If you enjoy a thriller set in the great outdoors and you enjoy all of those descriptions of the wilderness than you might enjoy this. Just realize thIf you enjoy a thriller set in the great outdoors and you enjoy all of those descriptions of the wilderness than you might enjoy this. Just realize that the thrills start about halfway through the book... There is a little foreshadowing if you are clever enough to spot it, and I did, still I was uncertain exactly what kind of thrills this story would hold. And even though the actual action started kind of late I never was bored. Why? Because I was enjoying the hike the 4 main characters were going on! And that is why I say you should love nature if you read this.
Once the action starts, it comes on swift and serious. Its like suddenly there. And the whole nature of the book changes. Its no longer about 3 somewhat inexperienced hikers being pushed by Tracy, the coach / instructor while they try to do things that maybe is just a tad too hard for them. Hiking for hours while carrying 30 pounds.... Unfamiliar trails.
Then its in your face danger.
And then they are fleeing for their lives. Hard decisions have to be made. Where to go? Because you are out in the middle of nowhere.
From the moment the danger starts the tension is pretty nonstop until the book reaches its end. And throughout those pages there are all sorts of dangers, including nature itself.
The end surprised me. There was a twist there that I didn't expect and in some ways don't understand. But things like that do happen for real so that is probably why the author added it.
This book could serve as a warning about going hiking in areas where people normally don't go hike. Because you never know who or what might be out there.
There is a theme of prejudice against other races in here as well.. The author did a good job of adding that in. Each of the hikers in here is from a different ethnic group. They are well written and they each have their own flaws and ideas and backgrounds. And that makes this such a pleasure to read. As they seem so real. My favorite character was definitely Gwen who seemed so gentle, soft, caring and uncertain of her abilities. The others are Tracy, Oscar and Todd. They each have a part to play and they suffer in here.
So if you do go out hiking for real, please do not end up like these four. Remember to carry an Emergency Locator Beacon so if something happens you can summon help from the emergency responders. That beacon can save your life. ...more
Well I must say this book surprised me as it was better than I had thought it would be. And I am still a tad confused as how to classify it. I guess iWell I must say this book surprised me as it was better than I had thought it would be. And I am still a tad confused as how to classify it. I guess it's supposed to be humor? Its basically the story of a man named Trotter who likes to go to the track and bet money. He is a gambler. And this is the story of his one incredibly lucky day. And there are a few crazy events during that day at the track... Because otherwise he has always lost. Now he is winning. But what to do? Should he bet again to risk losing all the money or should he take the money to leave? Its a tough choice.
To be honest, I really don't know anything about gambling. I certainly don't understand why the various characters risk their money to maybe get nothing in return. I don't understand why they just cannot enjoy looking at the horses (which is what I would do if there was a track around here which of course there isn't so...) and see how incredibly fast they can run. But I know enough about horses to know that a 2-year-old can shatter their leg bone in a race. So it may be very exciting for the humans but it can be very bad for the horses.
A lot of the plot actually looks at the various ways people decide which horse to bet on. And Trotter does a few "studies" in here. Does a horse have the same name as your pet or maybe the building you live in? Or the name means something to you? Or you just like the number it was assigned? Anyway no matter what it is the book explores these crazy ideas.
It also looks at gambling. Why do people do it? How do you get them to stop?
I have never read a book from this side of the track before, and while a few things in here are clearly incorrect (horses cannot vomit) it was interesting.
I am amazed at how entertaining this was even though I could not relate to the gambling. And I think that is because of Trotter himself. He is certainly not your average boring character. He comes up with some crazy schemes. He is a tad wild. It certainly never was boring. That Trotter definitely was an oddball but he does have a decent heart.
This book was apparently also made into a movie.
I picked this book because the cover caught my attention. You better hope a horse never puts its hoof like that up against your head. If it does it probably means you are getting kicked. But yes the cover is supposed to show the horse is telling him secrets, secrets of who will win the race. ...more
If you want to read a book about people eating and drinking lots of alcohol in various restaurants and bars then this isToo Much Eating in Restaurants
If you want to read a book about people eating and drinking lots of alcohol in various restaurants and bars then this is the book for you! But I had thought this book would explain what living in Peru is actually like: the sights, the sounds, what is over there...but instead the majority of the book is about these two people who just go from restaurant to restaurant. And they take drugs too. Truthfully it was boring beyond belief!
I have absolutely no interest in reading about these two people drinking alcohol for countless pages. Or eating who knows what. I mean very literally the first 54 pages was only eating and drinking.
That is not what I had wanted to read at all.
There is a bit of a plot mentioned about old letters and a jewelry box but the story is mainly about Collin and Carolyn traveling from one restaurant to another! With a bit of drama added in. Then in one scene Carolyn gets bitter and angry so the planned trip to the famous historical site is cancelled. These two characters are very annoying and cardboard like. The story can be read very fast as lots of it is conversation.
The end was totally not believable. Suddenly he is a millionaire??
What were flamingos doing on the same beach \ coastal area as penguins?...more
So this book contains some deep truths. Its obvious that this is about a near death experience (or maybe a fictional versioNear Death Experience story
So this book contains some deep truths. Its obvious that this is about a near death experience (or maybe a fictional version of one anyway - I cannot say if this is a true story or not). But I do watch \ listen to lots of those "woo-woo" channels on YouTube where people tell of their real near death experiences and this is what it reminds me of.
