Power of music could never be defeated, silenced, destroyed even at the apocalyptic world threatened by full of terrorist attacks that prevent people Power of music could never be defeated, silenced, destroyed even at the apocalyptic world threatened by full of terrorist attacks that prevent people gather at the outside to share their joy, spirit, excitement, fun, entertainment, laughs at the open concert arenas.
There are so many amazing quotes emphasizes the importance of music in modern people’s lives as listed below:
“Where words leave off, music begins”
“Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of the spirit and never dies.”
“So where words fail, music speaks…”
It is the universal language of mankind which fills the cup of silence. It is also language of the spirit which opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife…
And let’s get back to our story-line:
Luce is a gifted musician who is determined enough fight against the odds because she doesn’t have any intention to surrender without a fight. Her music can be silenced! People need tunes to express their joy, sadness, depression, loneliness, emotional turmoil and they need band artists’ performances to gather all those emotions and pour down with the lyrics and rhythm to feed their souls and feel alive again!
Terrorist attacks created a brand new, terrifying world full of scared people who locked at their own places, couldn’t be brave enough to take a step to the outer world because of contagious deadly virus’ presence.
NO MUSIC, NO PUBLIC, NO HUMAN CONNECTION. Poor future people turned themselves the reluctant prisoners and worst fact about their lives is even the prisoners can listen music and gather together the prison back yard!!!
So they designed a new cyberspace to prevent the madness of people who were trapped inside their heads. This is HOODSPACE helps you connect with the virtual reality by wearing a hoodie!
So Luce resumes performing at the illegal concerts and her path with Rosemary crosses. Rosemary accepted the job as music talent, obliged to bring the music back to the virtual reality and she needs cooperation of Luce.
No need to tell more, you need to read the rest of the story to learn what happened with those characters and did they win the fight against restrictions of listening to the music freely and having a proper, real human contact.
Plot is intriguing, terrifying (especially for me because music is the second best thing feeding my soul and my body at the same time. Number choice is always Chardonnay but yes maybe I should write some alternative sci-fi, horror about the people who were suffering lack of booze in the future world and becoming insane!) and characters especially badass, gifted, tough, fighter Luce is my favorite.
So luckily this time I didn’t use my hands for my fantasy of struggling or slapping one of those villain characters. I used them to applause the writer’s creative thinking and the virtual music notes she inserted inside my head!
So I really enjoyed this book dystopian, controversial, original, unique work by giving my supportive, entertaining and somewhat chilling FOUR FULL STARS! Let’s finish this with the words of one of my favorite guitarists at the universe:
“Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.” ― Keith Richards
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for sharing this amazing work of talented author Sarah Pinsker in exchange my honest review....more
VIVA ZAPATA! In the love of the queen of the slow-burn romances, you made me fall in love with your book! I cannot help myself to put it down. I finisVIVA ZAPATA! In the love of the queen of the slow-burn romances, you made me fall in love with your book! I cannot help myself to put it down. I finished it but I still hold it in my hands. I’m literally cuddling! My dogs are already jealous of the book getting more attention than them What an amazing writer you are! Arriba! Five blazing, sizzling, shining, firing stars!
First of all I raise my glass to the most amazing supporting character who stole the show : GRANDPA GUS! What a fascinating, sarcastic, sweet and witty, caring, golden-hearted vampire you are. You deserve you to be loved 3thousand and hugged 3millions.
There are some basic facts about Zapata’s books: 1) Age difference between hero and heroine ( Not this time! Actually heroine a little little older than the heroine which is a first) 2) Sporting skills: Characters skate, play soccer, football, they have mostly Olympic athletes. ( This is time Jonah is rugby player, Len is judoka- judo player-) 3) Slow burn romance: Till the end of the book characters don’t make sex. They barely kiss after the second half. (This time there’s a game changer because hero and heroine already have a lovely baby girl.) 4) Badass, smart, straightforward, honest, family-oriented, hard-worker, disciplined heroine. (These definitions fit with Len’s character. She’s an amazing heroine!) 5) Heroine’s suffering from injuries ( Like Sal Casillas from Kulti, Jasmine Santos,” From Lukov with Love”. But this time Len’s Olympic dreams ended because of her injuries.) 6) Amazing, noisy, loveable, crowded family members: This time it’s only limited with Gus and Peter but they’re worth for thousand family members.
