But OF COURSE I’m the only one who thinks that as I now see the paltry 3.20 Goodreads rating. I’m a consistent wrongreader if nothing else.
The back cover of this compared it to House of Leaves and those were the vibes I got the whole time . . . but in easy-reader format. Well, hopefully. My copy was from the library and despite it being pretty easy for me to follow that the narration rotated every chapter from James to Julie, apparently that was super hard for another patron who had previously checked this out and at around the halfway point they started annotating the beginning of each new chapter like so . . .
The husband was out of town last week so I was perusing the 50,000,000 streaming services we subscribe to for something brainless and fun and cutesie The husband was out of town last week so I was perusing the 50,000,000 streaming services we subscribe to for something brainless and fun and cutesie to maybe watch. I ran across this title and was almost positive it was a book first and turns out I was right. So then I do what I do and I didn’t watch the movie, but instead immediately went to the library to download a copy to read instead.
Now that I’m finished I’m seeing the Goodreads’ rating sits at 2.85?!?!?!?
I’m wondering if maybe Grant Ginder was simply ahead of his time because stories about dysfunction junction starring not the nicest people in the world have become sort of the rage. And these people weren’t even that bad once you got to know them a little. (Except for Mark. He was a real twat.) After being trolled incessantly for daring to not love all the things about Remarkably Bright Creatures - Cameron in particular – it was nice to read a story where the attitudes/behaviors/choices of each character were explained and everyone ended up with a believable redemption arc.
I liked this one enough for several of you who didn’t ; ) I hope the film version is just as good. ...more
When Emma Cline’s The Girls came out it was all the rage (I notice now the Goodreads’ rating has settled in to a more mediocre one so maybe I didn’t rWhen Emma Cline’s The Girls came out it was all the rage (I notice now the Goodreads’ rating has settled in to a more mediocre one so maybe I didn’t read it as wrong as I originally had thought). Now she has released The Guest and it seems there’s a lot of dislike for it so of course I pretty much loved it . . . .
The story here is about Alex. She’s part grifter, part sex worker, part sugar baby. When she finds herself kicked out of her apartment share and actively avoiding “Dom” because baby apparently did a bad bad thing, along came Simon. An invite to spend the summer out at his beach house arrived just at the right time. When Alex commits a party foul she finds herself no longer in Simon’s good graces and instead driven to the train station and provided a ticket. But that’s okay, right? I mean Simon will come to his senses if she just lays low and gives him some space until his big Labor Day shin-dig, right?????
I thought The Guest was such a quiet thrillride. I love an unlikeable character and there weren’t many (any?) redeeming qualities about Alex. Maybe it was simply the perfect timing of Labor Day weekend being upon me when I read this, but whatever it was I had a great time.
(I do hate this cover, though. The pool one is *chef's kiss*)...more
Mmmmmmm, there’s nothing like the smell of a little gaslighting in the morning!
I’ll be the first to admit Darcey Bell is an acquired taste
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Mmmmmmm, there’s nothing like the smell of a little gaslighting in the morning!
I’ll be the first to admit Darcey Bell is an acquired taste – in fact, I gave A Simple Favor a 1 Star myself. And then the movie came out and I realized there really IS such a thing as being a wrongreader, because I had taken the print version waaaaaay too seriously. If I would have read it as dark humor I would have had a much more enjoyable time.
While this is certainly not going to win a Pulitzer (but, good grief, freaking Demon Cottonmouth (and yes I know it’s Copperhead) won that so I’m not exactly sure what’s happening there), at less than 250 pages this is a perfectly fine way to spend an evening with a bottle of vino out on the deck. A little gaslighting, a little revenge and one hell of a faithful feline friend.
3 Stars for the story – eleven trillion for Catzilla.
A Man Called Ove but make him from the West Indies. I mean really that’s all I have to say. There is absolutely not one thing wrong with this story – A Man Called Ove but make him from the West Indies. I mean really that’s all I have to say. There is absolutely not one thing wrong with this story – Fredrick Bachman simply did it better and maybe there’s only room for one lonely curmudgeon on my favorites list. I’m also not a fan of a “twist” in books that aren’t in the mystery/thriller genre so the big reveal towards the end really went off like a fart in church for me . . . .
