![]() After a mysterious event in her childhood that left half her face badly scarred, she was raised in foster care, spent her college years in an abusive relationship, and is now, as the title states, perfectly fine. Riding the train, she comments on the automated announcements: “I wondered at whom these pearls of wisdom were aimed some passing extraterrestrial, perhaps, or a yak herder from Ulan Bator who had trekked across the steppes, sailed the North Sea, and found himself on the Glasgow-Edinburgh service with literally no prior experience of mechanized transport to call upon.” Eleanor herself might as well be from Ulan Bator-she’s never had a manicure or a haircut, worn high heels, had anyone visit her apartment, or even had a friend. ![]() Eleanor Oliphant has something to say about everything. Enlivening this spare existence is a constant inner monologue that is cranky, hilarious, deadpan, and irresistible. During the week, she toils in an office-don’t inquire further in almost eight years no one has-and from Friday to Monday she makes the time go by with pizza and booze. A very funny novel about the survivor of a childhood trauma.Īt 29, Eleanor Oliphant has built an utterly solitary life that almost works. ![]()
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![]() ![]() As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. ![]() Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.īut the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. ![]() When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. Book: “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Kluneīook Description: A magical island. ![]() ![]() I had to take a couple of days to think over this review because I struggled to comprehend just how much the author fit into 208 pages. ![]() Time is running out for the small, scarred thief. She needs to find the Blade, and soon, or she’ll be joining her colleague in a cold grave instead of avenging his death. Trouble is, Amra hasn’t got the least clue where the Blade might be. A nightmare assortment of enemies, including an immortal assassin and a mad sorcerer, believe Amra is in possession of The Blade That Whispers Hate-the legendary, powerful artifact her friend was murdered for-and they’ll do anything to take it from her. Revenge, however, might be hard to come by. But when a fellow rogue and good friend is butchered on the street in a deal gone wrong, she turns her back on burglary and goes after something more precious than treasure: Revenge. Thieves don’t last long in Lucernis otherwise. ![]() ![]() Amra Thetys lives by two simple rules-take care of business, and never let it get personal. ![]() ![]() ![]() We want your new favorites! Please post your book recommendations and your requests for books to read in the comments, all genres welcome. It’s that time again! The old book recommendation thread is too long and cumbersome, so Mod R made a new one. With that in mind, let’s get to the reason for this post. The more important thing is what we do going forward. Our society is very different from the way it was 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. The great thing about human beings is that we learn and adapt with the circumstances. The book you have read as a child might be very different now. Ebooks make editing even a published book a snap. If I let them read something like that, it came with a caveat of “see how you are being manipulated.”īooks are no longer static things. My children don’t need to be exposed to USSR-spawned propaganda, not matter what feelings I have attached to it. So of course, when I had my own children, I wanted them to read the same books.Įxcept that I realized as an adult that some of those books I used to love have problems. Some of those books left a huge impression on me. My regular library haul, which I carried over two tramway stops to my home in a canvas bag, usually required me to stop a few times and rest, because dragging 8 hardbacks over long distances was a bit much for a 9 year old. Like most prolific readers, I started reading in childhood. ![]() ![]() Elise mainly serves as a catalyst for Anne Marie's journey, but there is plenty of focus on Lillian and Barbie, who find purpose in unexpected and difficult relationships. ![]() Anne Marie, meanwhile, must deal with the reappearance of her adult stepdaughter, Melissa, who always held her in disdain. With Elise's prodding, Anne Marie decides to fulfill one of her wishes-do good for someone else-and becomes a “lunch buddy” to an at-risk third grader. Together, the four make life-fulfillment wish lists. Elise Beaumont entered widowhood after cancer claimed her husband. Lillie Higgins lost her husband in the same plane crash that claimed the husband of their daughter, Barbie Foster. ![]() Separated from her husband after he refused to have a baby with her, Anne Marie felt certain they would reconcile-until he suddenly died. (and others) for a hopeful tale of four