dysfunction all the way around...fun
355940
...family dynamics, gender and age related issues, and of course shady politics...wasn't isn't there to like?
1952693
Mallory takes "dysfunctional family dynamics" to a new level---excruciatingly funny. They struggle, they fuss, they fight. And love conquers all. Sounds trite, but honest dialogue and characters who insist on becoming real, pull you through to the last page. Very readable, good sexy fun.
4969252
Dysfunctional families have long been the fodder for film makers. Like any type of movie they achieve varying degrees of success. This, for my dollar, is one of the better ones.

Here's the scoop. Ellen Barkin is headed to Annapolis, MD., with her two boys, to attend the wedding of her oldest son who has been living with her divorced husband. Her oldest daughter will meet her there and it will be a dicey situation to say the least. Being that some of these folks haven't seen each other in years, they're not quite certain what to expect or how to act.

I am almost always in awe of these kinds of movies because plot takes a back seat to character and they seem so impossible to write. Writer/director Sam Levinson has done a good job here. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and a very fluid dynamic. Being that he's had only one previous writing credit and only 4 acting credits, it's something that the producers would give him, not only a green light on this, but an awesome cast to work with.

These are some screwed up people. Barkin is divorced and she's raised three of her four kids. Two of the three are really screwed up and the third was told he was autistic but he seems normal. The oldest son, who was raised by dad, and whose wedding they're attending seems completely normal, so the finger is pointing at Barkin as being the 'Typhoid Mary' of dysfunction. She's pretty far gone herself and seems to always put herself at the center of the conversation and butt heads with everyone else there. Her older son, Elliot, is very bright and a real character,but is regularly in and out of rehab. The daughter cuts herself and is studying child psychology. Not a fun bunch.

Some like this film more than others. I, myself, have questions. Barkin's ex, at one point in their marriage, punched her in the face. He doesn't seem a bad guy, so what happened? Did she goad him into it? Had he finally had it up to his throat with her? His new wife (Demi Moore) has had no problem with him. They allude to Barkin's wealth. The significance of this escapes me. There are other things but, for me, the good here far outweighs the bad.

If these kinds of films float your boat this should do you just fine.
2995734
Humor, lust, love gone really wrong and all kinds of things that go bump in the night.  What great fun. I'm hoping for more from Adrienne!
4220940
So this is one of those books where anything can happen to make it amusing, like the heroine tripping and then tumbling into the hero and they both fall, and then he lands just right with her boob in his mouth.
That didn't happen. But it should have.

This story was pretty funny, not always believable, but funny nonetheless.

The humor, you guys Some of it had me rolling, and some had me blinking. I don't know. Nothing makes me feel more like a blonde than a joke I don't understand.

So I went into this knowing it was a comedy, and I never really expected the strong conflict between Callie and Walker. I was super surprised to see they strongly disliked each other on misguided notions. And it was great.

The book is full of amusing prose that makes no sense, but does in a way, such as: His eyes went all sexual peacock.

In the beginning I found myself struggling to connect with the humor and the writing, but it didn't take me long to get into it. I felt the scene changes were a little jarring sometimes, and that they stopped just too abrubtly, but that was my only complaint, and overall this is a really well written story.

I found both characters unique and well-developed, and I really enjoyed them together. They have a relationship that I think everyone can really admire. The conflict between them resolved itself pretty early on in the story, and it slowed down for me a tad in the middle, but the humor kept me interested.

Road-Tripped is a very humorous, almost angst-free romance. And while I'm an angst addict and I need my fix, this is overall a story I enjoyed, and an author I would read again.
2744764
(reviewing parts 1 and 2 as a whole)

Reading that this book was a engineer's side project was what got me curious...I'm glad it did. The beginning of the book seems like it is going to be a funny office frustration story, then its unexpected twist into a thriller for nerds sucked me in. You have to be willing to roll with some of the more fantastic themes and let yourself have a little fun, as this is not a book for the overly serious crowd. I had a great time with it and think the characters were well played. I look forward to what McMains comes up with next.
1321050
31 Days of Winter was an ARC that C.J. very generously sent me to review. The concept is actually really fun and there was a lot about the book that I really, really loved. However, there were also some things that just frustrated the crap out of me and left me making vulgar notes on my Kindle.
Ill break it down into good and bad.

