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books_with_tutusandsons's Reviews (438)
I am not a huge fan of short stories collections, mostly because I cannot switch characters and setttings that fast and usually just when I start getting in the story, it seems to end. Nonethelss, I was really interested in this particular collection because it was Reese's BC pick for August 2020 and I do tend to like most of her book picks.
And I have to admit I am not sorry I decided to give it a try. With eight stories in total, I did like most of them. They were little fragments of lives of women from Haiti and Caribbean, exploring their relations with their family, friends and lovers, but also telling the story about their roots, their homeland and their diasporic lives. Only the last story was written from a pov of a man, and even though it was so sad and served as a perfect ending to the collection, I did find it a bit not synced with the rest of them.
Big thanx to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.
And I have to admit I am not sorry I decided to give it a try. With eight stories in total, I did like most of them. They were little fragments of lives of women from Haiti and Caribbean, exploring their relations with their family, friends and lovers, but also telling the story about their roots, their homeland and their diasporic lives. Only the last story was written from a pov of a man, and even though it was so sad and served as a perfect ending to the collection, I did find it a bit not synced with the rest of them.
Big thanx to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.
I have to be honest and say how it is really hard to write about this book. The reviews I have read gave her either high praises or tore her down to pieces. My opinion is definitely somewhere in between these ends.
There were parts of this book I really liked. Maybe because I am also slowly approaching the big 4 - 0 mark and I have to be honest, things do change when you're at that place. Perspectives shift, and it kinda makes you look at your life differently. You look at your past and value it for the way it made you as a person, but you look at your future and more than ever think what you will do with it. You still think about your children and your family, but somehow, it becomes the time to reach inside and put yourself on the center of the stage again. Because, motherhood is hard. Marriage is hard. It's so easy to get lost in all of the roles that you lose that connection to your true self. And at some point you have to stop and wonder: What will make ME happy? What will make ME complete? From that point of view, I did agree with her a lot. I loved her honesty and her strength, her courage to follow her heart and her dreams.
I did find it a bit inconsistent, though. So many topics were discussed here that it was easy to get lost. One chapter was about her parenting struggles, the other one about issues with religion and faith, the third about meeting her wife and the fourth about racism. Maybe it would be better if there were some dividers by topics, it wouldn't feel so all over the place. There was some repetitiveness and all the parts about reaching your inner voice and Knowing were a bit too much for me personally. But I liked the way she questioned herself all the time and searched for a way to be a better person, better parent, better partner. I loved the way she talked about racism from a white person's pov (I do wonder whether this book was the right place to talk about that, though),and her confusion of believing in God and confronting the Church as a lesbian. Some thought she was condescending and patronizing, and that it's not her place as a white privileged woman to talk about any of that stuff at all. But I did think she made some good points and discussed the topics with respect and honesty., finding a good way to start the dialogue.
All in all, I found this to be a good read. Not amazing and life altering, but not completely off the way too. I honor the author for saying everything out loud, for trying to do something to make a change in this world and using her platforms and her influence to do so. On the other hand, she is just a tad too spiritual and ''over there'' for me, and I have to admit it annoyed me a little.
There were parts of this book I really liked. Maybe because I am also slowly approaching the big 4 - 0 mark and I have to be honest, things do change when you're at that place. Perspectives shift, and it kinda makes you look at your life differently. You look at your past and value it for the way it made you as a person, but you look at your future and more than ever think what you will do with it. You still think about your children and your family, but somehow, it becomes the time to reach inside and put yourself on the center of the stage again. Because, motherhood is hard. Marriage is hard. It's so easy to get lost in all of the roles that you lose that connection to your true self. And at some point you have to stop and wonder: What will make ME happy? What will make ME complete? From that point of view, I did agree with her a lot. I loved her honesty and her strength, her courage to follow her heart and her dreams.
