Kari
This review was originally posted on my blog at http://knowitnotsomuch.blogspot.com
There are sometimes books that I buy that sit on my shelves forever. I don't read them. Something else comes along first and since I own these books I don't have to read them right away. Finally, I pick one up and read it and kick myself for having waited so long to get to it.
Marshmallows for Breakfast is one of those.
My sister-in-law gave me My Best Friend's Girl years ago. It was Dorothy Koomson's first US release and it tore me in half. I think I cried through most of the book. Marshmallows for Breakfast was different, but no less stunning. There was so much going on and it felt like it happened so quickly. It was a constant series of gut punches. And you thought you knew what was happening, but you didn't.
Koomson writes the most realistically flawed and perfect characters. There is something you can instantly relate to in everyone. They become friends, people you know or wish you did know. Their hurt, their joys, their fears are absorbed into you and you are better for it. There were times when I found myself touching the words on the page wishing I could comfort Kendie or Summer or Ashlyn or someone, anyone.
I didn't cry like I did when I read My Best Friend's Girl. This book was happier, even with the sad parts. But I loved it just as much I think. These aren't romance novels, though they deal with love. There is always something more in them. Something that aches. They aren't just about loss or grief or terror, they are just about people and the choices they make and how they live with those choices.
There is no way that I can't read all of her books now. After the first book I went online and found that despite her having written 5 books at the time only My Best Friend's Girl and Marshmallows for Breakfast were available for purchase in the US. I fear I must now stalk the interwebs until I can find them all!
This was sent to me by the author for an honest review.
My 5 year old and I read this for her bedtime story and she loved it! She loved that Biriwita was blue and lived in a place called “Ticklewater”. The message was good and she grasped it right away. Her only complaint was that Bitiwita was mean to the crocodile (crocs are very nice in her opinion). The illustrations were fun and lively and now she's asked to read this again for tomorrow's bedtime story. You know that means she loved it!
Creepy, funny, sad and hopeful are the words I would use to describe this series of books. I picked them up at the library when I was waiting for Emma the other day thinking she would like them, but the cover for The Parting was slightly creepy so I decided to read them first. Good thing I did!
I've seen the books recommended for ages 7+ and also 9+ and I think the 9+ is more accurate. The books deal with some heavy issues, like death, child abuse and terminal illness. Nothing too graphic, but heavy nonetheless. While I'm sure Emma could ‘handle' it, I think we can wait a couple of years first.
But I did enjoy them! The art is reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes, especially Max. The full color books lend to the richness of the Elsewhere world that the kids find themselves in. Despite their issues the kids are bonded and only want to look out for each other and help keep everyone safe. While they are certainly brave and courageous, there are always moments of showing their age so that it's clear that these are still, despite their adventures, children.
There are still many questions left unanswered and things begin to get a little confusing near the end of The Parting, ending with a ‘To be continued' cliffhanger. And yet, I can't find anything about another volume coming out anytime soon. Hopefully, that's change soon!
The artwork in this book is just gorgeous. I loved every page! O & I read this even though she wanted to read Antoinette Portis's “Best Frints In The Whole Universe” for the 50th time and she ended up loving it along with me.
This installment in the adventures of Amy and Effy wasn't as delightful as the first, but it did introduce somewhat of a villain and that's always fun. Fiona was not feisty and independent like Felicity so I think that dimmed the enjoyment for me a bit. Still, it was entertaining and funny!
Penny's kind of irritating. How can she possibly know everything when she's barely dated anyone? And then she doesn't recognize the pyrite behavior of her own boyfriend. Hmmmm...
I thought this was very well done for such a miserable topic. I wish that it was longer so we could get to know the characters better, or that she focused on one character, but I found it fascinating that Tillie did exist and what had inspired the Miller to write the book in the first place. This is a great book for kids to get a little bit of Civil War history without it being too graphic.
My mom gave me this book a few months ago when I mentioned going to services again (we stopped when I was in my late teens and besides family services, haven't returned) regularly. This was a good guide to the history and evolution of the Jodo Shinshu, but it also contained quick blurbs about special services and death rites.
This was like someone had an idea for a book and wrote that out and that was it. I would probably classify it more as an essay than a book!
This was fun! I haven't read a MHC book in YEARS but I used to read them all the time in my teens. Now I remember why I loved them so much. Maybe it's time to pick more up.
A quick, fun read. I like the characters despite there being so many it's sometimes hard to keep straight who is who. Still, I enjoyed the book enough to want to keep reading the series!
I don't even know what to say about this. He seemed to jump around quite a bit and I'm not sure if it was to show the mind of the protagonist or if it was due to not-so-great writing, but either was it was slightly unsatisfying. It would seem like we were getting somewhere for a few paragraphs, but then he'd jump to something completely different and uninteresting. I also have no idea what all the capital letters were about. It was...strange, to say the least.
After two not-so-great Marian Keyes books I now know I should have just stuck with the Walsh sisters. The Mystery of Mercy Close was everything that I love about Keyes's storytelling. Humor, mystery and emotion while once again tackling mental health in a very real way.
