I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, nor would I have been the target audience for it back int he 40's when it came out, but I found this to be exceedingly charming! I can totally picture a young girl reading this in the 40's and being entertained, excited and empowered by the characters and the story. I have no idea how I ended up with this book in my apartment, but I'm glad I found it.
An absolutely hilarious and raunchy romp through the life of fictional tramp, Heidi Abromowitz. I defy anyone to read this and not hear Joan Rivers' voice as you read! Despite the smut and raunch, if you read closely, you will see that this whole book is an illustration of Rivers' whip smart intelligence!
I was privileged enough to read this novella in a serialized form prior to it's publication. Each chapter was emailed to me by the author; one chapter a week. As this was a thriller, the suspense and OMG moments were heightened because I had to wait a week. This seldom practiced form of storytelling telling/publishing should be brought back as far as I'm concerned. The heightened suspense, the having something to look forward too made this reading experience incredibly special!
I bought this for my husband who is a water aerobics instructor, and thought I'd give it a perusal. With easy to follow instructions it lays out some wonderful exercises to do safely and effectively in the water. Could have done with a bit more editing to fix the typos, missing and/or extra words, but still a handy guide for anyone interested in aqua exercising.
This is the first book in the Archer series. I actually read the second book before this one, so I was well aware that Archer survives. Its a sign of brilliant storytelling, that despite, knowing he makes it to the second book, I was on the edge of my seat and worried throughout this book!
I was expecting some gory horror version of a fairy tale, and there was far less of that in this fantastic tale than I was anticipating. Instead, what I got was an absolutely beautifully told story of a boy coming into his own. A redemption story of sorts, wrapped in its own fairy tale using famous fairy tales as it's not so subtle vehicle. Don't let the size of this book intimidate you, you. will fly through it, like a monarch butterfly on the wind.
Oof-at times difficult to read, but that's the point of this brilliant, sensitive and gut wrenching anti-war novel. Blending real people with fictional, Barker evokes World War I starkly and in great detail. The reader finds themselves rooting for all the characters and seeing the war through all of their eyes. Quite a remarkable and effective piece of storytelling!
This was an incredible read. The characters are so unique and perfectly sculpted. Hester, I have to say is such a kick-ass character, she needs her own series. The book doesn't end like one hopes it will, but it somehow works. None of the action goes where you think it will, and that's all that can be said about the plot without giving something vital away. This was so engrossing, and thrilling and sciting to read. I can't rave enough about this book!!!
A very upsetting, yet deeply moving and lovely piece, based on actual poems and writings from the children of Terezin as told by one of the handful of survivors. This one piece packs a powerful punch.
Have to admit, for the first several chapters of this book, I had no idea what was happening, I only knew that I was tickled by what I was reading. It turns out that this is a delightfully quirky mystery, full of humor, heart and squirrels. If you looking for a charming read to kill some time, you can't beat Clementine!
A second reading of this piece still packs a punch. It's still chaotic in the reading , but if you give yourself over to the chaos I found that the characters come more to life and the struggles are heightened. I didn't given myself over the first time I read it, so I'm glad I gave it a second read.
A reread of this riveting play surprised me. I found much more humor in it the second time around. That humor adds more poignancy and pathos to whole piece.
While I really appreciated the research involved and presented and liked some of the characters, this novel felt very messy to me. I couldn't find a focus for it, so my mind wandered while reading..not a good thing to happen. I felt it had too many story lines, and the ending was a bit precious. I think I got the overarching point of the invisibility of women and other marginalized populations throughout history (and the present), but the presentation of it in the book felt meandering, and disjointed.
