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Merissa (12058 KP) rated Walk With Me (Home #7) in Books
Oct 18, 2023
Walk With Me is the last book in the Home series, and we finish with Eli and Seth. Eli has wanted Seth ever since he first laid eyes on him at the tender age of 11. Seth didn't have much to do with Eli then, and only really comes into frequent contact with him when he becomes an associate Rabbi, working with Eli's dad.
These two have an insta-love AND slow-burn romance, and it was perfect for them. I loved how Eli decided he would sooner have Seth's friendship than lose him. This is a funny book, with some absolutely hilarious weddings! Poor Seth is all I can say. Throughout all the capers and calamities that occur, Eli is there for Seth, and vice versa.
As I would expect from a Cardeno C. book, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, with a rich and detailed storyline that was backed up by fully fleshed-out characters with their own quirks.
Sad to see this series end, but at least I can now re-read them all. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2018
These two have an insta-love AND slow-burn romance, and it was perfect for them. I loved how Eli decided he would sooner have Seth's friendship than lose him. This is a funny book, with some absolutely hilarious weddings! Poor Seth is all I can say. Throughout all the capers and calamities that occur, Eli is there for Seth, and vice versa.
As I would expect from a Cardeno C. book, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, with a rich and detailed storyline that was backed up by fully fleshed-out characters with their own quirks.
Sad to see this series end, but at least I can now re-read them all. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2018
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated BlacKkKlansman (2018) in Movies
Aug 20, 2018
The first real Oscar contender of 2018
The first shot of the 2018 Oscar race has been fired and it is Spike Lee's BLACKkKLANSMAN. If you are an "Oscar completest" I highly recommend you check this film out as you will be hearing it's name called (probably many times) when the Oscar nominations are revealed.
But...is it a good film?
For the most part, yes.
Based on the incredible true story of Colorado Springs undercover office, Ron Stallworth, an African-American, who was able to infiltrate the KKK via the phone. He then needs a surrogate to keep the subterfuge up in face to face meetings.
In playing Stallworth, relative newcomer John David Washington (son of Denzel) shows that he has inherited at least some of his famous father's acting chops. His portrayal of Washington shows a conflicted man, determined to do his job while juggling his feelings and responsibilities of being a black man in early 1970's America.
Laura Harrier (Liz in SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING) matches Washington beat for beat as Black activist - and potential love interest - Patrice Dumas who has razor-sharp focus on changing the plight of African Americans and drives Stallworth to thinking about more than just his job.
Other strong performances comes from Topher Grace (as KKK Head David Duke), Robert John Burke as Chief Bridges and Corey Hawkins in an extended cameo as Kwame Ture (aka 1960's Black Activist Stokely Carmichael). I really liked the passion and furvor Hawkins brought to this part.
But...the standout performance in this film comes from Adam Driver as the "white face" of Ron Stallworth to the KKK. He portrays Flip Zimmerman who has been constantly denying his Jewish heritage to pass as a WASP in this world and when he comes face to face with race hatred, he must confront his own inner feelings towards his own past. This is another strong performance by Driver (who is much, much more than just Kylo Ren) and I expect to hear his name called when Oscar nominations are announced.
But...good acting aside...this is a Spike Lee "joint" in all the ways (good and bad) that Spike Lee directs his films. There is a cleanliness in the way he drives the narrative never losing focus on what the main theme of the proceedings needs to be. He paints interesting pictures on the screen and crafts a strong, message picture that should be seen by all.
But...he does have a tendency to overplay his hand, hitting the audience over the head over and over again with his themes to the point of me wanting to say to the screen "all right already, I get it!". This knocks the film down just a hair.
But...that is the price of admission for a very good Spike Lee film, one that I highly recommend you see.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
But...is it a good film?
For the most part, yes.
Based on the incredible true story of Colorado Springs undercover office, Ron Stallworth, an African-American, who was able to infiltrate the KKK via the phone. He then needs a surrogate to keep the subterfuge up in face to face meetings.