widows who meet at 38-year-old Anne Marie Roche's bookstore. ![]() Macomber returns to Seattle's fictional Blossom Street of A Good Yarn ![]() ![]() ![]() Racism, misogyny, financial and domestic abuse, and cultural diversity are all examined through fourteen-year-old Wen’s unique eyes. But the complexity and depth of issues this story grapples with are astounding. On the surface Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim seems like a simple domestic story set in Australia from the point of view of a Chinese/Australian girl. But when tragedy strikes Henry’s family, Wen will need to find the strength to help them both. He convinces Wen to sit for an exam at a selective high school so they might both change their stars. Her friend at school Henry Xiao also faces similar circumstances, but he has a plan. ![]() Wen sees her Mum as dutiful, hard-working and resourceful, but ultimately helpless, and Wen dreads a similar life. ![]() Her father is bitter about working long hours at a restaurant even though he has a medical degree and takes his frustrations and fears out on his wife and daughter. The only child of Chinese immigrants and a girl, her world feels extremely small. That my life won’t even start, and that I’ll be stuck like this forever.įourteen-year-old Wen Zhou feels trapped. What I feel most days is that nothing is ever going to change. ![]() ![]() A fine read, not a waste of my time, but not something I want to recommend or anti-recommend to anyone, either. It literally stirred zero strong feelings in me, to the point where I wasn’t even going to bother reviewing it. In exchange for having her tuition paid, Sam must write monthly letters to her unknown benefactor (“Mr. ![]() Sam is offered a scholarship of sorts of a prestigious journalist school in Chicago. Knightley, Samantha (of course known as Sam… is there any Samantha who goes by Samantha?) has grown up in various foster care homes, and spent the last several years of her legal childhood living in a sort of group home run presumably by Catholics, since the fellow in charge is Father John, called Grace House. Someone told me that this was a remake of the 1912 delight Daddy Long-Legs, so I thought I would give it a whirl. So I actually really enjoy books that are letters when they are done well. The Aroma of Books //Rants//Raves//Reviews// ![]() Harry is a student at Conor’s school who taunts and physically assaults Conor on a daily basis. Conor dislikes how she doesn't behave like most grandmothers, as she doesn't cook, dyes her hair, and is bossy toward Conor. ![]() She briefly moves in to Conor's mother's house when the cancer treatments leave Conor's mother weak, and Conor later moves in with her. Conor’s grandmotherĬonor's grandmother is a real estate agent in her sixties. Prone to anger and isolation, Conor learns with the monster's help to accept the unfair reality of his mother's impending death. He is also the victim of bullying at school. At thirteen, Conor is haunted by a dream in which his terminally ill mother's hands slip from his grasp. ![]() Conor is the novel's protagonist and point-of-view character. ![]() ![]() Swenson is found and arrested for starting the fire-and possibly killing Mr. Her researches reveal that the diary belongs to Joe Swenson-Mrs. ![]() Nancy sees a man run from the scene and then finds a diary that he apparently dropped. Rumors are that he has defrauded several people of their rights to patents. Felix Raybolt (known as "Foxy Felix") and none of the neighbors appear to be too upset that the man's house has burned down. As Nancy is driving back to River Heights, they witness a house go up suddenly in flames and they rush to the scene to give what aid they can. Swenson and her daughter Honey seem to be in dire straits and the three young women take it upon themselves to see that the Swensons are able to enjoy themselves at the fair. Nancy, Bess, and George are on their way home from a carnival where they befriended a little girl and her mother. The Clue in the Diary (1932) by Carolyn Keene (original text) August Vintage Mystery Extravaganza Reviews. ![]() ![]() To help us add as much value as possible to our Discord server, we will be sunsetting the Lost Ark/New World forums. With the launch of our official Lost Ark/New World Discord along with the features, functionality, and accessibility for players we have made the decision to embrace Discord as our primary engagement platform for Lost Ark moving forward. Amazon left a closing m essage on the forums of both games which were identical with just the names swapped over. ![]() ![]() Discord for Lost Ark and New WorldĪmazon has decided that their forum pages for New World and Lost Ark just aren’t good enough and instead believes Discord to be the superior alternative and has decided to close the forums for both games. Amazon has decided to close their forums for both its Lost Ark and New World MMOs in favour of using Discord servers instead. ![]() |