I love those elements of her story-telling. I love slowly flaring up chemistry and undeniable attraction. But the lists that I loved most: -Gus’s creative Vampire names collection to call Jonah after them! - Jonah’s efforts to make up the time he lost with his love of his life and his baby. -Jonah’s sexy accent and secret shyness. - Jonah and Len’s undeniable, devoted, sizzling chemistry. - Final speech of Gus: I’m still sobbing. OMG what a powerful, poignant, heart-ripping speech was that. I want to tall Gus my grandpa!!!!
I always mention that “Kulti” is my favorite Zapata book.(I also played soccer and a big fan of soccer, that was one of my reasons, too) But this book is always gonna have a special place in my heart. I think from now on I have two equally favorite books of this gifted writer! I was craving good romance for so long and I didn’t find too many special romance books on 2019. So I’m so thankful that dear Mariana Zapata offered next-“Best Thing” by writing one of the year’s best romance books. She never disappoints me!...more
A BOOK about FAMILY CURSE,WITCHES, BANSHEES, GHOSTS washed with magical realism, mysterious historical journey to the family ancestors’ stories repeatA BOOK about FAMILY CURSE,WITCHES, BANSHEES, GHOSTS washed with magical realism, mysterious historical journey to the family ancestors’ stories repeated itself like living in the same Groundhog Day, taken place IN IRELAND and lots of tasty, juicy apples give you cravings! What am I waiting for? GIVING WITHOUT THINKING MY 5 BILLION STARS!
My vocabulary was limited to express how I loved this book so much because this is more than a mythological, mystical, mysterious, gothic, folkloric adventure. This book is the best feminism manifesto I’ve read so far.
This is not about a specific family curse. It’s about a culture’s shameful beliefs, behaviors, acts against the women who had been punished, expelled, cast out, kicked out, locked out by ILLOGICAL, IGNORANT, RUTHLESS BRAINS for centuries! They’re banned as “BAD APPLES AND LEFT TO BE ROTTEN ON THE GROUND!”
It’s about the beautiful and innocent souls of women who had paid too much by enduring their unhappy, miserable, destroyed lives. It’s about unplanned pregnancies! Only the women paid the price by being kept in shame, endured back-street abortions, sold their children in illegal adoptions. Some of the women’s babies had been taken away from them to be buried in unmarked graves. So this book is about CHANGE THE PATTERN to prevent the history repeat itself over and over again!
It’s about to speak freely! It’s about to express yourself honestly! It’s about not to be afraid of being yourself and not to care what the society norms force you to do! Stop being silent! SPEAK THE TRUTH! SPEAK YOURSELF!
This starts with three sister’s story. Mandy, Rachel, Deena! The day Deena declared she was gay and her father forced her to take her words back, her sister Mandy warned her, she would be in danger of their family curse and she disappears with a letter says she’s going to find her daughter at the end of the world.
Deena starts her journey to find her sister but this journey ends with revealing harsh, dangerous, heart-wrenching secrets of their family. As long as Deena resumed her walk at the end of the world, she got closer to find her real self and honest truth about her own being!
I loved this heart throbbing, thrilling, magical, riveting, fast pacing, poetic, soul searching adventure. This is one of the surprising and amazing books of this year! It’s vulgar, raw, emotional ride! I enjoyed every second of it!...more
Three point five, completely deserved to be rounded up to four because I had great time-travel between 60’s and 80’s and enjoyed well-developed, genuiThree point five, completely deserved to be rounded up to four because I had great time-travel between 60’s and 80’s and enjoyed well-developed, genuine, character-driven story about two women’s friendship throughout the years which warmed my heart stars!
This story centered around two protagonists who are different from each other like night and day, cold and hot, Eve and Daniella. Eve comes from wealthy Southern family, self-confident, passionate, activist, idealist character. When it comes to Daniella, she has a Jewish family consisted of Academicians, more attentive, deliberate, appreciable girl who doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks in her life. Their opposite characters bring out more conflicts which test their friendship but their unconditional remaining bond is never untied by the struggles they’d gotten through.
It is educational read especially about white upper-class Southern culture, a different approach to Vietnam War and extreme left groups’ propaganda strategies, Kennedy’s assassination. It was vivid and fast reading made me wish I had more pages of this book and read more about those characters’ stories and political, religious, racial, societal turmoil of those times.
Especially second half moved so fast that I just looked at the pages and thought somebody stole some parts because it ended sooner than I expected. I was about to write a letter to the writer for kindly requesting additional pages because I loved her characters and I preferred to spend more time with them (I know they’re fictional. I already told my shrink, too who insisted to see me more than 2 times a week. I told him I already spent his fees for my books. Evil laugh again!)
