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ClareR (5799 KP) rated A Pocketful of Crows in Books
Mar 2, 2019
A gorgeous grown up fairytale.
At first, this seems to be an innocent fairytale, but it swiftly becomes more of a proper, adult fairytale. It's a warning to the Folk that they shouldn't break their promises to the Travelling Folk.
The main character is a young girl with no name: to name her is to tame her. She falls in love with the local Lord's son, and he DOES name her. She loses the ability and the freedom to travel in the bodies of wild animals (I really liked this part). He betrays her, and she decides to exact her revenge on him so that she can get her magical abilities back. It's a beautiful story with some lovely illustrations, and each new section has a quote from a Child Ballad or an old wives/ folk saying.
It's novella size, so a quick read (I could have read more!), and well worth it.
The main character is a young girl with no name: to name her is to tame her. She falls in love with the local Lord's son, and he DOES name her. She loses the ability and the freedom to travel in the bodies of wild animals (I really liked this part). He betrays her, and she decides to exact her revenge on him so that she can get her magical abilities back. It's a beautiful story with some lovely illustrations, and each new section has a quote from a Child Ballad or an old wives/ folk saying.
It's novella size, so a quick read (I could have read more!), and well worth it.
Ashley Valencia (5 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Mar 31, 2019
Surprisingly Good
I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. Disney's live action remakes have been pretty disappointing to me, in general. But this one was very well made. I think they did a great job incorporating the fantasy characters into the real life world of post war England.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated The Incredibles 2 (2018) in Movies
May 21, 2019
Good laughs and heroes, same old tired stories....
Was waiting to watch this one and had low expectations because I enjoyed the original and figured the sequel couldn't compete with it. But, it was finally on Netflix and the kids wanted to see it, so here we are. I don't know if I've just seen too many movies now or if the writers are just running out of ideas, but this film is basically a paint by number of so many recent films. Within the first 20 minutes, you get an idea of where this is going and who the villians are, and the film follows suit. Sure, the characters are fun as usual, but the story weighs them down and makes the movie feel like its runtime is extremely unnecessary. The kid in me enjoyed the laughs and heroes, but the logical adult in me has seen this story too many times before.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated When Dimple Met Rishi in Books
May 23, 2019
I've seen this book get raved about online, but it just didn't sound that exceptional - yet another young adult romance. Contemporary, at that. But I finally read it for the Year of the Asian Challenge, and I am SO. GLAD. I DID.
Rishi Patel stole my heart. Which, as a demisexual, is completely unexpected. But he's just the exact right combination of sweet, romantic, totally geeky, and confident. He is absolutely my favorite character in this book. I like Dimple. But I adore Rishi.
I loved that both Dimple and Rishi tried to help each other achieve their dreams. I wish they'd both been a little more communicative about how they did so, but it was still cute to see them so invested in each other's life goals, as a couple should be!
This is a super cute romance, and it deserves all the rave reviews it got. I definitely need to read the sequel (about Rishi's younger brother) now.
Rishi Patel stole my heart. Which, as a demisexual, is completely unexpected. But he's just the exact right combination of sweet, romantic, totally geeky, and confident. He is absolutely my favorite character in this book. I like Dimple. But I adore Rishi.
I loved that both Dimple and Rishi tried to help each other achieve their dreams. I wish they'd both been a little more communicative about how they did so, but it was still cute to see them so invested in each other's life goals, as a couple should be!
This is a super cute romance, and it deserves all the rave reviews it got. I definitely need to read the sequel (about Rishi's younger brother) now.
Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated Catan in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2019
Easy to learn, difficult to master (2 more)
Addictive gameplay
Easy to draw in non-gamers
Game relies on die rolls and therefore strategy is secondary to the whims of a die roll (1 more)
Artwork is not very inspired
An amazing gateway game
Catan was the first gateway game I played and hooked me on my continued boardgaming journey as an adult. A chance encounter with the game left me wanting more...resulting in 3 years of playing this game relentlessly with a group of friends. Whilst the appeal has waned somewhat, I have no hesitation in recommending this to non-gamers or those looking to get into boardgaming. It is a fun game that has great variability, particularly given the result is driven by die rolls rather than stragy alone. This is also to its benefit, as casual gamers may want something light to get into, but which has room to develop strategies. Catan is a great choice.
Alex Trybus (79 KP) rated Netflix in Apps
Jan 26, 2018
INCREDIBLE variety of shows, movies, and documentaries (3 more)
Everything is relatively easy to search for and find
Items you have watched in the past will be easily accessible to you again
The "recommended for you" section is pretty accurate
They have a really weird way of deciding which shows get to come and go... (why did they try and get rid of The Office?) (1 more)
It is kind of pricey, but in my opinion it's still worth it
Netflix is life, what else is there to say?!
