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The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)
The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)
Richelle Mead | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.4 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
Original Review posted at <a title="The Indigo Spell" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-the-indigo-spell-by-richelle-mead.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Owls

<i><b>Note:</b> Formatting is lost due to copy and paste</i>

     I'm developing a "bad" habit with making lists as reviews now... and have no clue why. Maybe it's the fact that it's usually concise and straight on? O_o

      I'll let you guys be the judge. Oh, and this won't be a listyish review.

      Well, I can't take us down memory lane, because unfortunately, despite the fact I recently did a skim-a-refresh-a-thon with both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series, I still don't remember half the things that happened in the prior books.

      The really unfortunate part is the fact I can't go do another one because I'm pretty much piled high on books. And this isn't the ever so famous TBR.

      But keep the tomatoes to yourself, fandom peeps. Really. I'm probably asking for mercy from my friend on a daily basis already (oh, and if the anonymous friend is reading this... well. Hi. Forgive me? :D?).

      That friend might also murder me for forgetting, which is why I'm asking for a spare of life... O_o

      So basically throughout the entire course of the book, I was practically wondering how in the world I didn't remember the little details for some books... but I do for others. And I was making a lot of ">_<." (I have Booknesia?! :o)

      The thing is, I'm extremely glad Sydney's taken some advice from a fifteen-year-old. And if my tiny fragments of memory will allow me to remember, Sydney's also changed quite a lot from the prior two books throughout the course of The Indigo Spell.

      I may have also been warned of a major cliffhanger. I was bracing myself for the last words.
      Pillow? Check. Music? Check. Book? Check-ity-check. And then I basically tucked myself in and braced for the "worst" that might get thrown at me.

      This might get a nice tomato thrown at me, but...

      It wasn't so major. I am totally eh about it.

      But do I still want to read the fourth book when it comes out?

      Why yes. Yes, I am.

      And I would love to have a callistana. I picture it as cute and adorable...
  
A Tábua de Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
A Tábua de Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
1974 | Pop
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This one is an old classic: it's my foundation. Each song is a wonder. Each song tells a story. What sums it up for me is that if I'm happy I put it on and I'm even happier; if I'm sad I put it on and it makes me much happier. It has the ability to lift my mood or enhance a good mood. There's a quality of light and darkness, this association which I find really powerful and very impactful on my soul. It's a record to laugh to and to cry to. There's so much beauty. I find the string arrangements so moving. It goes so far into my being when I listen to it. It's a very big favourite and as I say a foundation to everything that I love, that hybrid. That's what is so attractive in Brazilian music: the fusion of cultures creating a new thing. That's really fascinating. It was in 2009 I think that I went on a hunt for this record, and bought it. I'd only heard certain songs; someone put some songs on my iPod a number of years ago, and then one day I realised that they were all part of a full album, which I bought when I visited Brazil some years ago, the first time that I played Brazil solo. And of course with Stereolab we were already cultivating that bit of land before we knew that it had already been cultivated and had a name and an identity. It's just an attraction, and you can't really explain them. They're doing the same thing in different parts of the world, or sometimes some things become so strong they go through your DNA somehow and you have them in your blood and they're not to be contested: they're there. But for me music has been the transformational tool. I know I've listened to records and I was one type of person before listening and after I find myself being transformed. It's the same with going to certain gigs: I walked in as one person and I walked out a different person. And I love that about music. You can't touch it, it's just there. There's a bit of a mystery behind it that makes it even more powerful."

Source
  
TD
Two Dukes and a Lady
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A historical menage a trois involving childhood friends? Sign me up please! As soon as a I read the synopsis, I requested this book immediately. This is everything I wanted. Historical erotica is the best. Childhood friends to lovers is my weakness. Throw in a menage a trois and I am sold 100%.

And the novel didn’t disappoint. Overall, it was as erotic as it was romantic. I was a little annoyed at the characters, their actions/reactions to situations, and how they handled them. I mean, they haven’t seen this woman they loved for years, and the first time they do, they practically ravage her in the street after not contacting her in forever. It felt similar to reading a YA where the couple hasn’t quite figured out how to interact with their significant other as an adult.

Barring that, it was a great read. I wish I could find more novels similar to this mold (that aren’t garbage.)
  
Aspiring novelist Lena London has been given the change of a lifetime, helping her idol, best-selling author Camilla Graham, polish up her newest novel. But Lena has hardly arrived in town when she finds the dead body of a young man near Camilla’s house. What is going on?

