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vivalibrarian's reviews
519 reviews
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
2.0
I read this book because it was on the GoodReads top romances of 2013 and no one had nominated it...then patrons kept requesting others in the series and I kept buying more copies. Hmmm. I must be missing something I said to myself as I read the reviews and rolled my eyes a little. Sex between two people that loathe each other? That's always hot.
So, I read it. My eyes kept rolling but yet I kept reading. I'd put it down, shake my head and then find myself back reading it. Damn it!! Quality? No. Enjoyment? Yes. Ask me to define it more than that and I will shake my head and roll my eyes.
So, I read it. My eyes kept rolling but yet I kept reading. I'd put it down, shake my head and then find myself back reading it. Damn it!! Quality? No. Enjoyment? Yes. Ask me to define it more than that and I will shake my head and roll my eyes.
Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
4.0
"Trying to catch a ghostman is like trying to catch smoke."
Jack is a ghostman, someone who is skilled at pulling a heist and disappearing. He does jobs because they are interesting, because he loves the rush and he never makes mistakes-except for once in Kuala Lumpur. That one error means he owes a master criminal named Marcus a favor. Turns out, the favor is a huge one-track down a Federal Payload gone missing before it explodes in 48-hours.
It took me a bit to warm up to the story, which, considering the book opens up with a very literal bang-is surprising. While this is an adrenaline crime thriller-there is something about it that slows it down. There are layers upon layers here as we get to "know" Jack and enough details are provided on how to pull off a heist that you could say the book is part Heisting 101. For me, it was Jack-the anti hero dripping in noir that eventually grabbed me. His subtle interplay with supporting characters, his love of Ovid mixed with a very violent story line and how apparent it was that he lived for the "pure ecstasy of the job" was just fascinating.
Jack is a ghostman, someone who is skilled at pulling a heist and disappearing. He does jobs because they are interesting, because he loves the rush and he never makes mistakes-except for once in Kuala Lumpur. That one error means he owes a master criminal named Marcus a favor. Turns out, the favor is a huge one-track down a Federal Payload gone missing before it explodes in 48-hours.
It took me a bit to warm up to the story, which, considering the book opens up with a very literal bang-is surprising. While this is an adrenaline crime thriller-there is something about it that slows it down. There are layers upon layers here as we get to "know" Jack and enough details are provided on how to pull off a heist that you could say the book is part Heisting 101. For me, it was Jack-the anti hero dripping in noir that eventually grabbed me. His subtle interplay with supporting characters, his love of Ovid mixed with a very violent story line and how apparent it was that he lived for the "pure ecstasy of the job" was just fascinating.
Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse by Nate Cosby
4.0
“Bounty huntin’s simple...Ain’t hard math. Good thing. Nobody’s taught me math yet.”
I kinda adore this story. Boyd Linney is a 10-year-old kid on a mission to rescue his good for nothing dad with his trusty steed and a custom made gun that is too cute for words. It's hard being a cowboy when you're just a kid.
It is easy to get lost in the cute. The art is gorgeous. The humor is everywhere and I've now incorporated words like tarnation into my everyday vocabulary. But, underneath this kids comic book, is a bonified western with heart and a strong sense of morality. There are brief humorous stories that pause the main story and give the reader a laugh. They remind me of the short skits in the hay on Hee Haw or Statler and Waldorf on the Muppets. Goldarnet, I smiled through the whole thing.
I kinda adore this story. Boyd Linney is a 10-year-old kid on a mission to rescue his good for nothing dad with his trusty steed and a custom made gun that is too cute for words. It's hard being a cowboy when you're just a kid.
It is easy to get lost in the cute. The art is gorgeous. The humor is everywhere and I've now incorporated words like tarnation into my everyday vocabulary. But, underneath this kids comic book, is a bonified western with heart and a strong sense of morality. There are brief humorous stories that pause the main story and give the reader a laugh. They remind me of the short skits in the hay on Hee Haw or Statler and Waldorf on the Muppets. Goldarnet, I smiled through the whole thing.
The Angel by Tiffany Reisz
4.0
“You are something different – something some people find strange and fearful – but what you are is as natural as being male or female.”
What I like about Tiffany Reisz...her books are complicated, messy and painful. Her characters are flawed, twisted and beautiful. Her love is intricate, intense and redeeming. Nothing conforms to society norms. You can take books, characters and love and place them into any of those three sentences and it still works. What's not to love about this?
What I like about Tiffany Reisz...her books are complicated, messy and painful. Her characters are flawed, twisted and beautiful. Her love is intricate, intense and redeeming. Nothing conforms to society norms. You can take books, characters and love and place them into any of those three sentences and it still works. What's not to love about this?