The story is not exactly what I had expected. There are twelve paintings in it but they are not the kind of paintings one would expect. They are more blobs of color. And even after I look at them in most cases I wasn't able to see anything in the color blobs. They are not hidden images or anything. And I kept thinking that the brilliant red color was lava - probably because the Iceland volcano was recently in the news.
I do agree that the two lions mentioned in here are probably anxiety. I certainly deal with them. Fear and doubt.
I think there are some good ideas in this book. I do not know if they will get through to a reader though. I am already far on my journey. Having autism I think I have learned to be closer to the things mentioned in here. To be myself. To know my purpose. To say crazy things without fear. I still have anxiety but I also know how to manifest stuff too. But its hard to keep anxiety at bay. But I am uncertain how well this story could reach someone who is just starting out on a journey to learn this stuff.
I did have a flash about Time while Billy was telling his story. After all time is not really a linear line. We only think it is because that is how we live it.
A few things about the book confused me. Like why was a ten year old boy going to a dance??! I had thought dances start in 7th grade. And a ten year old cannot be in 7th grade. And why didn't the police show up or were called once Billy had returned? There seems to be a few plot mishaps?
The story stretched over a much larger time scale than I had expected. And the ending was a surprise too... Truthfully I am uncertain what to think.
Maybe its my autism but the paintings do not really make me think or see or feel anything? But then I am not neurotypical. I often have the black + white thinking yet at the same time I have a gift for having insight into things \ pulling cards.
I do feel the book is right about people. Most people do not know the truth about the world... They are caught up in the things they were taught. I sometimes struggle with that too but at least I know.... I can try to counter it. And get out of dark thinking when something triggers it. Its those darn lions the book mentioned. Anxiety. Others teach it to you as a kid and then you get brainwashed and its hard to stop thinking that way unfortunately.
I do feel the story is kind of cluttered. You have to read a lot of pages to get to the few things that the author is trying to teach. I didn't exactly like that. I guess I would have preferred that Billy's NDE would have been all together neatly instead of it being spread out over all of these pages with all that other stuff in between? So yeah that is why I am rating it 3 stars.
We are here to raise our consciousness. The author calls that "The Kingdom Inside". There are quite a few YouTube channels that can help with that....more
I just love books by this author and reading a new one is a definite treat. So far none of his books have disappointed me and that says a lot. They arI just love books by this author and reading a new one is a definite treat. So far none of his books have disappointed me and that says a lot. They are just so unique and generally include some bizarre situation. And this one was loads of fun! I was very absorbed in this underground tale set in a quarry in Japan. No actual year is given but the main character is a bit strange and is prepping for an imminent nuclear disaster. He thinks hiding underground in this huge old mine is the answer - but he wants others to share in his madness.
And so he invites a few people over... Well he actually invites one but a few others are rude uninvited guests!
And then his problems start!
Truthfully reading his books always surprise me! And the totally insane situation at the end of this one (it appears maybe about 3/4 of the way through) is the most crazy thing I have seen in a book! It's also hilarious but very, very UNfunny for the main character! This is the kind of thing that makes you think "Is that even possible? Who thinks of such a thing?!" Obviously Abe did, with great results! Just sitting here thinking about it has me laughing! So stupid but funny!
And this story has many other side plots in here as well. And they all work out perfectly! The story moves along at a great pace and it is never boring at all. I can guarantee you never read anything like this before! And that is why I love his books.
Oh a big part of the plot is the animosity between the main character and his father. The two do not get along at all.
This cover is like blah but the story is just fantastic! In many ways the main character thinks he is smart and clever but he is not as clever as he thinks he is. Everyone else is way ahead of him. He calls himself Mole... But Mole and the others definitely bring this story alive! No flat characters in here. ...more
So this is the story of a dysfunctional family or that is how I see it anyway. I had a few small issues with the language (like what did "being catty"So this is the story of a dysfunctional family or that is how I see it anyway. I had a few small issues with the language (like what did "being catty" mean) but otherwise the story was kind of easy to follow. It does have a small amount of suspense / mystery about why Brick became an alcoholic. The answer to that was kind of startling! Oh and there is some swearing in here too.
And this is actually a play so it is a rather quick read (compared to a novel) ... But there are also no descriptions of the characters! And I found that kind of confusing & annoying. Now it's a different story if you are watching a play: you actually see the characters! But when you read this you have no idea what they look like. Take Big Mamma and Big Daddy. How old are they? Is Big Mamma fat? Is that why they call her "Big" Mamma? Or no? Because when you start reading this you have no idea at all. The ages of both Big Mamma and Big Daddy are given later but until then you are left in the dark.
I was also confused by the setup. Do Brick and Margaret actually live there at that plantation house or are they just visiting? The book does not explain. I presume they were visiting but who really knows? A lot of these details are left out. We just get a slice of their life on this one day.
But the story is about Brick and Margaret. And their problems. She keeps stating that she "feels like a cat on a hot tin roof" and she refers to herself as the cat. To put it simply, her marriage to Brick is not going well. He has a broken ankle and he doesn't want to face the truth about why he got hooked on the alcohol. The story in the end explains it.