The Goodreads’ “if you liked this, read these” recommendations are really spot on and I did love quite a few of those selections (and have at least one on my soon-to-read list) so if you love to read about these hermit-like peeps there’s a bounty of options out there.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
“Do you really think life is always happening to us?”
“I do.”
I finally stumbled over to this book’s Goodreads page to mark it as “Currently Readin“Do you really think life is always happening to us?”
“I do.”
I finally stumbled over to this book’s Goodreads page to mark it as “Currently Reading” when I was at about the halfway mark and was shocked to see the dismal 2.77 rating. For a second I thought maybe my new best friend had participated in a showing of his butt sort of moment and trolled a reviewer or something. But then I realized that yeah, this won’t be for everyone. Basically it’s a literary version of . . . .
You know, ‘cause it’s pretty much about nothing????
The story here is about Sarah and Lauren who met when they were pre-teens and have been besties for the resties ever since. Sarah is the “rich” and Lauren is the “pretty.” Sarah works for a charity, has been with Dan since college and is planning her wedding when the book begins. Lauren works in publishing, has had a revolving door of pseudo serious boyfriends and will serve as the maid of honor. The story meanders through the mundane and monumental moments of these two women’s lives as they grow apart and yet somehow still remain bonded. And my reaction????
After reading Leave the World Behind I was hopeful that when it came to Rumaan Alam my response to his work would most likely fall along the lines of . . . .
I am so happy to report that was the case. I loved this book. I love this author’s delivery. I loved that he proved the old adage wrong that a man can’t write believable females who aren’t all broken and effed up or unreliable narrators or what have you. I loved their friendship and how authentic the ebbs and flows felt as they grew older and their lives changed. I love that he obviously has a personal love for New York and makes the reader love it too. I just loved it. And I will follow him. Follow him whatever he may write. ...more
I read this like two months ago, but I am SUCKING at posting anything lately so I’m just Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I read this like two months ago, but I am SUCKING at posting anything lately so I’m just now getting around to it. Let’s start with the overall GR rating, shall we?
Yeesh. That’s low. Of course that means I loved it. #wrongreader4eva
The story here is a fairly simple one. After being married to Jacob for ages, Lizzie finally had enough one day and offed him. Left with the conundrum of how to dispose of the body in a way that would leave no evidence, Lizzie decided to do the most sensible thing . . . .
The remainder of the book is about Lizzie’s (ever-so-graphic) consumption of Jacob with a side order of . . . .
When I realized that my husband was dead, I also realized I had a chance to live.
Obviously this is not a book for everyone and obviously I kind of love fiction that is a little dark or taboo, which is 100% why I downloaded this from the library as soon as I heard of it. What I didn’t expect was to be presented with a story that was surprisingly an über macabre version of . . . .
This last month, I have had something to do, and I have had love. I am very lucky. It has been perfect.
Full Disclosure: I totally dry-heaved at the eating of the foot. Not only because feet are disgusting when they are attached to living human beings, but because absolutely no detail was spared when it came to the prep work, cooking or ingestion. Consider yourself warned – this is not for the weak stomached so have your barfbags handy....more
EDIT 2/7/19: Because YES I've seen the New Yorker and Guardian articles. I don't know whyFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
EDIT 2/7/19: Because YES I've seen the New Yorker and Guardian articles. I don't know why authors (especially talented ones) choose to shoot their own feet off. Best guess? Undiagnosed or untreated mental issues. That being said, I read this book nearly a dang YEAR ago and as a Hitchcock superfan it knocked my socks off. The upcoming Agatha-Christie-inspired follow up was sure to be an auto request. Hell, who am I kidding, it probably still is - assuming dudebrah doesn't lose his book deal and I can get it from the library in order to not pad his pockets. I won't be removing my rating or review, but definitely won't be shouting his praises from the rooftops either.
“Cat and mouse, cat and mouse, but which is the cat and which is the mouse?”
In an effort to prove I read everything wrong – even the stuff I like – I’m giving The Woman in the Window the full monty of Stars while the majority of my friends experienced “meh” . . . .
