I had no idea I wouldn’t be able to put this book down. I was drawn in immediately and couldn’t leave the world of the man and the boy until I turned the last page. I’m fairly certain I lost a couple of pounds from all the virtual walking too, so BONUS!
As I said, this is not a book for everyone – but if you’re looking to add to your Pulitzer Prize winners list or want your friends to believe that you are a super genius while they are reading crap, The Road is short and easy to get through. And if you have a phobia of quotation marks? McCarthy’s books might be the only books written especially for you : )
If you really want to be a cheater, apparently this is a movie too – but Viggo Mortensen like this . . .
(Don’t worry – this ain’t a kissing book.) Upon arrival, Serena proves she’s not your average Depression era rich bitch lady of leisure. She wears pants, lives in camp with the axemen, rides a white stallion, and has a pet eagle that she teaches cool tricks . . . .
Okay, maybe not a little. Serena pretty much embraces the idea of being a badass every day and she doesn’t care what or who she has to destroy in order to get what she feels should be hers. She’s a character you’re probably supposed to hate, but somehow you can’t help loving instead. Easily one of most wicked women I’ve ever read and I wouldn’t even have known about her if it weren’t for my favorite little witch recommending this to me for the Winter Reading Challenge. If you want something gritty and a lil’ chickenfried with shady business dealings, an illegitimate baby, and a handful of murders thrown in for good measure, this is the story for you.
Book two in my quest for a new coffee mug complete!
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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