Lots of emotions in this tale. Even screaming and crying and dark horrid secrets coming out. And greed! It's a little slow but contains a lot of power!
I will probably read more stories by this author....more
So I must say I was a bit surprised to see this book was listed under "philosophy" as I didn't realize one could have a fiction book in that category.So I must say I was a bit surprised to see this book was listed under "philosophy" as I didn't realize one could have a fiction book in that category. I had presumed it had to be nonfiction. Well this certainly proves my original idea to be wrong. And I must say I was unsure even what philosophy was! I had heard the term before but that was about it. To me, this was a classic set in India.
So you might be wondering what I thought about the philosophy in here, especially since I have autism? Well I had known by page 19 that the main character, Siddhartha, was definitely on the wrong path! Are you surprised? I really don't think this is a spoiler of the story...so here goes:
You see, Siddhartha was trying to make his father happy! His father was a holy man, a Brahman. But even his father had not reached the perfect state of peace and enlightenment. But even if that path had been perfect for his father, Siddhartha is not his father. He needs to find his own life's path. And that path might be very different. Each soul is different. The problem people have in life is actually finding out what their life path is. Because most people don't know... They are clueless. And these days too many are caught up in flashy exciting stuff. You won't find grace in a nightclub or a casino or some other wild location of the modern era.
So I found this story very easy to understand. It resonates with me. The author talks in here about being "childlike" and I think having autism is being childlike. I often live in the moment. In the present. And I am very connected to myself. That is, I understand myself. And at the same time I am also very connected with nature. And all of this reminds me of Siddhartha near the end of the book. He finally figures things out and gets onto the correct path although he had a very rough time getting there. He had many things to learn.
The biggest piece of wisdom in here is this: you cannot find something while you are seeking it.
Does that make sense to you? It does to me! When you let go and relax and let the universe take charge (and think whatever will happen will happen) is when things will go smoothly and things just fall into place as if by magic. Its the synchronicity!
So yes, I can relate to Siddhartha. Even though he was living a lifestyle very different than my own. I've never been to India. I've never slept in a forest. But I have fasted many times and I have done one meal a day (called OMAD) countless times. I have a limited diet - but I certainly cannot grasp how he can live on just rice cakes! And I have no idea what were these "sacrifices" he was always doing?? The book doesn't make that clear at all. Was he killing animals or something? No idea. But I can relate to many of the things in his life and what he learns. And having a bunch of material things doesn't lead to happiness - although one certainly needs some things. Especially these days. But as you age what you had liked when you were younger you may no longer care for. Your tastes change.
Of course some people never reach enlightenment.
The trick is in learning how. How to find peace. Sometimes I call it "inner zero". It works great with horses.
This is certainly not your normal novel. It's not an action or adventure story. It covers several decades of a man's life as he seeks enlightenment but in no way is it boring. It's about his journey; how he finds and corrects his mistakes so he can let go of troubles to have peace. And if you understand it then perhaps you can find enlightenment too.
I will certainly read more books by this author! ...more
So I don't think I have ever been so relieved to finish a book! This must be one of the most stupid ones I've read this year and I have read a few badSo I don't think I have ever been so relieved to finish a book! This must be one of the most stupid ones I've read this year and I have read a few bad ones already in 2022. It actually started out OK and it had even sounded a bit interesting too (especially when the CIA agents were talking about this mysterious stuff they needed decoded - photos taken in outer space on a moon's surface) - but the book quickly sunk into something awful. And some of the stuff in here is just nuts.
Like you will be reading along and for unknown reasons scenes of a call-in show with callers saying the most idiotic stuff is added in. Why?? No idea! And there are many scenes like this. They just break up the plot...like you are reading along and without warning this idiotic stuff is there and you are left confused!
Another scene had this person walking around the block looking at all of the car license plates and calling in (to the police) to see if each one had been reported the night before?? I mean, what??! The book says that everyone has to call the police if you want to park on the street at night and give the car's license plate number plus the address where it is parked (and whoa be the trouble if your unfortunate car is parked between two houses)? I really doubt if the police have time to deal with thousands of these phone calls every night! This sounds CRAZY. I mean there are people called parking checkers I believe and they work for the city.
And you write a book about Milwaukee and you don't even know the mayor's name!
So the plot... The whole plot was weird. It was these agents who were trying to get this sophomore boy named Bernie because he is a math genius. He can do prime numbers in his head. And they got these codes they want broken (the stuff from the space photos). But for unknown reasons they don't want to ASK him for his help. Nope. They want to break the law and KIDNAP him. Which is totally moronic! And throughout the story all sorts of dumb cloak and dagger stuff goes on and many Milwaukee landmarks are mentioned, like Lake Park and City Hall, etc... The thing is I doubt if the CIA or FBI or whoever would actually DO things this way. Because they would want to develop new talent to later join their teams. And going around causing fear, anxiety and distrust in the teen (and the teen's family) is the wrong thing to do. I mean...is this supposed to be a dumb comedy or something? It just seems wild and way out there. But as far as I know the book isn't advertised as a crackpot comedy? I mean now that I am writing this some of it sort of sounds like stuff from Naked Gun ?
