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Saved (Breaking Free #1)
9.0
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An Omegaverse Story He didn’t want an alpha to save him, but fate had other ideas… Braun...
Contemporary M_M Mpreg Omegaverse
Harlem Shuffle
4.0
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From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Dear Mr. M in Books
Feb 13, 2018
"M" is a famous writer whose best days are probably, if truth be told, behind him. He's best known for his novel, Payback, which tells the story of a high school history teacher, Mr. Landzaat, who went missing one winter after having an affair with one of his female students. That student, Laura, had moved on to a relationship with a boy her own age, Herman. The two were staying at a vacation cottage and were the last ones to see their teacher. Did they have something to do with his disappearance? Now, M lives with his beautiful (much younger) wife and little daughter in an apartment. They have a neighbor who seems to have a odd fascination with the couple, but why? The novel weaves together the tales of these disparate characters.
I had heard a lot about Koch's novels and was excited to win this one via a Goodreads Giveaway. It was certainly interesting and definitely different than many novels I read. I have to admit that it was a rather slow read, especially the first three quarters or so. There was actually a point where I was considering giving up for a bit, but I soldiered on. Some characters in the novels never have names (just initials), and we don't really get insight into who our varying narrators are. While I understand why (and it adds to the drama of the novel), I'll confess that it gets a little confusing at times. You really have to stay on your toes as you read.
Still, the novel is definitely more compelling toward the end, and I found myself staying up late to finish it. The twist at the end was certainly not what I expected. The varying viewpoints wind up working out well, as you really see the story unfold from everyone's perspective. Still, I found the story a bit diluted by a bit of a "meta" storyline about writers, as well as an odd insertion about M's father and his role in the resistance, as well as M's own views, which never really seemed to have a full role or point in the tale. I enjoyed the novel, but I didn't love it, and it (frankly) exhausted me a bit.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
I had heard a lot about Koch's novels and was excited to win this one via a Goodreads Giveaway. It was certainly interesting and definitely different than many novels I read. I have to admit that it was a rather slow read, especially the first three quarters or so. There was actually a point where I was considering giving up for a bit, but I soldiered on. Some characters in the novels never have names (just initials), and we don't really get insight into who our varying narrators are. While I understand why (and it adds to the drama of the novel), I'll confess that it gets a little confusing at times. You really have to stay on your toes as you read.
Still, the novel is definitely more compelling toward the end, and I found myself staying up late to finish it. The twist at the end was certainly not what I expected. The varying viewpoints wind up working out well, as you really see the story unfold from everyone's perspective. Still, I found the story a bit diluted by a bit of a "meta" storyline about writers, as well as an odd insertion about M's father and his role in the resistance, as well as M's own views, which never really seemed to have a full role or point in the tale. I enjoyed the novel, but I didn't love it, and it (frankly) exhausted me a bit.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Rear Window (1954) in Movies
Dec 24, 2018
Great Mystery
A photojournalist is wheelchair-ridden, watching people in his apartment complex from his window for hours. He’s thrown for a loop when he witnesses what he thinks is a murder. He wants to get to the bottom of it or die trying.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
JT (287 KP) rated Shutter Island (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
It’s all very film noir from Scorsese, more at home among gangsters and moles, here he turns his attention to a period mystery thriller.
The film has touches of Hitchcockian flair throughout it as we watch DiCaprio and Ruffalo embark through mist and fog in order to reach a desolate island, over run with guards and orderlies whose job it seems is to keep a watchful eye over the criminally insane.
And so begins a puzzling quest for the truth as DiCaprio attempts to leave no stone unturned in the search for the missing patient while at the same time battling his own demons.
The death of his wife in an apartment fire seems to be the catalyst for a lot of dream-scape and it only proves to be a distraction from the impending outcome, as an array of colourful characters try and put him and his partner off the scent. That and its also revealed that Teddy, an ex-GI has been tormented by memories of liberating Dachau nine years earlier.
It’s a very well directed film with an added musical score that will have the hairs on your neck standing on end.
DiCaprio is nothing short of sublime and the transformation from seemingly sane individual to… well, anything else would be seen as a massive plot spoiler. The supporting cast are as equally good, with strong performances from Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Jackie Earle Haley as a disfigured inmate who pops up to reveal to Teddy more clues about the mysterious secrets the island hides.
The cinematography is also exceptional with some really harrowing shots, one of which places us in the sights of a firing squad that cuts to pieces a group of death camp Nazis. Not to mention the dream sequence involving Teddy’s wife, covered in blood and disappearing into ash as a desperate DiCaprio grasps at one last embrace.
The film drops hints and clues all through it. There are some purposely shot continuity errors that film viewers should be watchful of that will lead them to the jaw dropping and well thought out if not predictable conclusion. It’s a very well directed film with an added musical score that will have the hairs on your neck standing on end.
The film has touches of Hitchcockian flair throughout it as we watch DiCaprio and Ruffalo embark through mist and fog in order to reach a desolate island, over run with guards and orderlies whose job it seems is to keep a watchful eye over the criminally insane.