In playing Stallworth, relative newcomer John David Washington (son of Denzel) shows that he has inherited at least some of his famous father's acting chops. His portrayal of Washington shows a conflicted man, determined to do his job while juggling his feelings and responsibilities of being a black man in early 1970's America.
Laura Harrier (Liz in SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING) matches Washington beat for beat as Black activist - and potential love interest - Patrice Dumas who has razor-sharp focus on changing the plight of African Americans and drives Stallworth to thinking about more than just his job.
Other strong performances comes from Topher Grace (as KKK Head David Duke), Robert John Burke as Chief Bridges and Corey Hawkins in an extended cameo as Kwame Ture (aka 1960's Black Activist Stokely Carmichael). I really liked the passion and furvor Hawkins brought to this part.
But...the standout performance in this film comes from Adam Driver as the "white face" of Ron Stallworth to the KKK. He portrays Flip Zimmerman who has been constantly denying his Jewish heritage to pass as a WASP in this world and when he comes face to face with race hatred, he must confront his own inner feelings towards his own past. This is another strong performance by Driver (who is much, much more than just Kylo Ren) and I expect to hear his name called when Oscar nominations are announced.
But...good acting aside...this is a Spike Lee "joint" in all the ways (good and bad) that Spike Lee directs his films. There is a cleanliness in the way he drives the narrative never losing focus on what the main theme of the proceedings needs to be. He paints interesting pictures on the screen and crafts a strong, message picture that should be seen by all.
But...he does have a tendency to overplay his hand, hitting the audience over the head over and over again with his themes to the point of me wanting to say to the screen "all right already, I get it!". This knocks the film down just a hair.
But...that is the price of admission for a very good Spike Lee film, one that I highly recommend you see.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Vampyr in Video Games
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Atrocious Combat (3 more)
Piss-poor Voice Acting
Shabby Graphics
Soooooooo Boring
One Of The Worst Games Of The Generation
When I picked up Vampyr, I really wanted to like it. This was one of those underdog games that come out a couple of times per generation. When it was first announced and shown, it was met with groans and cringes, then when it released back in June it was received surprisingly fairly well, getting 6's and 7's across various websites.
I eventually got around to picking it up a couple of weekends ago. For the life of me, I do not understand what the reviewers that scored this game a 6 or a 7 were thinking. This game is utter garbage.
In previous things that I've written, I've spoken about the bar consistently being raised in modern gaming and how there is no longer any place for sub par mediocrity in the landscape any more. Well, this is a prime example of a game that does not belong in 2018, It would even have been dated if it had dropped in 2008. Frankly, it doesn't belong in this generation. I have played PS2 and even PS1 games with better gameplay than this trash.
When I first booted up the game, it was pretty slow to start. It seemed pretty dialogue heavy, yet the voice acting was pretty poor. I powered through it, telling myself that there are other games that start off slow and awkward and end up being great once you get stuck in. Then I was introduced to the combat. My God. I genuinely couldn't believe how stiff and awkward and dated it felt. It is so easy and monotonous as well, to the point that any fun drains almost instantly. I can confidently say that it is by far the worst combat I have experienced out of any game I have played in 2018.
The gimmick that the game's marketing seemed to be pushing leading up to it's release, was that every character in the game is important and has an extensive backstory, from main characters to randomers on the street. My question is; why should I give a shit? The vast majority of these characters have nothing important or relevant to say and the vocal performances are so dire, you find yourself button mashing the square button to skip through all of the required dialogue that you are forced to sit through.
The plan was to fly through Vampyr this week and be finished for when Red Dead Redemption 2 is released on Friday. Two and a bit hours into Vampyr, I decided that it wasn't even worth doing that and life is too short.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this game is how much Dontnod Entertainment managed to fuck up a fairly interesting premise. Do yourself a favour and avoid this game like the plague. The only reason that it isn't getting a 1 is because The Amazing Spiderman 2 also came out this generation.
