Search
Sam (74 KP) rated Handle with Care in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Willow O’Keefe suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, meaning that her bones break easily. Just doing simple daily tasks can cause her a catastrophic break. But other than that, she’s like every other 5 year old – well, one with an amazing IQ for her age. Charlotte is Willow’s mum, and she’s running out of money, fast. So when she gets the chance to sue for wrongful birth, she takes it, desperate for any money she can get to help Willow’s well-being.
It was definitely a beefy book, with major questions on morality. Throughout the book I couldn’t work out whether I was on Charlotte’s side or not, as to sue for wrongful birth, she is basically saying she wishes Willow had never been born, and I found it really hard to understand how a parent could say that.
I did struggle reading this book. It took me two weeks to read 2/3 of it, and everyone who regularly reads this blog knows that’s not like me at all. I ended up skimming the last 1/3 to just get it finished because I was too far in to DNF in but felt that the plot was starting to become a little drawn out and a bit repetitive.
It’s very similar to Picoult’s Small Great Things, and I think that’s why I liked it so much to begin with. It covers the issues in childbirth and raising a child.
I felt so much empathy for Amelia, Willow’s half-sister. Throughout the novel she feels forgotten about because all of the focus is on Willow and to see her fighting her own battles with nobody to help was hard. Her mental health took a battering on behalf of her sister, but she still didn’t say anything. She suffered in silence for too long and were one of the few things that made me start to shift over to Charlotte’s side of the argument over Willow’s birth.
This novel is definitely not lighthearted, so if you like reading books that aren’t dealing with serious subjects, this probably isn’t for you. It was a tough read for me, which is why I only gave it 3/5. However, if you like Jodi Picoult’s other books, I definitely think you’ll like this one.
It was definitely a beefy book, with major questions on morality. Throughout the book I couldn’t work out whether I was on Charlotte’s side or not, as to sue for wrongful birth, she is basically saying she wishes Willow had never been born, and I found it really hard to understand how a parent could say that.
I did struggle reading this book. It took me two weeks to read 2/3 of it, and everyone who regularly reads this blog knows that’s not like me at all. I ended up skimming the last 1/3 to just get it finished because I was too far in to DNF in but felt that the plot was starting to become a little drawn out and a bit repetitive.
It’s very similar to Picoult’s Small Great Things, and I think that’s why I liked it so much to begin with. It covers the issues in childbirth and raising a child.
I felt so much empathy for Amelia, Willow’s half-sister. Throughout the novel she feels forgotten about because all of the focus is on Willow and to see her fighting her own battles with nobody to help was hard. Her mental health took a battering on behalf of her sister, but she still didn’t say anything. She suffered in silence for too long and were one of the few things that made me start to shift over to Charlotte’s side of the argument over Willow’s birth.
This novel is definitely not lighthearted, so if you like reading books that aren’t dealing with serious subjects, this probably isn’t for you. It was a tough read for me, which is why I only gave it 3/5. However, if you like Jodi Picoult’s other books, I definitely think you’ll like this one.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated New Jack City (1991) in Movies
Mar 21, 2018
Good Movie
Released in 1991, New Jack City takes place in the late 80's with the perfect vibe to boot. A time during which Kangol hats and "gold ropes" were in and rap needed a hard bass beat to be considered car system-worthy. New Jack is a solid groove of a film that remains timeless even to this day.
While a handful of spots were farfetched, I appreciate the grit and realness of the film as a whole. It's an open awareness into the crack epidemic and how badly it damaged black communities. It's hard watching people destroy the lives of those in their community knowing full well their lives gave them little choice to do much else. In one of my favorite scenes, antagonist Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) is having a meaningful conversation with an older man. At the heart of the conversation, they talk about how black people haven't gotten far from a societal progression standpoint since Martin Luther King Jr. died. No matter which side of the argument you're on, both had strong points that made you think.
The lead roles were consistently strong throughout. Chris Rock excelled in his role as Pookie, a crackhead trying to get his life together. You come to sympathize with his character hoping for a happy ending, but knowing the fate he is destined for. And you can't mention lead roles without giving Wesley Snipes his proper due as Nino Brown. Nino is smooth, a speaker for the people. His presence oozes with power in the criminal circuit yet the law sees him as just another delinquent. I give Rock the nod, but Snipes is a very close second.
