Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
#hardpass
blurb
BarkingMadRead
post image

ch 45: Daisy and Demi get their own chapter? #iprotest #bringonthebhaer #bidinghistime #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

peanutnine It killed me how they go on and on about how well behaved the children are, after detailing how very spoiled and a menace Demi was as a toddler 😂 4mo
mcctrish @peanutnine Demi is an absolute menace 😆 4mo
See All 7 Comments
mcctrish Daisy is all sweetness pretending to make house and Demi is lording over all of them #boywillbeboys #hardpass 4mo
Bookwormjillk Their baby talk drove me nuts 4mo
TheAromaofBooks I generally enjoy small children in real life, but they never seem to work in books, even coming from one of my favorite authors 😂 This is pretty much my least favorite chapter, partially because it doesn't really add anything to the story. 4mo
julieclair This chapter felt like a “commercial break” from the real story. 😂 4mo
37 likes7 comments
review
GingerAntics
post image
Panpan

PROS
1. She conducted interviews with people who have autism to give a broader perspective. As long as your perspective/exercise is found somewhere in there even partially you‘re good to go.
2. A not too bad discussion on situational mutism.
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics CONS
1. Is upset that Asperger‘s Syndrome has been folded into ASD, because it doesn‘t fit her narrative, even though part of that narrative is acknowledging that people forget Asperger‘s is autism. Sorry not sorry your cutesy name based on eugenics and racism went in the bin.
2. The author is a kook who has since claimed to have cured her “Asperger‘s” (ASD) through diet.
1y
GingerAntics 3. This is an eating disorder nightmare. Especially seeing that ASD women are far more likely to have an eating disorder than the general population, her advice to put young children on highly restrictive diets that science has proven do nothing for ASD, is dangerous at best and deadly at worst. (edited) 1y
GingerAntics Is the answer to ASD really to keep your child away from birthday cake if they like it? Then again, she‘s all about the pseudoscience of sugar is as addictive as crack, so clearly not the best source.
4. Big fan of the power of manifestation, so if reality is your jam, this is not for you. She also believes ASD girls/woman are psychic.
1y
See All 27 Comments
GingerAntics 5. Starts with a long discussion on precocious intelligence often found in girls with autism (her aspergirls) going on for quite some time about their higher reasoning skills and complex ways of thinking, but then concludes her book by saying that ASD girls cannot understand complex reasoning. Um, which is it? Talk about insulting. She destroyed her own thesis in a single sentence. (edited) 1y
GingerAntics 6. If you‘re not into the Christian narrative on people who are different, this is a hard pass. Including gender normative cliches. Pass.
7. Assumes all ASD girls/women have the same learning styles.
8. If you or someone you love has just been diagnosed with ASD, do NOT start here. In fact, never ever go here. There are much better options.
1y
GingerAntics 9. What are her credentials. She talks about having gone to college, but what did she study? Did she study psychology? Neurology? Art history? Manifestation, the universe, and you? Nothing? No one knows and she‘s not saying (which is telling enough). 1y
marleed Hard pass! 1y
GingerAntics @marleed good choice! 1y
marleed @GingerAntics Thanks for saving my blood from boiling! 1y
GingerAntics @marleed you are more than welcome! My blood was boiling enough for the both of us! 1y
Texreader Yikes!!! I‘m impressed you powered through it but I think you‘ve done a public service especially if you post this review everywhere you can. 1y
julesG Thanks! Will definitely steer clear. 1y
ravenlee Um, if females with ASD are psychic and so amazing, in her mind, why would she want to “cure” it? 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader lol I will admit to skimming the final few chapters. I posted it on Apple Books and here, but I honestly feel like I need to post it other places, too. 1y
GingerAntics @ravenlee EXACTLY?! This from the same mind that admits ASD is neurological, not psychological, but then turns around and says it‘s caused by leaky gut. 🙄 When are people going to figure out that if your digestive tract is leaking into the rest of your body, that‘s an emergent situation, not a “take probiotics and avoid gluten” situation? 1y
GingerAntics @julesG good idea! 1y
ravenlee 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1y
Texreader @ravenlee 👍🏻😁 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader I just added my review to Amazon, but considering their algorithm, I‘m not sure what good it will do. 1y
Texreader @GingerAntics I read Amazon reviews so yours may save someone 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader I do, too, but that one has SO many 5 star reviews it‘s terrifying. 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader well, Amazon is censoring my review, claiming it has at least one of the following: “Profanity
Harassment
Hate speech
Sexual content
Illegal activity
Private information” 🙄
1y
Texreader @GingerAntics OMG!! What‘s the use of reviews!! I got flagged once. Not sure why but I think the author probably flagged it because it was so negative. 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader yup! I wonder if authors are basically rigging their amazon reviews. 1y
Texreader @GingerAntics Yea I think that‘s possible. I think it‘s so easy to “flag” a review and you know Amazon doesn‘t have enough people to see if the flag is legit. I tried responding to it and it was a black hole. 1y
GingerAntics @Texreader why does this not surprise me about amazon? 1y
15 likes27 comments
blurb
BarkingMadRead
post image
Bookwormjillk If he wanted someone he could train he should have gotten a pet dog. 2y
See All 14 Comments
TheAromaofBooks @Bookwormjillk - While I agree, in fairness Dorothea went on and on and on about how what she wanted from marriage was to learn from/help someone “wiser“ than her. I think she's starting to realize that that isn't a great balance for a marital relationship... although sadly I don't think she's realized that Casaubon isn't really that wise 🙄 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheAromaofBooks very good point! 2y
quirkyreader I always thought that Casaubon wanted something “wild” that he could tame in his own “image” of womanhood. 2y
BarkingMadRead @quirkyreader I get the feeling he wasn‘t expecting any push back! 2y
Bklover @quirkyreader Yes! Oh, and young. She must be young. They‘re easier to train. 🙄 2y
Bklover Oh, and didn‘t he want a child? He says he wanted to leave a “copy of himself”. 2y
peanutnine @Bklover that phrase gave me icky chills 2y
Bklover @peanutnine Yes, me too, and for several reasons!!! 2y
CoffeeNBooks @TheAromaofBooks It made me very angry that Casaubon just wanted to replace his secretary with Dorothea, but you make a good point- perhaps Dorothea gave him the wrong impression of what she wanted. 2y
43 likes14 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
The Passenger | Cormac McCarthy
post image
Mehso-so

