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misslexisaurus's reviews
85 reviews
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Way too sci-fi and futuristic for me.
Redemption by J.M. Darhower
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I still had such bad book hangover weeks after finishing Sempre that I bought the sequel and I'm so glad I did! All my favourite characters continued their complicated, tense and heartwarming journeys, taking me on a roller-coaster of emotions along with them.
Haven's growthand seeing her build her own life and get to live her dream was so hopeful and inspiring. I love that even in the epilogue her roots are honoured and are still impacting her. I have a space in my heart for Haven; she's so strong and determined and never lets the world jade her. I also love that when she moved to Chicago, she didn't give up art school.
The "meant to be" plot might be a bit much for some but I thought it was really well done and not overplayed.I actually thought it was nice to see Carmine, the man, self-destruct without her, while she tried to build a life of her own after her initial mourning period. So often we see women portrayed as unable to live without their love but she made a real go of it and I believe that, had Vincent not died, she would have moved on eventually.
I just loved being back with the characters again; I find them really well written and lovable. Darhower kept me guessing right up until the end about what was going to happen with Carmine and Haven's future and I cried when I finally found out.
Once again I had the problem of having to ask American friends what the different guns were; at one point in particular it seemed important to be familiar with the type of gun to understand what was going on.
Honestly I loved both these books so much and the message from the author at the end about being proud of your passions was just an extra touch of awesome.
Haven's growth
The "meant to be" plot might be a bit much for some but I thought it was really well done and not overplayed.
I just loved being back with the characters again; I find them really well written and lovable. Darhower kept me guessing right up until the end about what was going to happen with Carmine and Haven's future and I cried when I finally found out.
Once again I had the problem of having to ask American friends what the different guns were; at one point in particular it seemed important to be familiar with the type of gun to understand what was going on.
Honestly I loved both these books so much and the message from the author at the end about being proud of your passions was just an extra touch of awesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an absolutely incredible book and, at the same time, not at all my kind of book and one I had to really work at reading. I'm glad I did push through because it's a powerful, important and moving book but my complete lack of interest in celebrities made it very slow going.
Evelyn is an icon. She is strong, complex, smart, ruthless, loving. She is a character I admire and respect, and I could certainly learn a lot from her!
I appreciated that the book lives in the shades of grey, there is no good or bad person, no good or bad deed. Evelyn has always known that and she has made peace with it, putting her in a powerful position to live her life with no regrets.
I'm not sure I have the words to really talk about the book itself because it is so many things so beautifully done. Friendship, love, ambition, desire, heartbreak and so much more.
Through Evelyn we are forced to consider our own beliefs about life and people, and to see that nothing is ever black and white.
Even if you, like me, are not remotely interested in celebrity drama, it has so much to say about so many important topics that I would still recommend it without hesitation.
Evelyn is an icon. She is strong, complex, smart, ruthless, loving. She is a character I admire and respect, and I could certainly learn a lot from her!
I appreciated that the book lives in the shades of grey, there is no good or bad person, no good or bad deed. Evelyn has always known that and she has made peace with it, putting her in a powerful position to live her life with no regrets.
I'm not sure I have the words to really talk about the book itself because it is so many things so beautifully done. Friendship, love, ambition, desire, heartbreak and so much more.
Through Evelyn we are forced to consider our own beliefs about life and people, and to see that nothing is ever black and white.
Even if you, like me, are not remotely interested in celebrity drama, it has so much to say about so many important topics that I would still recommend it without hesitation.
Love Hope Repeat by Vivyan Lynne
5.0
That was a RIDE! I loved it, I'm sad it's over but perfect ending!
Overall I really, super enjoyed this book. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy, mostly cos I'm a sappy shit! I loved how the mental health and relationship issues were an ongoing thing. There was no attempt to minimise them as the book went on, or to wrap them up and tie a bow on them. I really appreciated that because mental health and relationships are absolutely things you have to work on and we need more media that makes that clear.
On the mental health front it did annoy me that the characters referred to struggling with mental illness or needing therapy as "weakness" and that never really changed. While it was definitely true to Damian's character, I would liked to have seen Kell grow a little more and start seeing therapy as a proactive, strong way to take care of himself.
The family dynamics were so well portrayed. I loved how Kell and Damian's families were juxtaposed. I also enjoyed that the families represented Kell and Damian's relationship themselves, eventually as a before/after. I thought it cleverly reinforced the flaws, solutions and points being made.
The shades of grey in the whole trilogy are wonderful; there is a focus on humans doing good/bad things or making decisions and then dealing with the consequences, rather than individual people being good/bad.
It's also definitely a book that depicts personal growth and the capacity we all have for change. I found it powerfully depicted how anyone is just a few decisions away from a different life. Which is such a cliché but still true.
The trilogy as a whole was a really well written and pretty brutal exploration of relationships; the power of communication and the importance of retaining your own identity. It made some very strong points without preaching, especially as I think most of us can relate to making one or more of the terrible decisions, small or large, and seeing the fall out from them.
