Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield My rating: 1 of 5 stars I think this was one of the most anticipated books of 2019 for me and what a let down it turned out to be. I waited months for this story to become available at my local library; that’s how in demand it is. When I finally held it in my hands all I could think was “tis mine now!” and I took it with me on my trip to the UK. That’s right. I lugged a book halfway across the world on top of buying a whole bunch of books on my trip for research purposes. And…
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Drunk Mom
Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska My rating: 2 of 5 stars Had to read this for my last grad course. Apparently my prof is friends with the author. I think that makes it a conflict of interests to “teach” it in this course. Almost 3 months ago I finished reading this book, since then we had countless discussions on it in my course and I even did a presentation on one of the chapters, which received positive feedback. Yet, I am still torn about this book. On the one had, I am impressed and in awe of the author’s courage to share this dark time in her life with the…
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The First 100 Kisses
The First 100 Kisses by Danielle Bannister My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the authors in exchange for an honest review. I had been a bit behind in my reading and schoolwork and made a little schedule that would allow me to read and do homework yesterday to give me the illusion to at least feel a tiny bit accomplished and less stressed out. I had it all planned out: go to the coffee shop, get myself a cappuccino, read for an hour, go home, have lunch and then start on my homework. It was a good plan, which I intended…
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Lipstick Voodoo (Kincaid Strange, #2)
Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish My rating: 2 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I had trouble reading this one. It was very difficult to get into the story, I think partially because I read The Voodoo Killings (part 1 of the series) almost a year and a half ago and the second part picks up right where the first one left off. I couldn’t remember the details of how it ended, and I kept getting distracted by trying to piece together what little I still knew. A lot of characters carried over from the first…
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Lustiges Taschenbuch Ultimate Phantomias 15: Die Chronik eines Superhelden
Lustiges Taschenbuch Ultimate Phantomias 15: Die Chronik eines Superhelden by Walt Disney Company I have been staring at my computer screen for quite some time now, trying to figure out what to write and how to write it. What I would really like to write is this: shame on you Egmont Ehapa Verlag for editing an already published story and promoting it as a first publication…within the span of three volumes, nonetheless! In Ultimate Phantomias 13 the story was published under the title of “Ein Sponsor für Phantomias”; story by Giorgio Pezzin and artwork by Massimo De Vita. In Ultimate Phantomias 15 the story was published under the title of…
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The Art of Fact
The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism by Kevin Kerrane My rating: 1 of 5 stars There is disappointment after having finished a book that didn’t live up to one’s expectations, nay, hope. And then there is whatever I’m feeling right now, which is probably the cause for that big blue vein inside my head throbbing with increasing pain. It isn’t even noon yet, but I have had my day’s share of caffeine, been prowling the kitchen for more chocolate and I think I’m starting to get heartburn. Enough stereotypes for you yet? Well, let me take you on a journey of even greater gender stereotypes, lack…
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Demon Lust and Fairy Dust
Demon Lust and Fairy Dust by Kay BrandtMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I was cleaning out my Kindle to free up some memory, because it stopped connecting to the wifi when I came across this title. I can’t remember how or why or where I purchased it, but I stopped about 20% into the book. Curious, I gave it another try and was pleasantly surprised by the retellings of the fairytales. They include scenes with sexual content, explicit language and female protagonists, who take charge of their lives. I appreciated the focus on female empowerment that shines through in these retellings and the understanding of human psychology, especially with…
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Doppelganger
Doppelganger by Danielle Bannister My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the authors in exchange for an honest review. A story about a woman in her early forties, trying to find herself; this was really cute and refreshing. I am not quite in my forties yet, but I appreciated and welcomed a story that centred around a character that wasn’t fresh out of high school or college and wasn’t some super special snowflake that figures out her true path after three chapters. If I had had the time, I would have read the entire book in one sitting. The main character was…
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The Dating Challenge
The Dating Challenge by B. N. Hale My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the authors in exchange for an honest review.I was looking for a light read this month, since this time of year can be especially busy and stressful. The Dating Challenge provided just the right amount of distraction to allow me a few hours of retreat from reality. There were just a few points I wished had provided more depth, although, I suppose that’s what made this read a light one.The characters had great potential and really captured my attention at the beginning, but by the time I reached…
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Lustiges Taschenbuch Halloween 04: Sonderband
Lustiges Taschenbuch Halloween 04: Sonderband by Walt Disney My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love Halloween and I couldn’t wait to read the newest collection of Halloween stories from Duckburg.They were spooky and cozy and funny and over way too quickly. I wish there had been more, but I’m looking forward to the next collection.
