Fletcher, VT, US | Member Since 2005
"Our Economy is In Trouble and How to Win? Not!"
This book is fun and funny. And underneath the humor is a story of one family's struggle to hold on. Dad feels like it's on him to make sure his family can stay in their home and continue to live the good old American Dream. During a trip to the store for "milk" Dad meets new "friends" and all unfolds from there. This book is cute and hip and engaging and a bit sad and dear. I loved it!!!!!
"Have the Hankies Nearby"
I dare the reader/listener to keep a dry eye. This book about a young girl and her horse and her foster "family" made me feel and held my interest every in chapter. Jojo Moyes is becoming a favorite for me. This is the second book from this author I've truly enjoyed. And this one had a horse as a main character who develops a unique bond with his young rider. This is a story with adventure, family bonds, romance, betrayal, danger and redemption. I so enjoy a book that invites you in and brings you along for the ride.
"Really more like a 3.5ish"
Another Prey series from Sanford and this one really delivers overall. This book has everything a reader/listener of the series would want. There is of course our beloved Davenport and his family, bad guys that play political dirty tricks and of course murder,a less than honorable billionaire politician, expensive one of a kind jewels in a safe, a safe cracker, computer hackers, 2 very loyal scary non-barking guard dog German Shepherds, and more. You know not the best deep read ever, but just what one wants from a Prey series. Enjoy!
"Hang in There"
These three southern beauties deliver in this story, but after a bit of a start and stop beginning. Others reviewers have set the stage describing the plot, so I'll just say that this is a good book, an enjoyable read. I did feel it got off to a slow start and maybe it is because the narrator/author sounds very much the same in each character so make sure you pay attention in the beginning of each paragraph where the author/reader indicates who is speaking in the first person.
And I did glow in the loveliness and the fun of the characters', especially Mosey's southern (we called them) diddy's...cute as a pixie sayings.
"Hildy Wants MORE!"
Hildy's grandson's first word was MORE. This is the moral of the story....we all want MORE.
Hildy wants MORE, more alcohol, more money and prestige, and more love. Each of the other characters is lacking something in their lives which brings them to Hildy and in turn, she basks in their strife.
In letting Hildy's story unfold Ms. Leary expertly illustrates the denial of an addict. But it is not just Hildy who is an addict, it is also Rebecca; she is addicted to attention and romance.
Then of course with all of this wanting MORE, comes great loss.
The messy emotions and feelings and thoughts of these characters come to life with Ms. Hurt so wonderfully narrating.
I loved this book and I can't imagine anyone not becoming completely engaged with this story. YES 5 stars!
"Solid Good Book!"
I found this book to be a solid good read; I really enjoyed it thoroughly. The story held my interest. The writing style was quite good, the narration great. An A+ book overall.
"The Baker, The Nun, The Virgin and The Monster"
This books begins with Sage Singer's life. She chooses to be a baker working alone at night she says, to hide her scar(s). She tells us "I leave the dough alone. It's silly to anthropomorphize bread......it needs to sit quietly, to retreat from touch and noise and drama in order to evolve and so do I". Sage is evolving; she rejects her religious heritage; she is an atheist.
She finds herself befriending a very old German man with a past that is perhaps entwined with her family somehow. She is faced with her Jewish roots. Sage must make choices that cause her to question her most basic beliefs.
I usually stay way from detailed stories about the Holocaust, I just find it too horrific. This author does go there. So just know to expect a detailed first person account of many atrocities.
I liked that the author is very serious and addresses these issues head on. And then at times Ms. Picoult made me giggle, she writes,“....tutoring a four year old to get into an exclusive preschool made as much sense as hiring a swim coach for a guppy......”
I liked this book because it held my interest throughout. Although at times, for me, Ms. Picoult's writing lacks something, it was easy for me to overlook because I was really hooked in the plot.
Overall this is a solid good book.
"Story of Epic Lonliness"
Arthur Opp says "the pleasure of finally making a clean break into misery after always dangling above it's canyon...." sums up the depth of this character's journey in life, and for me the depth of this story too.
I was hooked, I wanted to get back to the book each time I set it down. I loved the way the author entwined the characters, it all worked so well.
I cannot begin to sing enough praise for these amazing narrators who made the characters, each one, truly alive. This is the best narration I've ever heard in a book, I think.
I can only say I couldn't give the story 5 stars because of the abrupt ending, I didn't quite get that, a bit of a disappointment. But overall such a winner.
"A Slow Rollercoaster, chugging up towards the end"
I'm not sure what drew me to this book, the other reviews I think.
Ms. Winterson tells us at some point (I loved that she was the narrator BTW) that she is writing in real time. As soon as I heard that, the flow of the book all made sense to me. Up until that point, more than half of the book, I was having trouble staying engaged. This makes prefect sense because Jeanette was having similar trouble staying engaged...... in her life.
Then a major shift happened for her, the memoir became alive just as her life became worth living... fully.
Taking this journey with this author/narrator was an eye opener for me. Jeanette struggled with love and passion and work and deep depression and rejection and finally redemption but not thank goodness, in the Hollywood way.
I felt redeemed by listening to this book. Thank you Ms. Jeanette Winterson for not being normal. Best wishes on your journey to find happiness.
"Interesting Collection of Short Stories"
Walter is an accomplished author and he truly shines in this book. Some of these short stories are engaging and worthwhile. The stories explore parent/child relationships, familial love, romantic love and abandonment. Some of the stories are of broken down people who are trying...trying so much that one character says "Who isn't crazy sometimes?"
In "Don't Eat the Cat", the characters in the future must interact with others who have willingly become "Zombies", (violent, mindless, sexually depraved people) from using a very destructive club drug. A man goes into "Zombie Town" to seek out a lost love, leaving the reader anxiously awaiting the outcome.
The stories that stood out to me were thought provoking with a sense of irony that kept me wanting more.
Yet conversely I felt that a few of the stories were there only to complete the collection, pad the book; they let me down feeling quite unsatisfied and confused.
The reader was competent and added to this collection overall making this book worth the download. I'm really glad I listened.
"Oddy Returns"
Mr. Koontz, thank you for bringing back the childlike flavor of a favorite character, Odd Thomas. Your last few books have sadly been a bit of a disappointment, but this one rings true to character once again. Odd's side kicks, JoLeigh and Ed are delightful and interesting.
Unfortunately the enigmatic pregnant woman is here and remains an annoying mystery.
But overall the story held my interest; I enjoyed the book.