Not my favorite of the Sherlock stories. Part one was intriguing, but then the second part just dragged for me.
These poems were written by a man I worked with years and years ago. I love the way the collection tells a story. I have a few favorites like “Untyped” and “Love Me ‘Til Midnight”, but there were so many more than made me smile.
This one took and unexpectedly dark turn at one point. Not as much humor and kind of sad. I felt sorry for Delilah in a way I didn't with the first two girls. I never came around to Sir Charles and thought Delilah could do better ;)
It was like listening to Walter Gretzky actually just speaking in front of you. The book goes on tangents, just like you would expect someone who is telling the story of their life thus far. Incredibly sad, especially thinking about how he has no memory of Wayne's achievements in hockey, but also how he doesn't remember the entire childhood of his youngest son! I liked reading the little interjections of Walter's friends and family as they told things from their perspective.
I've been reading another series by this same author and the main character is really over the top. I thought I'd try this one instead and while Kalli isn't quite as as animated as Sunny from the other series, the mothers in this book are just ridiculous. I understand the stereotype of overprotective Greek mothers who only want their children to get married and have babies, but do we really have to continue to buy into that? Not only did she make them a stereotype, she also made them stupid. Screaming that their adult children caught “the rabies” from the South American best friend (because obviously she's a bad influence) and literally covering up hives and lacerations with aloe and duct tape. Duct tape on a wound. Because duct tape fixes everything. wtf? The mystery itself was interesting, but it was overshadowed by the utter nonsense of the characters.
Long ago, a friend told me I should read these books, but alas they are so dang loooooong I kept putting it off. And I'm not a huge fan of knights and kings and queens and the happenings at court so there was a little less appeal for me as well. Then the show was announced and I thought, well shoot I'd better read those books before I watch the show. Now I think they're on season 2 and I finally picked up the book for fear that some rabid fan of the show spoil something in the books for me.
I glanced at a few reviews that urged me to bear through the beginning as it is long winded and boring. There's a lot of scene to set and many characters to familiarize yourself with.
But the book had me with “The wildlings are dead.”
So mysterious and ominous. Who, or what are these wildlings? And how did they die? Who killed them? And in that prologue we are teased with something unreal. Something not right. Something other. And then nothing. We jump right into the worst of treason, betrayal, honor, murder, passion and vengeance. So many plots. So many....
The Starks are my favorite. How can they not be? They are brave and full of honor. Ned, while smart and full of love for his King, depends too much on the word of those around him, trusting that they want what is just and right. Catelyn is fierce and the perfect matriarch for the family. My only beef with her is her treatment of Jon Snow, but I can see her side as well. The only Stark I care not for is Sansa. Useless with a head full of air.
Despite what I fear may be coming I find myself silently rooting for Tyrion Lannister and maybe less silently for Daenerys. When she finally stood up to her bizarre and misguided brother I wanted to stand up and cheer.
Throughout the book here and there were whisperings of the supernatural, but we only get to see them a couple of times. And even then I would stop to re-read those parts to make sure I read that right. But I expect the supernatural will take center stage in the next installment.
Epic, it is. Good, it is. Long, it is. At 800+ pages it's not something you can get through quickly. Yet, it's near impossible to put down. I started it Saturday night and got just shy of halfway done and then it got some reading in yesterday before bed and then today while Olivia napped. I could finish out the series by the end of the week, but I want to sit on it for a bit. Do some ‘light' reading before delving back into the Winter.
I love the old Batman comics. Don't get me wrong, I really love the New 52 Scott Snyder Batman, but there is something so charming and sweet about the early Batman stuff. I don't know what it is, maybe he was more human? Had more emotion? More empathy? He showed surprise and regret. Something.
There's a 24 year gap between The Wrath and The Wrath Child, the two stories that encompass this book. Which is good because at the end of The Wrath you don't have any idea why he was after Jim or killing cops or who he was. The Wrath Child wraps everything up for us and brings some closure to the story arc while also giving Robin/Nightwing a part in the story that he didn't have before.
A quick, but satisfying read.
While Ashes to Ashes was touted as the first Kovac/Liska book they merely had background roles in the book. Kovac was present more than Liska was, but not much. Here in Ashes to Ashes they are both in the forefront working together, but also separately on two different cases. Both of them involving the police department.
Kovac's case is personal and he's pretty much the only one who thinks that a crime actually occurred. Liska is following up on a closed case, much to the irritation of their boss.
There are times when I wonder why Liska makes such dumb choices, or ignores something that any self respecting cop would ignore. And there are times when Hoag goes off describing something or added a scene that was completely unnecessary. The book was longer than it should have been and to be honest, there were no surprises anywhere.
Who else could the killer have been? The players could all only fit into certain roles so the pieces all fit in much faster than I think Hoag was aiming for.
Not the worst erotic I've read, but it doesn't quite hold a candle to the Sleeping Beauty series. It was fun to read this ‘wicked' retelling of nursery rhyme characters, though there's no much to the plot. I'd probably pick up another Selena Kitt book in the future!