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Review Date: 8/18/2022
There are some good tips here, but some things just are not realistic for all areas of the country. The author lives in California where she can go to farmers markets year-round; I can't do that where I live so it is much harder to eat/decorate seasonally. Also (and one of my biggest issues with publishing today) is this really needs a proofreader. There were multiple typos (words left out, extra words added, etc.). I was out totally (although I did finish the book) when on page 197 as she is talking about adding additional decorations to gift wrapping to make it special, she mentions adding "broaches" as decoration. She meant brooches. The book could be helpful for people new to the concept of reducing their waste.
Review Date: 7/27/2022
This started out a bit slowly for me. The author starts out with his memories of when he was four years old and his older brother went missing. As he grows older, he learns more about what happened and you learn of his emotions and how his family reacted to this terrible tragedy. As I read further, this story gripped me and my heart ached for this family, but especially this four-year-old child who thought it was all his fault. Excellent read, but devastated that this family had to endure this horrible event.
Review Date: 10/17/2022
Helpful Score: 1
While I thought the story itself was good, this debut novel could use a better editor. There were several times I wasn't sure which victim was being discussed, which was very disorienting in the middle of the story, and at several points sentences didn't make sense and I had to re-read those paragraphs to figure out what was being said. However, the descriptions of the Louisiana bayou felt real and intense and were very well done. This was a three-star read for me.
Review Date: 2/28/2022
I really enjoyed this because 1) mysteries with animals (that's always a plus), and 2) it gave you a little taste of the writing style of each author. At first I thought it might be hard to get into the stories as I was afraid they might be part of a series from each author, but the animals in each were either their own pets, or other animals different from the characters in their series. There were authors that were new to me, so now I have a whole list of books to add to my TBR pile!!
Review Date: 10/23/2023
So many secrets for such a small town. I knew that everything was going to be intertwined based on the synopsis I read, but could not figure out how it was all going to be wrapped up. Excellent story; very well written.
Review Date: 9/20/2023
I really wanted to root for both of these characters, especially Ruby. She was feisty, stood up for herself, didn't back down from a challenge, was incredibly kind and unselfish, and just seemed like someone I would like to have as a friend. Spencer was a little too uptight, but really had his brother's best interests in mind.
Unfortunately, they were both so ultra-competitive and wanted to challenge each other that they saw receiving kindness from each other as a weakness. It was exhausting. And did we need to hear about how beautiful Ruby was on every page? We get it - she was a pageant queen and she's gorgeous. If the point of the book was to say that beauty is only skin-deep, telling us about her beauty constantly definitely took away from that message.
I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't.
Unfortunately, they were both so ultra-competitive and wanted to challenge each other that they saw receiving kindness from each other as a weakness. It was exhausting. And did we need to hear about how beautiful Ruby was on every page? We get it - she was a pageant queen and she's gorgeous. If the point of the book was to say that beauty is only skin-deep, telling us about her beauty constantly definitely took away from that message.
I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't.
Review Date: 2/28/2021
This book is terrible. I noted grammatical errors and errors in the timeline. Each chapter heading is a date and in a Monday chapter, two of the characters had a meeting on a Thursday. I guessed the murderer by page 27. The worst offense is that this is a writer who tells what is happening, rather than showing what is happening. You have characters who explain to other characters what a third party has done. You also have a "narrator" who explains what is happening. I will admit, I stopped reading at page 62, so I don't know if it got any better, but with so many books to read I don't want to waste my time on something that I'm not enjoying.
As I was reading, I kept thinking that clearly no one had proofread this book, and it really needed an editor. And how could there be 16 books in this series??? But then I discovered that the author also owns the publishing company and the light bulb clicked on.
As I was reading, I kept thinking that clearly no one had proofread this book, and it really needed an editor. And how could there be 16 books in this series??? But then I discovered that the author also owns the publishing company and the light bulb clicked on.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
134
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
134
Review Date: 1/16/2016
I have a lot of stuff. I was hoping this book would help, and was prepared to deal with the silliness of talking to my possessions. When I got to the part on clothing, I was prepared to give up (although I did read the entire book). Marie Kondo tells you to keep only the things that bring you joy. Then she says "If you are a woman, try wearing something elegant as nightwear. The worst thing you can do is to wear a sloppy sweat suit." I read this while wearing my favorite pair of sweatpants and my favorite sweatshirt. They bring me joy as they are so soft and warm and comfortable! "Elegant" pajamas are not comfortable and definitely do not bring me joy, so why should I wear them?
And don't even get me started on throwing things away! She says her clients generally throw out 30 to 40 bags of trash during her tidying process. What about donating them to charity? Those items may not bring joy to you but may be just what someone else was looking for. Recycling is a good thing!
I found the tone of the book to be judgmental, and extremely wasteful. This book doesn't bring me joy, so I'm passing it on to someone else!
And don't even get me started on throwing things away! She says her clients generally throw out 30 to 40 bags of trash during her tidying process. What about donating them to charity? Those items may not bring joy to you but may be just what someone else was looking for. Recycling is a good thing!
I found the tone of the book to be judgmental, and extremely wasteful. This book doesn't bring me joy, so I'm passing it on to someone else!
Review Date: 2/12/2020
Excellent book! I read the entire thing in one day; I could not put it down. Very uplifting story - so positive even with all of the bad things that happened to him.
A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
13
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
13
Review Date: 11/28/2016
I was really excited to begin reading this book. I only have rescue pets in my home and so was hoping to read a heartwarming and uplifting story about another animal finding its forever home. What a disappointment! There was very little "story." More than half the book was photos with celebrities and information about the causes the celebrities support. The book also had many typos and was poorly written. I get it... you want to end factory farming and puppy mills. Repeating it on almost every page was a bit much.
I feel like the title of the book was misleading; I was expecting much more about Baby and not so much about other animals. Don't get me wrong; I think Jana Kohl is doing good work trying to end puppy mills and factory farming. This book isn't the way to do it.
I feel like the title of the book was misleading; I was expecting much more about Baby and not so much about other animals. Don't get me wrong; I think Jana Kohl is doing good work trying to end puppy mills and factory farming. This book isn't the way to do it.
Review Date: 2/25/2023
Excellent book; really looking forward to book two in the series. I almost stopped after chapter one (because - insect people - ewww!), but I'm really glad I kept going. I love the main characters, and the world building did not get in the way of the story. An interesting take on heaven and hell and the creatures that live there, especially hell. And who knew that hell would have a library?
Deducted half a star in the rating because the book desperately needs a proofreader. Nothing jerks me out of a story like sentences with the words out of order or missing words. Ugh.
Deducted half a star in the rating because the book desperately needs a proofreader. Nothing jerks me out of a story like sentences with the words out of order or missing words. Ugh.
Review Date: 5/15/2023
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book, and did not want it to end. Although there is some sadness (loneliness and isolation), it is a beautiful story about the family you choose and how fiercely one can fight to protect the ones they love. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and will look for more from this author. P.S. There is an epilogue to this book posted on the author's web site.
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