Ice-T plays the role of Appleton, a cop hired to take a bite out of the crack epidemic by taking out one of its largest suppliers: Nino. The film as a whole is not without its faults as it lacks cohesiveness in certain spots. While the main actors are outstanding, the supporting roles are ghastly at best. I could definitely have done without Keisha (Vanessa Williams). If I heard "Rockabye baby" one more time, I'm pretty sure I would have lost it.
Not a classic for me, but still a consistent watch. I give New Jack City a 75.
While a handful of spots were farfetched, I appreciate the grit and realness of the film as a whole. It's an open awareness into the crack epidemic and how badly it damaged black communities. It's hard watching people destroy the lives of those in their community knowing full well their lives gave them little choice to do much else. In one of my favorite scenes, antagonist Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) is having a meaningful conversation with an older man. At the heart of the conversation, they talk about how black people haven't gotten far from a societal progression standpoint since Martin Luther King Jr. died. No matter which side of the argument you're on, both had strong points that made you think.
The lead roles were consistently strong throughout. Chris Rock excelled in his role as Pookie, a crackhead trying to get his life together. You come to sympathize with his character hoping for a happy ending, but knowing the fate he is destined for. And you can't mention lead roles without giving Wesley Snipes his proper due as Nino Brown. Nino is smooth, a speaker for the people. His presence oozes with power in the criminal circuit yet the law sees him as just another delinquent. I give Rock the nod, but Snipes is a very close second.
Ice-T plays the role of Appleton, a cop hired to take a bite out of the crack epidemic by taking out one of its largest suppliers: Nino. The film as a whole is not without its faults as it lacks cohesiveness in certain spots. While the main actors are outstanding, the supporting roles are ghastly at best. I could definitely have done without Keisha (Vanessa Williams). If I heard "Rockabye baby" one more time, I'm pretty sure I would have lost it.
Not a classic for me, but still a consistent watch. I give New Jack City a 75.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Minology II The Disquisitive Saga Of Filbert Monkston in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
What if scientists have been wrong about the way the human body works? What if there are thousands of tiny creatures controlling each and every organ, making sure everything in the body is in working order? This is the idea that Mark Murphy has based his books upon. These creatures are called min and not only do they help the body to function; they have their own lives to deal with as well.
<i>Minology II: The Disquisitive Saga of Filbert Monkston</i> is the second of the <i>Minology stories</i>. Filbert is a seventeen-year-old min who has grown up in the Gutlands as part of the Kushnick tribe. However he is beginning to question their religion. Why do they have these beliefs? Why do they sacrifice food? An argument with his father sparks off a series of events that cause trouble for many min.
After storming off, Filbert and his friend Gordon come into contact with a strange group of travellers. Not realizing how dangerous they are, Filbert and Gordon get drawn into a trap. Baron Floppy, Filbert’s father, on the other hand, regrets the outburst at his son and is extremely worried when he never returns home. Along with a search party he goes out to find his son. As the story leads up to reuniting the father and son an old mystery is uncovered and finally solved after many years of it being left unanswered.
As with the first <i>Minology</i> book, this is a lighthearted read containing a lot of humour. Many of the min are not the most intelligent of creatures resulting in rather a lot of misunderstandings which can be particularly amusing. The storyline itself can be quite gripping as the mystery unravels.
Although <i>Minology II</i> does not exactly follow on from the previous novel, it would be handy to read the books in order as the first story provides more information about who the min are and a little about the body they are inhabiting.
Overall, <i>Minology II</i> is a good short read, however could have done with another proof read before publication. It is a shame that the writer cannot tell the difference between the words ‘were’ and ‘where’!
What if scientists have been wrong about the way the human body works? What if there are thousands of tiny creatures controlling each and every organ, making sure everything in the body is in working order? This is the idea that Mark Murphy has based his books upon. These creatures are called min and not only do they help the body to function; they have their own lives to deal with as well.
<i>Minology II: The Disquisitive Saga of Filbert Monkston</i> is the second of the <i>Minology stories</i>. Filbert is a seventeen-year-old min who has grown up in the Gutlands as part of the Kushnick tribe. However he is beginning to question their religion. Why do they have these beliefs? Why do they sacrifice food? An argument with his father sparks off a series of events that cause trouble for many min.
