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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
1962 | Drama, History, War

"No list would be complete without Lawrence of Arabia. Again, I’m constantly looking at that film for its sheer bravado, magnificence, scale, scope, and having just shot [The Hurt Locker] in Jordan in the summer of 2007, I visited Wadi Rum, which is the desert in which they shot Lawrence of Arabia, just about two hours outside of Amman. And it’s in the middle of the desert, to which David Lean brought — and this is in the ’60s — arc lights, and a whole production. If you see this desert, first of all, it’s gorgeous, it’s beautiful. But it’s a very forbidding landscape, not one you would imagine would be very film friendly; these beautiful, magnificent, extraordinary kind of red rock buttes that rise out of this red sand… I think Lawrence of Arabia brought us to Jordan and made that the location of choice for The Hurt Locker."

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The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | 2020 | Crime, Mystery
6
8.1 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Books for review purposes

I love Richard Osman so I so wanted to love this book but truthfully, I struggled! I'm going to chock it up to the fact that I'm just not a mystery reader so that aspect didn't even keep me hooked. I guess this cosy mystery was just too cosy that I ended up drifting off to sleep more than once and if this wasn't an arc I would have seriously considered DNF-ing which I really didn't want to say! It picked up pace a lot by the halfway mark though and I actually found myself actually invested in the story and I did enjoy all the twists and turns that occurred and finding out just why everyone did what they did but I just didn't love it unfortunately!
  
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David McK (3562 KP) rated Captain America: Civil War (2016) in Movies

Aug 26, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2020)  
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
2016 | Action, Sci-Fi
Third of Marvel's Captain America movies, this is - IMO - better than The First Avenger, but not as good as The Winter Soldier.

Taking its cue from the graphic novel arc of the same name (although there may be some truth to the charge that this is more a Civil Facas than a Civil War as there's not so many super heroes running about here), this sees the Avengers splitting into two camps over an ideological difference in whether they should be regulated or not: in one cam, we have Iron Man leading those all in favour, while on the other we have Captain America leading those opposed to it.

Also introducing Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and the nation of Wakanda, this film ends with a final bruising fight between Cap and Iron Man, with neither of the characters reuniting until 2019s Avengers: Endgame at least 3(?) movies later.
  
Tarnished Crown
Tarnished Crown
Elle Madison, Robin D Mahle | 2021 | Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I didn't think a book could be better than Scarlet Princess... until Tarnished Crown came along.

Rowan’s penchant for landing herself in almighty trouble continues in this epic second instalment of the Lochlann Feuds series.

Written from Rowan's POV, we explore more of the mysterious Socair kingdom and encounter dangerous fights, evil opponents and political plots galore!
However, with hilarious banter, saunas, cats and a lot of butt chat, TC definitely has moments that made me laugh out loud.

As always the Queens of the Cliffhanger (I'm going to make this nickname stick!) keep us guessing until the very end. They can probably hear my frustrated screams all the way across the sea.

I can't wait for Obsidian Throne! Like actually can't wait. Can we have it now please? 💜💜


I received an ARC of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
  
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David McK (3562 KP) rated No Time to Die (2021) in Movies

Oct 21, 2021 (Updated Sep 10, 2023)  
No Time to Die (2021)
No Time to Die (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Thriller
The names Bond.... James Bond
The latest (at the time of writing) James Bond movie, this is both the 25th in the series and the one that is was much delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

It's also Daniel Craig's last outing as James Bond - the only actor whose Bond, I believe, has an arc across all the movies in which he starred, from his earliest days (Casino Royale) through to missions when he was in his prime (Skyfall) and finally - here - coming out of retirement for 'one last mission'. Daniel Craig's Bond is not the only returning character: Felix Leiter, M, Moneypenny, Q, Madeline Swann, and even Blofield all make a return.

Billie Eilish's theme song is completely forgettable, while I was also a bit surprised by the ending. Didn't mind it so much, though, as those who walked out of the showing I went to!
  
TL
The Last Haunt
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
117 of 220
Booksirens arc
The Last Haunt
By Max Booth III
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the one-year anniversary of a young woman’s tragic death, an extreme haunted house attraction reopened its doors to the public. What happened next would forever traumatize a small Texas town. The Last Haunt is an attempt to make sense of the mysterious brutality that occurred on that fateful Halloween night. Constructed from interviews with the survivors, this oral history is the closest anyone has ever come to documenting the truth behind the McKinley Manor massacre.

Another brilliant piece of work from this author! I’m yet to read one I don’t like. This was a really good read and different to the others I’ve read of his. The ending just so justified to a point.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
  
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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Close To Me in Books

Oct 6, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)  
Close To Me
Close To Me
Amanda Reynolds | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
7
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Really enjoyed Close To Me by Amanda Reynolds, wasn't sure what to expect this being a debut author but I certainly wasn't disappointed.


Close To Me tells the story of Jo Harding after she falls down stairs hitting her head and losing her memory of the past year.


On coming home things feel different and disjointed, Jo feels there is an undercurrent of deceit, secrets being kept from her by her husband and children and as she unravels the mysteries of the past year things escalate to a shocking conclusion.


So this was a great psychological read, it kept my interest and pulled me in, the writing was superb, and the storyline very easy to follow.


