Walking Disaster narrated everything that happened in Beautiful Disaster but this time, it was told from Travis perspective. Both books are nearly identical (except for this book’s epilogue) so if you want to start reading the series – you can start with either although I highly suggest you start with Beautiful Disaster.
I actually find Travis’s perspective more interesting than Abby’s ( although I was totally raving about the first book after reading it). Here, we see everything through the mind of Travis and his rough, bad-ass boy facade. And of-course, we don’t have Abby’s quite annoying habit of being stupid. It’s also a given that we see more of the Maddox Family – learn more about them especially the things that made them stronger. In this book, you will also discover the history behind Pigeon (Travis’s nickname to Abby).
You see, I’ve raved about Beautiful Disaster like crazy but If I’ve read this one first, I think I will find this much more fun. As interesting as it was, it gets kinda repetitive but I still enjoyed it. So if you’re like uber-addicted now with these two – you better get a copy of this book.
This is the last book that both Abigail and Madeleine co-authored and as usual, the book still has its magic! In Divide & Conquer, Baltimore, Maryland, is a city in alarming distress. Rising violence is fanning the flames of public outrage, and all law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are catching blame. Thus the FBI’s latest ideas to improve public relations: a municipal softball league and workshops for community leaders. But the new commitments just mean more time Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have to spend apart when they’re happily exploring how to be more than by-the-book partners.
Then the latest spate of crime explodes in their faces—literally—throwing the city, the Bureau, and Ty and Zane’s volatile partnership both in and out of the office into chaos. They’re hip-deep in trouble, trying to track down bombers and bank robbers in the dark with very few clues, and the only way to reach the light at the end of the tunnel together requires Ty and Zane to close their eyes and trust each other to the fiery end. [source]
Here, we see a lot of conflicts amongst our characters and we meet the Sidewinder team (Ty’s Recon team). The duo’s affection for each other is growing each day with them being assigned to deskwork after their successful undercover job from the last book. Here, the two are always on the brink of dying after getting the ire of the group terrorizing the city of Baltimore. This was also the part of the series when Ty finally came out to his team and getting the shock of his life when his bestfriend (Nick O’ Flaherty) in the team admitted loving him for a long time now and the sucker kissed him and Ty kissed him back and enjoyed it! WTF?! You see, (now this is getting spoiler-ish) Zane went blind for a time due to an explosion and Ty took care of him and in all fairness to Ty, he admitted the incident to him. Now would this be the reason for Zane not to say I LOVE YOU back to Ty? Now, you’ve got to read the whole thing! It’s maddening, it’s still swoony and you’d learn more about Ty and Zane and the Sidewinder team. Ugh, I’m still upset about the kiss but I guess I’m quite glad it happened…you gotta check it out peeps.
Published January 5th 2011 by Smashwords (first published January 1st 2010)
via goodreads
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I loved all of its characters and its storyline. It started in 1996 as told by Benjamin Bentley, a gay high school student and his young love with the rich, “still in-denial” Tim Wyman.
Love, like everything in the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can change.
The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim’s heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart.
Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies. (source)
The whole high school setting was really well-written. There wasn’t much conflicts in that aspect aside from the ones coming from our main characters themselves (Ben and Tim).
Overtime (in a span of 12 years, ) Ben and Tim broke up, found someone else, they meet again and someone actually got married!
I don’t know why but all throughout this book, my heart’s breaking for Tim’s character. His character was mostly sad, scared and vulnerable mainly because he’s an unwanted child to begin with despite his wealthy family. He practically raised himself. I totally understand why Ben felt the need to protect him.
The whole vibe of the latter part of the book gave me that odd sense of de javu as if I’m watching the movie P.S. I Love You all over again. I just wished though that the ending was a bit longer. I felt that it was rushed (though it works well) because I’m like WTF? So they’re not getting back together???! I’m on the last few pages!!! OMMMMGGGG!!!!!! I’m literally on panic mode!
Written with sincere honesty and relatable characters, you’re sure to enjoy this book and take the journey with Ben and Tim.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
(Now this was the first book of what the author called “Season” / “Something Like…” series. The second book called Something Like Winter was written in Tim’s perspective and his own life journey. I’ve to see if I’d have the heart to read it since I’m still heartbroken for some reason – mainly for Tim – which is odd. Yeah, I guess I’m Team Tim )
And right now, I’m feeling totally giddy after finding out that Something Like Summer will have its own movie adaptation! OMG!!! #hyperventilating #jumping #screaming #crying #dying #Icant
Can I just tell you guys how I totally adore this book? I’ve read it non-stop in a day and I just couldn’t get over it – not just yet. The story was narrated by Abby Abernathy as a freshman college student in a new place and finding herself getting involved with Travis Maddox – a guy who’s everything that she was trying to escape from her past.
Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match
Travis is such a character. He’s very relatable, funny, charming, romantic and obnoxious at times. He’s what “realistic- boyfriend characters” are made of. Abby Abernathy on the other hand was a very annoying biatch. Don’t get me wrong though, I loved her character but most of the times – she’s borderline annoying because she’s so dense! At some point of the book I’m like, “WTF? Do you even have a brain girl?” I gotta love her back-story though but ‘am quite disappointed that that part of the book was way too short.
The story was almost on a normal scale – reality wise. The secondary characters are also well-written. The most exciting amongst them are the Maddox Brothers themselves (which I’ve already know that a book was about to be released starting with Trenton! Yay!)
This was overall a very good read. It was mostly romantic that sometimes its borderline cheesy but hey when it comes to the business of love, who isn’t?
Now, this is easily my favorite amongst the series because this is the part of the series where, finally, one of them (it’s our sweet Ty) uttered those stupid words. Fish & Chips may also be the funniest among the series when the duo was assigned to do an undercover assignment posing as a married couple! Yay! How exciting is that?! Ty especially has to go under some drastic makeover sporting platinum blond hair—whoot hoot! We also learned more about Tyler’s ability to mimic accents! I would love to hear that sexy British accent.
Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they’re assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring-an out-and-proud married couple-on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they’d rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is. Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game of their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, Ty and Zane realize there’s more to being partners than watching each other’s backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty’s life, Ty and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own.
Ty’s such a character here, and I love how the two could easily be affectionate with each other (of course with the undercover thingy and all), but it was fun seeing them able to do that without having to worry about the people around them. Ty’s such a sex kitten here, and he’s very funny as well, especially with that “beefcake” question. LOL. That got me rolling on the floor, to be honest. We also see here the sweet side of Zane. C’mon, man, stop over-analyzing everything. Goodness!
It’s ridiculous how both authors could come up with such a good story line! It was concise, yet you won’t ask for more because there was enough stuff going on with our characters. The Italian biatch was really funny as well, and Ty was just hilarious, being crazy and all. Oh, how I totally adore these two. Fish and chips is pure magic! I can’t wait to reread it! Ciao!
Okay, now we’ve established that I’m totally obsessed with this series, which, by the way, I’ve already finished and am on my way to reading titles under “Cut & Run Network.” Let me tell you a little bit about this second book in the series, though. It’s called Sticks & Stones (yes, from the old adage, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me). It was yet again another swoony novel from our two lovely FBI agents, partners, lovers, and f-buddies. Here, we witnessed how Ty Grady’s kind of falling in love with his partner, Zane Garrett, especially after what happened in New York.
Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they’re ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone’s sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they’ve so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership. Ty and Zane, along with Ty’s father and brother, head up into the Appalachian mountains for a nice, relaxing hike deep into the woods… where no one will hear them scream. They find themselves facing danger from all directions: unpredictable weather, the unrelenting mountains, wild animals, fellow hikers with nothing to lose, and the most terrifying challenge of all. Each other. [source]
So Ty took Zane home to take some time off from their traumatic New York adventure. Here, Zane was introduced to the uber-funny Grady family. Oh, I love Ty’s grandpa! And her mother is such a quirky character. His brother Deacon’s so cool, and his dad—agh. I want to punch that guy! Anyways, so they went hiking (which the Grady boys are regularly doing), and they found themselves in danger from treasure hunters and lions! Yikes! This was funnier and more intense than the first one, if I may say so. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and their feelings are blossoming. Oh, and Ty told Deacon that he could love Zane if the guy would let him. How sweet is that? There’s still the rather steamy sex scene (the one in the wood’s rather hawt), and in this book, Zane celebrated his birthday in that hot, hot scene! LOL. More of Ty’s behavior here was also established—his loyalty, his vulnerability, and just how much he cares for Zane. Sticks & Stones was more of a Ty book, to say the least, but it was still awfully good with Zane just adding the right love-jabs!
“I like being able to wake up with you. I like knowing you’ll be there if I need you,” he continued, obviously uncomfortable with what he was saying but refusing to be deterred now that he’d begun. “I like being with you, Zane. And I’d like to keep that up now that you’re here,” he admitted shakily. He met Zane’s eyes determinedly. “I want you.” Who could even resist this guy after saying this?
So there, folks, Sticks & Stones is the continuation of a beautiful series, and you really need to catch up with it. It’s totally addicting! They are totally my new favorite book couple!
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a magical story of a boy who mysteriously showed up in the doorstep of a loving couple (Jennifer Garner & Joel Edgerton) who have been trying to get pregnant but couldn’t get a break. As if an answer to their prayers, Timothy showed up and brought something in their small town – the realization about the wonderful gift of life itself.
The film obviously poses the big H-O-W question but does it really matter? The tenderness of the story was a valid enough reason to disregard the utterly unrealistic and unexplainable apperance of the sweet, good-spirited Timothy. What transpired in the film was how Timothy’s existence proved to be some sort of a miracle to the people around him.
