 Great English humor.
Blurb: “Sisters Edna and Edith inherit the first house on Curmudgeon Avenue from their parents Mr and Mrs Payne who were killed in a freak accident involving an elephant. The two sisters could not be more different if they tried, and now they have to live together in the house they grew up in several decades ago, bringing the baggage of the past with them for our enjoyment. It seems that Edith cannot stop bumping into exes of her older sister, Edna. First there is Maurice - you won't believe what happened with him. Then, whilst Edith is heartbroken and vulnerable, she meets the notable Harold - another ex of Edna's who she really does not want to see. With Edith's son Ricky Ricketts and his on/off girlfriend Wantha (yes that really is her name) trying to protect the sisters it is only a matter of time before Curmudgeon Avenue is filled with laughter. But then things change when yet another ex of Edna's returns, Madame Genevieve Dubois (although things are not as they might seem with this French woman).” From the beginning, I liked the fact that the story was told by a house. How cool is that? The whole book made me smile and even laugh. I love English humor. None of the characters was meant to be really likable and that was what the story needed. Edith and Edna, the sisters that are constantly in argue. One strong and self-confident, the other bit silly and submissive are the heart of the whole story. Harold, well, a guy that no one would like but still matched perfectly in his role. Lots of things are happening in and because of the story-telling house. If you want a fun and unique read just go for it. You won't regret it! My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website
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 For the wine lovers.
Blurb: “Biodynamic. Naked. Organic. Laura McLove goes back to school. Spiritual school. She lures Leon - a hot, young, French natural wine expert - with the law of attraction and together they go on the road - Leon in pursuit of wine, Laura in pursuit of him. A "Natural Wine" noir, for lovers of the movie 'Sideways', and writers Bukowski And Fante.” In this book, we are witnessing to an important period in Laura’s life. Searching for a meaning, a spiritual awakening type, and probably a man that will stay, Laura, a 46 year red-haired good looking woman, left London after the death of her mother and moved to the countryside to study agriculture. She didn’t necessarily want to be a farmer but she saw this as an escape from London’s life. She thought and felt that she could be a writer but somehow the time was never right. There she met Leo, a French good looking guy, 17 years younger. The odds of him being interested in her seemed small. But apparently, with the help of the law of attraction, she got the chance to spend a night with him before the school ended. A few days later he invited her to join him on his trip to North America. He wanted to be a bio-dynamic wine producer on his parent’s farm so he was planning to visit vineyards worldwide in order for him to be prepared for his big dream. No, unfortunately, this is not a romance novel, but it does have a happy ending for Laura, despite her suffering a lot on this trip, that could have turned differently. At first, Leo seemed to have lots of positive characteristics, but he turned out completely different. Still, this journey was something that Laura needed. On top of that, she was finally going to write her book, something that she was trying to for a longer time now. With an interesting writing style, with humor and sarcasm at times, full of info for the wine lovers, this book made me enjoy not only MC's thoughts but also the description of all the places mentioned in the book. Type of reader: Fans of bibliographical kind of stories, though this is a work of fiction, with a lot of insight into bio-dynamic wine producing and info about many places in Europe and North America. I found this being an intriguing story, definitely, a must read. Quotes from this book: “The days continued. The sun shone, the rain fell, the water feature trickled its soothing sound in the background, Lilly went out to wander and Lilly came back again. I went to classes. I tried to write, I thought about Leo, I took long walks. I wrote out my gratitude journal. I didn’t go out of my way to try to find him because The Universe would drop him in my lap again, I felt sure.” “I don’t think he was by nature unpleasant. He was popular at college, others would call him ‘such a nice person.’ He had become hard with me. I was dealing with a hard wall, a person who was giving nothing. No kindness. Not normal. I wondered at my ability to attract such an experience. These were my thoughts as I tucked into basmati rice à la Leo. And still I stayed.” “The Universe wasn’t out there, responding to requests. It was in me. It was me. I was in it. A part of my consciousness and the energy that creates worlds was entangled in a quantum mystery. If I had a thought or a wish, it was happening in that quantum field too. If I fully believed in it, what I wanted might come quicker.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  This book was written and published in the Romanian language so, for the time being, my review is for Romanian speaking readers only. Here you can read the review for the first book in the series.