I liked the satisfying ending. This book was a nice and smooth escape for me after reading too many thrillers. It relaxed me and kept my heart warm with the beautiful, profound, poignant friendship story and additional amazing history lesson.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley to give me the opportunity for reading this ARC COPY in exchange my honest review....more
FIVE FULL HOTTEST PIRATE ALERT and BEAUTIFUL, FAIRE-Y TALE-Y, SWEETEST STARS!
After for a long time and worst experiences with my favorite authors, I FIVE FULL HOTTEST PIRATE ALERT and BEAUTIFUL, FAIRE-Y TALE-Y, SWEETEST STARS!
After for a long time and worst experiences with my favorite authors, I was about to lose my hope to find some lovable romance! Then I finally start this book and TATATA I FELL IN LOVE with it! I’m correcting it! IT LITERALLY WOOED ME!
Cute, sweet, swoony, smart and plus it gives you to urge attending a renaissance fair urgently. (I already ordered my Marie Antionette costume for me and Robin Hood costume for my husband dearest who didn’t give a good reaction to my generosity by rejecting wearing tights! Shame!) Elements for falling in love with this book and to be bound for one year and one day:
- WE HAVE LOVELY HEROINE IN THE TOWN: Emily, golden-hearted, sweet, friendly, honest, loyal heroine who had dumped and kicked out their shared apartment by his douchebag ex after five years of her relationship (We have a winner slap/punch what makes me happy so much contest: Prize is 10 slaps and 10 punches against this character’s ugly face and uglier soul who made Emily drop her school to support him finish his own law school! Then he dumped her and said they haven’t been dating! Another self-esteem destroyer scumbag!), she moves to support her sister who suffers from injuries and helps her niece for her faire experiment.
- WE HAVE A LOVELY, ROMANTIC HERO: At first I thought he was know-it-all, boring, strict, pretentious douchebag. But his connection with his dead brother and his mission to tribute to his memory by taking responsibility of all the hard works of faire earned him 3thousand brownie points. Also his secret identity as pirate is better, hotter, heterosexual version of Jack Sparrow!
- SIZZLING CHEMISTRY: They are so hot as a couple. Of course they are also cute especially as their role play parts as Captain Blackthorne and Emma put the fair on fire! So many parts I wonder if it could be more erotic romance because I felt the building tension that any minute they could rip each other’s clothes!
- BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: All statues go to the man who carries kilt sexier than Outlander’s star Sam Heughan, yes I’m talking about MITCH, sarcastic, entertaining, flirty, lovable character. Don’t forget smart, mature, sweet little nice Caitlin and best big and supportive sister April.
- AMAZING FAIRE ATMOSPHERE: At the beginning I thought it could bored me to death to read a book taken place at faire but as soon as I started turning paces, I took my first steps to the renaissance times and I wished to spend more time, there.
- SUMMARY: Likable characters, good plot, fast-paced, moving, romantic, emotional, heart-warming story, wooing gestures, great conclusion! IT WAS GREAT FIX FOR MY ROMANCE CRAVING! I’m happy and smiling. (I know it won’t be long because there are more thriller books on my tbr list but so far this is the best relaxing, entertaining story I’ve read for so long!)
Four I raised my glass to salute this mysterious, WTH happened to Katya, whodunit, somebody take this book out of my hands I need my sleep, great combFour I raised my glass to salute this mysterious, WTH happened to Katya, whodunit, somebody take this book out of my hands I need my sleep, great combination of strong and also batsh*t crazy women characters stars!
Story is told by 3 POVs!
Longtime boyfriend , Tyler, cheater or not we’re not quite sure yet but we have all the rights to get furious about him because he left his wife (big boo from me! I read his justifications at the end but I still have doubts about his motivations. )
The very longtime girlfriend, Lana ( let’s get an applause for her because she’s my favorite on this book!) She was ball of fire, vivid, energetic. She has climbed to Mount Kilimanjaro, focused on many corporate social responsibility causes. Right now her only focus to have a baby so she killed her adventurous soul with her desperation to be a mother! I still empathize her and no matter what I support her decisions because her experiences not only physical also hormonal, emotional! She’s not only quite feminist! She’s also a tough woman who knows what she wants. With her-self -confidant nature I’m so sure she can raise her baby alone.
And Ivy league student, definitely smart, good looking egg-donor who is ( wait for it!!!) batshit crazy ( she’s obsessed, delusional, suffering from guilt feelings about little brother’s dead), here’s Katya! Unpredictable, having dreams about getting rid of the longtime boyfriend ( she pushes the boundaries by blaming him that he is harassing her sexually ( whaaattt?) She is stalker, liar, master of conspiracy theories but still you feel sorry for her. ( She mostly acts like a she-devil but still you can sense her struggling. Because something wrong with her genetic codes)
So Katya is missing! Nobody knows where she’s gone!
