ParanormalLvr

A worthwhile addition to canon

Revisado: 06-27-20

Suzanne Collins delivers a worthy prequel to The Hunger Games series, taking is into the formative years of both the Games themselves, and the villainous Coriolanis Snow. This wasn't exactly the story I expected but it turned out to be solid, engrossing, and entertaining. The biggest takeaway for me is that Collins knows her characters, inside and out. This isn't an apologetic tale; not a story to make you think twice about Snow or feel sorry for what he became. It doesn't paint him as any victim of the games, but settles in to show us the roots of his development, and established many personal parallels between his journey and that of Katniss 64 years later.

I will say I miss some of the extravagance and pageantry of the original stories, and the way desperation and destitution are then so sharply contrasted in a high-tech battle arena where tributes must survive alone. Even without the same style of games, though, there was lots to enjoy in seeing how the event looked in the beginning, and how Coriolanis navigated his own bloodthirsty initiation.

I loved the book and I highly recommend. Ms. Collins, how about a Haymitch prequel next? ❤️❤️❤️

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Beautiful romance, beautifully read

Revisado: 06-11-19

Loved this book, from beginning to end. The narrator is superb. Graphic but sweet romance, a tangled and complicated love, and a supernatural subterfuge plot. A fun, sweet adventure romance fans will definitely enjoy.

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DNF -- Too many plot problems

Revisado: 10-11-18

Couldn't get through this one. I really wanted to like it and the audiobook cast is terrific, but the plot is just too, too contrived. Plot points change to conveniently fit a new idea, sometimes within pages of each other. Kit's never heard of the group coming after her, but no, wait, just a few pages later she states she's been aware of them for a while and one they were closing in. So she just hung around waiting for them, I guess. The contrivances and convenient excuses just got to be too, too much, and I quit before any real arc could even get off the ground

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It was okay.

Revisado: 10-09-18

I checked out this book on the recommendation of readers in a Reverse Harem fan group, and to be honest, very little about it lived up to expectations. I was intrigued by the idea of a lady in love with Death. For probably about three quarters of the book, the main character got on my nerves far more than she appealed to me. She's the genre's typical gorgeous girl who doesn't know she's gorgeous and spends far too much time doubting that the many men in love with her could actually be interested. Smart and talented, doesn't believe anyone could be interested in her. Very self-absorbed and insufferably obtuse. Things which should be obvious take forever for her to understand and then she gets taken wildly by surprise and there's a lot of rehashing how much she's surprised. In the last quarter of the book I finally did start to warm to her, though. She does eventually start showing some dynamic and less trope-y character.

The male characters are more likeable, and they carried the book for me. The main male (Death) was a little bland but not unforgivably so. The character of Sam is probably the most interesting and endearing, and his relationship to Death is very compelling.

I feel like a great deal of the narrative was telling instead of showing, which made the story drag quite a bit until again, probably around the last quarter, where it became more engaging. I think my biggest turn-off was the narrator for the audiobook version, whose cadence was extremely repetetive and while it wasn't exactly flat, it was monotonous in a way that it felt like every sentence was inflected exactly like the last, and that kicked me out of the read a lot. From time to time I had to stop listening and go to something else because I was so tired of it.

I probably would have given the book a 2.5, if it weren't for the ending chapters. As I mentioned, around the last quarter of the book it picks up and becomes more unique and interesting, where prior to that it felt too trope-y and formulaic. But the last portions made up for it enough that I might pick up the next volume to see what the characters get up to. Other titles in my TBR pile will probably come first--I'm not dying to read The Demon's Muse Book 2, in other words--but I'll probably pick it up some time in the future and give the series at least one more chance to hook me.

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Not without it's flaws, but ultimately genuine

Revisado: 04-19-18

Readers should remember this book is a memoir which includes anecdotes about James Comey's experiences working with multiple members of several different presidential administrations. The telling of these anecdotes builds an overall picture of mostly consistent and genuine conduct by a man who played an important role in justice and federal enforcement long before his name hit the headlines in conjunction with the 2016 election. Those who think they know James Comey from the events of the last 2 years would do well to read this book and take into consideration the man he was before the Big Story.