Credit goes to debra and Trudi and Melissa and Liz and Deanna and Diane S whose mediocre ratings helped lower my expectations. (Now that I’m done I can go read all of your reviews.) Credit to myself for putting my name on the looooooooong wait list and then nearly forgetting all about this one until it was due to be returned. Braintrust. I is one.
Here’s what I knew before starting: The Woman in the Window was going to be about . . . . you guessed it, a woman in the window. Said woman was housebound for some reason and also liked more than her fair share of the drinky drinky. Same woman would see “something” from her window – or maybe not. And almost everyone thought it was too long and slow-going for their liking.
Now that I’m finished and have read the blurb, I’m actually quite surprised to see it not being compared to The Girl on the Train because really? Not only was this kinda like The Girl on the Train, but it was EXACTLY what I was hoping The Girl on the Train would be like. I am quite pleased, however, to see proper credit given to A.J. Finn’s inspiration . . . . .
I think that is why this one worked so well for me. I am a Hitchcock superfan. Please don’t get that twisted to think I wrote some thesis analyzing his works or know the answer to every trivia question about him. I appreciate Hitchcock the same as I appreciate a book – for the entertainment value it provides me. As a kid I was raised on Hitchcock classics (as an adult I’ve discovered some of the books/stories his films were based on) and they are my go-to films of choice even if I’ve seen them a thousand times. The Woman in the Window succeeds in bringing little snippets of so many of Hitchcock’s films together seamlessly. From the obvious selection . . . . .
Which is brilliantly the one mentioned the least by our leading lady, Anna. To the selection that is applicable in so many cases of an “unreliable narrator” . . . .
A reader who isn’t a fan of Hitchcock might easily miss out on some “inside info.” Or they might just think it’s slow because it’s definitely not a roller coaster full of twists and turns. For me, though, it was the perfect mystery. Not only due to the Hitchcockian shout-outs, but also because Anna was a phenomenal unreliable narrator. Bonus was she even had a sense of humor about how fucked up she was . . . .
“I’m running on fumes. Grape fumes.”
It also didn’t bother me one bit to know what was coming. Some things were foreseeable because they were events that followed their movie inspirations and some were just things that an avid mystery-thriller reader is going to pick up on. For those of you who think I’m full of shit when I say I tend to be able to guess what’s going on when it comes to mystery/thrillers here are some REAL SPOILERS SO PLEASE DON’T CLICK THEM IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED:
When I first saw this over on NetGalley about 124 years ago, I reeeeaaaallllyyyyy wanted Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When I first saw this over on NetGalley about 124 years ago, I reeeeaaaallllyyyyy wanted it – mainly because the title made me think it was going to be this type of story . . . .
Per usual, I was late to the party and by the time I went to request a copy it had gone poof in the night. Then a couple of my friends read it and not only proved that my brain is a complete and utter failure because this was most def NOT a Mr. and Mrs. Smith revamp, but that there also included an unreadable part featuring a garden vegetable. But I ain’t skeered. I’m just like this cat . . . .
Aside from cucumber double penetration and really bad dialogue, you’re probably wondering what War and Peace was even about. Well, pull up a chair and get comfy ‘cause it was pretty much about ERRRRRYTHING and I’m going to SPOIL THE CRAP OUT OF IT FOR YOU. Still here? Okay, let’s do this.
It all starts with Baylee getting some slurp done on her hoo by her boyfriend who can’t seem to locate the little man in the boat (probably because he’s so drooly) when a masked man barges in the room, knocks ol’ Moral Oral out and snatches (hehehe snatch) Baylee off to a cabin in the woods. Once unmasked, she discovers the kidnapper is none other than the neighbor fella she has always thought was kinda hot. Neighbor fella thinks the same of Baylee, but he also needs some money so he plans on selling Baylee to a sex ring and then kidnapping her back. But first (!!!!) he has to “train” her . . . . .
And don’t you know that ho has one of those daggum “traitorous bodies” that makes her have an O-Face even when she’s getting pounded like a nail by a super raper. Soon her two weeks of schooling end and she finds herself auctioned off to the highest bidder . . . .
