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Dee's Blog Blog
i'll read anything and everything I can get my hands on - with the exception of horror and spiritual literature
Currently reading
Les Misérables
Fight for Your Long Day
What's Left of Me
A Shot in the Dark
Southern Fried Blues
liked it, but the writing seemed a bit redundant/duplicative in places and the narrator kinda irked me...more to follow
I really enjoyed this - you could tell the author had experience with rowing (I had to admit to being a tad concerned, but shouldn't have worried). Am interested to see what happens in the next book
really short read, but an ex-pat's story of her life in Doha, Qatar - I felt some familiarity with it and some of the places mentioned because I was lucky enough to visit there for a few days on my last ship-board deployment. I would love to go back.
The Newcomer
I have to say was a bit disappointed in this one - I really liked The Wanderer (book 1) in the series, and was looking forward to this one, but it was a bit of a let down. the main couple - Mac/Gina - got over-shadowed through-out the entire book with the storyline basically being a continuation of book 1...and who the heck was the Newcomer...I've yet to actually figure that out...but the blurb from the next book intrigued me, so maybe i'll check it out
The Wisdom of Hair
Review Copy Provided By AuthorI'll admit that the quirky-ness of the cover is what drew me to this book when I saw it posted in my Goodreads group. And then reading the quote about the one thing in life you need is a good hairdresser (which I am of course paraphrasing) - I really wanted to read it. However, while I enjoyed it, I think I was a bit disappointed with how it played out. I was really hoping for more interaction with customers, being the keeper of secrets and the dispenser of advice - like many of hair dressers I know, however, it turned out to be more of a coming of age type story with Zora finding herself and her place in the world. I will admit that as a character I found Zora very uninspiring, she just didn't do anything for me - I thought for a 19 year old that she was rather naive, especially since it was portrayed that her life hadn't been all that easy prior to the start of the book...I'm not saying the book was bad, it just wasn't quite what I expected - which is why I ultimately gave it 3 stars. But i am interested to see what the author writes in the future, because she will def. be an author to watch.
probably like 1.5...if I wasn't using this for a reading challenge (and needed a female author by the name of alanna) I probably would have DNF'd it...the writing was overly formal and silted...just didn't work for me
solid entry in the series, I like where the world is going...going to be interesting to see who Vasic is paired with in the next book
**Review Copy Provided By Author**I don’t know if its because this is the third book I’ve read by this author in a short period of time, or something else, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as previous books. Maybe it was because I didn’t like how the story was approached, or just didn’t really connect with the main character…Don’t get me wrong – the writing itself was good and the story intriguing, it just didn’t work for me.Like her previous books, in Heart Like Mine, Amy Havanty tackles a topic that shows up in social media, the desire to be childless. In fact, just this week, I realized that the most recent issue of TIME published in the US (although, not the other versions around the world) were discussing this issue (specifically, does that make people selfish, but that is a whole ‘nother story). But what happens when that desire is turned completely on its head when your significant others (in this instance, her fiancee’s) ex-wife dies and their kids end up living with you. Would you stay in the relationship? Would you decide that you can’t do it, no matter how much you love your SO? These are all questions that were faced by Grace during the course of the book.While I think Amy did a good job exploring Kelli’s life (her fiancee’s ex-wife) prior to her death, I also felt that it was overdone. I wanted to know more about Grace and her decisions – which were key to the main storyline. Yes, it was mentioned through-out the book, but being told from her current POV, rather than the flash-back style that was used for Kelli’s story. I think that might have added to it – maybe duel chapters with both of their POV’s or something – maybe that was my biggest issue…Overall, I’d give Heart Like Mine 3 stars – it was well-written and moving, it just didn’t quite work for me.
Review Copy Provided By Author via Sisterhood of the Traveling BookThe opening line of the description says it all... Cadence didn't sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea. I won't profess to know a lot about alcoholism, in fact, what I do know wouldn't fill a cup - but that one line made me wonder about the progression towards becoming that alcoholic. Many of us just think, ahhh, one drink, just one glass...but what about when one becomes two, two becomes three, three becomes the bottle. As a society, it seems like drinking is encouraged, everywhere you go, there are ads for beer, for wine, for hard liquor. I can't even imagine what an alcoholic grows through when they are out in town and confronted with these images...and yet, it isn't talked about. Alocholism seems to be one of those taboo topics - yes, it might be mentioned in fiction, but normally only in passing, or as a tool for the "evil" person to use...I can't (off the top of my head) think of a fiction novel that addresses it head on like Best Kept Secret did.There is no doubt that BKS is a roller-coaster ride of emotions - at times, I felt like I wanted to drink with Cadence or felt her struggle as her body craved the alcohol that she had become addicted to. I was also thankful of the fact that there wasn't the expected happy ending (in fact, I was dreading that everything was going to be tied up in a pretty little bow - but having read other books by Amy - I know I should have had more faith in her). There isn't much more I can say without going into spoiler territory - just read it...think about it...hopefully you won't be disappointed. 4.5 stars.