Ritika Bhattacharjee
BAH! HUMBUG!
haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting. It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility. I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here:
https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk
and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself, and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)
Originally posted at youtu.be.
BAH! HUMBUG!
haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting. It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility. I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here:
https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk
and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself, and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)
Originally posted at youtu.be.
rating- 2.5/5
it took off really well and i was super excited that a book i picked randomly (let's be fair we all picked it for the Travis kelce and Taylor Swift dedication) was going that well. However, it all just went down post the 40-50% mark. I felt like the author tried to fit in too much in about 200 pages. The first half went well because it seemed like a slowburn. Post that, it just seemed liked the author was trying to write an essay and had to finish it within a certain number of words.
For instance, the fake dating was introduced at like the 60% mark and the 'anonymous person' subplot was all over the place. I was so confused throughout about Brett not connecting the dots that Stone Walker (the NFL player Stone Walker) was the same guy she was hanging out with, throughout. Like Brett and him had multiple run ins and he still didn't recognise him??
Overall, it felt like the author was too ambitious. if she'd stuck with the brother's best friend, fall-out-in-the-past tropes and the lucky charms . This would have been a much better read. There were also a lot of loose ends; for example I would have loved for her to explore the family dynamic a little more. Maybe an HEA with the brother and the family would've been great.
Not a bad read but was just not feeling it towards the end and wanted to get it over with.
rating- 2.5/5
it took off really well and i was super excited that a book i picked randomly (let's be fair we all picked it for the Travis kelce and Taylor Swift dedication) was going that well. However, it all just went down post the 40-50% mark. I felt like the author tried to fit in too much in about 200 pages. The first half went well because it seemed like a slowburn. Post that, it just seemed liked the author was trying to write an essay and had to finish it within a certain number of words.
For instance, the fake dating was introduced at like the 60% mark and the 'anonymous person' subplot was all over the place. I was so confused throughout about Brett not connecting the dots that Stone Walker (the NFL player Stone Walker) was the same guy she was hanging out with, throughout. Like Brett and him had multiple run ins and he still didn't recognise him??
Overall, it felt like the author was too ambitious. if she'd stuck with the brother's best friend, fall-out-in-the-past tropes and the lucky charms . This would have been a much better read. There were also a lot of loose ends; for example I would have loved for her to explore the family dynamic a little more. Maybe an HEA with the brother and the family would've been great.
Not a bad read but was just not feeling it towards the end and wanted to get it over with.
“Isn't this the part where our love overcomes our addictions? Where our problems magically solve from a kiss and a promise?” rating- 4/5
I'm bawling my eyes. THAT is not what i expected.
Did I pick this up because i thought it would be a light hearted romance series? yes. Am I disappointed that it is exactly the opposite of light hearted? honestly..not? This was something i didn't know I needed T_T
But then again I probably wouldn't have picked this up if somebody had given me the brief beforehand:
‘A book about two addicts being dependent on each other, pretending to have a healthy life and dating. While in reality, they're infact not okay; absolutely spiralling, going off the deep end and enabling each other.'
the lack of plot
character-driven
somebody.
could've been shorter
repetitive
recurring, unchanging nature was a more realistic portrayal of their problems
Wait for me.” The words come out choked and pained. “I need you to wait for me.”
The half brother thing was pretty evident. The only thing i didn't anticipate was Ryke being Jonathan and Sara's son. idk.
Final thoughts:
“Isn't this the part where our love overcomes our addictions? Where our problems magically solve from a kiss and a promise?” rating- 4/5
I'm bawling my eyes. THAT is not what i expected.
Did I pick this up because i thought it would be a light hearted romance series? yes. Am I disappointed that it is exactly the opposite of light hearted? honestly..not? This was something i didn't know I needed T_T
But then again I probably wouldn't have picked this up if somebody had given me the brief beforehand:
‘A book about two addicts being dependent on each other, pretending to have a healthy life and dating. While in reality, they're infact not okay; absolutely spiralling, going off the deep end and enabling each other.'
the lack of plot
character-driven
somebody.
could've been shorter
repetitive
recurring, unchanging nature was a more realistic portrayal of their problems
Wait for me.” The words come out choked and pained. “I need you to wait for me.”
The half brother thing was pretty evident. The only thing i didn't anticipate was Ryke being Jonathan and Sara's son. idk.
Final thoughts:
BAH! HUMBUG!
haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting. It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility.I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here: https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)
Originally posted at youtu.be.
BAH! HUMBUG!
haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting. It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility.I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here: https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)
Originally posted at youtu.be.
rating-4/5
These books are so good T_T. I need to know what the author's putting in them because, once i start reading, it's all i do. I physically cannot stop.
one star less simply because the cult and the themes in the last 2 books are not my favourite genre of crime. i love the usual murder mysteries, serial killers etc etc. but once it gets religious/ritualistic, i seem to lose interest. Overall, good characterisation, phenomenal writing; the first 2 books were my absolute favourites. While the storyline of 3 & 4, isn't something I'd usually read, I'm still super attached to the characters and upset that the series is almost over.
On to the novella now (knowing that it's all I'm going to do for the rest of the day) sigh
rating-4/5
These books are so good T_T. I need to know what the author's putting in them because, once i start reading, it's all i do. I physically cannot stop.
one star less simply because the cult and the themes in the last 2 books are not my favourite genre of crime. i love the usual murder mysteries, serial killers etc etc. but once it gets religious/ritualistic, i seem to lose interest. Overall, good characterisation, phenomenal writing; the first 2 books were my absolute favourites. While the storyline of 3 & 4, isn't something I'd usually read, I'm still super attached to the characters and upset that the series is almost over.
On to the novella now (knowing that it's all I'm going to do for the rest of the day) sigh
rating- 5/5
An emotion reader, a deception specialist, a statistician who could not be allowed to ingest coffee, and two profilers who can crawl into the heads of killers
did not expect a YA crime novel to hook me in
YA mystery is literally THE childhood genre right up there with YA dystopian.
nostalgia
transported back in time
very good pacing, writing and short chapters
crafted perfectly
“Personally, I wouldn't mind taking out an ad in the paper or hiring a skywriter to announce that he and Locke were outsmarted by three bored teenagers.”
found family
The love triangle is SO 2015.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY ATE IT UP.
Michael had never made any secret of the fact that he was pursuing me. Dean had fought any attraction he felt for me every step of the way.
rating- 5/5
An emotion reader, a deception specialist, a statistician who could not be allowed to ingest coffee, and two profilers who can crawl into the heads of killers
did not expect a YA crime novel to hook me in
YA mystery is literally THE childhood genre right up there with YA dystopian.
nostalgia
transported back in time
very good pacing, writing and short chapters
crafted perfectly
“Personally, I wouldn't mind taking out an ad in the paper or hiring a skywriter to announce that he and Locke were outsmarted by three bored teenagers.”
found family
The love triangle is SO 2015.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY ATE IT UP.
Michael had never made any secret of the fact that he was pursuing me. Dean had fought any attraction he felt for me every step of the way.