This is a deeply weird book. The main storyline is riveting in places, but will then spin off somewhere else and never quite pick up the thread again. Some of the side characters are just awesome, but you kinda wonder what they‘re doing there at all. By the end, it was a serious slog and I just wanted it to be over. #toblonglist #whatweretheythinking

RebelReader He‘s not my favorite author anyway so I‘m not surprised by your review. 😜 2y
Suet624 Yeah, I was probably going to pass on this one and now you‘ve justified my instinct. 2y
MicheleinPhilly Yeah, I think I‘m skipping this one and its companion. 2y
See All 13 Comments
Cinfhen Same!! #HardPass 2y
sarahbarnes 😂 Love this review. I will now feel okay about skipping this one. 2y
squirrelbrain Me too @Suet624 @MicheleinPhilly @Cinfhen - I‘d already decided to skip these two. Thanks for taking one for the team though Holly! 🤣 2y
Ruthiella I don‘t think this will make the shortlist - at the most maybe a play-in round. I‘ve never read any McCarthy before and this doesn‘t seem like a good place to start! 2y
Megabooks The more reviews I see the happier I am that I bailed! 2y
Librariana Will you be reading all the titles on the ToB longlist? Knowing what an excellent reader you are, I imagine you might have already read a good number of them ☺️ 2y
Hooked_on_books @Librariana I think I‘ve read 23 of the 68. I‘ll probably read a fair number of them, but there are a few I definitely won‘t read because of disliking those authors in the past (Moshfegh and Bulawayo) and I don‘t care to read the long, rambling Irving book. But often there are major gems on their list that I haven‘t heard of before and I love that! 2y
BkClubCare Oh. Julia Whelan is narrator? 2y
Hooked_on_books @BkClubCare She‘s one of them. She has the smaller part. The audiobook is done well. 2y
BkClubCare I thought it would be a few weeks before the Libby hold would arrive but I was notified “ready to borrow“ yesterday 🙄 so I will suck it up and ebook it now, I guess. 2y
59 likes13 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Last Chairlift | John Irving
post image
Panpan

