Tag: wonderful

Fiction/Science Fiction · Humor/Funny · Suspense

Folk med ångest – Fredrik Backman (Swedish title, English review)

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43601208.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: “People with anxiety” is an unreasonably messy comedy about a hostage situation on an apartment viewing. A failed bank robber locks in with an over-enthusiastic real estate agent, two bitter Ikea addicts, a pregnant woman, a suicidal multi-millionaire and a rabbit head. Finally, the robber gives up and releases everyone, but when the police storms the apartment it is … empty. In a series of dysfunctional testimonies afterwards, we hear everyone’s version of what actually happened, whereupon a classic puzzle mystery develops around the questions: How did the robber escape? Why are everyone so angry and what is wrong with people these days?

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My thoughts:

“It makes you laugh, cry and love and in the end you sit with the feeling of complete satisfaction.”

The newest book written by Backman is here. With its release in April it is unfortunately not yet translated to English but don’t worry. I believe someone is already working on a translation to be publish. Backman is immensely big in other countries so it would surprise me if not.

The newest book is about a group of people I pretty much hated for like 60% of the book. They are obnoxious and extremely self-centered, angry and just unpleasant. Fortunately Backman is a king when it comes to writing deep characters with layers on layers. He knows how to captivate readers to a degree you feel like you put your own heart on the table and risk losing it. It is an immensely funny book but still has a serious undertone which make you feel all the emotions at the same time. He is good with captivating people and the human nature and it is the true, raw and brutal truth you recognize yourself in. The book offers some curveballs and surprises and if you are a weeper, you will probably cry at the end like I did. In the morning, 30 minutes before I was supposed to be at work. And it was wonderful.

The language is extremely beautiful, almost poetic without being pretentious and I do hope it’s not lost in the translation. It makes you laugh, cry and love and in the end you sit with the feeling of complete satisfaction.

They did a great work with the film adaptation (IMDB) of En man som heter Ove (A man called Ove) and I do hope they choose to do a film from this book to. It will (I just know it) be perfection.

Contemporary · Romance

Rock Chick Reawakening – Kristen Ashley

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30633337| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloane—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his.

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My thoughts: Rock Chick Reawakening is the book that takes place before the start of the Rock Chick series. I have had this one in my kindle over a year now but I needed to wait. I was not yet ready for Daisy and Marcus story. They, especially Daisy, is characters who has a big part in some of the books. Specially in book 7 (if I remember correctly). That’s way I’m glad I waited. I knew a lot of the history but some parts was still hard to read. Rape is a big part of the books story, but Ashley did jump over and did not describe the event in real time, thank you. We deal with the before and after but little details on the rape part. I have huge problems reading about it so I’m glad for that.

I love Daisy and Marcus. I love how different they are from each other and how down to earth Daisy was during Marcus courting. There was hardly no drama or fights. It was joy and satisfaction to read it when you were past the bad parts and now on the good parts. And it was perfect, realistic and such a wonderful story.

And the ending. Wow. Perfect. I cried. Yes I did. This book brought forward some really big tears but I didn’t mind because she deserves it. It was so perfectly written and just, wonderful.

Classic/Historical · War/Military · Young, New adult/College

Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian

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23718102| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: The gruff and surly Mr Thomas Oakley is less than pleased when he is landed with a scrawny little city boy as a guest, but because it is compulsory that each villager takes in an evacuee he reluctantly agrees. It soon becomes obvious to Mister Tom that young Willie Beech is hiding something, and as the pair begin to form an unlikely bond and Willie grows in stature and in confidence he begins to forget the past. But when he has to return to war-torn London to face his mother again he retreats into his shy and awkward ways once more.

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My thoughts: Goodnight Mister Tom is my all-time favorite book from when I was a child. I think I read it for the first time when I was around 10 years old, maybe younger and before my 18th birthday, I must have read it at least three times more. I loved it. But I have never read it on English. My copy of the book probably has been lost throughout the years or is at my mothers. So I though, since I’m going to by a new one, why not on English. And I’m really happy because the way it is originally written, certainly put some life in the story that me as an reader not could get from a translation. And it blew my mind how good it made it.

The book is a really sad story, but still a really happy one to. It takes place in the WW2 and for the most part you get to follow Will. He is an evacuee from London, who goes to live with this old and grumpy man who really do not want a kid in his house, but has to due to regulations. Mr Oakley is not as bad as everyone thinks. He just hit a ruff spot when young and never really got the help he needed to get out of it. He just found a way to survive through the years but never really live. Will and Mr Oakley finds a way to survive with each other and later on it turns to not only surviving but also living. There is a lot of characters in the book and they all have their own traits and personality’s. They are great described and funny to follow.

I don’t know why I loved this book so much as a kid. Maybe because it gave me the knowledge that in a bad situation, there is always hope. And even if they say blood is thicker than water, it has nothing to take too when it comes to friends and people who choose to be your family. Not are family just because you was born in to it. Wonderful, wonderful story!

I love Mr Tom so much and it is the book who really sparked my love for reading I even named my Kindle, Mr Tom, due to what that book has done for me. And this is such a cry story. Just saying. 😉

Do you have one of those story’s from your childhood that somehow changed you?

Contemporary · Humor/Funny · Romance

Grin & beard it – Penny Reid

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23337863.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna.

