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* I received a copy through a First Reads giveaway*
After a mundane and low-paying job as a typist, Vera , a nice Jewish girl from humble beginnings models jewelry on the side to make ends meet. They dress her up in the nicest clothes and most expensive jewelry and have her model in the swankiest hotels. Vera dreams of living the high life and longs for the glitz and glamour of it all. She gets more than she bargains for when she meets and falls in love with two rival Chicago gangsters.
The carefree days of the Jazz Age and sinister Prohibition crime wave come to life in this read. At first Vera seems like a one dimensional character, but when she is forced to do for herself, she becomes a force to be reckoned with. This one is more a 3 star read, but I'll give it a 4 for the realistic depiction of how Chicago used to be in the Roaring Twenties.
Oof. What a powerful read.
When doing the right thing doesn’t seem like an option for most because the powers that be are too evil and mighty and can make one’s existence pure hell, that’s when you discover what you’re truly made of. For “was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was it possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian, and face yourself in the mirror?”
We all need to channel our inner Furlongs. We need more Bill Furlongs in the world. Make this book a mandatory daily reading.
I’m not sure I believe Mr. A. Wolf’s version of events - too many holes in his story. I think we’re gonna need to speak to Grandma Wolf and verify her birth date. Nice illustrations and a fun read for little ones who have a good (and darkish) sense of humor.
Not sure what I was expecting. The beginning started off strong and it seemed like there was a to-be revealed purpose to the siblings going back to the House. Things then take a shift and the story kind of loses a little something, as do the characters. But maybe that’s the point the author is trying to get across. That life has its highs and lows. And to quote Danny, “disappointment comes from expectation.” My takeaway: so long as you have at least one person who truly loves you unconditionally and is always there for you, then you’re always home.
Many years ago I came across the film of the same name, I almost changed the channel, but upon seeing Baby Jane played by Bette Davis, wearing insane makeup and laughing with that throaty smoker’s voice, I dropped the remote and watched the rest of the film. I thought it was the most insane thing I had ever seen, and loved every minute of it. I loved the film even more when I learned through older members of my family that it was rumored that Davis and Crawford couldn’t stand each other.
Mitch Douglas, Farrell’s literary agent, confirms the rumors in this book’s introduction: <i>Henry Farrell and the Story of Baby Jane</i>. Both actresses agreed to take the parts with the intention of mopping the floor with the other. On set, Davis “accidentally” kicks Crawford. Crawford retaliates by adding weights under her clothes, causing Davis’ back to give during a scene in which she has to carry and drag Crawford. Later, the actresses were to star in another film together. By this time, Crawford was married to the president of Pepsi. So what does Bette do? Before Crawford arrives, she gets the crew to replace all the Pepsi machines with Coca-Cola machines. She even takes pictures with some of the crew drinking Coke.
No matter to what extreme their animosity ran for each other, the final film product shows nothing but professionalism on both their parts. Knowing about their personal rivalries and reading the book cover to cover, I can’t imagine who else might play the roles of the Hudson sisters. For those of you who have only seen the film and are curious, the book is pretty much the same as the film, with very minor differences – such as Blanche is blonde and Baby Jane has dark hair. In the book, the neighbor watches the old Blanche Hudson movies with her neighbor, not her daughter.
Long story short: If you love the movie, you’ll love the book!
A beautifully told story of a boy who faces so many challenges at school because of his appearance. He's really a cool kid but people keep him at arms length - that is until someone finally breaks from the pack and shows him some decency. Not all follow suit at once, but it goes to show that sometimes it only takes one small act of kindness to turn things around. Such a simple idea, yet such a complex concept for most.