Comey's been accused of being a spotlight-seeking gloryhound (mostly by folks who have reason to believe his recountings of events pose problems to their world-view). Reading this book, read in his own voice, I find this assertion a bit extreme. At times I think Comey overplays the "boy scout" image of himself, but these occurrences never came at moments in which he discusses the most vital information. I confess I thought he might present himself with overly-pure, unquestionably patriotic reflection when we got to the real meat of his story, but to my surprise and sincere appreciation, this was not the case. If a few lesser anecdotes feel too golden in their reflection, ah, well. When it comes to the core issues if Truth, Lies, and Leadership, I find his retelling genuine, honest, and reflective. He displays an openness for critics to examine his motives and thought processes, and invites us to consider what we might do, if handed the same volatile and controversial issues.

A worthwhile read. Not an exposé on the Trump administration or the Clinton investigation, though both are discussed. The story here is much bigger, and Comey displays a faithfulness in following the theme of truth, lies, and leadership. These are the paramount issues at heart in this book. He does well in examining them.

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An Important Story for Today's Families

Revisado: 03-20-18

DEFINITELY recommend to any parents of young children, to enjoy as a family and open the door to constructive conversations about love.

There's a lot to be said about this book, as a story and as a statement. But what I think is most important about it is that it IS a story, written for children and parents, to enrich experiences, teach relevant moral lessons for today's culture, and help invite conversation about being different, and how it is okay.

I love that this book is a positive and uplifting means to encourage change and acceptance, in response to the concerns of our current societal climate. Bravo to the team behind this, for finding an incredibly creative and constructive way to fight fear and cultural division.

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Beautiful Insight on a Girl's Growing Up

Revisado: 07-06-17

A story about an artist (or 'painter', as the character prefers), told in the immersive prose Atwood is so very good at. Having been through so many of the things the main character describes in her reflections on growing up, I found Atwood's story poignant and wonderfully relatable. A new favorite, for sure.

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Fairer than expected

Revisado: 05-30-17

As someone who did not support either lead candidate, I picked this title up out of interest in the inner workings of Clinton's campaign but expected some significant bias, as it seems very little political review can be had today without it. I wanted the story, however, not a pitch for or against the candidate. I was very pleased to find the telling was much fairer and more even-handed than expected, and, as stated in the Foreword, the authors managed to both critcally examine the candidate, and humanize her, for readers who might know only the political front. Though I always recommend at least a token skepticism when it comes to any political analysis, I think the authors did a wonderful job of giving me what I was interested in: the inside story, and a deeper look at a candidate with a very complex history.

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An Incredibly Sexy Bedtime Read!

Revisado: 03-16-14

Where does The Big Book of Orgasms rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

When it comes to erotica, this book hits it out of the park. Rose Caraway's voice is perfect for these deliciously sexy tales, and she tells them without a hint of reservation or pretension. Other audiobook readers in erotica can really ruin a sexy scene; this book was refreshing for its natural and very sexy voice work.

What other book might you compare The Big Book of Orgasms to and why?

The Big Book of Orgasms holds up well in my collection of Cleiss Press erotic anthologies and "Best Of" books. It delivers the same high-quality, incredibly sexy, diverse stories, with it's own spin. Perfect for a quick bedtime read.

What does Rose Caraway bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Caraway's voice is wonderful, soft and alluring. She gives a very sexy life to each story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were actually several, which of course was the point. :) My favorite thing about this collection is the variety of stories; several of them spiked my interest in their own way. I particuarly liked "Count Out The Strokes" and "The Gallery Exhibit".

Any additional comments?

One reviewer made a really sexy suggestion of reading these stories to your lover before bed. With the freedom of the audiobook format, I think this suggestions is even better. I like to set my iPod into its dock and let it play for both of us so we can listen together.

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