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(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


Okay, so I'm addicted to blog book comps. That's no secret. When I came across a blog giving away a copy of a book entitled A Girl Named Willow Krimble, I was intrigued by the whole synopsis. It sounded super cool, and I definitely was not disappointed one bit after reading this book.

Willow Krimble is a 13 year old girl with a big heart. She tries to see the best in everyone and tries to help out in whatever she can. One day, when a neighbor falls ill, Willow realizes that she's got the unique ability to heal others. Not knowing where these powers came from, Willow must keep her ability from others lest they think she is crazy.

I love the simplicity of the title. The book is about exactly what it says in the title: A Girl Named Willow Krimble. Okay, I know it's not very original, but it definitely suits this book.

I love the cartoon style of the cover. I think a lot of middle graders would find this cover very appealing instead of just some photo of a random girl. The artwork on the cover is amazing even if Willow does appear to be older on the cover than just 13 years.

The world building is very much believable. Willow sees her world as I imagine a 13 year old girl would. The situations Willow found herself in seemed to be very real, and I had no problems imagining the scenes.

I thought the pacing in this novel was superb! Usually, when I read middle grade novels, I try to put myself in that sort of mind frame. However, as an adult, I still loved the pacing. Not one point in the book did I find myself becoming bored or wishing I hadn't started reading this book.

I loved all the characters and thought Mr. Biano did an excellent job bringing them to life. I loved the fact that Willow had a disability but didn't let that stop her. She had a big heart and wanted to share her happiness with the world. I found Razzel, Willow's best friend, to be quite the character. I loved her feistiness and the way she was very protective of Willow. Razzel was such a strong kick-butt character, and I fell in love with how funny and great she was. I'd say she was definitely my favorite character. Wyatt, Willow's older brother, made me chuckle a lot of the time as well. I love how he was constantly eating all the time...well, most of the time. Shayla was definitely an interesting character that I enjoyed. I won't go into too much detail though because I don't want to give anything away.

The dialogue between characters was fun to read. I loved the dialogue between Razzel and Willow the most though because of the chemistry between them. You could definitely tell how much they cared for each other. Do be aware that there are a couple of swear words but nothing major.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading A Girl Named Willow Krimble by Giuseppe Bianco. It is such a heartwarming read, and one I think everyone will enjoy. The only minor annoyance I had was most of the characters had such unusual names. But as I stated previously, that's just a minor thing that doesn't really take anything away from the book.

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ as it's such a lovely and warming read.

Overall, I'd give A Girl Named Willow Krimble (Willow Krimble #1) by Giuseppe Bianco a 4.75 out of 5.
  
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Frank Turner recommended First Four Years by Black Flag in Music (curated)

 
First Four Years by Black Flag
First Four Years by Black Flag
1983 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I was aware of who Black Flag were and I had heard people talking about them. I was in Exeter at a family funeral. I would have been about 14. I nipped out to a record store which was near to where the cathedral where the funeral was and I walked in as a nerdy little dickhead in my suit that I was wearing for the church service. The guy gave me a bit of a look and I asked him if he had anything by Black Flag and he pretty much fell off his chair. I loved that album to death. The beginning to Revenge is still the best start to any song written ever He sold me this album and I kind of knew I was looking for something that sounded like that at that point. It was becoming apparent to me that hardcore was the area of punk that I was particularly interested in. I loved that album to death. The beginning to Revenge is still the best start to any song written ever. I think about Black Flag a lot when I’m writing, in the sense of brevity is the soul of wit. Fix Me is my favourite Black Flag song and it's 42 seconds long. Every time I write a song that is longer than 42 seconds, which is all of my songs, there’s part of me that thinks I’m wasting my time or dawdling."

Source
  
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Erika (17789 KP) rated Tenet (2020) in Movies

Sep 2, 2020 (Updated Sep 5, 2020)  
Tenet (2020)
Tenet (2020)
2020 | Action
I saw this film, FINALLY; the first showing in IMAX on the 31st via 'Early Access'. It was completely amazing on IMAX and it definitely needs to be seen that way, since that was the film Nolan shot it on.

I was glad that a movie made me think and I gave all of my attention to it. Honestly, I was able to figure out a lot of it before it was revealed, but that wasn't a bad, Hint, whenever you think something is a weird continuity error, it's not, it's intentional. The in-camera effects (as Nolan calls it) were AMAZING, Only Nolan could convince a working airport to let him crash a real plane into a building. Directors should take note that practical effects will ALWAYS look better than CGI.

The cast was amazing, and John David Washington, holy cow does he have physical prowess. I love Robert Pattinson in almost everything, and I really liked his character.


I can't say at this point whether I absolutely loved it, or just like it. I had this same issue with Dunkirk, where I know I liked it, but not how much (BTW I loved it after the 2nd viewing). I've already booked my ticket to see Tenet again on Friday.


EDIT: I saw Tenet again, and now I know for sure, that I really liked it! I'm pretty sure Robert Pattinson is my favorite character in the whole film.
  
The Late Show (Renée Ballard, #1)
The Late Show (Renée Ballard, #1)
Michael Connelly | 2017 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not Sure the Character is New, but Story is Great
LAPD officer Renee Ballard has been demoted to working the overnight shift in the Hollywood division. She’s frustrated that she never gets to work a case to resolution in her current role. Until one night when a series of cases land in her lap. A woman reports a stolen wallet. A transgender individual is left for dead. A shooting incident happens at a bar. As Ballard gets involved in all these cases, can she solve them?