This is not my genre at all, but I read it upon my friend’s insistence. I’ve made it a habit not to read blurbs on any books recommended to me, so I was not aware of the genre going into it. Sorry to say this just wasn’t my cup of tea. In my opinion, it felt like the writer tried too hard to write beautiful prose so that the reader could feel and imagine everything the protagonist was going through. It was beautiful at first, but a little over the top; how many ways can one describe having mind-blowing sex before the reader stops and thinks to him/herself, “alright, I get the picture.” At least you get a story line and characters that have brains in this one. If you’d like to read a smarter version of Fifty Shades, sans the violence, try this one on for size.
I read this book back in January - what a great way to kick off this year's reads. The storyline of necromancer Cabal trying to get what he wants by duping the devil is genius and hysterical. A bit like The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon, Cabal is a socially inept scientist. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person...just a sort of misunderstood one.
What a bittersweet little story. The sacrifice and power of love and friendship battles despair and hopelessness. I’m amazed at how such a short story with a minimal amount of characters can be so—substantial. A near perfect short story.
I just picked up reading again (after a too long stretch of listening to audiobooks that I’d managed to tune out and had to repeatedly play back. I couldn’t even be bothered to take notes or write reviews like I used to) and I’ve found the two stories I’ve read so far to be so refreshing.
Nothing compares to reading the details for yourself and envisioning how the characters should appear and sound. O. Henry’s vivid depiction of all of the characters and the Greenwich apartment really come to life. I mean, Behrman’s accent. His beard. The ivy. I can see it all so clearly. No more audiobooks for me. Thanks, Elwira for giving me that spark to want to read physical/digital books again!
My takeaway: where there is hope, there is a chance to see things through. Hang on to it. Behrman had enough hope for all. That was his masterpiece.
“No one is born to failure; and no one is poor who has friends.”
I never knew that one of my favorite Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life, was based on this short story. So glad I stumbled across this nugget of info. Although the illustrations are worth a good look, I couldn't help wanting to see Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey.
I received a copy through a First Reads giveaway
I received an autographed copy. The envelope it came in had some crayon scribble in the back - I'm not sure if this was just a recycled envelope, but I like to think that Little Abby autographed it for me as well. Thanks, Abby :-D
I fell in love with the Vavasour couple - they seem to compliment each other very well. Vavasour's account of his and his wife's experiences during their 9 month journey into becoming first-time-parents was absolutely spot on. There were embarrassing moments, tender moments, overwhelming moments of choosing the right person to deliver the baby, what to avoid, frightening stories of women and their birthing experiences, awkward birthing class sessions (my favorite part of the book), etc.
Although this would make a great gift for dads-to-be, you don't have to be one to appreciate it. Moms will benefit from the read as well. With that said, in the effort to inform couples researching the pros and cons of natural child birth vs. epidurals and Pitocin, I offer some info that the author suggests “every husband should know about Pitocin and epidurals. If natural delivery is not progressing as quickly as it should, an epidural can be used to help the mother relax. Pitocin can be used to stop the bleeding after the baby has been delivered and the placenta is passed. Both could be used in a last ditch effort to avoid a C-section after all other options have been exhausted; this was especially logical, considering an epidural would be in place once the decision to do a C-section was made anyway.”
Happy birthing!
It's hard to discuss this book without providing spoilers. All I am going to say about it is that it is an absolute wonderful piece of writing. The characters are so well developed and complex. And the author's great detail to the way the rich and poor lived in Victorian London transports you back in time.
The book grabbed hold of me from the very first page. When life's annoying demands interrupted my reading, it was all I could do to stop thinking about Sue, Maud, and the rest of the wonderful characters and what would happen to them next. A definite page turner. I was so engrossed in this read that it did not even feel like a 500+ page novel. I am definitely going to read more of this author's work.