Și totuși, ce ai de făcut pe o insulă pustie? Blurb: „Voiam să mă iubească! Voiam să însemn pentru ea mai mult decât un puști oarecare pe care-l tolera în casa ei. Așa mă considera la început: un puști aiurit, obsedat de sex. Poate că și eram. Istoria penibilă dintre mine și sora ei nu reușise câtuși de puțin să amuțească în mine foamea de trup de femeie care mă mistuia. Eram tânăr, la naiba! Foamea era tot acolo. Iar ea era tot acolo, la îndemână. În primele luni, după ce mă mutasem la ea, îmi potoleam foamea în fiecare noapte, iar foamea reapărea din nou, în noaptea următoare. Oricare altă femeie m-ar fi considerat nebun, dar ea mă accepta așa cum eram.” Citind primul volum am știut deja la ce mă pot aștepta. Nu am fost dezamăgită din nici un punct de vedere. Sarcasmul și umorul negru sunt în continuare prezente, dar din păcate și limbajul vulgar. Sunt conștientă însă că fără acest mod colorat de a relata povestea, autorului i-ar fi fost poate ceva mai greu să ne amuze și să ne enerveze așa de rău. În acest volum avem posibilitatea de a afla evenimente noi din viața lui Tiberiu pe o perioadă de cinci-șase ani. Povestea nu se termină aici. Tiberiu și Eva tot pe insulă sunt. Iar noi, cititorii, putem afirma cu siguranță că Tiberiu nu este o persoană cu calități plăcute și cu siguranță caracterul lui nu pare să îl favorizeze în viață. Modul în care vorbește despre femei în general, homosexuali și femei obeze în special, este abominabil. Sunt momente în care se pare că poate se va schimba. Dar și în acele momente, se întâmplă altceva și mai uimitor și ne schimbăm repede părerea. Dar cel puțin dragostea și respectul lui Tiberiu pentru copii, Gabriela, fiica Miei sau copilul pe care urma să-l nască Laura, îi dă o notă de om normal. Nu avem posibilitatea de a vedea dacă este ceva de termen lung pentru că planurile îi sunt date adesea peste cap de cele mai multe ori fiind singur vinovat. În rest, nici nu e de mirare că a ajuns de atâtea ori la psihiatrie. De cele mai multe ori șocant, dramatic, grotesc și scandalos, și acest roman te ține prins. La momente am avut impresia că e o variantă mai autentică a filmului Borat. În mod sigur prevăd cel puțin încă un volum. Câteva citate din carte: “Am întors niște ochii înlăcrimați spre tipa aia. I-am văzut întâi fața, apoi am coborât privirea ceva mai jos și în momentul acela am înțeles de ce-mi se păruse familiară vocea de la telefon: era șatena din tramvai, tipa cu... ceasurile și era însoțită de același fund mortal. Doctorul îmi promisese c-o să zâmbesc când voi ieși din cabinet, dar eu zâmbeam de pe-acum. Ea, însă, nu zâmbea. Nu avea memoria fețelor.” “Am oftat și m-am îndreptat spre casă. Afurisita de sărăcie s-a ridicat și ea de pe bancă și m-a însoțit. Unde mergeam eu, hop și ea! Mă călca pe nervi. Nu reușeam niciodată să mă obișnuiesc cu prezența ei.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  Humorous, heart-touching story.