I very rarely pan a book and it makes me sad to do so with this one. It may have been a so-so had it only been half of its 900pages. Honestly, I don‘t do myself any favours by struggling to bail. I think I (quite) enjoyed from about page 200 to 500 and by then I was too far in to give up.

I was going to say it contains the usual sexual and scatological humour, but I think a lot of what was missing in this book was the humour ⬇️

squirrelbrain …and yes there was a lot of sex but it was oddly skirted around and puritanical which just didn‘t work; another failed attempt at humour perhaps? There was also a lot of repetition and, as many reviews have said, the book needed a lot of editing. Oh, and the MC‘s first sexual experience was his Mum kissing him with tongues 😱 so that really set the tone for the book. 2y
Cinfhen Ugh!!! Awkward sex scenes in literature are so cringy!!!!! And 900 pages is wayyyyyy too long. #HardPass 2y
batsy "that really set the tone for the book"... oh dear ?? 2y
See All 12 Comments
TrishB I think I may avoid, seen a lot of really bad reviews and if anything you are very positive Helen! 2y
Oryx Hmmm. I'll probably give it a miss. Thanks for reading it, so we don't have to😁 2y
MicheleinPhilly Ugh! He used to be such a favorite of mine but his last few books have been real stinkers. I was so hoping this was a return to form. 😕 2y
squirrelbrain You‘re welcome! @Oryx 2y
squirrelbrain Definitely not a return to form! @MicheleinPhilly 2y
squirrelbrain Yes, I‘d definitely avoid @TrishB 2y
marleed Oh I was wondering if I should add this too my huge pile of chunkster TBRs. You‘ve helped me decide that pile is tall enough already, thank you very much! 2y
Megabooks Major cringe, but I admire you for sticking with it (my crazy friend 😉😅)!! I will definitely be skipping!! 2y
Caroline2 It is hard to bail but at the end of each year I look back at books I‘ve read and books I‘ve struggled with. It‘s such a waste of time to read books that feel like a chore!! 😆 2y
72 likes12 comments
review
Megabooks
post image
Mehso-so

Shopping the audible sale reminded me of this. My library had it, which was good because I didn‘t enjoy it that much. I‘m surprised it was longlisted for the Booker. 🤨 Macleod Andrews is a favorite narrator, but even he couldn‘t make me love this novella about an awkward, fussy introvert.

Micah is the Tech Hermit repairman and lives a fastidious life that barely leaves room for his girlfriend. When an ex‘s son shows up, he reevaluates his life.

ChaoticMissAdventures My record shows I read this. I remember nothing about it. 2y
sherrisilvera That's disappointing. I usually like this author. 2y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘m just not a huge Anne Tyler fan. I liked this one more than her latest, but not by much. 2y
Cinfhen Ha!! Audible sale reminded me this was in my wish list…but after your review and my past experience with other AT novels it‘s a #HardPass & my library has it too!!! What did you buy???? I‘m still deciding between several titles that I can‘t find available from my other services/ library. 2y
81 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Megabooks
Wahala: A Novel | Nikki May
post image
Panpan

This book is pretty problematic. No only the fat shaming I shared before but also the flimsy plot. It is about a woman who comes between a group of three friends and their partners. Normally, I don‘t care whether characters are likable, but the interloper has no inner life that made her evilness interesting. In the end, her motives were ridiculous and juvenile.

