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Pump and Dump reviews A torrid Thailand trek takes an excruciatingly embarrasing turn for one Christian Trevelyan-Grey. Transcript Transgressions reviews The road to hell is paved with good intentions. When her best laid plans go dreadfully awry, Abby learns that lesson the hard way.
Yesteryear reviews "I never saw it ending this way. Teething Trouble reviews Christian Grey gets a little more than he bargained for during a routine trip to his local dentist. Resolutions reviews There are times, when I look at her, and I marvel at how far we've come Then there are times, when I look at her, and I flinch at how little I've changed He knew he could never be perfect.
But he thought he could at least be better than what had come before him, better than what the cards had dealt Tony at birth. But, as it turns out, he was no better. He was no damned better at all. He was even worse. He'd given hope, only to snatch it right back. You've Got Mail reviews Can true love overcome the most final of tragedies? Tales of Taylor reviews "Need him? I don't need him. I don't need anyone, at any time, for any reason. The hand on hip, eyes narrowed, all-knowing look. I don't like that look, even if it is on Ana's face Forever, Grey reviews Sometimes, fate tears you apart just so it can put you back together again, stronger than you were before.
Gamble of the Greys reviews When a bet goes dreadfully awry, Christian Grey finds out what it's like to be on the wrong side of the glass, literally. Their marriage has spanned the decades, morphing and molding until it fits them like a glove. But no-one knows the true depth of their connection. No-one appreciates the ferocity of their bond. Because some things are for behind closed doors only. Fifty Shades of Grey: Rewritten reviews Mr Grey will see you now. He will also save your life. Graduate Steele becomes Undergraduate Steele. The setting may change, but will the sparks remain the same?
Not to be outdone or outshone by the charming Grant Thompson, Neal goes above and beyond the call of duty to impress. His showmanship is despite Peter's dire warnings on the matter and consequences are never far away. A Grey is Born reviews A look through the eyes of four-year-old Christian Grey as his life suddenly takes a turn for the better. He's done with trying to figure out what he did, or where it all went wrong. And it's high time Gibbs knew it.
With words said that can never be unsaid, he bids a rapid farewell to his life as Gibbs' right hand man, seeking a clean break. But nothing is ever clean, not really. Here's to You, Mrs Robinson reviews Mrs Robinson is in town and it's high time for some hard choices to become an even harder reality. Outside his office door, quietly unseen, Ana hears everything she needs to and more. Woodworking Woes reviews Gibbs had always intended to teach Tony a thing or two about carpentry, but not like this.
Sometimes though, a man's just gotta do what a man's gotta do. The Road Less Travelled reviews Faced with a familiar dilemma, Neal surprises both himself and Peter by the road he chooses to travel upon. Regardless of the distance between them, he melts to her side. But the question remains, when surrounded by others, why him? Nature vs Nurture reviews Gibbs has a few pearls of scathing wisdom that he'd like to impart on the assorted fathers of his team. Imperfectus ad Perfectum reviews Take one exasperating Neal Caffrey. Add in one exasperated Peter Burke. Sit back as anarchy unfolds. Spanking White Collar - Rated: Allow me to be Frank reviews "The walls of the interrogation room rang with the snarling sounds of discontent.
Special Agent Mike Franks stormed up and down upon the well worn carpet in a bout of sheer rage. Hardened, seasoned and downright arrogant though he was, Probationary Agent LJ Gibbs was rather quailing in the man's wake. Dialogue reviews Gibbs and McGee need to have a little chat about the importance of choosing one's words carefully. K - English - Humor - Chapters: Credential Consternation reviews Losing one's federal identification is bad. Lying about losing one's federal identification, to an ever omniscient Gibbs, is even worse.
Tag to Under the Radar. Memory Lane reviews At the end of a long and taxing case, relaxation is sorely needed for the men of Team Gibbs.