I'm just another young adult female that is just as obsessed with Netflix as the next girl. My favorites are Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Gilmore Girls, Black Mirror, and a couple of the movies. Unfortunately, I had to borrow my friend's Hulu account to watch Golden Girls because Netflix refuses to add that for some reason. Regardless, you can't argue with the vast selection of titles!
11-year-old Flavia is most concerned about the tricks her sisters are playing on her during the summer of 1950 until the day their housekeeper finds a jacksnipe with a postage stamp attached to his bill on the doorstep. This really upsets her father, but Flavia is shocked to stumble across a stranger dying in their cucumber patch a few hours later. How are these two events related?
This is a well plotted mystery with an unusual (at least for an adult audience book) main character. Flavia can act her age at times and she does drone on in the narration about chemistry (her passion) on a few occasions, but for the most part she leads a cast of fun characters. The plot is very entertaining with some nice surprises along the way to a suspenseful climax.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-sweetness-at-bottom-of-pie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a well plotted mystery with an unusual (at least for an adult audience book) main character. Flavia can act her age at times and she does drone on in the narration about chemistry (her passion) on a few occasions, but for the most part she leads a cast of fun characters. The plot is very entertaining with some nice surprises along the way to a suspenseful climax.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-sweetness-at-bottom-of-pie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated Jethro and Joel Were a Troll in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The two-headed troll Jethro and Joel have a problem. While Jethro is quite content to spend his days raising the turnips they love to eat, Joel wants to be terrorizing people. When Jethro finally gives in and allows Joel to have control of their body for one day, what will happen?
I’ve always loved the title of the book, and I still find the story fun. The way he builds up to that final sentence will please adults, and the fast moving story and pictures will entertain the target picture book audience. What surprised me while reading this as an adult is the clear allegory about the dangers of giving in to what you know is wrong. Oh, don’t worry, this is a picture book with a happy ending, and it never slows down the story to lecture us.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/03/book-review-jethro-and-joel-were-troll.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I’ve always loved the title of the book, and I still find the story fun. The way he builds up to that final sentence will please adults, and the fast moving story and pictures will entertain the target picture book audience. What surprised me while reading this as an adult is the clear allegory about the dangers of giving in to what you know is wrong. Oh, don’t worry, this is a picture book with a happy ending, and it never slows down the story to lecture us.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/03/book-review-jethro-and-joel-were-troll.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
While out of town, Nancy meets Laura, a recent orphan who is about to meet her new guardians. However, when Nancy meets them, she thinks that something is off about these adults. Meanwhile, Mr. Drew asks Nancy to help him figure out how bearer bonds have disappeared from a bank in town. Can Nancy juggle these two cases? Or is there a connection?
I can’t remember if I read this one as a kid or not, but I quickly got caught up in the fun as an adult. There is plenty of action. Some of the twists were a little obvious, but I couldn’t figure out how everything quite fit together until the end. We still haven’t met Nancy’s usual friends, but with the emphasis on plot and action, the characters are thin anyway.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-bungalow-mystery-by-carolyn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I can’t remember if I read this one as a kid or not, but I quickly got caught up in the fun as an adult. There is plenty of action. Some of the twists were a little obvious, but I couldn’t figure out how everything quite fit together until the end. We still haven’t met Nancy’s usual friends, but with the emphasis on plot and action, the characters are thin anyway.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-bungalow-mystery-by-carolyn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated The House on the Cliff (Hardy Boys, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Frank and Joe Hardy are thrilled when their father, Fenton, gives them an assignment as part of his latest case. He asks them to go up on the cliff and watch the bay for smugglers. They find the perfect spot near an abandoned house. Yet, they soon hear a cry for help from inside, have part of the telescope stolen, and witness an attempted murder. What’s going on?
This book is a perfect example of some of the weaknesses of the series – characters always making the perfect deduction right away and the thin characters. But even rereading it, I found it very fun. It helps that there is plenty of action. Kids today will get caught up in the story just as I did as a kid and rereading it as an adult.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-house-on-cliff-by-franklin.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book is a perfect example of some of the weaknesses of the series – characters always making the perfect deduction right away and the thin characters. But even rereading it, I found it very fun. It helps that there is plenty of action. Kids today will get caught up in the story just as I did as a kid and rereading it as an adult.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-house-on-cliff-by-franklin.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.