However, Ronke (the “fat” friend) is a gem! Otherwise 👎🏻

Well-ReadNeck I agree 100%!! 3y
Megabooks @Well-ReadNeck 👍🏻👍🏻 if not for all these challenge prompts, I probably would‘ve bailed. 3y
See All 26 Comments
TheNeverendingTBR Love the cover though! 😍 3y
KarenUK Thanks for the warning. Fat shaming infuriates me. 3y
Megabooks @TheNeverendingTBR the cover is gorgeous! Best thing about the book… 3y
Megabooks @KarenUK yeah, it was so pervasive, I nearly quit! Every effing chapter. 3y
BarbaraBB Okay that settles it. A no go for me. 3y
Cinfhen Fabulous review, stunning cover but #HardPass 😁 3y
KarenUK Yes I almost bought it on the cover alone! @Cinfhen @barbarabb Looks like you took one for the #pop22 team Meg! 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen @KarenUK yes, I let the cover and a fun blurb fool me. 😒 Glad I could help your decisions! 3y
TrishB Won‘t be bothering. 3y
Megabooks @TrishB 👍🏻👍🏻 3y
merelybookish Once you become aware of fatphobia & shaming it is really hard not to see! Or resent! 3y
Megabooks @merelybookish yes! And as a fat person myself, it especially bothers me. (I‘m one of those people who has reclaimed the pejorative and just uses it as a descriptor.) 👍🏻 3y
squirrelbrain Sounds awful…I shan‘t bother! 3y
Librarybelle The cover is gorgeous! It‘s a shame the book doesn‘t live up to the cover 3y
Megabooks @squirrelbrain 👍🏻👍🏻 3y
Megabooks @Librarybelle so true…☹️ 3y
janeycanuck Oh, I quite enjoyed this but I have a blind spot on body and fat shaming. I‘ll have to be more considerate of that going forward. Thank you! 3y
Megabooks @janeycanuck sometimes I don‘t notice it if it‘s just a time or two, but this was flagrant imo. I think I have as much fat phobia as any woman in her 40s, but I‘m trying to be more aware of my own internalized feelings, and I think that has made me more aware seeing it, whether in media or personal relationships. 3y
Megabooks This is my #bookspin as well! I‘ll put it on the form @TheAromaofBooks 3y
janeycanuck @Megabooks It‘s definitely something I need to be pay more attention to. Your reviews are always so good at pointing things like this out, I‘m learning and understanding more from them 😊 3y
Megabooks @janeycanuck wow! Thank you 💜 that‘s high praise! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Oh no, such a shame that the quality of the story didn't live up to its beautiful cover! 3y
99 likes26 comments
review
britt_brooke
post image
Panpan

⭐️ Even the amazing Bahni Turpin couldn‘t save this one. Nothing felt believable. To elicit fear, there needs to be *some* plausibility. It was very surface-level; just gory, not scary nor suspenseful. I didn‘t care about the teenaged victims or the killer‘s (weak) motive. Maybe it‘s better on screen, but someone will have to let me know because I‘m not giving it two more hours of my life.

LibrarianRyan Dont give it the two hours. I didn't care for the book either, I read it when it first came out, but thought maybe Netflix would make it better. Nope. 3y
MrT I agree with the above. I didn't even finish the book and the film was standard unimaginative slasher movie nonsense. 3y
vivastory Message me on GR & tell me what you really thought 😂
Seriously though, I thought the beginning had some creepy moments but it's been largely forgettable & the trailer for the movie doesn't look like anything too special
3y
See All 7 Comments
britt_brooke @LibrarianRyan @MrT Thank you for the validation! 😅 3y
britt_brooke @vivastory 😂 I‘m so mean. I totally hate-read it until the end, so I could write a scathing review. Funny thing is I loved her Anna and the French kiss books. I guess I‘m a sucker for YA romance, but not thoughtless slashers. 😅 I mean, why would the killer fuck with his friend‘s brain. Just gore for gore‘s sake. Made no sense. So dumb!! 3y
Cinfhen Hahaha 🤣 #HardPass And I totally looked under the spoiler tag 😉 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen 😂😂 I can‘t stop thinking about how bad it was. 3y
77 likes7 comments
blurb
DGRachel
post image