After storming off, Filbert and his friend Gordon come into contact with a strange group of travellers. Not realizing how dangerous they are, Filbert and Gordon get drawn into a trap. Baron Floppy, Filbert’s father, on the other hand, regrets the outburst at his son and is extremely worried when he never returns home. Along with a search party he goes out to find his son. As the story leads up to reuniting the father and son an old mystery is uncovered and finally solved after many years of it being left unanswered.
As with the first <i>Minology</i> book, this is a lighthearted read containing a lot of humour. Many of the min are not the most intelligent of creatures resulting in rather a lot of misunderstandings which can be particularly amusing. The storyline itself can be quite gripping as the mystery unravels.
Although <i>Minology II</i> does not exactly follow on from the previous novel, it would be handy to read the books in order as the first story provides more information about who the min are and a little about the body they are inhabiting.
Overall, <i>Minology II</i> is a good short read, however could have done with another proof read before publication. It is a shame that the writer cannot tell the difference between the words ‘were’ and ‘where’!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 24, 2019 (Updated Dec 15, 2019)
An amazing looking film that unfortunately lacks soul.
I, like many people, consider The Lion King to be one of finest Disney animations of all time. For me, it ranks alongside Mulan as a favourite, and I immediately fell in love with the characters when it was released in 1994. (I was 5 at the time!)
All these years later, and it still stands as a bonafide classic.
And here we are now, in 2019, and this adaption of The Lion King is the latest in an ever growing line of Disney animations to get the realistic remake treatment.
It aims straight for the nostalgic jugular (and is painfully see through), even if the CGI is pretty damn impressive.
However, impressive CGI means nothing if everything surrounding is empty. It's quite simply missing the heart and soul of the original animation.
In a similar fashion to the recent Jungle Book remake, it's no easy task to convey emotion on these characters when they are photo realistic animals, and the film really suffers as a result.
I feel like that casting was a big contributor as well. A lot of the voice cast are quite simply doing voice over work, and it's painfully obvious is some scenes that the actors were not next to each other whilst performing. The dialogue flows unnaturally on several occasions.
The songs are...ok I guess. Again, they lack a lot of of the heart that made them so enjoyable the first time around.
In particular, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is just awful, listening to Beyonce try to out-Beyonce herself, warbling and riffing unessecarily on a pretty straightforward ballad.
Her involvement had me eye rolling actually. As soon as Hakuna Matata is over and Simba is older, it sort of turned into the Beyonce show - I have absolutely nothing against her, I just thought her involvement with The Lion King was a bit overdone and on the nose.
I'm not sure what I really expected but I feel suitably silly for thinking that this was going to be anything more than a blatant cash grab.
The Lion King offers up nothing new, and the argument of "it's bringing the story to a whole new generation" is rendered mute by just watching the easily accessible and miles better original.
All these years later, and it still stands as a bonafide classic.
And here we are now, in 2019, and this adaption of The Lion King is the latest in an ever growing line of Disney animations to get the realistic remake treatment.
It aims straight for the nostalgic jugular (and is painfully see through), even if the CGI is pretty damn impressive.
However, impressive CGI means nothing if everything surrounding is empty. It's quite simply missing the heart and soul of the original animation.
In a similar fashion to the recent Jungle Book remake, it's no easy task to convey emotion on these characters when they are photo realistic animals, and the film really suffers as a result.
I feel like that casting was a big contributor as well. A lot of the voice cast are quite simply doing voice over work, and it's painfully obvious is some scenes that the actors were not next to each other whilst performing. The dialogue flows unnaturally on several occasions.
The songs are...ok I guess. Again, they lack a lot of of the heart that made them so enjoyable the first time around.
In particular, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is just awful, listening to Beyonce try to out-Beyonce herself, warbling and riffing unessecarily on a pretty straightforward ballad.
Her involvement had me eye rolling actually. As soon as Hakuna Matata is over and Simba is older, it sort of turned into the Beyonce show - I have absolutely nothing against her, I just thought her involvement with The Lion King was a bit overdone and on the nose.