With the requisite dinner and drinks under way, the conversation suddenly turns nostalgic. But not everyone is happy about it. Eyes of Emerald Green reviews His eyes had always been one of his strongest features. They were a bright, twinkling green, usually alight with laughter. But when his predecessor unexpectedly comes to town, Tony's eyes shine with a different shade of green.
The green eyed monster has well and truly been awoken, but how will he be put back to sleep? Favouritism Faux Pas reviews Abby is Gibbs' favourite. But sometimes, that favouritism can create ripples of discontent and sometimes, those ripples can morph into stormy waters. When office antics throw Gibbs' preferential treatment into stark contrast, Tony and Tim seize the opportunity to unload some home truths. Veiled reference to spanking. The Nap reviews In Harvey's office, late at night, an unexpected situation unfolds.
Doctor's Orders reviews When Ziva falls sick, her already limited patience with all things conventional and medicinal is tested. Enter, the ever present Gibbs. When a deadly combination of both new and prohibited technology presents a special sort of challenge, he has no choice but to succumb, leaving an irritated Gibbs in his wake. Equitably Inequitable reviews He's always treated her differently, subtly so, but differently nonetheless. However, when Emily's actions spark warfare in the field, those differences became much less subtle and truths escape like wildfire through the cracks that are left behind.
Tap on my Window, Knock on my Door reviews There's a first time for everything and navigating new waters can be tricky. It always pays to have a friend to help you through. Joy of Riding reviews Things go horribly wrong when a strictly forbidden car ride goes bump in the night. Blue Bloods - Rated: Before he races off to Vegas however, he has an important errand to run.
Kate, the goldfish, needs a babysitter. Someone he can trust. Someone he knows will take good care of his beloved fish. With Gibbs effectively hired, his paternal worries are assuaged. What could possibly go wrong? Father, Forgive Me reviews "Letting out a jaded sigh, he closed his eyes so tight they burned and breathed deeply. This was to be no routine house call, no pleasant social nicety. He hadn't graced that doorstep in…many, many years. The first to forgive is the happiest.
The first to forget is the strongest. But can it be done? The Calamity of Caring reviews Captain Raymond Holt had happily spent his entire working life as an efficiently emotionless emperor. But then life decided to throw one Detective Jake Peralta across his path. Desperately, he tries to deny any feelings towards his incorrigible underling.
But when Jake's job is put on the line, all bets are off. Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Rated: Not in my Name reviews Boundaries are blurred when Gibbs goes out of town, leaving Ducky to keep a distant eye on his team. Secreta Mysteria reviews "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. Requiem for a Dream reviews When a piece of Gibbs' past becomes his compulsive present, he forgets that he has a team, a family. With a potentially catastrophic fallout. Ducky, his oldest and most trusted friend, wants to know why. And he's going to find out, one way or the other.
Patris et Filia reviews Tough as they come she may be, but every girl needs her father and Ziva David is no exception. But when blood is nowhere near as thick as water, it is not Eli David she clings to. Rookie Rebellion reviews Mike knows how to push Harvey's buttons, but usually knows how hard to press.
More importantly, he knows when not to press. But even geniuses forget the most basic of things at times. Country Roads reviews "I have had it up to my back teeth listening to you two children bickering for the last hundred miles. If I hear one more word… I am going to stop this car again and you will not like it. This is your final warning. I have had it. Last chance, one more word…and you're both for it. When a Stranger Calls reviews It should have been just another day at the office, but when Admiral McGee turns up it becomes anything but.
Sparks fly and years of hurt, rejection and angst roll all the way out. McGee is thrown, angry and confused, but he's not alone anymore. Gibbs is far from far away.
Car Trouble reviews Tony and Tim's day goes from bad to worse when a little vehicular misfortune comes into play. His expensive suit creased under the jerkiness of his irate movements. Forbidden Love reviews The course of true love never did run smoothly but forbidden love is trickier still. When Gibbs strictly prohibits Tony's romantic interest in Agent Barrett, things quickly sprial out of all control. Mum's the Word reviews "Abby's eyes were a molten mess, her pale cheeks were ruddy with sorrow and all in all, she was borderline unrecognisable.