But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often.

Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart?

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My thoughts: I’m in love. Yes I am. I’m in love with Penny Reid. And even though i’m straight I can totally appreciate beauty. Specially if you have the beautiful gift of writing. Which Reid totally has. And it is so obvious in this book.

I’m that kind of reader who makes faces when I read. I smile, frown, I cry and even look bored if the book is boring. But I do NOT laugh out loud, hardly ever cry so that other notice, gasp or talk to the book and the characters. Do you still follow me here? Okay… but this book started with me laughing out loud. Yes. I was like 4 pages in, it was 06:22 am in the morning and it totally made me laugh and I was hooked there and then. The book is highly funny in this sarcastic, in your face, type of way and I totally love it.

I have read one book by Reid earlier (the first book to this series, this one is the second). And even though I really liked it, I did not LOVE it. Not like I love this one.

The characters is just wonderful and it is nice to really get to know them more. Cletus (who is not the main character in this book) has such a big part and you can’t do anything other than loving him, and looking forward to his own book. Sienna is wonderfully quirky, funny and has like “joke diarrhea” which is funny as hell. Jethro is this dark, brooding type of man who is trying to make amends for his past and make everything right by his family and friends. He is open, funny and lovable if given the chance and him and Sienna really match each other perfectly.

I thought, half way through the book, that some shit would happen and you would get this tense, anguished and mentally exhausted part, but it never came and it was so uplifting that Reid not followed the mainstream way, that seems to be dominating in this types of books. And that just made it all that much better.

Romance

Twisted – Mandi Beck

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34820438| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Three friends walk into a bar . . . One walks out the fake girlfriend of a hot, bearded Scotsman.

Fannin McGuire is up for promotion at Tate and Cane Enterprises, but first she has to make it through her stepsister’s wedding. To Fannin’s ex. Yep. Her ex-fiancé is about to be her new brother-in-law. One big happy family. And lucky her, she also gets to work with him.
While Fannin is putting all of her energy into her career, her ex is putting all of his energy into making her life hell. Just when Fannin is sure she’ll be attending the wedding without a plus one, in walks Jasper James to save the day. He’s the bartender at the Iron Flask, the account she’s trying to land, and everything she didn’t know she needed or wanted. Before Fannin knows what’s happening, Jasper is playing knight in shining armor and she likes it. And him. A lot. With his smooth Scottish accent, ridiculously good looks, and that beard? She doesn’t stand a chance.
Jasper isn’t in the habit of rescuing anyone. But when Fannin is confronted by her ex about her lack of a date for his upcoming nuptials, Jasper can’t help but step in. Her wild hair, violet eyes, and killer legs have him doing a few things he normally wouldn’t. Never mind that he shouldn’t be getting involved with the woman in charge of making the bar a global success.
Their fake relationship becomes more real than either thought it would. Now they’re at the mercy of their feelings when truths are twisted, and the lies don’t taste as smooth as the whisky

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My thoughts: This was so great. I mean, it was funny, sexy as hell and an exciting story. My only complain about it is really that it was way to short. I want more. I wanted the time to really get to know Jasper and Fannin. I wanted the time so that Fannins ex really could get that “up yours” because what a prick. I did not feel satisfied with it all. It just was to short.

But if we not are focusing on that, the book it self was great. Great writing which is easy and flowing. There is humor and the way it is written just makes you smile trough out the book. The author did a great job and if it was at least 100 pages more I would be so happy. The first sex scene was a little to much for me but I just skim read that part.

Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Young, New adult/College

Wonder – R.J Palacio

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11387515| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

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My thoughts: What a heartwarming, sweet little book that I´m so happy I got to read (or actually listening on). The book is funny, sweet and makes you laugh and cry. Little to many cliches and the book is a little to fluffy sometimes but it is still a really great book.

We meet August. A boy born with a heavy facial deformity. He is starting a regular school for the first time and the book is about him, his first year, his friends, his enemy’s, his family and his family’s friends. We get to see and learn about August from all the people around him.

The book takes on the hard topic about being different and struggling in a world there everyone is suppose to be perfect. There is bullying, hard words, the struggle to fit in and the struggle to be a good person. The struggle to be brave and the happiness in being original and just your self.

Me myself got a huge flashback to my early school years trough this book. I was bullied a lot in school and had low self esteem. Hardly any friends. The desire to just fit in was big. The book brought it all out. I was August when growing up. I was his friends and his sister and the feelings I long ago forgotten started poring back. I think that is a huge reason to why I love this book, since I in some ways can relate with August even though I don’t have a disability. I can relate, understand and now as I´m an adult I can see that I have come really far from that small, scared little girl I once was. And it gives me the hope that everything is possible and if we all could look outside off our self, books like this wouldn’t be needed.

I love the book. And yeah i do agree with some of the reviews on goodreads that just being disable in any way do not make you great och deserves a medal. But I think some of them do not think that this is a more of a children book. It is suppose to have a happy ending. It is suppose to take up a hard topic in a way that i child can understand. It is supposed to show that great tings happens to great people and to be kind and open toward others.

In November the movie about August is having its premier. Me of course is gonna see the move and I’m totally gonna remember this one and read this for my future children.

Have you read the book and what did you think about it?