“You are never allowed to touch me. Ever. Are we clear?”
Apparently he just wants a companion and Baylee is willing to stay if “War” will help grease some palms and get her momma a new kidney on the black market or whatever means is necessary to keep her from croaking. But you know they is going to road trip to pound town too!
(Oh, and in case you’re wondering “War” isn’t some post-zombie-apocalypse name or some shit. It’s just short for Warren – which if you are cool at all you will automatically associate with . . . . .
Back to our story. So Baylee and War finally do the bang bang, we find out the superbadawful that turned him into a superfreak, Cucumber Fan No. 1 shows back up right when I’m pretty sure (view spoiler)[Baylee’s about ready to discover she’s preggers with his bebe kid (hide spoiler)] and then he (view spoiler)[ TOTALLY SHOOTS WARREN!!!! (hide spoiler)]. Fade to black. Cliffy ending. BWAHAHAHAHA SO LAME! I LOVE IT!
By the end I was totally channeling my inner Dino Jess . . . . .
Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls was one of the pop-up recommendations on my library homepage. I had heard zilch about this book before requesting it and only did so because I liked the title. (Deep, I know.) Then I saw that sales pitch contained in the blurb and had the following reaction . . .
However, since I have no ability to not read a book once it is downloaded, I had no choice but to grin and bear it. And you know what? This was kinda like Gone Girl. Now if I were Jay Asher I’d probably want to kick someone’s ass for trivializing my suicide book (as contrived as I found it to be), but if you’re looking for YA with some mindf*&^ery this one might be a winner.
“Having secrets together makes you real friends. Secrets tie you together.”
Delia had plenty of secrets. Secrets about her boyfriend and her stepfather and her best friend June and maybe even June’s boyfriend. But all of those secrets died along with Delia . . .
June and Delia had drifted apart, as friends sometimes do. When June hears that Delia committed suicide she feels guilty for not answering Delia’s call. Guilt soon morphs into suspicion when she listens to the voice mail left by Delia right before her death and after she meets Delia’s ex-boyfriend. Did Delia really kill herself or was she murdered?
I was a little concerned when I guessed a potential major plot point at the 5% mark and then had it confirmed by 20% . . .
I also figured something more than that had to be up because there was too much book left and since I had read . . . . some another book (not Gone Girl) which shall remain nameless in order to avoid spoilage . . . . it was pretty easy to figure out the second twist in the story as well. Buuuuuuuuut, even though I saw most of the things coming, I didn’t see them all . . .
and I never wanted to stop turning pages. I would obviously ruin the fun if I told anything about the twists and turns the story took. All I’ll say is (a) I read a poopton of mystery/thrillers so when it comes to guessing what’s going to happen next I’m fairly good at it and (b) a lot can be forgiven if the author sticks the landing ending. I seriously dug the end of this one.
“Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a person is to shield them from that which will not help them. Make the decision and then carry the burden yourself, bear that weight so that they don’t have to.” ...more
Oh yes. I did. I know who the author is. I know what she did. I wrote a friggin’ thesis paper on it in my review of her first book HERE (or read Hunger for Knowledge’s review instead since everyone knows I’m an a-hole). I still can’t wrap my brain around why the heck what happened even happened, but I’m not going to beat a dead horse about it. At this point in time I am simply a reader who hopes to actually like the books I’m reading. (Another thing I can’t wrap my brain around are the users who actively seek out books they know they will hate – only so they can rage out about it. What a waste of time.) I was shocked at how much I enjoyed No One Else Can Have You and I knew I would be one of the first (maybe only hehehehe) people to read the sequel.
Nothing Bad Is Going To Happen picks up where book one left off. Kippy Bushman has solved the murder of her best friend and is looking forward to being a regular teenager. Her main goal is to finally lose her V-Card and she’s pulling out the big guns for some expert advice on how to make it perfect . . .
Things don’t go as planned, however, when Kippy shows up for her big night with her boyfriend Davey only to find him surrounded by pills and empty beer bottles . . .
“Here I am, just some girl trying to get boned, and instead I have to hunt down a killer. Again.”
^^^^Hehehehehe.