I sort of have the feeling the author just wanted to drop names of famous locations and streets in Milwaukee. But at the same time he makes the residents look like idiots.
And in the book there is this math formula.. You start out with your street address. You add 5. You add other numbers and you multiply it by 50 and you follow these instructions. Well at the end you are supposed to get a long number that is your street address plus your age. I tried it numerous times and it doesn't work!
Read this for a challenge that involved numbers. Otherwise probably wouldn't have read this...
Oh...and the actual answer to the math problem that the CIA had was totally stupid! Definitely not worth reading all of those pages for that in my opinion. ...more
Well this must be one of the worst books I have read this year. The story was super boring and just a random collection of various events that happen Well this must be one of the worst books I have read this year. The story was super boring and just a random collection of various events that happen to a woman named Aailya plus her mother... There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it? Or not that I could see anyway. That is the book did not focus on any particular event but it was very scattered. It told a little of this and a little of that and a little of something else but all together it added up to be a boring read. Of course I do have autism so I suppose I do see things differently because of that but I just found this to be a real bore.
Aailya is a woman living in Beirut who translates books from one language into another. But the story is not about her translating a book. It goes off on a bunch of other tangents too...like how she sleeps with a big gun or goes days without eating (but yet drinks a bottle of wine?) and the problems she had with her mother and various husbands and arguments over an apartment. It's all very scattered. Its during a war but it's not a war story. There is no real sense of being there. No actual fear of some bomb is going to fall on your head or something like that.
No suspense. No mystery. I felt no curiosity as to what will happen next...at all. I did not care about the main character or any other characters or about the books she had mentioned. I did google a few unfamiliar words to see what they had meant and I did look up Beirut to better understand where it is located as I admit I am not very familiar with the Middle East. The story was just too dry for my tastes. I do think part of it is the writing style.
The ending was just as bad as the rest of the book. Something rather drastic happened and I just didn't care. Maybe I couldn't relate to her? I don't know.
Little everyday things just don't make for interesting stories in my opinion. Like your days spent at work or lunch in a cafe or the trip to the supermarket or filling your car with gas (these are not things from the book but are similar things to the everyday things mentioned) - they do not make for good stories. Nothing happens. Now if some huge event had happened while you were in that supermarket then it might be a good story but otherwise it's just the dull day to day stuff. And that is what this is.
Perhaps the author should have focused on one event? Like maybe the difficulties of translating a book? Or focus on that war? But instead it is a conglomerate of mixed uninteresting things.
I would think twice before reading this one....more
I am truly amazed at how fast I read this book even though I am a fast reader. The pages just flew by and that is because of the writing style. Most oI am truly amazed at how fast I read this book even though I am a fast reader. The pages just flew by and that is because of the writing style. Most of the story is very easy-flowing conversation that pushes the plot forward. And the story never dragged or got slow. But it's not an action story either. Instead it's about a very special lady named Eva who is definitely a one-of-a-kind.
The truth is I can really relate to Eva very well. She has many autistic traits and in one scene she even suffers what is clearly a meltdown when something makes her very upset. She has a unique way of seeing the world and the people in it: she wants to believe that everyone is good and that good things should happen - even to characters in a book! She can't kill spiders because that would make her feel guilty. She believes in true love and hopes that someday she will meet the right guy...maybe soon. But she also wants a guy who can appreciate her for who she is (including her brain) and not just some fiend after her body. Because Eva is not stupid and she is running her own business. But she has her own special interests like cooking. And caring about people.
So Eva runs into a problem when she meets thriller/horror author Lucas Blade. She can't read his stuff. It actually terrifies her. And how can he actually kill poor innocent characters? That is so mean! But Lucas is not really a mean guy is he? And then she gets trapped in his luxury apartment during a nasty snowstorm! He was supposed to be in Vermont working on a new book but he was home! Uh-oh! Plus they are both trying to recover from deaths of people they were close to so they have that in common.
I really enjoyed reading this. It was a fun story. And the two characters have such different viewpoints on things yet they clearly care about each other. It was kind of obvious how it was going to end. No surprise there. But if you ask me it was Eva who actually made this book so special and a delight to read....more
This was a stunning distopian novel! It certainly kept me reading and flipping the pages. While I must admit the plot was kind of predictable I still This was a stunning distopian novel! It certainly kept me reading and flipping the pages. While I must admit the plot was kind of predictable I still greatly enjoyed this story. It was certainly much better than other books I had read recently. The only new spin on this survival story is that it is set in far northern Ontario with a town of First Nation people: the Anishinaabe. The story is littered throughout with many words in their language, which I enjoyed. Like miigwech which means thank you.
The plot asks what do you do when the power goes out in winter and it never comes on again? Imagine there is no TV, no cell phones and no landlines You wait and wait but the power stays off. You have no idea what has happened. What do you do? How do you stay alive? What about food? How do you stop people from panicking? I think these are questions everyone asks sooner or later, at least in their imagination. The author did a wonderful job with this exact scenario playing out in the tiny town on a reservation. Soon society starts falling apart. I found it both fascinating and fun to read.
And the story rises to a climax too. Something very horrid happens - but not all that surprising. I actually guessed it long ahead of time. You can probably guess it too.