I remember when this book came out how far behind I was on the author’s books and thinking I’d never get to it. And yet here I am. I found that Ballard shared quite a bit with the author’s Harry Bosch character. I’m not saying I didn’t like her, but I felt like she was a bit too familiar. Maybe that will change when I see them together. And again, I did like getting to meet her here and am looking forward to seeing what else happens to her. The mystery was very compelling. I saw a few things coming early, but there were some great twists that took me by surprise as well. I also enjoyed the nod to the Bosch TV show, which I guess means it is time for me to start watching it. Do keep in mind this is a police procedural, so the content is stronger than in the cozies I often read. If you haven’t met Ballard yet, you’ll be happy you picked up this book.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated 26 Below in Books

Sep 13, 2024 (Updated Sep 13, 2024)  
26 Below
26 Below
Kimberley Woodhouse | 2023 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Darcie and Jason Stop a Villain Cold?
Darcie Phillips is thrilled to be leading the new Emergency Operations Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. On the team is Jason Myers, a cybersecurity expert. But they’ve just barely begun their jobs when a strange woman appears in town warning about something happening when the temperature drops to 26 below. Since winter is coming, that will be soon. Can Darcie and Jason figure out a way to deal with this crisis?

I was intrigued by this premise, so I decided to give this book a try. Unfortunately, I found this book uneven. There is more buildup than pay off, and some of that buildup gets swept under the rug. I did like Darci and Jason and find them compelling characters, although the rest of the team are fairly one note. This is a Christian novel, and I found that aspect refreshing and emotionally touching in ways I wasn’t expecting. I think this is more of a character study than a thriller, and I wasn’t expecting that. There are a couple of small timeline issues, made more obvious by the way each scene is headlined with date and time. But I had to laugh at how much of a cold weather wimp I am while reading how these characters felt about the weather in Alaska. I am still considering picking up the next book since I am intrigued by the threads left opened here. If you are looking for strong characters in a light thriller, you should consider picking this book up.
  
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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Fawkes in Books

Jan 2, 2019  
Fawkes
Fawkes
Nadine Brandes | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
10
9.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stunning masterpiece. Melding history and fantasy into an unforgettable story.

I can not get over just how much I have come to love this story! There is so much history in this story that I was shocked by how well the author was able to mingle such a rich fantasy aspect to the story as well.

This story has so much to captivate the imagination, magic, romance, battles, plots, alliances, and true history! Brandes has created such a world of Colors that makes me believe color speak is possible. I am so impressed I am in a sort of color-daze.

The bottom line, if you enjoy YA Fantasy you will fall in LOVE with this story. If you enjoy historical books but haven't been brave enough to give the fantasy genre a try yet...I have a feeling you will enjoy this one. So be brave, give it a try...You may just fall in love with a new author!

I received a complimentary copy of Fawkes from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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Faris Badwan recommended Accelerator by Royal Trux in Music (curated)

 
Accelerator by Royal Trux
Accelerator by Royal Trux
2012 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Royal Trux are a band I maybe got into four or five years ago. I think me liking them has a lot to do with just how good a guitar player Neil Hagerty is, but I like Royal Trux a lot more than any of the other bands he was in. It's just that feeling of when you're making music with the right person, a whole genre might evolve from it. They are completely unique and I think that he couldn't have done it without Jennifer Herrema - it could have only have ever been the two of them. That's what's so great about so many records I like... they often have a partnership of two people and their music couldn't have happened any other way. I feel The Horrors are like that a bit because we've seen so many bands come and go in the ten years since we've been a band. It feels like such a lottery whether a band stays together or not. But, on the other side of that, for us it feels like we could never actually break up. I guess that's an odd thing to say. That's about as optimistic as I get, probably."

Source
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated One of the Guys in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
OO
One of the Guys
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realize I had read Shiloh Walker before until I realized her name sounded familiar and did some research. Awhile back I read her story The Missing which is the first in her FBI Psychics series. I don’t remember much of that story and I didn’t write a review for it back then. I must have liked it though, since I rated it 4 stars.

It seems to be a theme since I enjoyed this story as well. I am also partial to friend-to-lovers stories. And boy are they steamy lovers. I have read multiple reviews that accuse of Walker of writing the same sex scenes over and over and that her writing lacks variety. I have only read one other of her novels and that was a while ago, so I can’t agree nor can I have the same complaint.

While I can say that nothing erotic shocks me, certain things just aren’t my tastes, i.e. anal play/sex, especially when the guy is an inconsiderate jerk about it. As someone who has a very considerate lover, but has been sexually abused before, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. I almost couldn’t finish the book. If you can get past that though, then this would be good read for you.
  
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Frecklesxoxo (6 KP) rated The Host in Books

Feb 27, 2019  
The Host
The Host
Stephenie Meyer | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.4 (43 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely loved this book, I read a lot and I have only ever cried once (The Green Mile) but Stephenie Meyer made me laugh, cry, get angry and annoyed.
The characters are relatable and complex and the plot is great and imagination that went into this is astounding.
I was reading a few comments about the book on here and it seems to me that most people seem not to like this book out of some preconceived opinion because they did not like the ending of Twilight.
I happened to love the ending of the Twilight saga, I think it fitted the story but even if I didn't you always start reading a new book with a fresh open mind.
If you start reading a book thinking i'm gonna hate it, then you will hate it.
I will be recommending this book :)