So what did I think? Well, like most sequels I didn’t enjoy this as much as the original. Kippy lost a little of her charm for me (but the Libby and Rosa characters definitely helped fill the gap). It wasn’t as . . . . sharp (????) as the original either. The humor was a little less edgy and the “dark” plot points were pretty O.T.T. that seemed to be thrown in for shock and awe factor. That being said, I still read this puppy cover to cover without ever wanting to put it aside and I remain interested in seeing what Ms. Hale might write next (assuming she moves on from Kippy – cause I don’t do book threes). Bottom line is if your idea of a movie marathon includes stuff like this . . .
Kathleen Hale might write the YA book for you. The Coen brothers are the only weirdos I can even think to compare her stuff to.
Final thought: Like I said with the first book, I totally get anyone who isn’t interested in reading this author’s books, along with any method of shelving/rating-without-reading users choose. I only ask two things: (1) respect my (and anyone else’s) right to read these books (I’m lucky enough to live in a metro area with two different library systems so me reading “blacklisted” books lines the author’s pocket with zeros of dollars) and (2) if you’re going to hold one author to a certain standard, you should hold ALL authors to the same standard. “Authors” who use GR to constantly hate on other writers/their books or post rage-filled status updates attacking users for the way they choose to rate books might be just one step away from the showing up at someone’s door kind of crazy . . .
“Hate and love are both obsessions. You can’t hate someone without caring, too.”
EDIT FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY RE-READ (BECAUSE WHAT ELSE IS A HOLIDAY FOR IF NOT TO CHANNEL YFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
EDIT FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY RE-READ (BECAUSE WHAT ELSE IS A HOLIDAY FOR IF NOT TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER SLOTH AND READ TWO BOOKS IN ONE DAY????): Bumping to 5 Stars because there ain't nothing more 'Murican than Texas, beauty pageants and Dolly Parton.
BUUUUUUUUUMP!!!!!!!!!! Because this premieres on Netflix tonight and I'm so excited to go home, put my PJs on, cozy up in bed, turn on the boobtube and shove my face full of what I lovingly call "diabetes in a bag" like my faaaaaaaaar removed teenage self . . . .
They obviously all read it wrong (j/k). They also might have actually ponied up some dollars for it, but it was gifted to me by a wee tipsy witch on Festivus Eve.
Meet Willowdean Dickson . . .
“That’s me. I’m fat. It’s not a cuss word. It’s not an insult. At least it’s not when I say it. So I always figure why not get it out of the way?”
Yep. Me too. It didn’t take long, however, to realize that Willowdean’s sassy persona was merely a front and that she was your average, insecure, teenaged girl. And I loved her. In a world of YA where the characters’ voices sound older than a geezer like me it was refreshing to read someone so realistic.
So what was Willowdean’s story about? Well, pull up a chair and let me fangirl tell you. Willowdean (or Dumplin’ as her momma calls her) is a plus-sized 16 year old who lives waaaaaay down South in Texas with her momma, a former beauty queen and current organizer of her small town’s annual local pageant . . .
When not attending school or hanging with her bestie Ellen, Will works part-time at the local Harpy’s – which my brain WOULD. NOT. STOP. calling “Hardee’s” and I’ve been craving a monster thickburger ever since . . .
Anywho. Needless to say, Willowdean’s day-to-day is not one filled with thrills and chills. That is until her new co-worker “Private School Bo” takes an interest in her . . .
“My first kiss, which took place behind a Harpy’s Burgers & Dogs and next to a dumpster full of day-old trash. Yes, it was perfect.”
It was perfect until Will realizes that Bo will be switching schools and apparently their summer romance wasn’t quite what she thought it was . . . .
And that’s when Willowdean decides enough is enough and it’s high time people get treated like people no matter what their size. How is she going to bridge the gap between fat and thin? Why, by entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant, of course. But she can’t do it on her own . . .
This book may not have been perfect, but I gobbled it right up anyway. My only real complaint? The romance. I realize that the heart wants what it wants (thank you, Selena Gomez), but does it always have to be this guy????
