Two things can be true at once: Britney Spears has absolutely been let down by the people in her life who were supposed to raise her, support her, carTwo things can be true at once: Britney Spears has absolutely been let down by the people in her life who were supposed to raise her, support her, care for her. And she has also produced a very not-good book that is full of contradictions and potentially casting her as an unreliable narrator in her own life. I understand her desire to tell her own story, after having her own agency taken away for so long, but her ghostwriters and whoever else worked on this with her did her dirty. ...more
If I had realized this was from the same author as With Love, From Cold World - a book that I liked elements of but disliked the characters and their If I had realized this was from the same author as With Love, From Cold World - a book that I liked elements of but disliked the characters and their miscommunication so much that I still get disgruntled thinking about it - I don't think I would have bothered to read this one, no matter how highly recommended it came.
Thompson creates great contemporary vibes in her stories, writes solid dialogue/banter, writes characters who feel grounded in this real world and who talk the way real people talk, and she also writes really good, tender sex scenes. But when you end up disliking 50% of the couple you're supposed to be rooting for, that really puts a damper on the enjoyment.
Here are some assorted thoughts as to why this didn't work for me.
(view spoiler)[ - The entire premise of this book is that Daphne develops an anonymous DM/text relationship with Chris after she messages him after heckling him to apologize, but then realizes she failed to actually apologize/identify herself at any point. Feelings ensue, but SURPRISE she also now has fallen face-first into working with the team, where she STILL fails to identify herself and starts a relationship that way, too. And like, all of this is clear from the description of the book, but what is not clear is that the deception goes on for SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE BOOK. She deceives him for SO LONG because she's afraid/it's awkward/she doesn't know how to tell the truth when she's lied about so much for so many months. I could have accepted this level of silly miscommunication/failure to communicate if it hadn't been THE ONLY CONLFICT in the whole book. What would have been more interesting - Daphne hand-wringing for the entire book about why she couldn't possibly tell the truth now but otherwise continuing on as normal, or the truth coming out earlier and having to see them actually work through their problems to rebuild the trust needed for a relationship? See them actually learning to trust each other? See Daphne actually showing via actions not just words that she wants to rebuild his trust in her? Instead of just handwaving it away with "if you still love her go get her back" stuff. Seriously, this book could have ended at the 80% mark when Chris leaves after she finally ACCIDENTALLY tells the truth, and I would have been happy. Chris is far too sweet and vulnerable to have been treated like this. - I understand that romance novels are wish fulfilment, and that "oops I found myself working for the baseball team and OOPS one of the players likes me and OOPS now we're in love" is fairly normal wish fulfilment. But. Like. I don't know. As someone who spent somewhere around 10 years covering hockey as a freelancer, including interviewing players, coaches, etc., after games - the idea of ANY of this happening at all just makes me want to have a tantrum about how hard women have to work to be taken seriously in this industry and to NOT be seen as people who just are there to bang the players, and then Daphne goes and gets this sideline reporter job WHICH SHE IS NOT QUALIFIED FOR and then PROCEEDS TO BANG A PLAYER, like, GIRL. GIRL!!! I get the wish fulfilment aspect of it!! I do! This is also probably why I can't read office romances because as an HR professional I'm like THAT IS NOT HOW THE REAL WORLD WORKS, PLEASE STOP BANGING YOUR HOT BILLIONAIRE BOSS or whatever. - I am somewhat concerned by Thompson's ability to write female main characters who I just cannot get behind. I WANTED to like Daphne, there was so much about her that I found relatable - married/divorced young, got a cat because she was lonely, feelings of inadequacy/never quite being enough, bookish, awkward - and honestly, like, even the failure to fess up to the deception feels relatable, like you have gotten yourself into a PICKLE and it IS hard to do the right thing and OF COURSE you're going to worry about ruining everything. But it was SO HARD to be on her side because there were SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES to do the right thing and she just never did it! Their entire relationship wasn't entered into in good faith, and I just don't know how you can go on to have a successful relationship with someone who spent so long deceiving you. - Everyone in this book sucked except for Chris, and Milo the cat. - AND ANOTHER THING (yes I am coming back hours later to add this), I don't know how you expect me to believe that not a single person knew about Chris's brother's death. Like, was there a public obituary of any kind? Did it say something like "Tim Kepler, survived by his father, Name, and brother Chris..."