I was waiting to see if I would finish anything today before posting but it‘s now a quarter after four and I haven‘t read a single page. I‘m guessing I‘m not going to finish anything else. Still I had a really good week. I finished four books, bailed on one, and have three in progress. The audiobook of Dracul is dragging, but The Invited has sucked me in. 🖤 #bookreport

DGRachel @Cinfhen I loved the concept and the core story, but there was too much graphic violence against dogs. I suffered through the first round, thinking it had to be over soon, but it kept going. I fast forwarded the audiobook during the scenes near the end. 3y
Cinfhen #HardPass!! Thanks for sharing 3y
62 likes3 comments
review
Megabooks
post image
Panpan

Do you remember inflating the word count in your high school essays by the saying the same thing twice but phrasing it differently? Imagine a whole book of that. She would say the same thing twice yet in different ways. 😏

While taken as a whole arc the story of Vitale‘s addiction and sobriety is interesting, the actual writing is atrocious! I can‘t recommend this #AudiblePlus title. 👎🏻

llcoolnate hahah I got the joke 👌🏻👌🏻😝 3y
Megabooks @llcoolnate 😂😂👍🏻 3y
Cinfhen #PetPeeve #HardPass Thanks for the honest review!!! 3y
See All 12 Comments
Megabooks @Cinfhen good idea! 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I think Molly has a UTI. ☹️ the soonest I could get her in with my vet is tomorrow. She definitely doesn‘t feel good. 💜 I feel so bad for her. 3y
Cinfhen How‘s Molly????? Poor pup 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen she did have a uti at the vet today. ☹️☹️ she got an antibiotic injection, and she seems to be feeling better. (There‘s an antibiotic injection for skin infections and uti‘s in dogs that last 2 weeks and is soooo much better than doing pills!!) I ordered a bunch of stuff for her from chewy. New treats, 3 different toys, 2 kinds of bone…no, she‘s not spoiled!! 😂😂 3y
Cinfhen Hahaha 🤣 I‘m now familiar with Chewy!!! I keep asking Niki to tell me which is Herzy‘s favorite bone treat - apparently it‘s only available on Chewy. I wanted to send one to Molly after her surgery 🐾🐶♥️ I‘m so glad to hear there is a quick shot antibiotic for her!! Glad she‘s on the mend ❤️‍🩹 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen awwww!! Thank you for thinking of us! Chewy is fantastic because you get the convenience of online without the worry of counterfeit like on Amazon. A friend got counterfeit food on Amazon and I got counterfeit toys. Ridiculous!! So glad chewy is there. 3y
Cinfhen I didn‘t know that was a “thing” on Amazon 😣I HATE dishonest people!!! Im going to ask Niki about that bone, again. It‘s like a brain toy/ bone treat 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen that sounds really cool!! She likes bones and loves food. 😁😁 Molly had mostly hand me down toys, so I think she‘ll appreciate her own. And yes, counterfeiting sucks!!! The only other new toy besides Hairy is a counterfeit crocodile that I had to resew myself after she destroyed it in 10 minutes!! It was supposed to be the same brand/type as Hairy, and it wasn‘t even close. Fortunately I know a really secure stitch. Thanks vet school! 3y
Cinfhen 🙌🏻 - Herzy can chew through a toy in seconds too!!! Unfortunately for Niki & Adam it ends up in the garbage 🗑 😜 3y
91 likes12 comments