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
3.0
Jane Forrester, is a young newlywed that takes a job as a Social Worker in 1960's North Carolina. Her husband, a doctor, is less than thrilled with his wife taking a job but stops just short of demanding she quit, especially when she gets lice. Jane has led a sheltered life and is exposed to life of people that are desperately poor and also fiercely proud. When she is introduced to the eugenics program designed to "help" those most in need from themselves, she starts to question her role in her client's lives. Clients like Ivy Hart, a 15-year old girl living with her grandmother and feeble minded sister, Mary Ella and her son on a tenant tobacco farm. Mary Ella has already been sterilized without her knowledge and Ivy just might be next.
I admit to thinking this was going to be another innocent white girl realizes that people can do terrible things book set in the south and it was such a tome. But, it also brought a pretty powerful emotional connection into a heavy topic like the eugenics program in North Carolina. There were some pretty unrealistic points and several loose ends that were never tied up but the characters are what will sell this book to readers.
Part of the author's note:
From 1929 until 1974, an estimated 7,600 North Carolinians, women and men, many of whom were poor, under-educated, institutionalized, sick or disabled, were sterilized by choice, force or coercion under the authorization of the North Carolina Eugenics Board program.
I admit to thinking this was going to be another innocent white girl realizes that people can do terrible things book set in the south and it was such a tome. But, it also brought a pretty powerful emotional connection into a heavy topic like the eugenics program in North Carolina. There were some pretty unrealistic points and several loose ends that were never tied up but the characters are what will sell this book to readers.
Part of the author's note:
From 1929 until 1974, an estimated 7,600 North Carolinians, women and men, many of whom were poor, under-educated, institutionalized, sick or disabled, were sterilized by choice, force or coercion under the authorization of the North Carolina Eugenics Board program.
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
3.0
"We were always at out best, together, when we were looking at the sky."
Being an Ambassador's daughter, Christmas break is not the simple family affair Anne Morrow remembers. Instead, she is introduced to the great aviator Charles Lindbergh. Star struck beyond belief Anne is fascinated by this quiet hero and is shocked when he notices her instead of her beautiful and outgoing sister. What is it like to be married to such a huge icon of American life?
This was a tough book for me to read. Charles Lindbergh was a very domineering and controlling man. He expected perfection from himself and also from his family. Yet, Anne fell just as hard for this American Icon as she did the man. Her personal beliefs seem to evaporate as soon as she looks upon his face. I suppose we've all been in relationships like that-where you are so emotionally wrapped up in the idea of someone that you forget who you are-but I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for her backbone to show up. It didn't when her son was kidnapped and killed. It didn't when it appeared that Charles was pro-Nazi and an anti-Semite. It didn't when she spent years not knowing where her husband even was until he showed up at her door. Thank goodness it eventually did. Sorta. I wanted to punch him in the face a lot. I'm not sure that was the message I was supposed to get but, there you go.
A well-researched and lyrical read. Benjamin did a great job of painting the tense atmosphere of an America that desperately needed a hero even if it was at the expense of Charles, Anne and their children's lives. We forget that they were constantly under attack from the press and fans not unlike Princess Di.
Being an Ambassador's daughter, Christmas break is not the simple family affair Anne Morrow remembers. Instead, she is introduced to the great aviator Charles Lindbergh. Star struck beyond belief Anne is fascinated by this quiet hero and is shocked when he notices her instead of her beautiful and outgoing sister. What is it like to be married to such a huge icon of American life?
This was a tough book for me to read. Charles Lindbergh was a very domineering and controlling man. He expected perfection from himself and also from his family. Yet, Anne fell just as hard for this American Icon as she did the man. Her personal beliefs seem to evaporate as soon as she looks upon his face. I suppose we've all been in relationships like that-where you are so emotionally wrapped up in the idea of someone that you forget who you are-but I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for her backbone to show up. It didn't when her son was kidnapped and killed. It didn't when it appeared that Charles was pro-Nazi and an anti-Semite. It didn't when she spent years not knowing where her husband even was until he showed up at her door. Thank goodness it eventually did. Sorta. I wanted to punch him in the face a lot. I'm not sure that was the message I was supposed to get but, there you go.
A well-researched and lyrical read. Benjamin did a great job of painting the tense atmosphere of an America that desperately needed a hero even if it was at the expense of Charles, Anne and their children's lives. We forget that they were constantly under attack from the press and fans not unlike Princess Di.
The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
1.0
Faith was always the good girl growing up desperately wanting everyone to like her. When the most amazing man in the world rescues her in high school she believes her life is complete. Everything goes according to plan until Jeremy announces at their wedding that he is gay. Oops. Returning home after fleeing to San Francisco, Faith keeps running into Levi- purveyor of condescending looks at Faith, the one who calls her Princess Super Cute and Jeremy's best friend. Let the games begin.