Overall I really, super enjoyed this book. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy, mostly cos I'm a sappy shit! I loved how the mental health and relationship issues were an ongoing thing. There was no attempt to minimise them as the book went on, or to wrap them up and tie a bow on them. I really appreciated that because mental health and relationships are absolutely things you have to work on and we need more media that makes that clear.
On the mental health front it did annoy me that the characters referred to struggling with mental illness or needing therapy as "weakness" and that never really changed. While it was definitely true to Damian's character, I would liked to have seen Kell grow a little more and start seeing therapy as a proactive, strong way to take care of himself.
The family dynamics were so well portrayed. I loved how Kell and Damian's families were juxtaposed. I also enjoyed that the families represented Kell and Damian's relationship themselves, eventually as a before/after. I thought it cleverly reinforced the flaws, solutions and points being made.
The shades of grey in the whole trilogy are wonderful; there is a focus on humans doing good/bad things or making decisions and then dealing with the consequences, rather than individual people being good/bad.
It's also definitely a book that depicts personal growth and the capacity we all have for change. I found it powerfully depicted how anyone is just a few decisions away from a different life. Which is such a cliché but still true.
The trilogy as a whole was a really well written and pretty brutal exploration of relationships; the power of communication and the importance of retaining your own identity. It made some very strong points without preaching, especially as I think most of us can relate to making one or more of the terrible decisions, small or large, and seeing the fall out from them.
Love Hurt Repeat by Vivyan Lynne
5.0
Oh my god! After the minor drama of the first book the sequel is the definition of "that escalated quickly!"
The whole feel of this book is darker than the first with each small moment building to culminate in...that ending. For the entirety of the final 2 chapters I was muttering "holy shit" to myself.
I absolutely loved hearing Damian's side of things in this book. The switching between main characters really added to the frustration at both of them and showed how people can view the same situation so differently and why communication is so important in any relationship.
This book kept me turning the page, even as I cursed the characters and became increasingly frustrated with their terrible, immature attitude to relationships.
As frustrating as it was to read, I felt it accurately portrayed the kind of thought processes and drama that happen in late teen/early adulthood. That frustration that I'm sure many parents feel watching their kids go through first relationships and life mistakes is, I'm sure, similar to what I felt reading Love, Hurt, Repeat.
I really enjoyed the book, although enjoy feels like the wrong word in this instance! It had a powerful, underlying message and was very well written.
The whole feel of this book is darker than the first with each small moment building to culminate in...that ending. For the entirety of the final 2 chapters I was muttering "holy shit" to myself.
I absolutely loved hearing Damian's side of things in this book. The switching between main characters really added to the frustration at both of them and showed how people can view the same situation so differently and why communication is so important in any relationship.
This book kept me turning the page, even as I cursed the characters and became increasingly frustrated with their terrible, immature attitude to relationships.
As frustrating as it was to read, I felt it accurately portrayed the kind of thought processes and drama that happen in late teen/early adulthood. That frustration that I'm sure many parents feel watching their kids go through first relationships and life mistakes is, I'm sure, similar to what I felt reading Love, Hurt, Repeat.
I really enjoyed the book, although enjoy feels like the wrong word in this instance! It had a powerful, underlying message and was very well written.
Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters: The Healing Power of the Grimm Brothers' Tales by Allan G. Hunter
3.0
"Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters" is an interesting look at life, families and relationships using the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales and the wisdom they contain. If you have been brought up on the Disney versions of these tales then hold on to your hats when you read this as you'll no doubt be shocked at just how different the original stories are!
Personally, I struggled with this book, I so wanted to love it but I couldn't help but feel cynical and feel that it was, in places, judgmental, middle class and read a little too much into the tales. However, I put these feelings to the author, Allan, and he was very happy to answer my criticisms and questions. I cannot get across just how lovely a man he is and, having discussed my feelings about the book, I will definitely be re-reading it with fresh eyes, after having read the Grimm's tales of course!
My description above of "judgmental" and "middle class" was based on the opinions that are very evident in the book. I, mistakenly, assumed that they were Allan's personal opinions when, in fact, they are the views of the conservative society in which the Grimm Brothers were writing. Allan explains that the Grimms' Tales are "ultimately, 'conservative' in their outlook because they were talking about the concerns of a very traditional bunch of people in the year 1800." Please bear this in mind while reading the book as it is very easy to be distracted by the "oh that's not PC" thoughts that will detract from the wisdom that the book has to offer.
Allan also says that his aim is "not to praise the Grimms' views as unequivocally 'right' but to suggest that before we throw them out and take Disney we need to be sure what we're throwing out." This is a fair thing to ask and it becomes obvious quickly that Allan is more than a little irritated by the "Disneyfication" of the Grimm's tales and as you read you will discover why; the key points in the tales have been totally ignored by Disney for reasons that will remain a mystery to me! Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White with the Disney sparkle, but now knowing the true endings I can see how much more I could have learnt had they been left intact. In fact, since reading the book, I have made the decision to read the original tales to my children (when I have them) alongside the Disney films, that way they get the best of both worlds!