One thing I actually found a tad harder to believe (personally) is how in the world can people actually survive on that canned stuff?! Is there even any nutrition in that stuff? Give me red meat any day over that canned stuff! ...more
This is a very strange story and now that I have finished it I am unsure what to think. The main character is Lara who if I recall correctly is 15 yeaThis is a very strange story and now that I have finished it I am unsure what to think. The main character is Lara who if I recall correctly is 15 years old. She has been dragged by her mother, Leonara, to Oceidente in Costalegre - in live in a strange house at the top of a hill, a house with no bedroom doors (only curtains) and these bizarre round holes in the outer wall so anything can fly right into your room when it wants to. Her mother has a bunch of loony artists living with them and everyone is very bizarre - including her mother. The jungle around them is full of wildlife and the ever present heat is oppressive. Its set during the beginning of World War 2 and the artists have fled to Mexico to get away from the war.
The story is from Lara's viewpoint. It comes in short chapters about various things, like the lack of news and things Lara tries to do to keep busy.
At first I found this story kind of funny as there is some truly outrageous things going on but once I got further into the tale I realized it was kind of gloomy. Lara is forgotten and mainly ignored. She is there but none of the adults in the house actually care about her. She tries to fit in but she just doesn't. She is the kind who may think something in the head but remains silent as she is not brave enough to actually speak up. And it is very easy for more bolder people, especially artists who are focused on their projects, to totally forget such a person.
Towards the end of the book there were a few events that left me feeling very confused. I don't understand what was going on? And it was never explained either so that is a bit of a disappointment. Why put something like that into a book unless you explain it later?
And there are a lot of characters in here! I felt I never really got to know most of them, not in any meaningful way... One character I did feel I knew (besides Lara) is the cowboy named Jack. And while his role is much shorter he seemed to have a larger importance to the storyline. It helps that he had horses too. And he had a bit of wisdom too...
And yes, there is some horse stuff in here (which I had not expected). Lara goes for a ride and has a bit of an adventure. That is all I will say as I don't want to give things away. But the very unique horse stables is located at the bottom of the hill the house is on and there are many singing grooms there to care for the horses. But my, the stables sure are vastly different than they are here! They do try to advise Lara but well she was a bit headstrong!
Another horse related bit in here I found just fascinating was the talk about how horses used to be used to predict weather and other things as well! Apparently horses know days ahead of time if it will storm? Or so the book says...
The tiger and the green plants on the cover represent the jungle environment. A tiger is not actually in the story. But the cover is beautiful!
There are also drawings in the book too. Black and white line drawings. My favorite is of the monkey like creature, the kinkajau, which I found out from google is also called the honey badger. It's related to the raccoon.
In the end I am not sure what this was about. Ok, I have an idea - that Lara should get out of that environment - but in the end nothing was actually settled. And if nothing was settled or solved, then what is the point? A 15-year-old cannot be expected to go live on her own. Where would she get money from? So I don't know...
Many of the stories in this book were hit or miss for me. And a few that had been a miss were really a severe miss in that they left me feeling ratherMany of the stories in this book were hit or miss for me. And a few that had been a miss were really a severe miss in that they left me feeling rather confused about the entire story...you know that "what in the world is going on" feeling...? And that kind of story can affect the whole book and then I sort of started to loose interest in it.
The first thing I did truly enjoy about the tales in this book is that many of them are on the fantastic side. That is they are fantasy or science fiction with magical powers, etc. That certainly makes it more fun to read and interesting.
Now how you are going to relate to the characters in the book is going to be based on many things...like if you have a disability and what it is. I was able to relate to several characters from several different stories in here and then those stories were my favorites. Some of the disabilities included in here are: being in a wheelchair, using a cane, anxiety, being cursed (and feeling like an outcast in your own society), blindness...
The stories that I had found interesting I truly enjoyed. And they often had unexpected twists too. Even a tale set in the real world surprised me - like how a blind girl could ride a bike. What a genius idea! I never would have thought of that. But the important part of that story, the heart of the tale, was how she had felt like a burden to others - not the fact she could ride the bike. People who have disabilities need to feel included and wanted. That is a part of being human and it's a human need. These stories explore that and ask questions.
One story I was rather confused by was the one about building a tower for a dragon. The townspeople were rather looking forward to this dragon arriving by boat to go live at the top of the tower. Now maybe it's my autism here but I am unsure was this dragon a REAL dragon? As in a living dragon? Or was this just a statue? It could be either and well I am confused! I wish the author had made it clearer.
Another strange one was Found Objects. This is another tale where people have powers and well I just found it bizarre... Could not relate.
Now for a few that I loved! This list includes:
Plus One: a story of a girl who goes on a religious journey with her family. This is one of those stories about being an outcast and everything always goes wrong for you but you don't really know why. You want to be like everyone else as their lives seem so perfect! Everything falls into place for them. Well I could relate to young Hafsah as she journeys to Kaaba. And I had even looked up photos of the Kaaba online too while reading this. I can definitely understand Hafsah and how she thinks.
The Long Road: a girl traveling on camel through the desert with her family heading to a better life hopefully. She is "cursed" by her disability and she has to learn to accept it.
The Leap and the Fall: a girl in a wheelchair visits an old abandoned carnival with her friend. And this story is a bit spooky!
