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Alicia

@webs.ter2144

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Bookstagrammer. Writ Large. De Facto. Claro que si.

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What a fun surprise arrived at my door this afternoon! So many great products and brands that were sent to me for free in exchange for a review--Thank you @pinchme 🙏 Thanks so much also to the participating brands @preservision_ @malkorganics #DRVN air freshener, @keurig (for the Tim Horton's coffee pod) @blinkeyes.official @niveausa @refreshyourcar I am so grateful for the opportunity to try these out 👏👏👏 by @webs.ter2144

16

5

10 days ago

18

3

13 days ago

**REVIEW** OK, I clearly need a keeper. Someone to remind me that DNFing a book is still on the table as an option. I slogged through this compendium of stories like a whale swimming through molasses. I kept hoping it would get better (Spoiler, it didn't). The characters were all so unlikable, and by "unlikable", I don't mean villain-like. I mean insufferable, tedious, whiny, and cringe-inducing. The kind of characters, that if they were real people, you would rather spear your own eyes and ears out with the tines of a fork than have to spend five minutes in their presence. Have you ever been in a room full of drunk people in which you are the only one who is sober? No? Well, read a few chapters of this book, and you might get the gist of it. In the first story, Uncle Smoke died in mysterious circumstances. I am beginning to suspect that Unc faked his death and headed for the hills just to avoid having to interact with rest of his family any longer. Run, Uncle Smoke, run!! Don't look back!! ** I received this ARC for free, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

14

5

15 days ago

**REVIEW** Yikes. Disappointing. Disorienting. Confusing. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but this book wasn't it. I was confused, because the title implied that the book would be about women, but at least 70% of the book was about men. I guess we women have absolutely no agency in this world, and every action that we take is merely a reaction to something a man does or doesn't do. And listen, a book about men is fine, I have no problem with that, but then have the title reflect that. I was also confused by the choice to leave out Christian women of color, whether they be African-American, Hispanic, Asian, etc. In this case, the cover title did indicate that only white Christian women would be featured, but I am curious as to why Christian women of color seemed to have had absolutely no influence on society, or at least not enough to have warranted a mention in a book that is 417 pages long. This whole book seems really disjointed and poorly written as well. It was a constant dance between past and present, this person, then that person, then this person again, then present, then past, then that person again. The writing appears to have been fueled by caffeine, fervor, and zeal, while neglecting any attention to formatting, organization, and narrative structure. Ultimately, Live, Laugh, Love reads like a textbook, one that you might be able to slog through if assigned, but that you'd never want to grab for any type of entertainment purposes. ** I was provided this book free for review, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

8

4

16 days ago

**REVIEW** Very interesting and well-written. Three stories inspired by the plays of Sophocles. After reading each one, I went in search of the originals in order to reacquaint myself with them. In the first two stories, The Way to Colonos and The Return, I saw little of Sophocles' "inspiration" (Antigone and Electra respectively) in these modernized tales. They were compelling to read, but with no beginning, no ending, and no moral or message, I felt like I was provided the appetizer without the benefit of a meal forthcoming. Enjoyable, but where is the rest? The last tale, The Exile, was an entirely different animal altogether. Inspired by Philoctetes, the story managed, in just a few short pages, to convey the entirety of betrayal (mainly to one's self), madness, God vs nature, solitude, disillusionment, vanity, and loyalty. Rigas, the man who had been exiled, laid bare his entire psyche, and it was depressingly profound to witness. I really enjoyed all three stories, but if you are inclined to pick up a copy, do so for the last tale. It was a masterpiece that stood on its own, and that I will be inclined to think about often. ** I was provided this book free for review, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

12

1

18 days ago

**REVIEW** An interesting if not difficult read about a poet dying of cancer in her native Netherlands. It is less a memoir, and more a small diary or chronicle of her experiences with encroaching death. The translation (from Dutch) is so well done that I never, for even a moment, suspected that it wasn't written first in English. There are moments of seeming transcendence, where the author touches on something profound. But it mostly contains emotions expressed (anger, resentment, self-pity, rage, disillusionment, fear, etc), as one would expect diary entries to have. There are also references to books or music or surroundings, even her newfound belief in aliens, that she found to be comforting in her last days. The overriding tone of the book is one of loneliness however. Her family, almost never mentioned, her girlfriend an afterthought or simply a means to an end. She thanked her "friends" in the final couple pages of the book, but curiously she never mentions them in the body of the text. She seemed to have lived her last few years completely in her head, and her depression indicated that it was not healthy for her peace of mind. Overall I enjoyed the book, but if you have an illness and you are looking for hope, this might not be the right memoir to provide that. ** I received this ARC free for review, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