? Then some baseball fan or reporter who has the right search alert set up is going to get a notification. Hockey people will dig up the weirdest most obscured things online about players, and I can't imagine baseball fans are somehow more normal. I get that HE doesn't want to talk about it but I can't see a way that no one would have found out that his brother had passed. (hide spoiler)]
I understand that getting mad at a book for having a premise you don't like, when the premise is clearly disclosed in the summary, is kind of like being mad your burger has pickles on it when it was clearly advertised as YES PICKLES NO EXCEPTIONS or whatever. But oh wow did I not expect the premise to be THIS FRUSTRATING....more
So bittersweet. If you saw the animated version of Robot Dreams, it follows the book almost exactly. The movie made a few changes that I think added sSo bittersweet. If you saw the animated version of Robot Dreams, it follows the book almost exactly. The movie made a few changes that I think added some more depth to the story - the baby bird imprinting on Robot, the kite-flying Duck potentially being a romantic interest, Dog's attempts to go back to the beach to get Robot -- and the book is perhaps even sadder because of that, because you don't get the sense that Dog is just counting down the days until they can get Robot back. This is the kind of book I'd actually love to do a book club about, because I think depending on where you are in your life, what you're dealing with, you're going to have different takes on the story's overall message on friendships and relationships, and I think all of those takes have some merit. There's a lot to think about, for a graphic novel with no words. ...more
It took me three tries of checking this one out from the library to actually stick with it. No good reason why I kept bounci3.5-ish stars, rounding up
It took me three tries of checking this one out from the library to actually stick with it. No good reason why I kept bouncing off, either; the opening chapter is pretty compelling, but I never got much further and then it would always get called back at the library because someone else had put it on hold.
I finally got around to finish it by taking it with me on vacation, and generally enjoyed it. There's something about it that felt a little unfinished or unsatisfying, but I can't quite put my finger on what exactly that is. It feels like big, possibly earth-shattering things just keep happening/getting revealed and yet there's not much follow-up or consequences, things just keep lumbering along and everyone's like "huh oh okay".
I liked Remy at times but also found his "no one could possibly love me without ulterior motives and also I must sacrifice for people who will never respect me" schtick a bit grating at times. I wanted to shake the book until he grew some common sense and realized that Xiaodan and Zidan cared for him.
That said, despite some misgivings, once I got into the flow of the book I found it very readable and hard to put down. I may not have enjoyed all the choices made in this book but I was invested in finding out what happened. ...more
These books are just so fun! I really liked getting to learn some of Marcille and Falin's backstory in this one, and the reveal of the frog suits had These books are just so fun! I really liked getting to learn some of Marcille and Falin's backstory in this one, and the reveal of the frog suits had me absolutely cackling....more
I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this but I regret all the time I didn't spend with Dennis and April. This book managed toI don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this but I regret all the time I didn't spend with Dennis and April. This book managed to do two things that I so rarely see handled successfully in mainstream published romance: 1.) it handled a kink-heavy D/s relationship in a way that felt realistic and 2.) it pulled off the miscommunication/people not using their words conflict in a way that felt natural and not manufactured. Dennis and April both make mistakes, they both communicate poorly at times, they both jump to conclusions, but the background context you get about each of them makes those mistakes understandable, even if they are painful to read. They are so sweet together, and watching them both learn/grow over the course of the book was such a treat. Gives you a lot to chew on in regards to the whole mortifying ordeal of being known thing.