No extraordinary performances here but you’ve got to adore CJ Adams (Timothy) here. It struck you sometimes how an actor could easily lure you to watch their work regardless of its merit. Sometimes it all boils down to a great casting agent.
‘twas a feel good film that’s perhaps forgettable but while on it, you find yourself warming to it, being moved by it and oddly, smiling widely from ear to ear.
Director: Peter Hedges
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Dianne Wiest, Odeya Rush, CJ Adams, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, David Morse, Common, Shohreh Aghdashloo, M. Emmet Walsh, Lois Smith
I’m pretty sure most of you guys who love reading books have your favorite characters that you somehow hold dearly in your literary hearts, right? This was the case for me after reading Cut & Run. In case you haven’t heard about it, Cut & Run is a romance/adventure novel that involves two male FBI agents who both have dark histories and were partnered together to solve a serial-killing spree case in New York. This installment was co-authored by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban.
A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliche: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer. Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer’s knife.” [source]
I got this book just this month, and I thought I’d give it a try. I was very surprised to find myself enjoying every bit of it. It’s actually quite good. It’s an M/M romance novel with the right punch of action, comedy and dear old love. I just love the characterization of both guys! Both Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are unbelievably dreamy! They are brave, witty, funny, vulnerable, and charming! You see, it’s fun when a book does that to you. It connects you with the character, and you root for them. I got hooked on both protagonists and promised myself to buy copies of the succeeding books, which I did! like all eight of them, including the newly released eighth book (Ball & Chain). As of this posting, I have actually read the rest of the series in less than two weeks! Can you even believe that? I’m like fangirling here and obsessing; it’s almost ridiculous! LOL [Reviews of the succeeding books will follow]. Cut & Run will leave you breathless (one way or another), awwwee-ing, and falling for these two opposite, uber-adorable guys for a partner. Please, you have to read the book.
Babel is a riveting tale that encompasses continents, people and their stories entangled into a socio-political and personal struggles that is inevitable and prevalent in the world that we’re living in today.
It stars Brad Pitt who perhaps delivered one of his most noteworthy performances. He played Richard Jones who along with his wife Susan (Cate Blanchett) were in Morocco for a vacation. While traveling Susan was accidentally shot by a young Moroccan boy that was immediately assessed by the US government as an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, in the US – the Jones’s kids nanny (Adriana Barraza) was forced to take the kids with her in Mexico to attend her son’s wedding without the Jones’ permission – an event that led to them being detained by the immigration. In the other side of the world, we have Cheiko (Rino Kikuchi,) a deaf-mute Japanese girl , traumatized by her mother’s suicide and whose father (Koji Yakusho) was the person who gifted the pistol that was used in the shooting in Morocco when the latter went there for a hunting trip – the girl herself was battling her own demons coming to terms with her mother’s death and her dad’s lack of support. The entanglement of each story was an outstanding and thorough display of how humans are connected at one point in time. The outline of the film was so big and as it is “multicultural” that it was easy to be fascinated by it and be at the edge of your seat and breathless, expecting things to happen hopefully in favor of the characters you’re rooting for. The emotion was heavy here that somehow it’d make you exhausted and you almost want to smack each character but in the end – it may provide you some realization – good or bad at that.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mohamed Akhzam, Adriana Barraza, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, Rino Kikuchi, Koji Yakusho
Beki* Boxer is the second of its kind in the primetime TV here in the Philippines. This TV5 offering was the second series to feature a homosexual man as its main lead (the first being the much-talked about My Husband’s Lover). Alwyn Uytingco played the closeted Rocky “Ex-Men” Ponciano who got pushed into the world of Boxing following his father’s footsteps and regain the family’s lost glory.
Currently in its mid-season, it’s nice to note that the series’ still has consistency, although a bit slow-paced. I also loved the fact that it’s not the usual exaggerated portrayal of gay men here in the country. It’s a comedy series, thus the expectation was obvious. The good thing is it does not resort to slapstick comedy whilst portraying the characters. It was very relatable and was quite realistic. The punchlines were opt, characters colorful, conflicts though cliche are well-executed.
Noteworthy performances comes from Uytingco himself, Candy Pangilinan (as Rocky’s Mother), Christian Vasques (Rocky’s Dad) and the main antagonist, John Regala.
This is definitely one of the quality TV shows airing now on Philippine TV and I’m very glad that such character finally found its way on national TV – airing on prime-time no less! This also goes to show that as conservative as we are as Filipinos – in a place where machismo’s on top of the hierarchy – we’re able to welcome the likes of Beki Boxer (and My Husband’s Lover) which paved the way to having more open and accepting audience who laugh with the character/s and not at the character/s.
Director: Jade Castro, Monti L. Parungao
Cast: Alwyn Uytingco, Joross Gamboa, Vin Abrenica, Candy Pangilinan, Krister Moreno, Albie Casino, Cholo Barretto, Christian Vasquez, John Regala, Onyok Velasco
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