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Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
1968 | Action, Drama, Western

"Once Upon a Time in the West would come on the million-dollar movie. We had that once a week, I think, when everything was deployed on television. I had a [inaudible] television and I watched Once Upon a Time in the West, and I was blown away by the power in the stillness and silence of Charles Bronson as Harmonica, and I just thought the culmination of Morricone’s score with Leone’s gorgeous style, and then the showdown between Henry Fonda, who is outstanding as a bad guy, and Bronson was one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced in cinema, and it really made a big impact."

Source
  
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Baz Luhrmann recommended 8 1/2 (1963) in Movies (curated)

 
8 1/2 (1963)
8 1/2 (1963)
1963 | International, Comedy, Drama
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"It could be 8½. I mean, 8 ½ to me is such a great dissertation on the whole, you know, act if filmmaking and creativity. And you can probably link it with Stardust Memories, because I love the way that Woody [Allen] did a take on it as well. I mean, it’s a little bit of a self examination of the act of making a film. [Reels off another long list of films] Apu. That’d be my fifth, if I didn’t get a fifth one. Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy — I just love those films; the way he uses scenery to create close-ups and wides, and just the emotion of it."

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You Suck (A Love Story, #2)
You Suck (A Love Story, #2)
Christopher Moore | 2007 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Emperor of San Francisco (2 more)
easy read
witty
Abby can be a bit much for some people (0 more)
I enjoyed the second instalment of the love story series. Vampires aren't my favorite mythological being, that being said, this is a lot of fun. You do get a small introduction/cross over into A Dirty Job, An easy and fast read which I enjoy it's witty and there are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. I like most of the characters even Abby and I can see where people will hate her cause she's a bit much and if I tell you more I'd be spoiling things.
  
Twilight (Twilight, #1)
Twilight (Twilight, #1)
Stephenie Meyer | 2005 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
6.8 (160 Ratings)
Book Rating
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Supernatural.

Type: Book one (1) of the Twilight Saga

Audience/ Reading Level: 14+

Interests: Vampires, Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance, Action.

Point of View: Third Person

Promise: A love story between a pair of star-crossed lovers whose forbidden relationship ripens against the backdrop of small-town suspicion and a mysterious coven of vampires.

Insights: I did a buddy read for a reread through of Twilight with a good friend of mine and boy, am I glad I reread it! I’ve always loved The Twilight Saga. But rereading it as an adult, really made me appreciate it a bit more. Yes, there were some grammatical errors that took away from the surrounding text and there were some parts that I found a bit of a bore. All in all, I fell in love with the love story between Edward and Bella again and really grew to appreciate the Cullen’s as a family.

I was surprised that I had quite a few different favorite parts that weren’t my favorite parts before. And I’m tremendously surprised that some of the parts that I loved when I first read Twilight, were actually still my favorite parts. It goes to show that a novel can be appreciated many years later, even though your opinions and tastes change.

Favorite Quotes: “I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.”

“You don’t care if I’m a monster? If I’m not human?”

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him and I didn’t know how potent that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

“He looks at you like… like you’re something to eat.”

“No coffins, no piled skulls in the corners; I don’t even think we have cobwebs… what a disappointment this must be for you.”

“Could you believe that, despite everything I’ve put you through, I love you, too?”

What will you gain?: A love story with a bite!

Aesthetics: I’ve always loved the simple and minimalistic cover on Twilight. The story was also a very easy read to get into and I enjoyed the love story (and action!) that took place throughout the novel.

“You are only human after all.”
  
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Sam (74 KP) rated Hinch Yourself Happy in Books

Jun 21, 2019  
Hinch Yourself Happy
Hinch Yourself Happy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m one of those people who enjoy cleaning. I find it really therapeutic and love nothing more than getting the Zoflora out! Well, other than reading, that is. I didn’t even know about Mrs Hinch until a few months ago, but since I found out about her, I’ve loved keeping an eye on her insta!

Now, before reading this, I was far from being a major hincher. But I still loved trying out her tips around the house.

When I saw this book was coming out, I knew I wanted it, but it wasn’t a ‘omg I NEED it’, it was more of a ‘well that could be good’. So I didn’t preorder it and I also didn’t buy it as soon as it hit the shelves. Instead, I spotted it half price while I was at Sainsbury’s one Sunday, and decided to take the plunge.