I did find it a bit inconsistent, though. So many topics were discussed here that it was easy to get lost. One chapter was about her parenting struggles, the other one about issues with religion and faith, the third about meeting her wife and the fourth about racism. Maybe it would be better if there were some dividers by topics, it wouldn't feel so all over the place. There was some repetitiveness and all the parts about reaching your inner voice and Knowing were a bit too much for me personally. But I liked the way she questioned herself all the time and searched for a way to be a better person, better parent, better partner. I loved the way she talked about racism from a white person's pov (I do wonder whether this book was the right place to talk about that, though),and her confusion of believing in God and confronting the Church as a lesbian. Some thought she was condescending and patronizing, and that it's not her place as a white privileged woman to talk about any of that stuff at all. But I did think she made some good points and discussed the topics with respect and honesty., finding a good way to start the dialogue.
All in all, I found this to be a good read. Not amazing and life altering, but not completely off the way too. I honor the author for saying everything out loud, for trying to do something to make a change in this world and using her platforms and her influence to do so. On the other hand, she is just a tad too spiritual and ''over there'' for me, and I have to admit it annoyed me a little.
3.5/5
Even thought it’s still November, which in my world means ”still too soon for Christmas anything”, I do have a soft spot for holiday reads, and after a month of scary reads I really needed something sweet and cozy. ⠀
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In a Holidaze was definitely sweet and cozy. The romance part was adorable as well as sexy and the holiday mood was en pointe. I mean, Christmas in a cabin with family, and life long friends as new lovers..can it be more comforting? Board games, quests, snowman building battles and family dinners…just perfect! The rest of the book was all over the place, unfortunately. A bit of time travelling (that actually never got explained, btw), some weird relationships and characters, and the ending that just doesn’t seem realistic.
There were some really good moments in this book, but the thing that bothered me the most was just building up the story in one direction, with growing mistery, only for it to be forgotten half way through the book? It just seems like the second writer took over and forgot to check the notes of the previous one. Considering that there are actually two authors of the book, maybe that is just the thing that happened.
In conclusion, it was a fun and relaxing holiday read, even with its inconsistencies. The love story part was really good so heads up for that :).
Even thought it’s still November, which in my world means ”still too soon for Christmas anything”, I do have a soft spot for holiday reads, and after a month of scary reads I really needed something sweet and cozy. ⠀
⠀
In a Holidaze was definitely sweet and cozy. The romance part was adorable as well as sexy and the holiday mood was en pointe. I mean, Christmas in a cabin with family, and life long friends as new lovers..can it be more comforting? Board games, quests, snowman building battles and family dinners…just perfect! The rest of the book was all over the place, unfortunately. A bit of time travelling (that actually never got explained, btw), some weird relationships and characters, and the ending that just doesn’t seem realistic.
There were some really good moments in this book, but the thing that bothered me the most was just building up the story in one direction, with growing mistery, only for it to be forgotten half way through the book? It just seems like the second writer took over and forgot to check the notes of the previous one. Considering that there are actually two authors of the book, maybe that is just the thing that happened.
In conclusion, it was a fun and relaxing holiday read, even with its inconsistencies. The love story part was really good so heads up for that :).
2.7/ 5
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For my second buddy read in Nov, I have chosen The Tourist Attraction by S. Morgenthaler. I thought that setting in Alaska and a bit romance cant go wrong. I mean...Calla and Jonah, right? But this book was not even close to my beloved The Simple Wild. It was not the worst romance of the year as friend said, but it wasn't good either. ⠀
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It's not even the insta love trope thing (who am I to say that doesn't happen), but the characters were pretty undeveloped and the plot was just silly. There were some nice romantic moments and beautiful Alaskan nature and wildlife sure helped, but all of it still couldn't make up for the fact that the power couple was quite annoying - her as a some weird clumsy girl that doesn't think a second before getting in the trouble, and he as a bar owner that hates tourists he lives of and still somehow manages to be the best thing the town of Moose Springs has to offer. ⠀
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For me, the key aspects of a good romance are either a good humor or the banter between characters, and a chemistry that transfers to the reader in a way it wants to jump the first one that comes its way. Male of female, doesn't matter. Here, at best moments it gets sweet. And that's it. Maybe the author wanted to keep it pure and light which is fine, but you don't build up the chemistry through the entire book and then skip when you get to the sex scene. You. Just. Don't.⠀
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That being said maybe I'm gonna try with the next one in Moose springs series. Call me a masochist, but I am curious if there's gonna be any action in that one