Realistically, if I were a teenager again I’d probably be shallow and go for the hot one too so I can’t get too angry. Especially if he said stuff like this . . .
“Willowdean Opal Dickson, you are beautiful. Fuck anyone who’s ever made you feel anything less.”
Plus, when complete and total A.W.E.S.O.M.E. is also contained within the pages . . .
but reviewers have been trolled for mentioning it??? That’s pure crazy right there. EDIT: I just noticed the new cover has a f*&^%$g DRAGON TAIL on it. Dear Trolls; Your argument is invalid. Alright. Now that that is out of the way, let’s get on with the review.
A zoo of epic proportions and filled with specimens we humans thought were only able to be conjured up by our imagination – or by George R. R. Martin . . .
The Great Zoo of China received a mediocre response from most of my friends here on Goodreads. Leave it to me to be the oddball. What’s a girl to do? I don’t generally read reviews of books I plan on reading (especially ARCs), but I did skim several this time and noticed a running theme. I think my rating might be so high because from having seen their reactions I was already well aware that this would read more like a tribute piece to Michael Crichton – or a FanFic of Jurassic Park, if you will, and I was able to appreciate it for what it was. And holy shit did I appreciate it!
To begin with, the world (a/k/a zoo) that was built was beyond phenomenal. I never got bored reading about how this gargantuan project came to fruition. Although I’m always thankful for any reminders of this . . .
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(YAAAAASSSSSSSSSS!!! THAT’S ME!!!!!! I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!!!!)
there aren’t enough words in my vocabulary (shut up, Ron 2.0) to describe how thrilled I was that the hero in this story was of the sort who lacked a penis (Hulkboy, if you make a joke about Goldblum lacking a penis I will fly to your house and cut you). Said female hero participated in kicking 100% of all the ass and made sure she also took names.
Speaking of kicking ass - once the proverbial dragon shit hit the fan? This sucker was jam-packed with non-stop action. Sidenote: Did you know if something bites you in half the force is great enough to make your own intestines shoot out of your mouth? I didn’t either (and have no clue if it’s true), but I do know THAT. IT. IS. AWESOME. when it happens in a book. I can’t remember when I’ve read something with a body count this high. We’re talking hundreds of humans and dozens of dragons. WONDERFUL! I mean, sooooo so sad (not).
What can I say? If this is on your TBR know that it is very close to its original inspiration - and I mean VERY close . . .
I read An Abundance of Katherines before I even knew who John Green was. Remember - I’m 1,000, so cut me some slack people! Over the past several years it has come to my attention that almost everyone else considers this to be the lesser of all of the Green works, which had me questioning my mental state (or whether or not I was intoxicated) the first time I read this book.
Okay, so I’ll grant you the premise is kinda snooze-a-rific. I mean, a former child prodigy who has been dumped by 19 chicks named Katherine who wants to develop something like this . . .
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(*hooooooark* Ugh – just looking at that math gives me dry heaves)
in order to be able to predict who will be the dumper (or dumpee) in any relationship and when said relationship will end is not the most exciting story to be told.
And maybe Colin was a sitzpinkling anagramming weirdo who moped around feeling miserable about getting dumped by the umpteenth Katherine in his life, but without him I would have never had a chance to meet Hassan. Oh Hassan! I’m pretty sure he’ll go down in history as one of my favorite supporting pals. He completely stole the show. If you’ve not yet read Katherines, think of Hassan as younger, less dickholey, and more Muslim version of Trent from Swingers . . .
Hassan is a riot, he can woo the ladies without even trying, and he refers to himself occasionally as “Daddy.” He’s the only person who was able to stop Colin from “lying facedown on the carpet” . . .
If I were to be 100% honest, Katherines might not be deserving of all 5 Stars this second time around. . . but I’m not changing the rating. I love this book unapologetically and it’s still my favorite John Green – even if I’m the only one who feels that way. If nothing else, this book gave the world the following quote:
“Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.”
And that may be good enough for a ½ Star bump on its own.
Maybe Colin wasn’t a “relatable teenager” (whatever the F that means), but at least he admitted that Holden Caulfield was a self-absorbed loser. My generation grew up with a different John who wrote characters like these . . .
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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