2.5 no no and again noooo, I did my best to be open minded, empathize with the characters, dealing with tremendous issues like delusions, rape, lies, 2.5 no no and again noooo, I did my best to be open minded, empathize with the characters, dealing with tremendous issues like delusions, rape, lies, but they are acting like idiots, especially the heroine might have taken out of the rest of her brain cells and hanged it to the coat rack before getting involved in this book as a protagonist of this story! Come on girl, wake up, okay if you don’t, I’m going to sleep, zzzzzz Stars…
Yay! I earned my unpopular reviewer position again! Feel free to throw your tomatoes and toilet papering my house (I hope you don’t know where I live) I was guaranteed my place in the minority right now which was not entertaining. I felt weird but this is story of my life. I'm one of those people who didn't like Forest Gump!( What? Everybody liked it! Damn it! I did it again!) Most people loved this book and I did my best but NO IT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME!
CONFESSIONS: I’m holding my phone and still hearing this blaring voice message: The characters I was looking for CANNOT BE REACHED, RESONATED, EMPHATHIZED at this moment.
I know the chapters are short but pacing is problem for me. They bored me, exhausted me. They really tried my patience. But they failed! But I felt like I was stuck at the same place, trapped in a book glued to my hands and I wanted rip it off like a Band Aid.
I want to yell at the characters, “OMG, please can’t you see what’s happening under your nose? Are you blind?”
I thought something might be wrong with me because so many of my friends enjoyed this book. So I poured some wine and stuffed some of favorite snacks to continue to read in a better mood. Nope! Mood didn’t change. I already got two pounds. I felt terrible and left the book to hit the gym!
I never thought I could use this term, because I always pushed myself harder to finish what I’ve started. But this time, I couldn’t keep my promises. And “DNF”@ %50.
I read too many thrillers lately and so I started to expect more compelling and smartly written stories that capture my mind from the first pages. But unfortunately it didn’t happen this time.
So the reviewer dropped the mic and put the book down and left the building to get a better book!...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
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
3.5 rounded up 4 in the name of bellybuttons, sack dresses, obladi oblada life goes bra la la how the life goes on stars!
I’m going back and forth bet3.5 rounded up 4 in the name of bellybuttons, sack dresses, obladi oblada life goes bra la la how the life goes on stars!
I’m going back and forth between 3 and 4 so much time, normally I’m not defined as decisive person but at least 150 pages should be edited, I lose my objectivity when I’m reading a women power story so I turned into a generous grader! That’s my weakness!
This book might be dedicated all the women out there! Wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts,grandmas ! It’s one of the good manifestation for uprising women history!
Lately starting from City Girls, Summer of 69, I’m so blessed to make another beautiful time travel, this time I found myself on 50’s and move back to 2016! This book was angsty by telling us so many emotional traumas from rape, abandonment, betrayal, problems of same sex marriage but mostly it’s about the importance of CHANGE!
Two sister, one is popular, beautiful, the other is tomboy, smart, their differences and their parents’ treatment to them differently caused so many deep emotional barriers between them. But as the years pass, they had so much harsh experiences what made them more mature, tormented and also strong!
I enjoyed sisterhood parts, the history lesson( sometimes it was a little bit excessive as like a full package of information bombardment but it is well crafted story telling)
The book was too long and slow reading, sometimes edgy, angsty, dramatic parts could be a little exaggerated but it was still a great woman fiction and summer reading! I could give three stars to this one but my conscious didn’t let me do it! I have a sister and I felt the same differences as soon as I started this book! My empathizing about characters and soft, capturing parts of the story changed my decision!
This book’s message is embracing the change and learning to accept differences and make peace with your loved ones and your past! I got the message and I’m determined to apply on my own life!...more
Five gazillion misfit, outsider but truly entertaining stars! For so long I didn’t have so much fun when I was reading a page turner, captivating scieFive gazillion misfit, outsider but truly entertaining stars! For so long I didn’t have so much fun when I was reading a page turner, captivating science fiction/ action book with witty, sarcastic characters!
This was like reading a great combination of Guardians of Galaxy, Firefly( without space cowboys and hottie Captain Mal, don’t worry we have Tyler reminds of us new Star Trek’s Chris Pine)and80’s Brat Pack movies!
Let me introduce you the misfit and magnificent seven!