Close to me is told in two parts, real-time and snippets of the past year, though it has a slow build this is not a bad thing as you get to understand Jo's life and how she is the person she is.


The characters here felt real and human, some you could sympathise with others not so much.


If I had to pick my least favourite person in this, it would have to be the daughter I found her very self-centred and immature, but she's a product of her overindulged upbringing.


I myself have grown up children there is no way on this planet I would be paying for their accommodation.
what a right spoilt brat Sash is.


Close to me delves into the dynamics of family and the resulting aftermath when things ultimately implode.
I did kind of guess where this was going but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment reading this.


Would I recommend this? Hell Yeah!!!
It was an engaging read.


Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of Close to me


This is my own honest unbiased opinion.


Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
  
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Brecoles Nine (16 KP) rated The Flash in TV

Mar 12, 2019 (Updated Mar 12, 2019)  
The Flash
The Flash
2014 | Action, Adventure, Drama
Character Development, Story, Villians (0 more)
That it does get repetitive at times. (0 more)
The Fastest Man Alive
The Flash on CW! This show is absolutely brilliant in my true honest opinion. It started with Grant Gustin appearing as Barry Allen in a few episodes of Arrow, after that, they announced that his own show would be coming to the network. The hype encircled this new show, the veteran fans of The Flash were immediately on board. Then came the new fans of the Scarlet Speedster. This show has given attention to a hero I believe has been severely underrated and underappreciated. Barry Allen is a CSI Agent that gets struck by lightning and gains the power of the Speed Force, he becomes The Flash, the fastest man alive. The show focuses a lot on Barry just not being quite fast enough to beat the villain of each story arc, but it can be that sometimes Barry can't always save the day. For being a show called The Flash, it focuses on each hero and villain as equal parts to the show. Cameos from other heroes and villains of The Flash tv show back in the 80's-90's era are also a wonderdul addition and subtle nod that the Multiverse actually does exist. There's time travel, parralel dimension travel, seperate Earth travel, amazing character development, wonderful nods to past present and future DC Hero's and Villians. The show does somewhat get repetitive as in, it feels like they're losing ideas once they finish up a story arc. It does catch its footing after a few episodes, however. The Flash on CW is definitely the show that takes the cake from all the other shows on the network such as Arrow, Supergirl, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. We will see if Batwoman stays on par with The Flash when they finish that one up.
  
Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1)
Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1)
Maxym M. Martineau | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
If you read one fantasy romance this year, make it this one!
When I saw this book up for review on Bookish First, I knew then and there I needed to read it. Fantasy and romance are my favorite genres, so I knew I needed to pick up this book immediately. I was fortunate enough to have enough points to guarantee me a spot on the ARC review team, and I waited not so patiently to get this book.

When this book arrived, I nearly fell over in excitement simply because the cover is so incredibly beautiful. I couldn't wait to dive in & see if the story lived up to the cover. Fortunately for me, the story was gorgeous. Kingdom of Exiles is the first book in the Beast Charmer series, and it set up a beautiful world that I can't wait to explore in more books. The description of the world itself is enough to keep me coming back. Maxym M. Martineau knows how to make it feel like you're there exploring the cities and forests side by side with the characters.

Not only were the descriptions on point, but the characters had depth. Each character was well written and added fantastic elements to the story. They each had a reason to be there, and I loved seeing the chemistry between Leena & Noc. Leena's character arc was probably one of my favorite storylines that I have read this year. I felt so deeply for her. It was as if she was my best friend. I rooted for her, I cried for her, and I laughed with her. I also really loved Noc. He was a mystery that I wanted to solve. I enjoyed each character and loved the relationship between all of them.

All in all, this is one of my favorite books that I have read this year. The characters were well developed, and the plot was fun and unique. I loved everything about it. If you like fantasy & romance, this is the book for you.
  
Fierce Kingdom
Fierce Kingdom
Gin Phillips | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have you ever read a book that’s brought out emotions in you that you weren’t even aware of? Because that is what happened to me when reading this book. I had no idea that I had innate maternal feelings, I’ve never felt broody or motherly at any point in my life, but something about the writing in this book pulled all the right strings, and I suddenly had “motherly emotions”. Phillip’s writing is superb and if you’re lucky enough to have a day off to read this, you will certainly get through it within a few hours.

This book is definitely a thriller, but because of the topics in it, all the “would I have done that?” questions running through your head, you can get completely lost in the moment of this story, only remembering Joan & Lincoln are hiding from gunmen when it’s mentioned in Joan’s narrative.

The characterisation in this is so good it’s hard to explain how good it is. Phillips is a mother herself so she is clearly writing from her own heart here. Joan is exactly the way I imagine being a mother feels, Lincoln is a little bundle of joy throughout the darkness of the book, and Robby is a tragic and sociopathic killer.

I can’t tell you that this book is perfect, because it’s not. The writing, for me, pretty much was perfect, but the plot lacked a little, especially at the end when I was left wanting more. More explanation, or a more rounded conclusion.

Overall, this was a seriously emotive and beautiful novel. It will bring out some seriously strong emotions in you and it will thrill you. This gets a very strong 4/4.5 stars from me.

<i>Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy. (I was sent the physical ARC after the Netgalley approval, I wasn’t being greedy!)</i>