Two thumbs up for this comedy of errors in which Peter Burns, “a wealthy man of leisure,” upon his fiancé's request, pretends to open up his own school and assumes the position of assistant master at a boarding school in hopes to kidnap Ogden (featured in [b:Picadilly Jim 18077 Picadilly Jim P.G. Wodehouse http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348468133s/18077.jpg 1875735]) and return him back to his mother. Ogden, an obnoxious, crude, self-centered 14 year old, is a hateful creature but his divorced parents both love him; and they both feel they are better able to take care of and protect their son. After a number of American thugs attempt to kidnap the 14 year old for the umpteenth time for ransom, the dad secretly sends The Little Nugget off to boarding school in England. Peter Burns picks the story up from here and narrates what ensues in a style that almost reads as a situation comedy in which Watson ditches Sherlock for his own adventure in crime fighting. The story is chock full of British tongue-in-cheek humor which I adore. A great pick for anyone looking for something to read during a short flight.
An overall enjoyable read. It started off strong but the ending lacked a little something.
Excellent characterization and story line with just the right amount of suspense. How do you keep churning out such stellar work, Mr. King?
I think the author was going for a heart-warming and tear-jerking read, and it had all the potential in the world to be just that, but the characters were too underdeveloped to allow that to happen. The plot too is a bit disjointed in that the author attempts to provide deeper insight into some of the main character's lives, however, she skips back and forth through each of them so quickly, that they all just remain two dimensional.
As with all of the books chosen by members in my book club, I try not to read any of the blurbs or reviews about the book until I've fully read it, so I was really disappointed to go back after reading this book and looking through the book's blurb which is quite misleading and for the most part inaccurate as it relates to the characters' roles within the story. With that said, it wasn't a total disaster, there are some great references to other works of literature which I've duly noted and will go back to at some point and read on my spare time.
I am not big on audio books but, after reading many GR reviews applauding Sedaris's style of narrating his own work, I had to give it a try. Glad I did - it was a real treat!
I wished the Q & A at the conclusion of the reading was longer. I wanted to hear more about Rooster and what he's been up to. I hope Sedaris writes more about this colorful sibling.
Torn between 3.5 and 4 stars. It definitely was a page-turner. And the unreliability of the main character's memory at times really made for that nice twist that kept me wanting to read on and on and on.
This is the second Waters novel I've read, and I don't think I am jumping the gun by adding her to my “favorite authors” list. I am looking forward to reading her other works very much.
When I first flipped through the book it seemed so simple, but there are so many layers to it. The author shares her struggles with the reader openly and honestly. And that's all it is – someone sharing her experience with others without fishing for sympathy or any other kind of attention (like most people seem to do when they share their pain with others). She provides tons of information about the disease without it ever seeming dry or full of boring statistics. The illustrations are great, too. Thanks Goodreads First Reads for sharing this great memoir with me. And a big thank you to Forney for sharing her story – I am sure there are many people out there that need support in discovering that light at the end of the tunnel, and I am sure this book will serve as beacon for many.
This author takes great care in detailing Victorian England's backdrop and the people who lived in it. I had a lot of fun learning some of the slang of that era. Though I did not find the story as gripping as [b:Fingersmith 45162 Fingersmith Sarah Waters http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327879025s/45162.jpg 1014113] or [b:The Little Stranger 6065182 The Little Stranger Sarah Waters http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348922866s/6065182.jpg 5769396], I found it to be just as original. Waters' plots are just something I haven't come across in any other read, and that is truly refreshing. When I want to read something new, fresh, and unique, I know Waters will not let me down.
The Boy in the Suitcase is my first try at a Scandinavian thriller (well The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was my first, but the beginning dragged so that I could never get through it). The Boy in the Suitcase was fast-paced and the author took great care in developing the characters. If you've put The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo aside for the same reason, and are interested in Scandinavian thrillers, this book could be a good start for you. And the price is just right! ($1.99 for Kindle & Nook e-readers).
I had to give this 4 stars because I love stories written in journal format and because the lady who wrote this at the time was very much a forward thinker – Works by such women written during this period are hard to come by. My favorite piece is the backstory that led the author to produce the Yellow Wallpaper. At about 9 pages in length, this public domain offering is definitely worth a read .