I eventually got around to picking it up a couple of weekends ago. For the life of me, I do not understand what the reviewers that scored this game a 6 or a 7 were thinking. This game is utter garbage.
In previous things that I've written, I've spoken about the bar consistently being raised in modern gaming and how there is no longer any place for sub par mediocrity in the landscape any more. Well, this is a prime example of a game that does not belong in 2018, It would even have been dated if it had dropped in 2008. Frankly, it doesn't belong in this generation. I have played PS2 and even PS1 games with better gameplay than this trash.
When I first booted up the game, it was pretty slow to start. It seemed pretty dialogue heavy, yet the voice acting was pretty poor. I powered through it, telling myself that there are other games that start off slow and awkward and end up being great once you get stuck in. Then I was introduced to the combat. My God. I genuinely couldn't believe how stiff and awkward and dated it felt. It is so easy and monotonous as well, to the point that any fun drains almost instantly. I can confidently say that it is by far the worst combat I have experienced out of any game I have played in 2018.
The gimmick that the game's marketing seemed to be pushing leading up to it's release, was that every character in the game is important and has an extensive backstory, from main characters to randomers on the street. My question is; why should I give a shit? The vast majority of these characters have nothing important or relevant to say and the vocal performances are so dire, you find yourself button mashing the square button to skip through all of the required dialogue that you are forced to sit through.
The plan was to fly through Vampyr this week and be finished for when Red Dead Redemption 2 is released on Friday. Two and a bit hours into Vampyr, I decided that it wasn't even worth doing that and life is too short.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this game is how much Dontnod Entertainment managed to fuck up a fairly interesting premise. Do yourself a favour and avoid this game like the plague. The only reason that it isn't getting a 1 is because The Amazing Spiderman 2 also came out this generation.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Tall Man in Books
May 22, 2019
They went looking for a story. What they found was a nightmare.
It started as nothing, just a scary story passed around between schoolchildren. But for Sadie and her friends, the rumours soon became an unhealthy obsession - and the darkness all too real.
Years later, Sadie's teenage daughter Amber has been charged with murder, and her trial shocks the world. How could such a young girl commit such a terrible crime?
It seems the secrets of Sadie's past have come back to haunt her daughter. And the terrifying truth of what happened all those years ago is finally about to come out . . .
The heart of the novel is the urban legend about the Tall Man who comes from the shadows to take daughters away.
There are three timelines: 1990 where three young girls make a pact with a scary man who loves in the woods, 2000 where a young, new mother disappears leaving behind her baby daughter and confused partner and 2018 where a teenage girl adjusts to life with her mother back in her life. The thing that connects them all is the scary man who lives in the woods.
This is a novel about what lurks in the shadows, and what are shadows if not shades of grey?
I thought this was a brilliant thriller.
Gripping with great characters and psychological suspense.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
It started as nothing, just a scary story passed around between schoolchildren. But for Sadie and her friends, the rumours soon became an unhealthy obsession - and the darkness all too real.
Years later, Sadie's teenage daughter Amber has been charged with murder, and her trial shocks the world. How could such a young girl commit such a terrible crime?
It seems the secrets of Sadie's past have come back to haunt her daughter. And the terrifying truth of what happened all those years ago is finally about to come out . . .
The heart of the novel is the urban legend about the Tall Man who comes from the shadows to take daughters away.
There are three timelines: 1990 where three young girls make a pact with a scary man who loves in the woods, 2000 where a young, new mother disappears leaving behind her baby daughter and confused partner and 2018 where a teenage girl adjusts to life with her mother back in her life. The thing that connects them all is the scary man who lives in the woods.
This is a novel about what lurks in the shadows, and what are shadows if not shades of grey?
I thought this was a brilliant thriller.
Gripping with great characters and psychological suspense.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jan 18, 2018
Frances McDormand (2 more)
Sam Rockwell
Comedy
Darkly funny and depressing
I went into this film with a lot of preconceptions, having seen earlier reviews and loved Martin McDonagh’s previous films. I’m not entirely sure for me that it quite lived up to the hype.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really don’t rate. I know she’s Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
I’ll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films I’ll see in 2018, impressive as it’s only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really don’t rate. I know she’s Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
I’ll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films I’ll see in 2018, impressive as it’s only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Merissa (12058 KP) rated Reason (The Dreughan #2) in Books
Nov 6, 2018
Reason (The Dreughan #2) by Lena North
Reason is the second book in the Dreughan series, and this time it is Sannah who is the main character. This follows on from Courage and should definitely be read as part of the series, rather than a standalone.
She has said she doesn't want Kee, but we all know she is lying. Through this book, we learn just why she lied, plus how they overcome that and become the happy couple we want them to be. Although this is Sannah's book, and she tells a magnificent story, I will admit to holding Valerian in my heart! He played a part in Vilda's story, and certainly plays a part here. He is kind and considerate, whilst also being firm when needed. He is the General after all.
Vilda and Drake are still going strong, and I love the jokes that happen between this close-knit family by bond.
Once again, I will say there were a couple of errors in this book. But as before, the writing was so good I am more than happy to overlook those as they definitely didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
I am going straight into Joy. I am LOVING this series, with its amazing characters and world building that is good enough for the reader to see, and can't recommend it highly enough. Absolutely fantastic.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
She has said she doesn't want Kee, but we all know she is lying. Through this book, we learn just why she lied, plus how they overcome that and become the happy couple we want them to be. Although this is Sannah's book, and she tells a magnificent story, I will admit to holding Valerian in my heart! He played a part in Vilda's story, and certainly plays a part here. He is kind and considerate, whilst also being firm when needed. He is the General after all.
Vilda and Drake are still going strong, and I love the jokes that happen between this close-knit family by bond.
Once again, I will say there were a couple of errors in this book. But as before, the writing was so good I am more than happy to overlook those as they definitely didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
I am going straight into Joy. I am LOVING this series, with its amazing characters and world building that is good enough for the reader to see, and can't recommend it highly enough. Absolutely fantastic.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Recursion in Books
Jul 8, 2019
Wow! A well-thought-out and well-executed story with great writing. Just wow!
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
I write 200-word reviews. They are exactly 200 words. For Blake Crouch's Recursion, my review could be just writing the word "wow" 198 times and to end it with "read this!".
I rarely rate a book 5 stars. They have to be extraordinary, either extraordinarily written or be an extraordinary story. This was both. I also usually write my reviews soon after finishing a book but I needed time to decompress and process this story.
I was a Psychology major and had several people close to me suffer from Alzheimer’s so I am fascinated by memory. In Recursion, in 2007, a scientist works to create technology to preserve our memories to help her mother who has Alzheimer’s. In 2018, people suffer from False Memory Syndrome, an affliction that drives people mad with memories of living an entirely different life, a life they never lived.
Recursion asks, "what if you could go back through your memories and “fix” them? Change events in order to protect children, countries, civilizations." Would you?
I have wanted to read Blake Crouch for more than a decade but did not get around to it. I am annoyed I did not read him sooner.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/2/19.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
I write 200-word reviews. They are exactly 200 words. For Blake Crouch's Recursion, my review could be just writing the word "wow" 198 times and to end it with "read this!".
I rarely rate a book 5 stars. They have to be extraordinary, either extraordinarily written or be an extraordinary story. This was both. I also usually write my reviews soon after finishing a book but I needed time to decompress and process this story.
I was a Psychology major and had several people close to me suffer from Alzheimer’s so I am fascinated by memory. In Recursion, in 2007, a scientist works to create technology to preserve our memories to help her mother who has Alzheimer’s. In 2018, people suffer from False Memory Syndrome, an affliction that drives people mad with memories of living an entirely different life, a life they never lived.
Recursion asks, "what if you could go back through your memories and “fix” them? Change events in order to protect children, countries, civilizations." Would you?
I have wanted to read Blake Crouch for more than a decade but did not get around to it. I am annoyed I did not read him sooner.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/2/19.
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