Facts: She emptied her accounts. She stopped attending her classes. She had no friends, no close relationship for any loved ones.
BUT… Somebody could hurt her!
Who? Tyler, always the longtime boyfriend, (he was the last one he’s seen her alive)hmmm he has motives! Alpha boyfriend suffering from OCD resembles Tom Cruise ( iiyykkk sorry I didn’t do intentionally), he’s dangerous jealous type! The shrink ( he knows every dirty little secrets of her! Guess what they had sex! She can use it against him!), And her tattooed bartender future husband ( she uses her for the money and their Green card marriage)!
So who did hurt Katya! Oh no, you gotta turn the pages to find out! I did, well did I like the result, hmmm not so bad at least book captured my attention till the end.
Did I recommend it? Oh yes, this is well written, gripping page-turner and better than most of the recently released thriller books !
And of course I’m so happy this book helps to remember my years in NYC, my favorite, one and only Hungarian Pastry Shop close to Columbia University. ( If you stop by there, please make a breakfast, try their fresh baked croissant served with delicious marmalade and butter, cash only! Don’t forget to observe the students who buried their faces to their studies on their Macbooks and professors carrying huge books to show their biceps’ strength)...more
Five in the love of Mayan Gods or in the most charismatic and attractive Hun-kame we trust! What an amazing, vivid, joyful, fast-pacing, perfectly desFive in the love of Mayan Gods or in the most charismatic and attractive Hun-kame we trust! What an amazing, vivid, joyful, fast-pacing, perfectly described, one cup of mythology and two cups of Mexican culture and history, three cups of author’s unbelievably impeccable and detailed imagination mixed into a fantastic journey stars!
I insist to give too many awards to this book, let’s start our award ceremony (Carlos Santana made its opening by singing “Black Magic Woman” which fits perfectly to this book. We don’t have a host, they dropped their gig before the ceremony. Shame on them!)
Best heroine: APPLAUSE FOR CA-SI-O-PEA! She is defiant, straightforward, honest, smart, sarcastic, born and raised fighter kind of badass heroine! From the beginning of the book she steals your heart. You detest the unfairness she had to endure. You want her have a better future, opportunities! You want to encourage her screaming:” Come on girl, you can do whatever you put on your brilliant mind.) Finally she meets with a God and her story suddenly changes.
Best hero-GOD- half God/half human: RAISE YOU HANDS TO CLAP our blazing God Hun-Kame! At first he was pretentious, obnoxious, show-off guy who had no sense of humor but as soon as he started to turn into human and learned how to smile, your heart completely warns and you start to root for him.
BEST CHEMISTRY AND BEST COUPLE: Casiopea and Hun-Kame had hot and cold kind of slow burn romantic relationship but their sizzling, pant dropping kind of chemistry was undeniable. There was a little obstacle. You cannot choose a God as your love interest, right?
BEST DESPICABLE VILLAIN: Martin is the evil cousin I detested too much because of his nasty behavior, treating so unfairly to Casiopea . I loved the parts of the story narrated by him. Reading his side of story will soften your feelings about him but it still doesn’t justify his wrongdoings. You only pity on him a little because he was also a victim but the victimization turned him into a bitter and mean boy.
BEST CLASSIC TERRIFYING VILLIAN: Let’s boo and throw all the tomatoes and eggs to his face. Vucub-Kame is evil brother who is power thirsty, selfish, ruthless, detesting, soulless villain. You ask yourself what kind of God is he? And why the Gods are depicted as the harshest and merciless beings?
BEST SUPPORTING DEVIL WE KNOW: Loray ! Loray! Hurray! Isn’t he reminded of us Tom Ellis’ Lucifer portrait. I was waiting for him to call Casiopea “Detective” in British accent. And don’t forget his raven positioned on his shoulder. This is vivid, remarkable and entertaining character.
BEST STORY-TELLING: I just imagine every place scene by scene like I was watching a movie and seeing different views from the cities. It was like so real, tangible, vivid, colorful.
BEST ending: It was a little heartbreaking but it gives some vibes there might be sequel coming. Please please I want to read more Casiopea. I’m so curious about her future stories.
As a summary: If you want to take a mythological, entertaining, historical trip, get your ticket, sorry your copy of book and join the incredible journey of Casiopea and Hun-Kame! You won’t regret any second of it! Better than lying on the beach.
Loading...