And so begins a puzzling quest for the truth as DiCaprio attempts to leave no stone unturned in the search for the missing patient while at the same time battling his own demons.
The death of his wife in an apartment fire seems to be the catalyst for a lot of dream-scape and it only proves to be a distraction from the impending outcome, as an array of colourful characters try and put him and his partner off the scent. That and its also revealed that Teddy, an ex-GI has been tormented by memories of liberating Dachau nine years earlier.
It’s a very well directed film with an added musical score that will have the hairs on your neck standing on end.
DiCaprio is nothing short of sublime and the transformation from seemingly sane individual to… well, anything else would be seen as a massive plot spoiler. The supporting cast are as equally good, with strong performances from Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Jackie Earle Haley as a disfigured inmate who pops up to reveal to Teddy more clues about the mysterious secrets the island hides.
The cinematography is also exceptional with some really harrowing shots, one of which places us in the sights of a firing squad that cuts to pieces a group of death camp Nazis. Not to mention the dream sequence involving Teddy’s wife, covered in blood and disappearing into ash as a desperate DiCaprio grasps at one last embrace.
The film drops hints and clues all through it. There are some purposely shot continuity errors that film viewers should be watchful of that will lead them to the jaw dropping and well thought out if not predictable conclusion. It’s a very well directed film with an added musical score that will have the hairs on your neck standing on end.
Fix My Car: Garage Wars - Furious Street Mechanic!
Games and Entertainment
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Lead your elite street racing crew to victory! Survive the latest attack from your rivals, find...
Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk
John Doe and Tom DeSavia
Book
Under the Big Black Sun explores the nascent Los Angeles punk rock movement and its evolution to...
Casa Designer 3D - freemium - Home Makeover
Lifestyle and Productivity
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Casa is a 3D build & design app which enables you to create, furnish and decorate your home. * Major...
An Amish Home: Four Novellas
Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid and Kathleen Fuller
10.0
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A Cup Half Full by Beth Wiseman-Sarah Lantz always dreamed of the perfect home, the perfect husband,...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Stranger Behind You in Books
Jul 15, 2021
An atmospheric and twisty thriller
Reporter Joan Lurie becomes famous when her story in Manhatta exposes Globe owner Caspar Osgood as a sexual harasser. But as she returns home the night of the publication, she's attacked in her apartment. Terrified and feeling ill from a severe blow to the head, she moves to a super secure building in Manhattan, called the Refuge, to write a book that further details what she's discovered about Casper. At the Refuge, she meets her elderly neighbor, Lillian, who has lived there since it was the Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. She becomes sucked into Lillian's stories, which often remind Joan of her own life. Meanwhile, Caspar's wife Melissa must deal with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. Soon, these women's lives will intertwine: in potentially dangerous ways.
"I'm here because four weeks ago someone tried to kill me."
This was an often confusing but incredibly intriguing book that combines the #MeToo movement with a story about wayward girls. You're never quite sure what's going on, as Joan can be an unreliable narrator (head injury + fear, anyone?), leaving one feeling very off balance for the entire book. There's a story within a story here, as Joan goes after Caspar and his transgressions, combined with Lillian's story and her past.
"What kind of person is more concerned about their hard drive than their body?"
I loved the 1940s piece, learning about Lily, the Magdalen laundry, and the Refuge when it was a home for girls. It's fascinating even while being quite sad. Joan could be a very frustrating character (just go to the doctor for your head injury and stop drinking already), but you cannot fault her reporting skills. Caspar's wife Melissa adds a certain depth to the tale, as she wrestles with what her husband has done. Telling the story from Joan and Melissa's point of view really expands what we learn. This is also an atmospheric read, with the Refuge becoming its own character, especially as we learn about its history from the 1940s on. Goodman is always excellent at setting the scene.
While I sometimes found this book frustrating, it was also a page-turner, with compelling characters and an interesting story with some great twists. 4 stars.
"I'm here because four weeks ago someone tried to kill me."
This was an often confusing but incredibly intriguing book that combines the #MeToo movement with a story about wayward girls. You're never quite sure what's going on, as Joan can be an unreliable narrator (head injury + fear, anyone?), leaving one feeling very off balance for the entire book. There's a story within a story here, as Joan goes after Caspar and his transgressions, combined with Lillian's story and her past.
"What kind of person is more concerned about their hard drive than their body?"
I loved the 1940s piece, learning about Lily, the Magdalen laundry, and the Refuge when it was a home for girls. It's fascinating even while being quite sad. Joan could be a very frustrating character (just go to the doctor for your head injury and stop drinking already), but you cannot fault her reporting skills. Caspar's wife Melissa adds a certain depth to the tale, as she wrestles with what her husband has done. Telling the story from Joan and Melissa's point of view really expands what we learn. This is also an atmospheric read, with the Refuge becoming its own character, especially as we learn about its history from the 1940s on. Goodman is always excellent at setting the scene.
While I sometimes found this book frustrating, it was also a page-turner, with compelling characters and an interesting story with some great twists. 4 stars.