Ziva, for the first time in her life, felt utterly out of her depth. She was ill equipped to handle a sobbing and inconsolable Abby Sciuto. Written for NcisLover17's birthday! Like reasoned and reasonable adults? Eying the bartering genius like a lion stalking his prey, Agent Burke didn't answer. Familia Primum reviews "Past heroism is no excuse for present misconduct.
And he remained pleased for another split second as he entered his team's area, and then, all the peace vanished. His eyes grew wide as he scanned the room, his military staunchness dissipating as his mouth fell open.
The BBQ reviews Gibbs doesn't like birthday parties. Makeover Malady reviews "Her hair was no longer curly and wild; it was straight and sleek, hanging down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were no longer natural and unmarked; they were now adorned with a streak of something here and a streak of something there. She was paler and yet more rosy than ever before. Of Attitudes and Adjustments reviews Gibbs has always valued and selected agents who know their own minds. He expects nothing but the best, and encourages his people to use their own initiative.
But he also expects them to follow orders, especially orders that are designed to keep them safe. What happens when one agent confuses orders for requests, and initiative for insubordination? Of Elephants and Explanations reviews Reid's demons come out to play on a nail biting case, putting his life needlessly on the line in the process. Hotch, although understanding, is far from impressed. AWOL reviews "Gibbs closed his eyes slowly.
He was rapidly being filled with the all too familiar rage that DiNozzo Senior engendered in him. In many ways, with Tim being younger and slightly more…emotionally attuned than Tony, Admiral McGee made him even angrier. But things are far from black and white. Side Effects reviews "Suddenly, he didn't mind the fact that his second in command was dozing in his arms in the same way he had once held Kelly.
He didn't mind the fact that his arm was comfortably around his waist. He didn't mind pushing the hair back out of his eyes. Gibbs stumbles unknowingly across Dr Cloda O'Brien on a routine case. The connection that forges between them is all consuming. What happens when secrets become knowledge? When lust turns to love?
Waxing and Waning reviews Good grooming is an essential facet of the modern man. Timothy McGee soon realises however that there really can be too much of a good thing. He needs help and he knows just who to call, but some things can never be kept purely in-house. Lotions and Potions reviews Science is an art, but it is an exact art.
It is a refined and cultivated art. Tony and Tim learn that lesson the hard way and realise that their talents are better placed elsewhere. Hello, Goodbye reviews "If you were going to go, you should have stayed gone Boss. You shouldn't play with people like that. We're not your personal entourage that you can pick up and toss back down when you're bored.
Tony intends to remind Gibbs of that, before it's too late. General tag to "Hiatus" and general aftermath. Take the Flag reviews "Tony swallowed the burning lump in his throat as he battled ferociously to keep it together, his only comfort being that in death, Gibbs would finally be with the wife and daughter he so desperately yearned for in life. It was much more than a mug. It was an extension of Peter Burke's entire being.
And now, it lay in smithereens on the floor. The ultimate vandalism has taken place right under Agent Burke's nose, and he is not happy. Dog Days are Over reviews They might not be in Corps, but Gibbs' team know better than to ever leave a man behind. Tag to Dog Tags.
But with a suspected former Petty Officer burglarising New York, the White Collar division has no choice but to call upon the cavalry. That mean's he hears things, lots of things. Some of these things are true, some of them not so true. Context is a fickle mistress and Neal soon finds himself endowed with knowledge he's not sure he ever wanted. Information can drive a guy crazy, especially the wrong kind. Those closest to him know that to be a falsehood, but only just.
When the pain of the past catches up with the silver fox, he seeks solace in the home of another. The accommodations are no burden, but the transport is wildly problematic. Can Tony boss the boss man? From an open jar, Mr Gruer flecked droplets onto each letter. Vouchsafe your generation and the cult of the individual. As he bullied his wheels across the wide wooden floor of the study, he smashed his elbow against the door frame. He wheeled backwards too hard, kicked his feet and the ceiling tipped. Now there was a wall in front of him and the floor cold against his cheek.