Blurb: “He's a tall, burly carpenter who will be a great mother someday, with a little unexpected supernatural help. Lloyd has reached the age of 32 years, seven months, four days, and six hours without finding Miss Right and converting her into Mrs. Lloyd Schifflebein. Yes, Schifflebein. A name that is unromantic, unspellable, and way too long for signing checks and the backs of credit cards. Even if Miss Right appears, there is another impediment to wedded bliss: Lloyd obsesses over his six children. He doesn’t have them yet, but he is working on it. He has been filing adoption applications all his adult life. This leads many people to deduce that Lloyd Schifflebein is crazy. Big and strong, sure. Cute, maybe, but loony nonetheless. Somehow Lloyd finally convinces the Social Worker From Hell that he really is good father-material. Soon the Schifflebein household is a circus, with six special kids and their six neurotic pet bunnies. To become a forever family, however, they must pass a probationary period with surprise inspections at any time. Then things begin to go wrong: The Teapot arrives. The one that is certain to get Lloyd get officially labeled “insane,” removing any chance of successful adoptions. Miss Right appears, but she is engaged to someone else. Lloyd’s enemies attack him with false accusations and numerous lawsuits. The government takes away Lloyd’s children, pending his day in court. In his fight to keep his children, his livelihood, and his beloved bride, Lloyd definitely needs supernatural help – even if it comes in the form of a snarky, talking Teapot.” Oh goodness, what a sweet story! This was one of the cutest, funniest, heart-warming story I have ever read. The author’s easiness to write humorous lines is amazing, but I have to admit that the story brought also tears to my eyes at times. Despite the paranormal touch of the teapot talking and cooking tea by itself, I would love to see that Lloyd exists in real life. His past made him determined to adopt and take care of six young-children. He prepared all his adult life for this and despite the fact that people had him for being crazy, he never gave up. Were all his wishes fulfilled? I invite you to find out for yourself. For me it was definitely a gripping read that I would love to see turned into a movie one day. Well done! * At the time of this review the ebook is FREE on Amazon so I encourage you to grab your copy and see for yourselves how amazing it is. Quotes: “Lloyd had a philosophy: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it ain’t on clearance (defined as at least 70 percent off), don’t buy it. If it’s less than 50 years old, it’s too good to get rid of. If it’s more than 50 years old, it’s an antique and therefore too valuable to get rid of. It was a blessing that Lloyd had never married because his philosophy probably would have driven some poor female to commit murder sooner or later….Despite his positive attributes, however, Lloyd had reached the age of thirty-two years, seven months, four days, and six hours without finding Miss Right” “Supernatural assurance had surrounded Lloyd Schifflebein since the day in his early teens when he realized, calmly, that no divinely-inspired couple would ever appear to adopt him into their warm, sunny, house full of hugs and homemade cookies. Lloyd’s joy and comfort from that day forward had been his absolute certainty that he was going to provide that home for six very special children someday.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  “Are you a devil? Are you a witch? Judge the soul of my enemies, Mrs Jittery Twitch.”
Blurb: “ How twisted do you like your fairy tales? A half-woman, half-cockroach fused in a bizarre gardening accident? That would be Mrs Jittery Twitch, dwelling in the shadows of our misdeeds. If in danger, you can call upon her help… all she asks is your soul as payment. But she’s just a legend, so no need to worry. Barry Harris is a 28-year-old man, still living with his dear old mum in a little flat above a hairdresser. His obsession with Star Trek and the martial arts won’t help him when he’s forced out on a date. And nobody knows about the weird string of events that’s about to put everyone’s lives in danger. A trio of samurai warriors and the strangest offer of help lead Barry on a perilous mission to save the day.” Wow! What a strange ride. The book starts with a conversation between Barry and Brian. Then Jittery Twitch is mentioned. “Are you a devil? Are you a witch? Judge the soul of my enemies, Mrs. Jittery Twitch.” - this should be the line when someone would need her help. I read the following chapters trying to figure out when will Jittery presence be needed. I didn’t like Barry, the main character, but I thought Molly, his mom, was hilarious. She loves metal music and watches Xena. Her cooking style is even stranger. Then we are introduced to Jo. Soon after she was kidnapped by some samurai. Without her medication, Jo has only three days to live. Barry, Molly, Merrill (Jo’s aunt), and the doctor are part of the rescue team. Will manage in time? Can Barry save her from the samurais with his ninja knowledge? Why are the ninjas attacking in the first place? And then we have the neighbor's dog. The author constantly keeps readers on their toes with some weird situations or comments, strange attacks, unexpected twists, and some graphic violence. When I started reading I didn’t have any idea if I would enjoy it or not and I rarely feel like that about a book. The footnotes seemed at first unpractical and are slowing down the pace, but then they actually made me laugh eagerly checking the next one. The course of events in the second part of the book got my interest. The author is asking the reader to pay attention and guess who the narrator is. I have to admit. I didn’t guess it but I am not going to reveal it so you can play your own game. It was fun finding out though. Despite the dark humor and some sarcasm that I enjoyed, I felt that was something missing to the plot that would make me like it more. Or I may not be entirely the right target? Anyhow, I am glad I experienced something different, twisted and ...did I say different? :) The author’s excellent comedic writing amused me. My rating: 3/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  This book was written and published in the Romanian language so, for the time being my review is for Romanian speaking readers only.
La 44 de ani, Tiberiu, un bărbat dezamăgit de viață, sărac și singur, decide să-și vândă apartamentul și să plece departe, undeva la capătul lumii. Cred ca Tiberiu nu este singura persoană care își dorește așa ceva, nu-i așa? Chiar dacă Tiberiu m-a făcut să râd de multe ori nu mi-a plăcut totul despre el. Este puțin misogin, homofob, vulgar și delăsător. Dar, desigur, are și calitățile bărbatului: este descurcăreț, haios, și dacă rămâi cu el pe o insulă pustie nu mori de foame. Prin toate acestea, autorul a făcut o descriere excelentă a personajului principal. În afară de povestea unui bărbat și a unei fete pe o insulă pustie, autorul ne oferă povestiri în povestiri făcute de către personajul principal. O carte despre supraviețuire, despre lecțiile pe care ți le dă viața și despre ceea ce ar trebui să înveți să apreciezi. Un roman plin de umor, sarcasm, ironie, erotică, dragoste, familii disfuncționale și relații neobișnuite. Povestea în sine, talentul și stilul unic de scris al autorului, sunt motive pentru care îl recomand cu căldură fiecărui iubitor de romane de dragoste picante și pline de suspans. În ciuda vocabularului fără perdea sau poate datorită acestuia și a unui sarcasm ingenios acest roman vă va aduce des zâmbetul pe buze. „Ies din bancă și-mi pipăi încă o dată buzunarul, deși știu exact care-i treaba: am o mie de dolari în buzunar și șaizeci de mii în cont. Sunt un negociator dat naibii! Am reușit performanța să cumpăr un apartament cu optzeci de mii de dolari și să-l vând cu șaizeci și una de mii. Sunt mândru!” “- Oare cum o fi prin Dubai acum? mă-ntreb cu voce tare. Adică, imaginează-ți, să fie cald mereu, să te tolănești toată ziua sub soare. Nu-i așa că iernile de aici îți taie orice pofta de viață? - Despre Dubai chiar nu știu mare lucru, răspunde liniștit barmanul, dar am fost acum un an în Thailanda și vă asigur că a fost o experiență foarte… călduroasă. Zâmbește cu toți dinții și-mi face cu ochiul. - Ești pe invers? îl întreb direct. - Nu, face el mirat. Nici pomeneală. - Mi-ai făcut din ochi. - Ah, spune râzând, asta era? Făceam din ochi pentru că am avut ocazia să cunosc o grămadă de fete drăguțe pe plaja din Phuket. De aia.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  Ironic, humorous and ingenious read.
Two Finns meet by chance in an old barn, both intending to commit suicide, each in his own way. Their initial plan fails to materialize. This situation though makes them talk for the following days about their lives and their reasons to end it. They also realize little pleasures they had never noticed. Still, they decide to put an ad in a newspaper for all those who think alike. Surprisingly many people had answered their ad so they had to adjust their plans. They end up organizing a seminar after which some of them decide to commit group suicide, by crashing with a bus into a ravine. Despite what we may think from the title and from the first pages of this book, this is not only about suicidal plans but actually, a hymn to life - which resists despite everything, wants only to find its own way outside conformism. Life is hard but when we meet people that feel the same we may reconsider certain thoughts, decisions. This book is also an invitation to friendship, to sharing, but not the superficial one, the one that really manages to enrich, to give a new perspective, new hopes, desire to live. Type of reader: Fans of contemporary fiction with a touch of sarcasm. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  After reading and enjoying Angelika, I certainly looked forward to reading another work of this author. I found myself drawn into the story due to many reasons: exquisite language, the tender love between Darcy and Eustacia, certain interesting information about Jamaica and the overall humor.