(Full disclosure: I do know/share many mutual friends with Penny Aimes, however that doesn't influence my review, I would have loved this even if I didn't have this connection.) ...more
This book doesn't deserve this sick as hell cover. Wildly annoying characters, gross attitudes towards addiction, unbelievable/over the top plot, and This book doesn't deserve this sick as hell cover. Wildly annoying characters, gross attitudes towards addiction, unbelievable/over the top plot, and a dumb "grief is like a box of chocolates" metaphor on basically every page. The writing was just not good. This isn't a thriller or a mystery, it's just a family drama about a family that sucks. It was a very quick read, and I was entertained by the fact that while I was reading this, I also happened to be driving up through the area of Wisconsin where this story takes place. That was fun, at least. ...more
As adorable and precious as all of the rest of the Escargot books, only this one has a bunny and introduces the concept of ennui lmao. I feel like theAs adorable and precious as all of the rest of the Escargot books, only this one has a bunny and introduces the concept of ennui lmao. I feel like these books manage to be things that adults won't roll their eyes at when they read it repeatedly to their kids, and as always, the conversational aspect of the writing, opening things up to conversation with the reader, is really great. ...more
Escargot's world gets a little bigger as our favorite snail goes in search of a Snailentine's Day party and meets some voles instead. Just unbelievablEscargot's world gets a little bigger as our favorite snail goes in search of a Snailentine's Day party and meets some voles instead. Just unbelievable cute, with even more fun, hidden details in the illustrations. This time, you and your little one get to learn some more French words, too! ...more
This is exactly what I expected it to be. Lots of sex, thin on plot. I am docking this a star for featuring the most insufferable, unlikeable version This is exactly what I expected it to be. Lots of sex, thin on plot. I am docking this a star for featuring the most insufferable, unlikeable version of Achilles in a book where you're supposed to actually like him and not have mixed feelings about him. ...more
I found this very charming and readable! I'm pretty sure I went and bought this before I was even halfway done with the library's version of it, it's I found this very charming and readable! I'm pretty sure I went and bought this before I was even halfway done with the library's version of it, it's a book I'd gladly reread when I'm looking for that right mix of cozy and steamy. I am not usually a kidfic person but I think the single dad angle here was worked really well and without becoming too annoying or focused on the kid. What I appreciated most about this book though was that it was just a simple story about two awkward dudes falling in love. While there's some heavier themes - Zeke's poor relationship with his family, Spencer's health issues, the challenges of a normal person being in a relationship with a millionaire professional athlete - none of that stuff takes over the story or turns it into an Issues Book. I am so glad this didn't turn into "Spencer/Zeke get outed" or "third act breakup for stupid reason" or "homophobic teammate is homophobic" or whatever. I don't mind when romance introduces those more serious angles, but sometimes you just want something cute and easy, and this hit the mark spectacularly....more
The fact that there is not an Escargot TV show or Escargot merch is a huge oversight of capitalism. Look, I don't have kids, I will never have kids, bThe fact that there is not an Escargot TV show or Escargot merch is a huge oversight of capitalism. Look, I don't have kids, I will never have kids, but I love these books so much. The art is so charming and whimsical, and Escargot's voice is so absolutely perfect. Silly and charming and funny, and the conversational tone between Escargot and the reader is so excellent. The perfect book for story time and also to encourage your picky eater to try something new. If Escargot can like carrots, then so can you! ...more
Parts of this were thought-provoking, parts of it were a bit cringe, parts were repetitive. Best used in small doses so you can marinate on a chapter Parts of this were thought-provoking, parts of it were a bit cringe, parts were repetitive. Best used in small doses so you can marinate on a chapter and the questions it asks you, rather than reading a whole bunch in one go. (I had to check this out of the library three separate times to finish it.) The authors have no issue in laying themselves bare for the book, showing that even therapists have to work hard at building a sustainable relationship. That ends up veering towards TMI territory, but that's the character/brand these two play for the public, so it is what it is, I guess. ...more
This was fine, if highly predictable. The bad guy is obvious. The twist isn't anything shocking. The writing isn't anything special. The cast of charaThis was fine, if highly predictable. The bad guy is obvious. The twist isn't anything shocking. The writing isn't anything special. The cast of characters is so large that it creates lots of opportunities for spin-off books but makes it difficult to keep track of who's who and for anyone outside of our primary leads to really distinguish themselves. I think teenaged me would have liked this more than 41-year old me. It was a quick read (I finished most of it in a day) and once the plot stops spinning its wheels things do move fairly swiftly. ...more
This is so cute???? I want to be Escargot's best friend. Escargot is single handledly making people think snails are cute, this is incredible work. I This is so cute???? I want to be Escargot's best friend. Escargot is single handledly making people think snails are cute, this is incredible work. I love the way the book addresses the reader and provides a lot of opportunity for the young readers to be creative, write their own stories, come up with their own adventures, etc. It makes the child a part of the story which I can only imagine is really fun for kids. The illustrations are charming and the story itself is very witty. Loved it and looking forward to checking out the other Escargot books. ...more
If you too have a relative who won't talk about what he did in Vietnam, you can read this book and get the same experience.
