Tag: NetGalley

ARC, Books

Book 171: Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs #3) – Heidi Cullinan

Geoff W

Sometimes you just need a bit of fluff to make life seem less hectic. And that’s exactly what this series is for me: a temporary escape from I usually read and from the every day happenings of life. I mean as soon as I start reading one of these (or my Jane Austen fan-fic) I immediately have a smile on my face and start giggling to myself.

This is my first Galley of 2013 and I don’t plan on reading too many this year because of my huge backlog of owned books. I have one left over from 2012 and two additional I’ve requested this year, but I’m only planning on requesting them if they are for series (like this one) or by an author I really want to read, like the second one I’ve requested from the Other Press. I received a copy of Dirty Laundry via NetGalley and this is my honest response and I have received no compensation.

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ARC, Books

Book 154: Life! Death! Prizes! – Stephen May

Geoff W

For what is probably my final galley of 2012 I read Life Death! Prizes! by Stephen May. I requested a copy of the book via NetGalley because the author lives in West Yorkshire, which I love! I received no compensation for the following response, which is my honest opinion.

This book just didn’t inspire me. I thought the premise was a great idea and the title is brilliant, but overall I can’t bring myself to rave about the book. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely great parts and a couple of times I found myself laughing out loud (see the end of this post), but overall I found the story a bit too much to take in and the writing a bit overworked in some spaces. I unquestionably enjoyed Stephen May’s wit, but I just couldn’t empathize or sympathize with the main character, Billy, until the final few pages of the novel and even then I’m not sure if it was for him or for his little brother Oscar.

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ARC, Books, Reading Events

Book 146: Where Nerves End (Tucker Springs #1) – L.A. Witt

Geoff W

I decided to read L.A. Witt’s Where Nerves End after I found myself thoroughly enjoying Tucker Springs #2, Second Hand and although I enjoyed the first one I read, this one was a disappointment even though it wasn’t bad.

I honestly don’t think the writing of this novel is bad. I read it in a day and would not have been able to do so if it was badly written. I think the major issues I had with it come from the storyline. Why introduce what could be a fascinating facet to a relationship just to ignore it for most of the book?

I felt the story was pertinent and relevant to current events, the housing market crash and everyone struggling to make ends meat, and I’m assuming was well researched (the acupuncture portion), but what really bothered me was that one of the main characters, Michael, had a son and the son was just absent for large portions of the story.

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ARC, Books, Reading Events

Book 144: The Paternity Test – Michael Lowenthal

Geoff W

I read this book as a part of The Literary Others October LGBT History event. I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and the response below is my honest opinion and I received no compensation.

This book did not get off to a good start with me; ending your first chapter referring to the potential birth mother of your child as just ‘the womb’ really bothered me. I felt it was incredibly misogynistic, an accusation two of the main characters made towards each other later in the book, but I also felt it was too jarring in the beginning of the story and put me on edge for the rest of the story.

I do feel that Lowenthal developed the characters further than that first chapter gave them credit, both male and female characters, but that really put me on edge and made it difficult to identify with and feel sympathy for Pat and Stu. But, if there is one thing he did do great it was the personality quirks of all the characters. From describing Deborah’s exotic Brazilian Portuguese accent to the adorable story about Pat and Stu when they moved into their first place together and stacked plates the same way for the same reason.

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ARC, Books, Reading Events

Book 143: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) – Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton

Geoff W

Embarrassingly, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. AND I’ve already purchased a copy of Where Nerves End (Tucker Springs #1)…and will read it later this month. And will probably now follow the series forever because this first one I’ve read was fun and easy to read.

I received a copy of this novel via NetGalley as I wanted something fun and light to kick off The Literary Others LGBT October event and I am glad I chose this. This response is my honest opinion and I received no compensation for it.

I really shouldn’t say I’m embarrassed I enjoyed reading Second Hand. There is nothing to be embarrassed by, really, unless you’re me and you flush crimson at any sort of intimate scene. I mean I’ve already purchased the other novel in the series, so I must’ve enjoyed it.

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