13

1

19 days ago

**REVIEW** Absolutely brilliant. It's a short novel, but I kept rereading the same paragraphs over and over and over again, hoping to imprint them in my memory. The story takes place in a small town in Ireland in the 1950s, in a place outside of Dublin. It is a slice-of-life tale (my favorite), heavy in dialogue and long silences and inner musings. The story revolves around Julia, her husband Michael (both of whom are exceedingly rich), their nephew, Jim, their servant, Stephen, and their priest, Father Victor. I can't give anything away, because it is best to go into it completely blind. But basically no one is who they claim to be, all are debauched and depraved, and all have secrets. The tale is about the sexual mores of that time, hypocrisy, power dynamics, and how one's inner life might be wholly different from the facade that one presents to outward society. I just loved everything about this book, and I suspect that it is one of those rare novels that can be reread repeatedly with the reader coming away with something different each and every time. I can't wait to read Broderick's other novels to see how they compare. ** I received this book free for review, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

10

0

20 days ago

**REVIEW** Swoon! There is something that you should know about me. As much as I love being a woman, and availing myself of all the feminine advantages, if you take me into a Ben Silver shop, my penis envy goes off the charts. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. Harris Tweeds, waistcoats, argyle socks, corduroy trousers, raglan coats, wing tips, and french cuffs (Honestly, is there anything sexier than french cuffs?) all served to make me downright giddy with delight. When I met my husband in 2004 and he waltzed into the room is a classic blue blazer, a button-down, and a tie, that was enough for me. Then later to find in his closet both a trench coat and a fedora? The deal was sealed. Class Act was such a compelling read, and I flew right through it. Each essay (most of which were previously published in Esquire) focused on one particular clothing item or accessory; i.e. the turtleneck, the shetland sweater, the tuxedo, etc. Berendt's writing style is reminiscent of my favorite nonfiction author, Paul Fussell (who wrote the brilliant book about the rich, middles, and down-and-outs called Class). Berendt's writing is witty, clever, sarcastic, and above all, informative. I learned so much, and my sartorial knowledge has increased tenfold. ** Thank you so much to Vintage books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair review. The pleasure was all mine. Highly recommend. by @webs.ter2144

7

0

22 days ago

Wowzer! Thanks so much to @snuggle_bear @trulabs and @pinchme for providing these products to me for free in exchange for a fair review. I feel blessed, and I can't wait to try them all out--Yay!! 👏👏👏 by @webs.ter2144

22

3

22 days ago

**REVIEW** Wow. I think it is fair to say that I have never read a book like this one before. Yes, literary fiction, but also women's fiction, but also a mystery, but also horror, but also science fiction, but also an allegory, but also historical fiction (of a sort). So fantastical, so over-the-top, so absurd. Like a combination of of Alice in Wonderland meets Dante's Inferno meets The Hobbit meets Arachnophobia. It's about the British Empire, and how they have the opportunity to colonize the land in Hell, and how the demons and the lost souls react to this invasion of their turf. The characters are both obnoxious and likable, and everything is turned on its head, backwards, and upside down. The Rules of a Gentleman do not apply in Hell, and so everything is topsy-turvy and ridiculous. There is no point to this novel other than to entertain, and that it does. Reading it is like being on an amusement park ride; I was elated and thrilled, but also scared and nauseous. If my review doesn't make sense, then I am to be forgiven, because this novel makes no sense, and when you read it, you will come away as discombobulated as I did, and you'll understand. At any rate, worth the read. **I received this book free for review, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

15

0

24 days ago

Wow, I have hit the mother lode!! 🎉🎉🎉 Thank you so much to @pinchme @purex @iliabeauty and @trulabs for sending me these amazing products free in exchange for a fair review🙏 Now I just have to decide which of them to try first? Decisions...decisions...😊 by @webs.ter2144

16

8

a month ago

**REVIEW** What a great mystery thriller! Ghost Barn had me riveted throughout the duration, which is really saying something, because it is a hefty book coming in at almost 400 pages. It is the last in a series, but it served perfectly well as a standalone. I had not read any of Verdon's other books in the series, and yet I had no problem keeping track of either the plot or the characters. It is about a series of murders that take place in a small town in upstate New York, and the steps that retired NYPD detective, Dave Gurney, takes to solve them. This is my kind of mystery whodunnit: a slow burn, plenty of time to get to know all of the characters intimately, and deep-dives into possible motivations for all. My only drawback for the book was the character of Madeleine, Gurney's wife from whom he was separated. She is not present for the first 80% of the book, and everything up to that point was serving to keep me on the edge of my seat. But when she re-entered Gurney's life, she just seemed to be irrelevant, constantly mucking up the gears, or adding insights that were neither helpful nor elucidating. I think the book would have worked better without this character thrown into the mix, but that's a small point, and ultimately did not take away from my overall enjoyment or recommendation of it. Ghost Barn was an invigorating ride of a book, and if you like mysteries or thrillers, I would suggest adding this one to your TBR. **I received this ARC for free, but all opinions are my own. by @webs.ter2144

15

0

a month ago