If you're a Literature geek (or buff if you prefer!) then you will love this, it looks very deeply into the tales and gives you a lot to think about. It's an ideal companion to have if you are studying the tales for pleasure or otherwise. You can definitely learn some valuable life lessons from the book, and the tales themselves, and for that alone it's worth a read. He has definitely convinced me to read the Grimm's tales and I'm going to give the book a 7/10 with a re-read pending! And now I shall leave you with the man himself giving an interview on the book. His enthusiasm is infectious!
Personally, I struggled with this book, I so wanted to love it but I couldn't help but feel cynical and feel that it was, in places, judgmental, middle class and read a little too much into the tales. However, I put these feelings to the author, Allan, and he was very happy to answer my criticisms and questions. I cannot get across just how lovely a man he is and, having discussed my feelings about the book, I will definitely be re-reading it with fresh eyes, after having read the Grimm's tales of course!
My description above of "judgmental" and "middle class" was based on the opinions that are very evident in the book. I, mistakenly, assumed that they were Allan's personal opinions when, in fact, they are the views of the conservative society in which the Grimm Brothers were writing. Allan explains that the Grimms' Tales are "ultimately, 'conservative' in their outlook because they were talking about the concerns of a very traditional bunch of people in the year 1800." Please bear this in mind while reading the book as it is very easy to be distracted by the "oh that's not PC" thoughts that will detract from the wisdom that the book has to offer.
Allan also says that his aim is "not to praise the Grimms' views as unequivocally 'right' but to suggest that before we throw them out and take Disney we need to be sure what we're throwing out." This is a fair thing to ask and it becomes obvious quickly that Allan is more than a little irritated by the "Disneyfication" of the Grimm's tales and as you read you will discover why; the key points in the tales have been totally ignored by Disney for reasons that will remain a mystery to me! Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White with the Disney sparkle, but now knowing the true endings I can see how much more I could have learnt had they been left intact. In fact, since reading the book, I have made the decision to read the original tales to my children (when I have them) alongside the Disney films, that way they get the best of both worlds!
If you're a Literature geek (or buff if you prefer!) then you will love this, it looks very deeply into the tales and gives you a lot to think about. It's an ideal companion to have if you are studying the tales for pleasure or otherwise. You can definitely learn some valuable life lessons from the book, and the tales themselves, and for that alone it's worth a read. He has definitely convinced me to read the Grimm's tales and I'm going to give the book a 7/10 with a re-read pending! And now I shall leave you with the man himself giving an interview on the book. His enthusiasm is infectious!
Sign Here, Here and Here! . . . Journey of a Financial Adviser by Keith G. Churchouse
5.0
I'm not getting divorced (though I am partial to Wedding cake), in fact I have never been married, but I was really interested by this book. I suppose it is best described as a layman's guide to divorce in the UK: you can flip to the section that you need advice on or read through it and get a handle on each stage of the process. I have already recommended it to several friends who are divorcing because I really think it will help them.
The whole book is simple to understand even if you have no idea, as I did, of the divorce process. It is full of helpful advice but does not claim to be the all knowing oracle, instead it points to experts who can help in each field. There are, wisely, many suggestions of counselling to help you to get through the process and for any children who may be involved. I thought it was very sensible, and somewhat refreshing, to see the mental effects of divorce approached so candidly and talked about seriously.
The one part of the book that I struggled with was the pensions chapter, it blew my mind! Having said that it seems like an incredibly complicated topic and I think the author did his best to make it as clear as possible.
The tips given out throughout the book are very useful, for example letting us know who wont accept photocopied documents, and would be invaluable to anyone going through the process. The fact that the author has also experienced divorce himself means that he is very understanding of how tough it is and this certainly comes across, the book feels supportive yet firm, almost like a close friend trying to get you back on your feet.
If you, or someone you know, is getting divorced I would definitely recommend this book, it covers not just the legal issues but every aspect from knowing the marriage is failing to moving on after.
The whole book is simple to understand even if you have no idea, as I did, of the divorce process. It is full of helpful advice but does not claim to be the all knowing oracle, instead it points to experts who can help in each field. There are, wisely, many suggestions of counselling to help you to get through the process and for any children who may be involved. I thought it was very sensible, and somewhat refreshing, to see the mental effects of divorce approached so candidly and talked about seriously.
The one part of the book that I struggled with was the pensions chapter, it blew my mind! Having said that it seems like an incredibly complicated topic and I think the author did his best to make it as clear as possible.
The tips given out throughout the book are very useful, for example letting us know who wont accept photocopied documents, and would be invaluable to anyone going through the process. The fact that the author has also experienced divorce himself means that he is very understanding of how tough it is and this certainly comes across, the book feels supportive yet firm, almost like a close friend trying to get you back on your feet.
If you, or someone you know, is getting divorced I would definitely recommend this book, it covers not just the legal issues but every aspect from knowing the marriage is failing to moving on after.