Tyler: Hottie Golden boy, young Chris Pine, but not arrogant and womanizer, he just knows how to use his dimples to attract opposite sex’s attention. Quiet work oriented, disciplined leader with his own principles....more
I don't want to read more plagiarism comments. Every book is unique and I truly loved this book which is one of my favorite reads of 2019! Period.
[imaI don't want to read more plagiarism comments. Every book is unique and I truly loved this book which is one of my favorite reads of 2019! Period.
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I don’t have to give 5 billion stars to this book! I would donate the full galaxy system to the author if I could. (I already made a phone call and talked to a NASA technician about their star auction department, unfortunately he hanged up on my face! Can you believe it? And I told them I was Buzz Aldrin’s wife, those young people are really disrespectful, see I still stay in role!)
This amazing, fantastic, funny, heartwarming, emotional, genuine book gave me HOPE, HAPPINESS, made me SO RELIEVED, CARELESS, LIGHT, OVER THE MOON IN LOVE WITH IT! Those amazing, brave, badass, smart, irresistible, strong women carrying books, riding on horses, communicating, educating, helping people to broaden their horizons, meet new worlds, discover their own capabilities are so far best respectable, honorable, devoted, vivid fictional characters you may love with passion.
This may be the best historical, provocative, powerful, encouraging feminist manifesto help women to discover their own identities even though they were living in small moderate town crowded with chauvinists, uneducated, wild men population. They came together to form a town library and found the first version of Amazon delivery (by the postwomen on horses) to reach more families whose minds are seeking to be educated, improved, entertained so by helping them those women give the families a short break from their daily chores and take a small step to new fictional worlds.
Alice: recently married British woman, neglected from her husband, belittled by his father in law Mr. Van Cleeve (biggest SOB, mash up of Downtown Abbey’s Thomas Barrow, Outlader’s Black Jack Randall and J.R. Ewing of Dallas) and being caged in her home life became volunteer to work for the library. Margery O’hare, independent, tough, strong local woman mentors her by introducing her wild but breathtaking nature of mountains which opens the doors to the new world and gives Alice a mesmerizing kind of freedom.
Izzy, Beth and Sophia joins their team and they find themselves bounded with close friendship, sisterhood they’ve never felt before. Their connection, trust, sharing secrets and open their hearts to each other are most remarkable moments of the book warn your hearts and put a big smile on your faces. Maybe those women’s close and genuine connection against the outer world who want to bend, destroy and separate them are better than the romance part of the books. So many parts make you pissed off, clenching your fists, giving you undeniable urge to spit on Mr. Van Cleeve’s face ( of course after punching him senselessly). The book triggers your inner feminist soul and awakens the secret warrior inside you!
As like Neil Gaiman said: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragon exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten” But at least, the conclusion of those amazing women’s stories are satisfying, relieving and earning too many applauses and happy dance, happy hour celebration with my homemade margaritas! Jojo Moyes is one of the most epic, talented, creative authors on the earth who knows how to touch a human soul, how to relate with human heart and of course how to break it into million pieces.
Do you want to know my real story when I was reading “Me Before You”! I was at my husband’s friends’ house and I got so bored of the conversation. Before I left our home as a preparation I already downloaded epub version of the book on my phone and I started to read it from my phone hid inside my bag throughout our visit, making “hmmm” sounds at the same time as if I was listening best face lifting techniques( oh really!!!). But unfortunately I was reading the last 30 pages of the book. And you know how it ended, right? (Come on! If you haven’t read it at least you may have watched amazing Emilia Clarke’s performance!) And you know what I did! I threw my bag against the wall and I started screaming “Why Willllll whhhyyyyy did you do that!!!!” ( There is no exaggeration! My husband’s friends enjoyed my reaction but their wives still think I need to start popping up Prozac tablets and joining their meditation club, no thanks!)
I was banned to read the sequels of the book. Well, I read them at the night on my restroom breaks secretly and yeah, I couldn’t say they affected me as the first book did. But after a long time, Moyes found her way, release this memorable story and share with us this brave women’s inspirational journey based on real life events.
So dear JOJO MOYES, my all votes for you this year for best historical fiction novel (I’m so ashamed because I wrote the same for The World That We Knew! But my heart is big enough to love more books at the same time. ) Especially the last page of the book gave me a meaningful and long laughter.
I’m finishing my review with Jorge Luis Borges’ meaningful quote: “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library” (I imagine the same, library next to liquor shop selling the best Chardonnays of the world! Cheers!)
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