Britt and the Bike God: the story of the blind girl riding the bike...I like the message in here: that there are people who actually want to spend time with a disabled person.
Per Aspera Ad Astra: while not exactly one of my favorites I can certainly understand Lizzie's anxiety, especially her fears around calling or sending messages to someone. Sometimes it's just far easier to just ignore things and allow deadlines to pass you by. That is what she does in here. Yet at the same time she seems to be a genius?
Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter: another magic based story that is about bullying. This one is very creative. A fun read. While I was bullied I really cannot relate to what happens in here because it involves magic and well you don't have magic in the real world so...
I guess now that as I flip through the book as I write this review I guess about half the tales were a miss for me? I did enjoy the very last story in the book called "A Curse, A Kindness" which is about granting wishes. None of these made me emotional at all (which is not a surprise as most of the time only horses can make me cry as I am still in the healing process).
I do like the artwork on the front and back covers. ...more
I am really surprised how much I liked this crazy book! The plot is so very random with all sorts of nutty things going on but that is also what made I am really surprised how much I liked this crazy book! The plot is so very random with all sorts of nutty things going on but that is also what made it so much fun! It's just these three girls going to different colleges in different states and they are sharing news with each other over text. The entire story is text messages, with each girl using a different color or text format. They support each other and get through various crisis, everything from bad boyfriends to those Greek sororities (Alpha Zeta) to even more surprising things! This story just kept going!
There are other books in this series but I have not read them...yet. And I had no problems with this one. But I am glad the book explained what YOLO means: You Only Live Once.
And yeah, college sounds like a mighty bizarre place according to this book, especially if you listen to SnowAngel! But the girls go through highs and lows, deal with roommates, depression and all sorts of problems. And sometimes things don't turn out the way one thinks it will and SnowAngel really does have the heart of an angel! Wow. Didn't see that coming! So there are some real surprises in here and the biggest one was at the end too! ...more
While this was a very fast book to read I could not relate to it at all. The main character of Gabi was just way too different with totally a differenWhile this was a very fast book to read I could not relate to it at all. The main character of Gabi was just way too different with totally a different lifestyle and choices. It is not because it's a YA book: its the subject matter. Dating, going from guy to guy and trying to figure out who you like this week. And the pregnant girls at that school! A nightmare! Then Gabi was always calling herself fat but was constantly eating junk food. Instead of bashing herself why doesn't she try to actually DO something? Because complaining doesn't get you anywhere but changing your diet (maybe try keto) will. The whole book and all of her choices throughout it are just very negative. And I think it sets a bad role model too? Especially that choice she makes at the end, after the prom. So stupid!
Plus the hundreds of random words in Spanish scattered throughout the book only confused me. I had no idea what they meant and in most cases there was no translation at all. Sometimes it was a single word stuck into a sentence in English and other times it was an entire sentence. I don't mind foreign words...I even have read many books with made up alien words...but I do want the words to be explained so I know what they mean. Because not everyone knows Spanish. Perhaps a glossary could have been added to the end of the book? This way it would serve as an introduction of sorts to learning a foreign language...but as it is it's just confusing.
I do believe this story is about choices and consequences for those choices. A lot of it is also drama from dysfunctional families. Including drug addiction and deaths. It includes some rather strange scenes as well.
And the cover is just bizarre.
I read this because I needed an author's name that started with a Q for a challenge I am trying to finish before the end of the year. ...more
This is a book that had surprised me in many ways. First of all I had not expected this book to make me laugh but it certainly has (and books very rarThis is a book that had surprised me in many ways. First of all I had not expected this book to make me laugh but it certainly has (and books very rarely make me laugh). There were at least four funny incidents in the first half of the story that made me laugh out loud. Granted, they were rather stupid things like someone getting stuck on a circular road - but when I told these things to my yoga teacher they made her laugh too! So clearly I am not the only person who finds this rather stupid stuff funny. And sometimes a person needs a good laugh.
But this book is not a comedy. The humor vanishes in the second half. And I actually read the second half much faster than I read the first half. Is it because I had more time? Or was it more interesting? Both?? Either way I flew through the pages in the second half of the book.
The second thing that surprised me about this book is how fascinating I found it.. You see I am doing a challenge in the one group I am in. It is an ABC location challenge so I needed a location that started with an X. Well you can guess how rare that must be! So I went to my library's website and luckily they have a good search engine. After using google to learn there is a city in China named Xi'an I had typed that into the search box at the library. And poof! This book came up! I had no idea what it was about really but I ordered it. I had expected another serious story like the one I had just finished - The Island of Sea Women - so the bits of humor was a nice surprise. But more surprising was how interesting this book was! Very quickly I had fallen into the world of Happy and Wufu as these two best friends tried to make a living in Xi'an as garbage collectors. Garbage collectors are NOT garbage men (like we have in the US) that haul garbage away in a truck and get paid a salary from the city. Instead they are people who go out on their bikes and try to find items in their area (they are assigned an area of so many city blocks) they can profit on by selling it to a certain place. I guess they are more like can collectors you see going around picking up aluminum cans? Except they pick up and sell a much wider variety of items. And sometimes they have to actually buy the garbage! Yes, they have to buy it. They then haggle over the price. And some of the stuff they pick up to sell is very surprising.