Good:

I loved Ellies relationship with her best friend. Theyre fun and funny and quirky. I was almost as invested in Brookes love life as I was in Ellies. Theres also a scene where they go shopping for adult toys that cracked me up and may have inspired my own personal purchase. (side note: great purchase!)

  I like to use my hands, yes.

The humor (or humour because the book is British) is spot-on. I love Ellies sarcastic sense of humor, and her reactions to things make me certain wed be fast friends.

The smut  very good. Very, very good. If youve read C.J. Fallowfield in the past, you know the woman can make you pant. This is no exception.
Bad:
There is so much bait and switch here. Dan runs so hot and cold that I I was beginning to wonder if he had multiple personality disorder. Now, Ellie does comment on this so its not like its just accepted, but seriously, I wanted to beat him.

Sometimes I felt like things were a little undeveloped. When Ellie calls Brooke to tell her that shes just caught her fianc in bed with 2 prostitutes, Brookes response is basically oh, that sucks. Wanna come over? It just felt a little flat to me.
The cliffhanger. Its a doozy. I mean, I actually yelled at my Kindle when I hit the last page. The thing is, I liked the book, but didn't love it. If it weren't a cliffy, Im not sure Id read the next one. But now I HAVE to because the cliff is steep.

  Wankings never going to be good enough for me now.

In short, 31 Days of Winter is a book worth reading if youd like some major drama dosed heavily with humor, hot sex, and a giant cliffhanger. Or if you need a dose of a handsome, mysterious, maddening man.

  I could spend days worshiping this body.

Smut Factor: 5 stars- Had to wake my husband at 2am to quench my need.
Character likability: 3 stars: Didnt hate them.
Storytelling: 3 stars- It could happen
Writing and editing quality: 4 stars  Well Done!
3763267
One of my favorites from Beaton.  The characters are fun, and far from perfect.... which is what makes it a lot more fun than your typical Regency.
1157013
Fun read, if a bit hard-boiled at times. If you like your supernatural to make sense, be careful - sometimes the "mystic vagueness" leans a little (in my opinion) towards "not fleshed out." Very fun, though, like I said, and the characters are easy to picture and relate to in some way.

I found out about this author from playing Choice of the Deathless, a ChoiceScript game written by the author. I highly recommend it, as it gives a bit more of the world, which is a novel approach to the theme of humans seeking the power of gods.

It's definitely worth a read... Just not a listen. The narrator is AWFUL, in my opinion. I like listening to books on my long drive to/from work, but I've had to unplug my aux cord before because of how cringe-y the voice acting is. And the mispronunciation! I can't get through it. Her reading makes the characters all sound like they don't know how to express emotion or react in a human manner. Think Microsoft Sam, but whiney and emphasizing the wrong key words.

Tl;dr: The book is a fun read, suspend your disbelief and you'll enjoy it. The Audible is not worth the money, unless you like being annoyed when read a book.
2733702
This is such a fun read! Most of us at one point or another worried about fitting in, with any crowd, and Ricki Jo is the same way. She wants to be popular, date a hot guy, and be liked. The way she goes about it is hilarious and sometimes nerve-wracking and over-the-top. I mean, a fourteen-year-old girl sneaking out and drinking? There are limits to what I'd do. Ricki Jo is willing to sacrifice to some of her moral qualms in order to belong.

Of course, Ricki Jo's actions, their consequences, and her re-actions, are what make her a bundle of joy to read about. There are times when I was frustrated with her lack of awareness of how she's hurting good people like Luke and Candace, and I pitied her, wanted to set her on the right track. Ricki Jo is a country girl at heart, trying to find her place, and she grows a lot over the course of the novel. I adore the country setting. I love country settings in general. Offer me a book with a rural setting, and I'll snatch it up. Whitaker ties in Ricki Jo's country roots into some incidents, some of which are laugh moments, some of which made me gasp.

The Queen of Kentucky is more than a book about a country girl wanting to go country club. There are some dark clouds looming close to home, and Ricki Jo struggles to bring together who she is on the inside and who she is trying to become on the outside. The serious incident takes place close to the end of the novel, which was slightly disappointing because I was hoping to find out what exactly comes out of it. However, I appreciate how Whitaker concludes the novel while leaving it open for Ricki Jo to take the next step.