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For my second buddy read in Nov, I have chosen The Tourist Attraction by S. Morgenthaler. I thought that setting in Alaska and a bit romance cant go wrong. I mean...Calla and Jonah, right? But this book was not even close to my beloved The Simple Wild. It was not the worst romance of the year as friend said, but it wasn't good either. ⠀
⠀
It's not even the insta love trope thing (who am I to say that doesn't happen), but the characters were pretty undeveloped and the plot was just silly. There were some nice romantic moments and beautiful Alaskan nature and wildlife sure helped, but all of it still couldn't make up for the fact that the power couple was quite annoying - her as a some weird clumsy girl that doesn't think a second before getting in the trouble, and he as a bar owner that hates tourists he lives of and still somehow manages to be the best thing the town of Moose Springs has to offer. ⠀
⠀
For me, the key aspects of a good romance are either a good humor or the banter between characters, and a chemistry that transfers to the reader in a way it wants to jump the first one that comes its way. Male of female, doesn't matter. Here, at best moments it gets sweet. And that's it. Maybe the author wanted to keep it pure and light which is fine, but you don't build up the chemistry through the entire book and then skip when you get to the sex scene. You. Just. Don't.⠀
⠀
That being said maybe I'm gonna try with the next one in Moose springs series. Call me a masochist, but I am curious if there's gonna be any action in that one
I thought I wasn't in the mood for this book. But it was on my list for November, and as a person that never does anything according to plan, I really wanted to try sticking to the list this time. So, I read it. In three days. It's the kind of book that pulls you inside and you just can't stop. Almost all of the characters are horrible humans full of secrets. But the interesting part in all of this is that I didn't mind it one bit. I liked the weirdness of it, the confusion, the twins' story. Probably what I loved the most was the way of writing. Its direct, it switches characters, and it makes you engage your mind cells and think about what you are reading and what is happening. Last few reads were a little bit of a disappointment for me with a flat storyline and stupid characters, so this one was a refreshment. It is not perfect -I would like to know more about some of the characters, their history and motivation for certain things, but it certainly is worth giving it a try.
I appreciate the author reaching out and offering her book in exchange for my honest review. I did really enjoy it.
I appreciate the author reaching out and offering her book in exchange for my honest review. I did really enjoy it.
2.5/5
I have to admit it is really hard to summon my thoughts of this one. To be honest, I am not quite sure what the author actually wanted to say.. Contemporary fiction with a spark of fantasy - it does sound like a great idea, but unfortunately the execution of it wasn't really as good as it might have been. Some parts were amazing, some ok, and some really boring, I even skipped some parts of the fantasy world cause it was just too unreal. Kinda like reading women's version of Harry Potter, but not as good. I loved the beginning when Breena started building her life, her friends and the whole trip to Ireland part. But somewhere around the middle things just started to fall apart. And when I read that people at Talamh mated, I knew I've had enough. Maybe the rest of the series will make it better as a whole. I certainly hope so.
Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I have to admit it is really hard to summon my thoughts of this one. To be honest, I am not quite sure what the author actually wanted to say.. Contemporary fiction with a spark of fantasy - it does sound like a great idea, but unfortunately the execution of it wasn't really as good as it might have been. Some parts were amazing, some ok, and some really boring, I even skipped some parts of the fantasy world cause it was just too unreal. Kinda like reading women's version of Harry Potter, but not as good. I loved the beginning when Breena started building her life, her friends and the whole trip to Ireland part. But somewhere around the middle things just started to fall apart. And when I read that people at Talamh mated, I knew I've had enough. Maybe the rest of the series will make it better as a whole. I certainly hope so.
Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ok, so thrillers are generally not my thing. But, every so often I like to read some to get my focus off the things I usually read. That is actually why I change genres a lot, cause reading only one makes them blend in and I end up feeling that Im reading one very long book.⠀
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At first, Double Deceit seems so simple. Today, most of the thrillers go with shocking elements to make the audience engage cause we all just want a thousand twists and turns and weird stuff happening and more murders, more violence, more disturbance. You wont get a lot of that in this book. There are no big twists and mind blowing endings here, and even though a part of me was always expecting something of that kind to happen, in the same way I enjoyed it being the kind old fashioned thriller. At moments it did feel dragged a bit, and the main characters actions at moments seemed exaggerated, but it made me doubt absolutely every character in this book and everything that I have read. ⠀
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Personally, I would like a bit more of a shocking ending, but if you're looking for a good crime book settled in the streets of Amsterdam, I can sure recommend you this one. ⠀
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* I want to thank JB Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.