Honestly, I loved it! There’s a lot in there about Mrs Hinch herself as well as plenty of cleaning tips! I didn’t even realise that I was halfway through until I put the book down for some food!

Now, a few weeks after reading the book, I’m going to admit it – I’m addicted to Hinching! Fair enough, I used to clean a lot before this book came into my life, but now I spend almost every day off work cleaning, and I love it.

The lists in Hinch Yourself Happy are so useful, and I’ve bought so many things she has recommended and fallen in love with them. I love that in the book, there’s recommendations on what to use, sorted by room and task. It turns the book into an easy reference point for anything cleaning related, and I’ve already gone back to it quite a few times to double check what I should be using.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone – whether you’re a clean freak like me, or if you tend to shy away from cleaning. There’s plenty in here to learn from, for anyone.
  
Who Fears Death
Who Fears Death
Nnedi Okorafor | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I liked Nnedi Okorafor's work on Marvel's SHURI, plus her themes fit in with some of the recent "LeVar Burton Reads" podcasts that I have enjoyed. Needless to say, I thought I would give this a shot, as it comes with numerous positive reviews.

While I enjoyed the world-building and the characters presented, I began to lose some interest about 45% into the book. I felt Onyesonwu's set-up, and subsequent chapters leading to where I stopped, felt like a car ride: I enjoyed the view, I enjoyed the companions on the ride, but I wanted to be at the destination already.

I think Ms. Okorafor is very talented. Her depiction of Africa felt like I was truly there, as if I could feel it. The backstory of the rape and genocide, clearly taken from what was barely a blip on the radar of American news broadcasts, was eye-opening, it helped to illustrate what it must have been like. For these two aspects of the book, I was quite impressed.

Unfortunately, the journey began to feel too long, and I had to "pull the car over". I may revisit it at a later date, but for now, I must take my leave it.

That said, I will give other works by Ms. Okorafor a try for sure.
  
Nineteen Minutes
Nineteen Minutes
Jodi Picoult | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I know a lot of people call Picoult formulaic, but I can't help it -- call me a fan of the formula. This book is reminiscent of such Picoult classics as <i>The Pact</i> and <i>Salem Falls</i> in that it features a classic courtroom drama with a big surprise at the end.

And sure, maybe you can guess the surprise, maybe you know what's coming, but, to me, it doesn't stop the joy of reading along to find out whether you're right or not. I couldn't put this one down.

Story centers around a small town high school -- a student regularly bullied and victimized by his peers brings a gun to school and kills and injures a number of his classmates. The story is told from a variety of perspectives, including the shooter, his mother, the town judge, the judge's daughter (a high school student), and the detective on the case. Picoult does a find job of weaving all their stories together as the book comes to its inevitable shocking conclusion.
  
Pokémon: Let&#039;s Go, Pikachu!
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
2018 | Action, Action/Adventure, Fighting
Overworld Pokemon (0 more)
Only Kanto region and dex (0 more)
This was a great game, though I wish it had a full pokedex and other regions to explore since this is the fifth time we've seen Kanto (including going back to Kanto in g/s/c/hg/ss). The catching mechanic was a little weird at first, but I grew to enjoy it quite a bit. I love the pokemon being seen in the overworld, and I thought the art style was very cute. All this good being said, the game was short. I finished the story in about ten hours, and the pokedex in about 20 (but the longer times were because I was spending a lot more time catching things than I really needed to in the hopes of finding a shiny pokemon). After completing the pokedex I feel very little need to pick the game back up again, which is unfortunate. For what it was though, ot was a very good experience.
  
milk and honey
milk and honey
Rupi Kaur | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.1 (27 Ratings)
Book Rating
Heavy Subjects
I had a lot of of fun with this book. I've never been one that's into poetry. I have nothing against it, but I never gravitate towards it. I found Milk and Honey through a lot of posts on the internet. Snippets of the book are constantly on Pinterest and Instagram. When I loved some of those snips, I decided it was worth it to pick up the book. I ate through the book in one sitting. It had me happy. It had me hurting. It had me crying. It had me feeling strong. It's a really beautiful book. To me, it read very much like a story line. You could follow it from beginning to end. The note that it ends on it's really great. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who isn't necessarily a fan of poetry or isn't familiar with it. It feels like a good stepping stone into a modern take on poetry.