So Happy and Wufu are very different in personality. Happy is definitely wiser and has more smarts but even he doesn't know or understand everything about living in a city. Like he doesn't know what the word "restroom" means. He mostly refers to it as a "WC" and its more of an outhouse? One thing I liked about Happy is how generous he is and that he is willing to risk his own neck often to save others, even strangers. And if Wufu does things he thinks isn't right he tells him so (because Wufu often doesn't see or understand the bigger picture). In some ways I think Wufu may be autistic. He seems to take things literally which can be a sign of it. He also sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him and wants to get revenge on someone and then Happy has to explain to him why that is not a good idea. I actually liked both of these characters. And Happy devotes himself to staying with Wufu.
Towards the end of the book a medical mystery pops up and I have to admit this had me fascinated! I like puzzles and trying to use my knowledge of things to try and figure it out. What had really happened? I don't think it's meant to be a huge secret or mystery or anything but my brain just finds stuff like this intriguing and so I try to puzzle it out. I do have a few ideas...anyway it gave me something else to concentrate on as I had heard some bad news on Monday so this puzzle was just what I had needed.
Another thing: throughout the book they kept mentioning or going to Hibiscus Gardens which is supposed to be a very beautiful park of trees and rocks. Well I know nothing of Xi'an so I started to wonder did this place actually exist? So I went to Google and I found a video on youtube that actually takes you on a tour of this beautiful park! It is on the channel called Walking Tour in China and the video is titled "Walking Xi'an Botanical Garden Qujiang". There are big rocks, a waterfall, trees and flowers. People fly kites and have picnics. And you can actually see the city of Xi'an. Wow! The city is huge! So many tall skyscrapers! I hadn't realized it was such a huge place by reading the book! But you might want to check out the video. It's very peaceful. Unfortunately in the book neither Happy nor Wufu actually visit the park but they do go up to the gate. After I had translated the Chinese money to American dollars I found out it was just under $8 to get in. And translating the money also gave me a much better understanding of how much they were getting for things.
A lot of the story is also about how Happy and Wufu interact with others around them, how they struggle to get enough money each day, their efforts to try and save money and what they decide to do with the money they do get. The book also shows how they sometimes are cheated by scammers and how they interact with richer people. When you are poor garbage collectors you cannot afford the price to get into the park (but you may waste your money on other things).. I do feel that how they decided to spend their money caught up with them later and is related to the ending (but also due to their ignorance).
The ending was ok..you know what is going to happen because the first chapter states it. You just don't know how. Or when or why. But I am left wondering how Happy felt at the end. Not so good I would think. And I did think it had ended a bit abruptly.
But it is a great story and one I think I will remember for a long time. ...more
I am amazed at how quickly I have read this book and how fast I had gotten hooked onto the storyline. I think the main thing that fascinated me about I am amazed at how quickly I have read this book and how fast I had gotten hooked onto the storyline. I think the main thing that fascinated me about this story was how different the lives of the main characters were when compared to my own. Not only did they spend most days diving into the sea to catch various things to eat or to sell but it was the women, the haenyeo, who was in charge of the family. The haenyeo were the ones earning the money by their diving while their husbands stayed home to watch the kids, do cooking and just relax in the village with the other men. This is like the opposite of things here in the USA (or how it used to be when housewives would stay home).
And there were some other shocking things too in here. I still have a hard time grasping and trying to understand what they were feeding the pigs. Ok, I know what it is...I just don't understand how the pigs could eat that... I mean is there really any nutrition in that for pigs?? Read the book and you will find out what it is but it is a bit... ghastly? I don't even know if ghastly is the right word.
But this story is mostly a drama set during the war (WW2 and the Korean war) and while the island is first occupied by Japan and then later occupied by other groups like the Americans. The two main characters, Young-sook and Mi-ja, go through many hard times and suffering. The story moves fast enough that it kept me very interested in what was going on. I never knew what was going to happen next and that is one reason I kept reading.
But at heart this is a story about two women who are best friends. One is disadvantaged due to her background but she tries to overcome that to find a place for herself in the haenyeo. But things are not perfect. Nothing is really is it? And sooner or later strife comes into their lives.
I preferred the parts of the story that took place in the past. I found these more interesting as the island life came alive through the words of the author. This is a world of arranged marriages, belief in local goddesses and giving gifts to said goddesses, hiring particular type of people to see if a marriage would be good and what day the marriage should take place on, of hungry ghosts of those who drowned and their bodies swept out to sea... It's also a world free of electricity, TVs, cars and any modern device. And that you grow the majority of your own food or rely on the sea for your dinner. Basically it's stepping into the past, of how the world used to be.
I also liked there was no romance in here to gum up the story. That makes the story more clearer I believe. And there is more to life than romance. ...more
So as you might have guessed, I picked up this book because of the word "horse" in the title...that and the fact I do like to read classic books. So tSo as you might have guessed, I picked up this book because of the word "horse" in the title...that and the fact I do like to read classic books. So there are 3 stories in here and I will review each one separately.
Old Mortality: this is the first story in the book. As I was reading it I admit I felt quite muddled as to what it was actually about. The main character is a child and then later an adult named Miranda. After many, many pages it clicked in my head that the theme of the story was "truth". Did you ever have some larger-than-life relative in your family and there is all sorts of wild rumors and stories about that person? And then everyone ponders at get-togethers what exactly is the truth? Well this story is about that. Miranda and her very famous Aunt Amy.