There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this novel, and I must admit I enjoyed that real life fantasy. Camilla writes gothic novels, and there are elements of those here as an homage to the genre. Even though I’m not familiar with that genre, I still spotted a few; I probably missed others, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me. The characters are fun and the plot was strong. I did have some issues with the pacing at the end, but overall, I enjoyed this. It certainly left me anxious for the next one.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-dark-and-stormy-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Erika (17789 KP) rated The Shining (1980) in Movies

Nov 25, 2018 (Updated Nov 25, 2018)  
The Shining (1980)
The Shining (1980)
1980 | Horror
I just watched this film for the first time yesterday. I don't typically watch horror films/scary movies because I have an overactive imagination and don't need any other nightmare fuel.
I was finally convinced after a conversation with a co-worker when we were talking about how sometimes people just snap, and he emphasized how Jack Torrance's actions were completely fitting with a psychological break. I had also seen various references to the film, such as the extended scene in Ready Player One, and a South Park Halloween episode when Randy Marsh buys a Blockbuster and the same situation happens.
I wouldn't actually deem this as a straight-up horror film, it was definitely more of a psychological thriller. It was so well done (haven't read the book, nor will I ever, not a fan of Stephen King). The music fitting with the cinematography and creating the mood and overall tension in the film. It's definitely one of the best films I've watched as of late, and I'm glad I finally got around to it.
  
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Andy K (10826 KP) Nov 25, 2018

It is a masterpiece for sure. You should try and find documentary Room 237 which talks a lot about The Shining and how Kubrick filmed the fake moon landing.

Animal Kingdom (2010)
Animal Kingdom (2010)
2010 | International, Drama
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This movie is still my favorite movie of last year, and I think I have to name it because I just thought it was an extraordinary film and I still think about it a lot. I saw it in the theater and it really hit me like a ton of bricks. I think he’s a really extraordinary director, David Michôd. Ben Mendelsohn and Jackie Weaver — every single performance in that I was so impressed with, but in particular just the direction. That’s a director that I appreciate the sense that he allows his actors to just act and have these really quiet moments, and he really just created this world — the atmosphere of that movie was amazing. For a first film, too. The way that he was able to create a level of tension with actors not really saying much or doing much, it was just what he did with the camera. There are not a lot of films where you can just appreciate the camerawork and what a significant aspect of the whole film it is. It was perfectly curated."

Source
  
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Dances With Wolves (1990)
1990 | Action, Drama, Western
I had watched it when it was released, I was a little over 10 years old.... and I had already loved the movie. I must have watched it again a while later, but until today I had never seen it again. I took the extended edition of almost 4 hours to watch it on my London - São Paulo flight. The film remains strong, beautiful, powerful in its message even more today than in the 90s... especially for us Brazilians who see a government trying to decimate indigenous culture in our country. Charismatic characters, beautiful scenes, opening up a cruel reality of the human being that many try not to see, which is even stronger in a time of pandemic. The length of the film never bothered me, people today seem to be in a hurry to see a movie...
I used to be a weird kid, but I keep thinking about ten-year-olds these days watching this Fast and Furious shit that can't watch anything good. Dark times.
  
Family Business
Family Business
Jonathan Sims | 2022 | Horror, Paranormal
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have never read anything by Mr Sims before but I do like to dip into the horror genre on occasion however, this is what I would call more supernatural with a bit of horror thrown in rather than a full-blown horror but that's ok just like this was an ok read.

What I enjoyed: the characters were interesting and believable, the "monster" was something a bit different and the plot was pretty unique.

What let it down for me: it was a bit of a slow burn with not a lot happening for quite a lot of the book although there was an increasing sense of unease which built up from the start but it just seemed to take a long time to get there unfortunately.

Whilst I wouldn't say this was one of my favourites in this genre, I did like Mr Sim's writing style and I would be tempted to read his future books and I must give my thanks to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Family Business.
  
The Viking's Touch appears to be a sequel to an earlier book by the same author, but it can be read as a standalone novel - I know because I hadn't read the previous story!

My usual historical romances tend to tend to be set mainly in the Regency period, so this was a bit of a change for me. It took a little while to get into, but overall I thought it was a good story with strongly drawn characters. A bit more violent and bloodthirsty than your average Regency, I have to admit, but as a change I did enjoy it.

The protagonists, Anwyn and Wulfgar were both sympathetic characters, but carrying a great deal of emotional baggage from their pasts. Ignvar is maybe a character who is a bit too black to be real as he doesn't appear to have a single redeeming feature, but on the bright side you do feel like cheering when he finally gets his comeuppance, and this sort of book is really about making you feel good, so I guess that van't be a bad thing!
  
Well...I finished it but I didn't enjoy it. I found the collection of short stories to be very depressing and once I had finished each one I felt like I had missed the point completely. I just didn't understand them and I found the writing to be quite muddled. I can't decide if it's a case of 'it's not you, it's me', or 'no, it's definitely you...yeesh'.
I picked this up as I enjoyed 'The Woman in Black' but they just can't be compared.
For quite a short book this took me ages to read...it's great if you need help falling asleep though.