I'm not sure what I really expected but I feel suitably silly for thinking that this was going to be anything more than a blatant cash grab.
The Lion King offers up nothing new, and the argument of "it's bringing the story to a whole new generation" is rendered mute by just watching the easily accessible and miles better original.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Second Nature (2016) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
So this movie couldn’t have found its place in the world at a more opportune time (What with Trump vs Hillary and all). A balls out funny as hell comedy about a woman who against all the Nay-Sayers is going to run for Mayor against a womanizing, no morals and for lack of a better word Ass-hole who thinks the job is already sewn up. Seems standard right?? Well no not really throw in a Magic Mirror and some Freaky Friday gender swapping and you have Second Nature.
Without jumping into Spoilers though, the Kicker is this… Its not our main characters who have swapped roles like in most of these movies. It is the world around them!!!
Set in the small town of Louisburg, a shall we say “Freak Accident” befalls the Mayor. Upon his death it becomes a race to the position between Amanda (Collette Wolf. Hot Tub Time Machine, Interstellar). Amanda has all the best intentions for the town. She wants to protect the citizens including her Grandmother. However she must first overcome her opponent Bret (Sam Huntington. Sully, Superman Returns and Fanboys) Bret thinks he has the whole thing sewn up, loved by all at the city council and a real ladies man. They get into a heated argument one night while Amanda is holding her Grandmas “Magic Mirror” and the roles of Men and Women are swapped leading for some pretty hilarious results. Which actually turns this into a somewhat Social statement at points.
First time Writer/Director Micheal Cross has brought an extremely well thought out and accomplished fresh take on the whole Gender/Body swap genre of movie in a way that I guess I was surprised by if I am honest. The movie has a great cast of characters that all have there moments to shine. A special mention to Carollani Sandberg who plays Amanda’s best friend Nat, she is hilarious in this movie . Wolfe and Huntington have a great chemistry and the laughs in this movie just keep on coming and at a cool 80 minutes it never has time to outstay its welcome. We at 365Flicks highly recommend this Movie, its a good time to be had.
Produced by Nicholas Gyeney under his Seattle-based production banner Mirror Images LTD (Beta Test, Matt’s Chance, The Penitent Man).
Without jumping into Spoilers though, the Kicker is this… Its not our main characters who have swapped roles like in most of these movies. It is the world around them!!!
Set in the small town of Louisburg, a shall we say “Freak Accident” befalls the Mayor. Upon his death it becomes a race to the position between Amanda (Collette Wolf. Hot Tub Time Machine, Interstellar). Amanda has all the best intentions for the town. She wants to protect the citizens including her Grandmother. However she must first overcome her opponent Bret (Sam Huntington. Sully, Superman Returns and Fanboys) Bret thinks he has the whole thing sewn up, loved by all at the city council and a real ladies man. They get into a heated argument one night while Amanda is holding her Grandmas “Magic Mirror” and the roles of Men and Women are swapped leading for some pretty hilarious results. Which actually turns this into a somewhat Social statement at points.
First time Writer/Director Micheal Cross has brought an extremely well thought out and accomplished fresh take on the whole Gender/Body swap genre of movie in a way that I guess I was surprised by if I am honest. The movie has a great cast of characters that all have there moments to shine. A special mention to Carollani Sandberg who plays Amanda’s best friend Nat, she is hilarious in this movie . Wolfe and Huntington have a great chemistry and the laughs in this movie just keep on coming and at a cool 80 minutes it never has time to outstay its welcome. We at 365Flicks highly recommend this Movie, its a good time to be had.
Produced by Nicholas Gyeney under his Seattle-based production banner Mirror Images LTD (Beta Test, Matt’s Chance, The Penitent Man).
IELTS Energy English Podcast | IELTS English Speaking Practice 7+ | IELTS Test Strategy | IELTS English Writing Tips
Podcast
Do you want to get a band 7 on the IELTS exam? IELTS English exam preparation doesn’t have to be...
Plato, Derrida, and Writing
Book
Achieving the remarkable feat of linking composition theory, deconstruction, and classical rhetoric,...
China's Quest: The History of the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China
Book
From its founding 65 years ago, the People's Republic of China has evolved from an important yet...