The story is set in the late ‘60s and it offers the reader a view on how things were at the time. On top of that, and the main topic, it offers a view from the perspective of an effeminate young boy Stanford. While he has his parents full support, due to his increasingly feminine appearance it seems impossible for him to maintain his male identity in Jamaica. Hence he takes the name of Eustacia and moves to Vermont to live with the Coxes. Prior to Eustacia’s arrival Perry, Darcy’s friend, put a spell on him, out of a silly joke: “Dragon’s breath and snatch my beanie! May Darcy find a girl like Jeannie!” To my amusement, Darcy did find his Jeannie bit later in Eustacia. Not only she looked very much like the actress in the movie, but she also loved playing Jeannie’s role with her parents and later on with Darcy. The pure love that it is born between Eustacia and Darcy Cox is really sweet. They develop deep feelings for each other while they are also sharing many common interests at the same intellectual level. As the title says it is indeed a story of true love and the author did a remarkable job by not dramatizing the transgender part but putting in the spotlight Darcy’s lack of judgments regarding it. It would be great if in real life everyone would treat LGBT people with the same respect as we are all simply human beings. The plot is very well constructed and written and it didn't surprise me being charmed by the author’s style already. Type of reader: If you're looking for not only a love story but to open your horizons, broaden your thoughts, views, and understandings from a different angle then this book is for you. My favorite quotes from this book: “Mummy…, Daddy…,” he said, his voice shaking as tears began to run down his cheeks, “I don’t care; I really don’t care…. There’s so much more to my dear, sweet love than a stupid appendage! As far as I’m concerned, Eustacia is a girl, and I’ll take her just the way she is. I don’t care if she’s male, female, or something in between, because life without her would be unthinkable.” “You are who you are; I am who I am. We’re all different, and we all like different things, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” “Jeannie,” Darcy asserted, “when they made you, they broke the mold. For you, there can be no replacement, not now, not ever.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  Liar Girl by Andre Govier
This was a fun, fun, fun read. Short, easy to follow, it draws you in not realizing when you turn the pages. I believe any person, young or old, could find bits of pieces of oneself in it. It is almost impossible to pass through life without telling a lie here and there, but when they are too many and too often, it can get too much. In a chain of lies that complicates Steph's life and of those around her, this book will bring a smile to your face from the first page. Liar girl – the exam results Despite all her lies, Steph is actually a good person. She alone wasn't sure always why was she lying so much. In an attempt of trying to behave and regain the trust of her friends and family, she tried to be honest. But the complication began when she said a lie just to protect her friend. From that innocent lie, an avalanche started. While it was again a fun reading I found this book also as a lesson to be learned by every teen and young adult. The way it is written it sure makes it an eye-opener. A lie has short legs, they say, but its consequences can be dramatic. Wish to find out on yourself, just go for it and be ready to laugh! Reader type: As presented by the author I find it perfect for the teens and YA but also for any adult in the mood for a light and fun read. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  I have read this book so many times already and the more I read it the more I love it. Each time it surprises me with its never-losing charm. It tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet where he has a fragile rose to take care of. He travels the universe and finds, learns and sees things of adult behavior through a series of interesting encounters. No matter of age, it makes the reader reflect upon many things. It is also sweet seeing the point of view of a little boy with such a pure heart.
I love the simplicity and yet the complexity that it creates in one's mind. I believe we would all be a bit happier if we would remember, at least from time to time. We should never forget how was it when we were kids before our opinions were inevitably influenced by the norms of the society. Type of reader: I think this novella is suitable for everyone, children, teenagers, adults. I recommend it to be read many times in life. My favorite quotes from this book: “All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.” “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon |
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Message to you:In order to be a good writer, one has to read a lot. And I do and I love it....and I chose to share my readings with you. Feel free to share with me any of the books you have read or wrote, if I find them interesting I will add them to my list. I'll post my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and all my social accounts. |
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