Did I find it interesting? Not really. It kind of dragged truthfully. A lot of it is just talk and chatter and nothing actually happens. They do go to a racetrack to bet and Uncle Gabriel owns racehorses but that is just a side note in here. They do make the statement you can't make a living off of race horses!
Noon Wine: this was my favorite in here! It is a very gripping, modern story even though it was written long ago. It is tense, the characters drive the story forward plus there is a huge unexpected twist! What more could you want (besides hoping the other stories would be like this one?) I would rate this 5 stars for sure and I would say it's well worth checking this book out just to read this! And this one has lots of emotions too!
So this story is about a man who talks very little but who is a very hard worker. He shows up on a dairy farm looking for work. And he's hired. But then much later a stranger named Mr Hatch shows up and ruins everything. I really hated Mr Hatch! You'd probably hate him too. And because of what happened in the story, I think this one is also about truth. Is something true just because a stranger shows up and says so? Don't forget this was before phones and such so you are just going by someone's words. Anyone can say anything. The dates for this story is 1896-1905. And the aftermath in here is shocking as well.
Pale Horse Pale Rider: this is the last story and after reading Noon Wine I had been hoping for another excellent story...but I found myself disappointed. It turned out to be another dull one. And even though the story starts out with the main character Miranda (yes, another Miranda! Is it the same one from the first story? I have no idea...) on a horse fleeing from Death and the Devil...the horse was even given a name of Graylie...this is NOT a horse story at all. After that line where she runs away on the horse the horse part of the story just dead-ends. Instead it goes on to be about a plague (flu) and a war. I guess its World War 1? So most of the story is about her going out places with her boyfriend like to restaurants and plays and such. It talks about buying War Bonds. And Miranda goes on how she doesn't have any money to buy one - but if you ask me she is very wasteful as she says her shoes are "ruined" because her date stepped on them once while dancing! So just because a shoe got stepped on you have to throw it out? Insane! No wonder she doesn't have any money. But yeah, that was the detail in here that had interested me the most. I have autism so I really don't care about the whole social dating scene at all. What I do want is a good character driven plot and this is not it.
Another boring story if you ask me! Oh and it's probably called Pale Horse Pale Rider because it's set during a flu pandemic and everyone is dying. And they say Death rides a pale horse... So the title is a reference to Death.
So one great story and two slow boring ones...
I don't have anything to say about the cover as it's just text. This is my first book by this author. ...more
Truthfully I am not sure why I picked this up from my library as it's not the type of thing I usually read at all. I had been browsing the shelves andTruthfully I am not sure why I picked this up from my library as it's not the type of thing I usually read at all. I had been browsing the shelves and for some unknown reason this little book stood out. I guess I was attracted to a beach story since colder weather is here now. And to my surprise I actually enjoyed reading this!
In fact I found it funny! Which I had not expected at all. The funny bit is near the end and involves a crab. Haha! What the crab does!
Living by the Great Lakes we don't have crabs here...so I have never actually seen a real crab on a beach. It must be a strange sight, to see all of those crabs crawling about...
The plot is mainly from the eyes of a young girl as she travels with her mother, her aunt and her younger cousin to the beach. They talk about a great many random things including some mighty embarrassing stories from the past - the best one involving an incredibly shrinking wool swimming suit. Gee...do they make swimming suits out of wool? But wait...don't you need HOT water to shrink wool? And the ocean is cold, right? And I am pretty sure the uniforms of the British Royal Navy was made out if wool in the days of those huge sailing ships and their stuff didn't shrink. Anyway wether it's possible or not it's a humorous little story.
And they do build a sand castle and talk about death and loss and feeling empty inside......more
While this was indeed entertaining to read I really did not find myself inspired by this mystery. That is I had no interest in trying to guess who theWhile this was indeed entertaining to read I really did not find myself inspired by this mystery. That is I had no interest in trying to guess who the killer was. Also the death (or murder I should say) had nothing to do with the Thanksgiving dinner shown on the cover. Instead it was related to lots of controversy about a gambling casino being built on a farm for the Metinnicut tribe. Most of the plot revolves around this issue and if the town's people are ready for change. There is also the fact the murder itself doesn't occur until after a hundred pages in. In other mysteries I've read it usually occurs much sooner. I was actually surprised it happened so late. I guess the main character, Lucy, had to do lots of shopping and go to meetings first.
Is it sad the most interesting thing in here (to me) was the fact how TomTom the turkey goes after red items? I know a male turkey named Fred and he likes to dance circles around women with his tail feathers spread and his wing tips dragging on the ground. Off hand I can't recall if I've ever wore red around him or not but I do find this fascinating! So now I am wondering if turkeys truly go after red items? Fred wonders about loose and I have never seen any hostility from him. If anything he is the ranch's mascot.
The end did not state what had happened to TomTom.
I actually found most of the social stuff in here related to Thanksgiving very dull and boring. I guess I just can't relate to it?
The bits with the dog Kudo were nice too. I just guess the animals in here interested me more than the human characters!
This is the first book I have read from this series. ...more
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