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At first, Double Deceit seems so simple. Today, most of the thrillers go with shocking elements to make the audience engage cause we all just want a thousand twists and turns and weird stuff happening and more murders, more violence, more disturbance. You wont get a lot of that in this book. There are no big twists and mind blowing endings here, and even though a part of me was always expecting something of that kind to happen, in the same way I enjoyed it being the kind old fashioned thriller. At moments it did feel dragged a bit, and the main characters actions at moments seemed exaggerated, but it made me doubt absolutely every character in this book and everything that I have read. ⠀
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Personally, I would like a bit more of a shocking ending, but if you're looking for a good crime book settled in the streets of Amsterdam, I can sure recommend you this one. ⠀
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* I want to thank JB Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.
Imagine being in your 20's and having the world in your hands. Planning a future, a career, a life. Coming to NY for a job interview in a company so posh, so trendy, with not only its employees and work environment looking like in the movies, but with its mission to change the world developing a cutting edge algorithm for discovery of breast cancer. Sounds like a dream, right? ⠀
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That is what happened to Jane, the main protagonist of this novel. Excelling at the job interview and being invited to a company party was almost a promise of a new life. Until her future boss raped her. And then a job offer came through.⠀
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I loved the way the author led us through the train of thoughts of the main character. She was offered the opportunity of her life, but at what cost? Neglecting herself, her feelings, her entire being in exchange of a better life, not only for herself but also of a milion women in the world. At moments there was a bit too much of technical data that I had to read slow to be sure that I understand, but as a whole I really did enjoy this story. All the characters were well done and the plot was interesting. I could totally imagine the busy work environment, with the long hours, hackathons and challenges for employees and a rough reality of a business world of today. ⠀
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Sexual assault at work is something so many women experience at least once in their lifetime. It only takes few words to make an impact, let alone something worse. Just a few words to feel insecure, unworthy, hurt. Just a few looks or a wandering hand to make you feel incomfortable, incompetent, scared. The author confessed into going through it herself and I can say that she really portayed all the emotions perfectly. She showed the insecurities, fears, deep sadness, anger and in the end a genuine strength to stand up for herself and all the women experiencing the same. ⠀
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This is the first book in the series that focuses on telling women's stories, and I just cant wait to read the next one! ⠀
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A special thnx to @JenValenti and @katerockbooktours for providing me an ARC of this book. ⠀
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That is what happened to Jane, the main protagonist of this novel. Excelling at the job interview and being invited to a company party was almost a promise of a new life. Until her future boss raped her. And then a job offer came through.⠀
⠀
I loved the way the author led us through the train of thoughts of the main character. She was offered the opportunity of her life, but at what cost? Neglecting herself, her feelings, her entire being in exchange of a better life, not only for herself but also of a milion women in the world. At moments there was a bit too much of technical data that I had to read slow to be sure that I understand, but as a whole I really did enjoy this story. All the characters were well done and the plot was interesting. I could totally imagine the busy work environment, with the long hours, hackathons and challenges for employees and a rough reality of a business world of today. ⠀
⠀
Sexual assault at work is something so many women experience at least once in their lifetime. It only takes few words to make an impact, let alone something worse. Just a few words to feel insecure, unworthy, hurt. Just a few looks or a wandering hand to make you feel incomfortable, incompetent, scared. The author confessed into going through it herself and I can say that she really portayed all the emotions perfectly. She showed the insecurities, fears, deep sadness, anger and in the end a genuine strength to stand up for herself and all the women experiencing the same. ⠀
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This is the first book in the series that focuses on telling women's stories, and I just cant wait to read the next one! ⠀
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A special thnx to @JenValenti and @katerockbooktours for providing me an ARC of this book. ⠀