This was my first Kristan Higgins (I know, I know, I have no idea why) and while the relationship between Faith and Levi was enjoyable there were just enough things that bothered me that I could not fully engage in the love story. First, the amount of slut-shaming is significant and the constant referral to Faith’s “rack” from a guy that is supposed to be falling in love/in love with her...? There was a several digs at both the BDSM lifestyle and Fifty Shades and not in the 'that was some horrible writing now wasn't it' way. Saying that it perpetuated violence against women indicated not an ounce of research done into understanding it. The side character development definitely supported stereotypes and just felt mean-spirited. The scene in which a transgender woman was referred to as a she-male was frankly disturbing in its lack of decency. By the time I was done reading I was angry and now that I think on it a bit, I feel like I read a romance by someone that really does not like women.
This was my first Kristan Higgins (I know, I know, I have no idea why) and while the relationship between Faith and Levi was enjoyable there were just enough things that bothered me that I could not fully engage in the love story. First, the amount of slut-shaming is significant and the constant referral to Faith’s “rack” from a guy that is supposed to be falling in love/in love with her...? There was a several digs at both the BDSM lifestyle and Fifty Shades and not in the 'that was some horrible writing now wasn't it' way. Saying that it perpetuated violence against women indicated not an ounce of research done into understanding it. The side character development definitely supported stereotypes and just felt mean-spirited. The scene in which a transgender woman was referred to as a she-male was frankly disturbing in its lack of decency. By the time I was done reading I was angry and now that I think on it a bit, I feel like I read a romance by someone that really does not like women.
The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy
5.0
*Excited! My review made it onto Library Reads November 2013 list. http://libraryreads.org/november-2013-libraryreads-list/
"Angus walked down to the end of the wharf and felt a release that filled the sky. Beauty had not abandoned him. He'd abandoned it. On the battlefield he'd risked life in the midst of death. And he had not risked it since. He closed his eyes and let the stars fall around him."
Angus MacGrath is caught between the artist he longs to be and the sailor his father believes is more fitting for a man supporting a family on the coast of Nova Scotia. When Angus’ brother-in-law Ebbin disappears during World War I and his wife mentally begins to disappear he enlists with the promise of a safe cartographer’s job in London. Away from any actual fighting, he will be able to search for Ebbin. Instead, Angus is thrust into the front lines of battle in France. He finds himself an officer and changing in ways he never imagined in a world where death is expected and surviving is a surprise.
On the home front, Angus’ son Simon Peter also struggles to find who he will become as he tries to understand his pacifist grandfather, emotionally vacant mother and a country caught in the patriotic fever that only something as unknown and distant as a war across the sea could create. The cost of loyalty, the ugly face of prejudice and the hell war brings to both the soldiers on the front line and those who wait anxiously back home weaves a never sentimental but very soulful story.
I have been struggling to write this annotation not trusting how to put the experience of this book into words. The research done is incredible. To say the words are beautiful seems wrong to say in a book that gives you vivid descriptions of war, the life in the trenches experienced and also the juxtaposition of the beauty of Nova Scotia. The emotional havoc is palpable but the story line rarely goes where you expect it. The characters are well-drawn and so flawed that they linger in your head after finishing. Life changes in the blink of an eye and Duffy does a masterful job of letting the reader watch everyone desperately trying to catch up.
All these words to say, I did not want this book to end.
"Angus walked down to the end of the wharf and felt a release that filled the sky. Beauty had not abandoned him. He'd abandoned it. On the battlefield he'd risked life in the midst of death. And he had not risked it since. He closed his eyes and let the stars fall around him."
Angus MacGrath is caught between the artist he longs to be and the sailor his father believes is more fitting for a man supporting a family on the coast of Nova Scotia. When Angus’ brother-in-law Ebbin disappears during World War I and his wife mentally begins to disappear he enlists with the promise of a safe cartographer’s job in London. Away from any actual fighting, he will be able to search for Ebbin. Instead, Angus is thrust into the front lines of battle in France. He finds himself an officer and changing in ways he never imagined in a world where death is expected and surviving is a surprise.
On the home front, Angus’ son Simon Peter also struggles to find who he will become as he tries to understand his pacifist grandfather, emotionally vacant mother and a country caught in the patriotic fever that only something as unknown and distant as a war across the sea could create. The cost of loyalty, the ugly face of prejudice and the hell war brings to both the soldiers on the front line and those who wait anxiously back home weaves a never sentimental but very soulful story.
I have been struggling to write this annotation not trusting how to put the experience of this book into words. The research done is incredible. To say the words are beautiful seems wrong to say in a book that gives you vivid descriptions of war, the life in the trenches experienced and also the juxtaposition of the beauty of Nova Scotia. The emotional havoc is palpable but the story line rarely goes where you expect it. The characters are well-drawn and so flawed that they linger in your head after finishing. Life changes in the blink of an eye and Duffy does a masterful job of letting the reader watch everyone desperately trying to catch up.
All these words to say, I did not want this book to end.