While Ricki Jo pines for the resident bad boy and deals with a new awareness of a boy she's known all her life, these are part of the process of her self-discovery. This book is not centered on romance. If you are looking for a light, fun contemporary read that is focused more on character growth, I strongly recommend this novel. It is a breath of fresh, country air for the YA genre.
2864677
I really enjoyed this dark comedy. For some reason dysfunctional families always entertain me. I thought this was a very humorous and often times (but not always) realistic window into the world of your typical dysfunctional family dealing with a father's death. I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamic with one another, and was sad when the 7 days were over!
301455
better than anticipated.....some clever things happen
4840718
Very descriptive - loved the voice of the narrator - twists and turns!! The family felt properly dysfunctional!! A very enjoyable read!
2972935
When I first began reading the book I was going to write it off as your typical romcom chick lit - trying too hard to be funny.

Basically a frivolous-silly-clueless girl meets Tall-Dark-Handsome Heathcliff-Brooding-tattoo-badboy-player who falls madly in love with said-frivolous-chick and renounces former badboy existence to live happily ever after in monogamous-bliss

But wow - was I mistaken. This book ventures into serious issues and trespasses into the tearjerker category. Pray, do not be concerned as there's enough witty one-liners to prevent a full-on sob but it you really wanna give the guys a cuddle.

-----------------------------------
Characters:

Kennedy Somers: 22 yo, blonde, pretty but with low-self-esteem issues. She hides behind a sarcastic, indifferent exterior, always cracking up jokes (even during inappropriate settings) and is somewhat socially awkward which has resulted in a sparse social network.
This may have some connection to her upbringing, as her father wanted a son and wasn't sure how to handle having a daughter as his only child and subsequently he just treated Kennedy as a son denying her "girly" toys. And although her parents clearly love her and she them there is a strained relationship (although the interactions and dialogue with her dad are hilarious and cute).

Graham Malone: 27 yo, Golf instructor, Kennedy's room mate and best friend. He's protective of her and takes care of her (including cooking and cleaning up after her), which is related to his OCD (he has to have everything perfect - clean, cooked well etc (there's more to thios once you delve into the story and understand the issue of staying in control)).
He starts off as the Mr-Nice-Guy-could-Feature-in-a-Commercial but... BOOM events change and things happen. He has a strained relationship with his brother - which is VERY interesting.

Blake Malone: if this was your typical romance then Blake, with his rock-star good looks, biker style, drugs & alcohol background, brooding, troubled badboy persona would find redemption in Kennedy's love and they'd live happily ever after. But this isn't. The relationship between Blake and Graham is a crucial part of the story and it exposes the characters weaknesses and strengths.

---------------------

Overall enjoyable, funny, witty (although I did at first find some of Kennedy's occasional mental diarrhoea annoying) but it finally makes sense as we delve into the characters and the plot. Very romantic combined with a lovely family drama.
3485745
Let me preface this with the fact that I've been a longtime Entertainment Weekly subscriber and a reader of Gillian Flynn's TV reviews. (I'm also a Chicagoan and fan of dark, offbeat mysteries.) This said, although this book started off slightly choppy (er, contrived), by the end I was mesmerized by its dysfunctional story and the mystery itself. The writing was snappy (I wouldn't have expected less)... there were a few red herrings (though I kind of/partially suspected the who)... but by the end I found it both dark and disturbing, yet with a sense of jaded humor. In short, I loved it... and hope her next novel has similar tones (and, hopefully, stays in the mystery genre).
223330
I loved Dysfunction---it is a quick and hilarious read!  Dysfunction is perfect for anyone who loves the humor and emotions that result from the versatility of human character bound to one playing room.  It is also a great read for anyone that has even wondered about the implications of global cataclysm, life in an underground bunker.  Oppenheim's easy-going, natural, witty writing style and fantastic character development make the book impossible to put down!  I laughed and I laughed, and I cried.  I highly recommend Dysfunction to everyone and I give the book two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
2388320
This was an enjoyable read. The characters were fun, intense, needy and marred. Still, through some ingenuous manipulation, all worked out for the best.