He yelled for aid, and heard his own voice unsettling the dust. He noticed through his wet eyes that the skirting board needed varnishing. His war shells, precious, precious, resting on the bottom shelf, gleamed at him. Mr Wolf waddled over to him, gold tags rattling, and licked his tears. The ceiling was far away. He watched the piss-puddle creep across the floor. His white nostrils flickered and his eyes watered. The helper found his boss lying on his side, pinning his own arm.
Once righted, Fraser Gruer demanded to be wheeled outside so that his sticky legs could dry in the sun. He held onto the envelope a little too long, and then released it. Popsicle crossed the floor in one stride and swatted her ear with an envelope. The letter was signed by the Competition Man himself. The news knocked on her brain door for ages before she let it enter. It said Zara had constructed a chilling tale told from the point of view of a little girl with domestic malaise, escaping to a fantasy world—clearly an homage to Alice In Wonderland , mixed with Dickensian references, a little Dahl, McEwan and Sendak.
It says I got five hundred bob! Can I keep it? Popsicle wiped his glasses clean and read the letter like it was a zero edition. You owned that competition, they kept saying, You go girl! Between morning play and lunch, they became BFFs. They weaved friendship bracelets with flax and strands of her hair. She would buy them stuff forever! The tuck shop change came in gold coins and it made her skirt heavy.
It was the best day of her whole entire life, even better than the day she got the turtle. And the next days kept getting better. The more money she gave out, the better everything got. She kept wondering if it was a dream, how Popsicle had come into her room when only the stars were awake and given her a tickle-kiss and whispered in her ear how she should make the most of the five hundred. It was probly just a dream. Mr Gruer drafted a letter in his brain while the helper drove him back from the Small Claims Court. The neighbours arrived home at the same time.
Mr Gruer would need some extra dosh for the dispute regarding the thorny hedge, as his legal aid grant was running shallow. He needed his prize money back. Where had the blighter got to? Probably fondling first editions which he had no right to. Some helper, he was. He wheeled excitedly into his study, blood full of urine, head full of caustic words, pausing briefly to stroke the spines of his first editions.
He drew up a letter to that Zara woman, politely requesting the urgent return of his prize money. Then he screwed up that letter and wrote a more deserving one. He called the woman a Nothing, a Nobody, a Nadir. He then drew up another letter, more civil, more likely to yield the return of his money. In his restrained letter, he reminded the prize-thief that her use of the voice of a ten-year-old girl had been done by Twain, Harper Lee, not to mention O.
Henry; essentially it had been a mistake to make her feel worthy of recognition. He was hereby giving her notice that he was considering litigation to recover the prize money. He took a gulp of gin, grimaced, sealed the envelope, pushed the letter away and closed his eyes to calm himself in the pond of history.
I might not have lost it after all. Sibling Squabbles by Credo-Spero-Fides reviews 9th in series! This was a mostly terrible book. Pump and Dump reviews A torrid Thailand trek takes an excruciatingly embarrasing turn for one Christian Trevelyan-Grey. Sure he had to deal with the usual infractions of the team, but despite the old Gibbs being back visually at least, there was still something different.
He was under the nosy sun, which baked his skin to leather, as he approached Singapore on the bow of a frigate scabbed with guano. He was tossing rare books into the sea, to drown with the jellyfish, rather than have Customs confiscate them. Those ingrates should have appreciated that it had been generous of him to enlist, considering his Condition. It was essential that he thanklessly serve his country. He felt the books condense in the pressurised depths, their value compressed infinitesimally, into priceless nothingness.
If two copies of a text are worth a lot, and just one copy is worth more than that, then zero copies can only be worth—. Then, eyes open, feeling redeemed, Mr Gruer fetched the telephone. When Popsicle biked up the driveway, midges spattering on his glasses, Zara was on the porch holding a letter in her hands, glowing white.
