It was immediate and moving, with deeply memorable characters. I loved John Vercher’s debut novel,’Three-fifths, review of that one here. I absolutely cannot wait for his next book and for the first time ever, I'm signing up to newsletters! I can't help but feel a lot of John Vercher's personal struggles have gone into this book, and you can feel it. Not only does Xavier struggle with who he is, and life in general, he struggles with racial prejudice, crime, family, friends, bad decisions, good decisions. The story builds you up, then tears you down, an emotional rollercoaster that you feel you're riding right next to Xavier. I absolutely loved the internal monologues, the writing style was utter perfection. Anything you need to know to set the scene is explained perfectly. I have no interest in MMA, so don't let that put you off reading it. It's simply the sad story of a down-and-out MMA fighter struggling to find himself & getting caught up in some bad stuff. This book had none of that, and what a breath of fresh air it was to read. I normally go for crime novels, with plenty of twists and turns, exciting plot developments and so on. This was one of the best books I've ever read.
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5/11/2023 0 Comments Book review apeirogonIs it absurd to suggest that a novel might succeed where generations of politicians have failed? Perhaps, but then Apeirogon is the kind of book that comes along only once in a generation. But perhaps that’s the point – the desperation of the situation has brought forth a work of art whose beauty, intelligence and compassion may go some way to changing things. Now each side has retreated into belligerent isolation, with Donald Trump gleefully fanning the flames of discord. In the optimistic 90s we had the Oslo Accords and a real sense that some solution to the conflict could be found through diplomatic channels. It feels as if the situation in the Middle East is always a reflection of its age. It’s a strange time for a novel as full-hearted as Apeirogon. 5/11/2023 0 Comments Everfair by nisi shawlTogether, her colleagues plan a nation where such things as slavery, class exploitation, gender oppression, and colonialism will vanish. Her life will be fueled by a perpetual curiosity to know how machines work - by a fierce wonder at science’s stimulating gifts - and this curiosity will rocket her across the globe to Africa, Europe, and the United States as one the founders of a new Central African nation called Everfair at the turn of the 20th century. Lisette Toutournier spins through the Gallic countryside atop the vehicle, facing her future, enchanted by the freeing and somewhat illicit possibilities of this technology. Nisi Shawl’s historical fantasy Everfair (2016) starts with a simple but bold image: that of a Frenchwoman passionately in love with her bicycle. HOW DO YOU make a better world? And what will it cost? 5/11/2023 0 Comments Seers of light by jennifer delucyAbout the Author: Chris-Anne is a deck creator, artist, and magic-maker, as well as a marketing strategist and owner of Pixelbrand-a branding and graphic design company. This deck is an ideal companion as you seek to uncover the places in your life-and in yourself-that are most in need of illumination. The expressive characters who live within the landscapes of the cards tell stories, ask questions, and provide guidance. By reimagining the traditional tarot archetypes and symbols in a contemporary, boho, and intuitive style, The Light Seer's Tarot expresses the light and shadow sides of our natures and explores the lessons that can be learned from both. This 78-card tarot deck and guidebook is a healing tool and guide to explore both the light and shadow sides of our nature. 5/11/2023 0 Comments Animal Magnetism by Jill ShalvisI have read this book before but I haven’t listened to the audio and I gotta say I loved it more the second time. Read it for a little light reading, but be sure not to take anything in the story as a reflection of reality. If anyone actually attempted to run a kennel and rescue the way the main character did in this story there would be injury and more. I realize that I do let a lot of reality go by the wayside when reading escapist fiction, but in this case it felt irresponsible. Raccoons causing an entertaining ruckus stealing eggs, but not killing and eating the chickens. An animal rescue picking up a pack of stray dogs and putting those dogs and a small pet dog into the back of a car and expecting all to go well. A large vet practice without a vet tech, but with a helicopter (there were extenuating circumstances, but I just can't believe it). What drove me crazy was the implausibility of the outside world. Oddly enough the characters were believable enough to enjoy in their interactions. In this case it was stretched to the breaking point. For the most part, for a little light reading I'm happy to put common sense and reality aside. 5/10/2023 0 Comments Decameron by boccaccio21, 1375, Certaldo, Tuscany), Italian poet and scholar, best remembered as the author of the earthy tales in the Decameron. Giovanni Boccaccio, (born 1313, Tuscany-died Dec. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. 5/10/2023 0 Comments Our dark duet series orderKate had to go back to Verity to warn August about the danger of this monster that could destroy Verity even more. It fed on chaos and twisted its victims’ minds. On one of Kate’s hunts, she encountered a new, bizarre monster. August Flynn was now a leader of the Verity’s protection force. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it as a whole, and I think there is no other ending that can wrap up this amazing duology.Īfter fleeing Verity, Kate Harker became a monster hunter in the city of Prosperity. Initially, I rated this a solid 5-star, but after talking with some friends who also read this book, I realized there was some minor issue that I overlooked. I really love the first book, and I can say that I also enjoyed Our Dark Duet. If I remember correctly, it took me almost a year or two before finally picking up the finale of Monsters of Verity duology. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within? And a new monster is waiting-one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims’ inner demons. And she’s good at it.ĪUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. About the Book: Title: Our Dark Duet Author: Victoria Schwab Publisher: Greenwillow Books Publication Date: June 13th, 2017 Genres: YA Fantasy, Dystopia Pages: 512 Rating: 4.5/5 ISBN: 0062380885 (ISBN13: 9780062380883) 5/10/2023 0 Comments Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobieand Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 1991, for the radio play "Continuum " prose poem award, Grain magazine, 1994, for "Permission" R. CAREER:Įdmonton Journal literary competitions, first prize for a long poem, 1987, for "just after i knew," and first prize for short fiction, 1990, for "Answers" winner of radio writing contest, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Ethnicity: "Nebulously whitish." Education: University of Winnipeg, B.A., 1983 attended University of Alberta, 1986-88. 5/10/2023 0 Comments Broken jenny lawson reviewFrom the business ideas that she wants to pitch to Shark Tank to the reason why Jenny can never go back to the post office, Broken leaves nothing to the imagination in the most satisfying way. With people experiencing anxiety and depression now more than ever, Jenny humanizes what we all face in an all-too-real way, reassuring us that we're not alone and making us laugh while doing it. In Broken, Jenny brings readers along on her mental and physical health journey, offering heartbreaking and hilarious anecdotes along the way. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let's Pretend This Never Happened comes a deeply relatable book filled with humor and honesty about depression and anxiety.Īs Jenny Lawson's hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. Wood walks through the historical core of the Americas-Central America. The Nile was a highly specific route-following the river from source to sea the Himalayas were more diffuse, offering Wood a range of route options, so that he could string together a series of particularly interesting locations the “Americas” starts with broad choice in the north, and narrows down to some severely limited options in the south. You can find my review of Walking The Himalayas here. Walking the Americas recounts the story of Levison Wood’s third epic walking journey-a successor to Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas, and a companion volume to the Channel 4 TV series of the same name. I’ve found on these long expeditions that there sometimes comes a point when you grow tired of walking. |