I think this would have beIf you too have a relative who won't talk about what he did in Vietnam, you can read this book and get the same experience.
I think this would have been a four star read for me had it not dragged as much towards the end and veered into stuff that Pedersen wasn't present for or had no decision making power in, but wanted to talk about anyway. (See for example: the entire chapter on the Yom Kippur War, which the US was involved in but Pedersen himself did not fly in.)
I enjoyed the memoir aspects of this that talked about what it was like to serve in the Navy during this time of American history, and about Pedersen's role in creating the Topgun program. I don't think Pedersen and I would have much common ground in terms of our political/societal beliefs, but he's clearly full of tons of good stories, even if it's pretty clear he's whitewashed or minimized a lot of stuff.
An easy read even if you're not an aviator, and full of interesting characters, but probably could have used a stronger hand in the editing process....more
This was fine. The writing style was very simple and choppy, but what I don't know is whether that style is supposed to emulate the speaking/internal This was fine. The writing style was very simple and choppy, but what I don't know is whether that style is supposed to emulate the speaking/internal voice of our protagonist, or if the author just writes in a simple/choppy style. I don't expect to be checking out her other books to find out. This book never quite picks a lane between historical fiction, mystery, or romance, and I think suffers for it. The mystery aspect comes together all too neatly - people Aki needs to talk to are always right where she needs them to be, she (eventually) gets the answers she's seeking, people easily decide to help her out - and the resolution is unsatisfying and, honestly, unrealistic. I liked the look at 1940s Chicago, but at the same time wish we'd spent more time with the Ito family before they were forcefully relocated to the Midwest. I also wish we'd gotten to know Rose better - she's obviously a huge looming factor for Aki and all the other characters as Aki tries to get to the bottom of what happened to her sister, but we spend very little time with Rose before she exits the picture. Clearly lots of people loved this one, but it just wasn't for me. ...more
On the one hand, Heat (the movie) is an action/crime classic for a reason, with its audacious capers, realistic fight scenes, an2.5 stars rounded up.
On the one hand, Heat (the movie) is an action/crime classic for a reason, with its audacious capers, realistic fight scenes, and all-star cast. On the other, it's a universe wherein women only exist to prop up the men in the cast, to sleep with them or make their lives difficult or to suffer for them.
Heat 2 is exactly the same - the world gets much fuller in this prequel/sequel (yes, it accomplishes both, and yes, it probably should have been two books instead) as you see what shaped each of the characters we met in the movie, but what shapes them is often women dying, being assaulted, being traumatized.
When Michael Mann inevitably figures out how to make this into a movie, the action sequences are going to be out of this world but the rest -- sigh. ...more
I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else. This was so aggressively mediocre. I think Charlie was the only character I didn't I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else. This was so aggressively mediocre. I think Charlie was the only character I didn't hate, and that's mostly because he was pretty much a blank slate of a man whose main personality trait was having eyebrows. I'm so tired....more
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