It looked like bees had stung her eyelids. Popsicle wheeled his bike to the garage and took a deep suck on his inhaler. He adjusted his glasses then read the letter standing up real straight, shaking the letter like it was biting him. He wants me to send him back the money. Popsicle put his hand on the back of his neck and stared upwards. He licked his thumb, pulled a coin bag from his pocket and handed it to Zara.
She snorted runny bogies back up her nose. There anything else I need to know before I ring, hmm? Zara hid behind a curtain as her Popsicle rang Mr Gruer. The curtain was a shell. From the way Popsicle held the phone away from his ear and squinted, it sounded more like the man had rung Popsicle, instead of Popsicle ringing the man. Thank you for your time, sir. Before first period, the girls crowded her and hit her sides like bumper cars.
They asked what she got up to after school yesterday afternoon—True, girlfriend? They plaited her hair. He wanted to capture those varied perspectives. There is no glossary, of course.
Reading along without knowing what the acronyms mean has a confusing and disorienting effect that adds to the sense of overwhelming fear and danger. Klay is a master at conveying situation and character through dialogue and idiosyncratic points of view. These soldiers are strangers in an utterly baffling land. They are ciphers to an American public tragically disengaged from the war being conducted by their own country.
I, myself, do not know a single Iraq or Afghanistan war veteran. There have been a number of interesting interviews with Klay, especially since he won the National Book Award. Terry is adept at asking the hard questions, and Phil Klay is an intense, thoughtful man, a Catholic who attended Jesuit schools. As any good writer does, he lets character and situation tell the stories, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.
That did not sit well with Klay. He in fact wanted very much for his friends and American civilians to imagine and understand, which is one of the reasons he wrote the stories. Redeployment is not comfortable or comforting reading, but necessary if we civilians want to pay attention. Prayer of a military chaplain in Iraq: I knew He would not. I asked Him to bring abuses to light. I asked him, finally, for grace. When I turned back to the Divine Office, I read the words with empty disengagement. Great sheets of violet, amber and pale green rose from the distances.
Shapes like the head of a falcon, a scarf and a wing rippled above the mountains. They sat in the truck cab, the heater blowing on their knees. Behind the aurora the Milky Way burned. One reviewer said about this collection: The snow was really coming down this afternoon. I bought some juniper boughs, white button mums, a ruby-red poinsettia. And a meat loaf for supper. The snow was still falling when I left. Say we need to clean a shelf. If we spend the hour before the shelf-cleaning talking down the process of cleaning the shelf, complaining about it, dreading it, investigating the moral niceties of cleaning the shelf, whatever, then what happens is, we make the process of cleaning the shelf more difficult than it really is.
So the point of this memo is: Before he became a highly praised short story writer, Saunders lived here in Rochester, where he was a contract worker for Kodak and a technical writer for a local consulting firm. He writes about the workplace in a liberating, irreverent and hilarious way. You can listen to the full interview with Saunders at the link further down in this post. Working for a prestigious publisher in a Manhattan skyscraper was glamorous but, on the other hand, her salary was tiny, and many employees were exploited.
Start listening at the minute mark unless you want to hear the program host brag about how Brooklyn is now the literary capital of America. Let me tell you something, something about this country. Anybody can do anything…. You start out in a dangerous crap hole. So you can someday move up to a somewhat less dangerous crap hole. And finally maybe you get a mansion. I love angel hair fern.
Barry Lopez speaking in Rochester in Here is some book spine poetry to celebrate National Poetry Month. This is in memory of my brother. His birthday is April 5. American dream , American fiction , American life , book reviews , domestic fiction , families , Lauren Acampora , literature , suburbia , suburbs , The Wonder Garden , upper class life 7 Comments. I loved the aging artist and his wife who transcend themselves to make one last work of art.
I recognize this ritual of the children leaving home after a holiday visit: I love the final image in this passage, where we see Old Cranbury from the perspective of a young person who grew up there: Here is a video that features Lauren Acampora and her husband: