Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Liz Phair recommended The Great Gatsby in Books (curated)

 
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald | 1925 | Fiction & Poetry
7.3 (126 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"“Is there a better, cleaner, more streamlined, and quintessentially American tale? The scope and scale of Gatsby’s world draws me back again and again. I plant my flag in the hard soil of enduring and impossible love. The American Dream is a form of impossible love, is it not? You grasp at it, you claw your way toward it, you compromise yourself to ascend the steps of the temple, but the treasure inside is made of nothing—a silvery thread of faith, thought, and hope. Seize it and it will disintegrate in your palm. Gatsby is the most vivid and surprising romantic figurehead of our modern age: proof that the wanting IS the having. Fin.”"

Source
  
The Sign of Four
The Sign of Four
Arthur Conan Doyle | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.7 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
The second full-length Sherlock Holmes novel (after A Study in Scarlet), in which Arthur Conan Doyle further develops the character of Sherlock and Dr Watson, in particular bringing to attention the former's cocaine habit and his ability to be a master of disguise.

This time, the duo are investigation the strange affair of Mary Marston - whose father disappeared years ago - and her unknown benefactor; an affair which later proves to have ties to the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and four co-conspirators (hence 'The sign of THE four', as it was originally called who each lay claim to a treasure stolen during that mutiny.

Can definitely see the characters being developed; in particular that of Dr Watson.
  
Red Notice (2021)
Red Notice (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
6
7.3 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Wonder Woman.

Deadpool.

Black Adam.

All in the same movie; a wannabe twisty-turny crime thriller in which a framed FBI agent (played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) has to team up with his former notorious art thief target (Ryan Reynolds) to clear his name and to catch the new '#1 art thief in the world' thief aka The Bishop (Gal Gadot).

I found this to be reminiscent of the Nic Cage starring 'National Treasure' series, with the main characters all globe-trotting around the world in pursuit of the McGuffin, and with the interplay between Johnson and Reynolds raising a few laughs/raised eyebrows along the way.

In short: good, but not brilliant.
  
New history professor Jaya Jones is trying to process the death of her ex-boyfriend when she receives a package in the mail from him that contains a bracelet. It looks to be old and possibly valuable. Now, she’s wondering if he really died in an accident like everyone thinks or if it was murder. And what is the story of the bracelet?

While I always enjoy a cozy mystery, I love when an author adds something else, which is the case here. I was hoping for a caper feel to things, and this book delivered on that perfectly. Between the mystery and the treasure hunt, there is always something going on. Along the way, we get to meet a great cast of characters. I’ll definitely be back for more.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-artifact-by-gigi-pandian.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.