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Tori Harned (1 KP) rated Divide by Ed Sheeran in Music
May 25, 2018
Embracing his culture (5 more)
No more bad language
His signature style
Thoughtful lyrics
Ability to write about various topics
The sound
A Brand New Ed
This album has really impressed me and sort of brought me back to Ed Sheeran's fan base. Admittedly, I'm kind of snobby when it comes to bad language and I kind of hate when artists use bad language unnecessarily (I have three little sisters that don't need to hear that). When Ed Sheeran first broke out, I was in love at first listen, but as time wore on and his foul mouth became a part of every song, I kind of stopped listening or caring. This album I knew was different the moment I heard "Castle on the Hill" and then when I heard an interview with Ed talking about a cab driver who said if there was less cursing in his music he would let his daughter listen to it and how Ed took that to heart, I knew I had to check it out. I've been pleased ever since. This album takes every little good thing about Ed (minus the potty mouth) and turns it into these beautiful, meaningful songs that share new sides to him, and expand on pieces of him we knew were already there. I think Ed is fabulously innovative with music and someone I will always watch out for when new albums drop in the future.
Stephen (210 KP) rated Muriel's Wedding (1995) in Movies
Mar 1, 2019 (Updated Mar 2, 2019)
Euphoria... To The Tune Of ABBA
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was shocked when I realised it’s been 25 years since I saw this at the cinema. Filled with nostalgia I just had to leave a review here for what is one of my all time favourite movies.
The film relies heavily on the music of ABBA (although many other artists feature, check out the soundtrack), and the life of ugly ducking Muriel Heslop (played by the always wonderful Toni Collette).
A truly modern fairytale, with a real heart and soul, this movie with have you laughing and crying, with outstanding performances from all the cast.
Highlights are the scene where Muriel and friend Rhonda perform ‘Waterloo’ at karaoke (timed PERFECTLY to blend in with the aftermath of Rhonda putting Muriel’s bitchy as hell, so called ‘friends’ in their place), and the scene when Muriel walks down the aisle to ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.’ I have to confess I cried tears of joy when that song started playing.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that has left me feeling so euphoric after watching it, as rom coms go, this one sets the standard amazingly high. And the scene where Rhonda says: “Stick your drink up your arse, Tanya, I would rather swallow razor blades than drink with you” will make anyone who has ever been picked on cheer along.
The film relies heavily on the music of ABBA (although many other artists feature, check out the soundtrack), and the life of ugly ducking Muriel Heslop (played by the always wonderful Toni Collette).
A truly modern fairytale, with a real heart and soul, this movie with have you laughing and crying, with outstanding performances from all the cast.
Highlights are the scene where Muriel and friend Rhonda perform ‘Waterloo’ at karaoke (timed PERFECTLY to blend in with the aftermath of Rhonda putting Muriel’s bitchy as hell, so called ‘friends’ in their place), and the scene when Muriel walks down the aisle to ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.’ I have to confess I cried tears of joy when that song started playing.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that has left me feeling so euphoric after watching it, as rom coms go, this one sets the standard amazingly high. And the scene where Rhonda says: “Stick your drink up your arse, Tanya, I would rather swallow razor blades than drink with you” will make anyone who has ever been picked on cheer along.
I am giving this first book a 4.5 stars, because, while I really enjoyed reading it, there were a few points where if got a bit too much for me. If you have read it, you'll understand what I mean. Also, like always, this is a spoiler alert as there will most likely be a bunch of spoilers in this review. So you have been warned.
I can honestly say that I loved the relationship between the two main characters. They have such a deep love for one another and it is refreshing to see. They also have a pretty healthy relationship for the circumstances they are under.
It was cool to start the series in the middle of so much chaos, just like how the characters are in their lives at that time. I like how they set up the rules of the world by explaining it through the daughter as if she is telling us the story.
All the characters, in general, are very compelling and multifaceted, something I (obviously) appreciate a lot.
This was a very good exposition graphic novel that is setting up the rest of the story and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
The artwork is phenomenal. I cannot express enough how amazing it is! Props to the artists who worked on this, because I feel like they don't get enough credit. So if you're reading this, very well done!!
I can honestly say that I loved the relationship between the two main characters. They have such a deep love for one another and it is refreshing to see. They also have a pretty healthy relationship for the circumstances they are under.
It was cool to start the series in the middle of so much chaos, just like how the characters are in their lives at that time. I like how they set up the rules of the world by explaining it through the daughter as if she is telling us the story.
All the characters, in general, are very compelling and multifaceted, something I (obviously) appreciate a lot.
This was a very good exposition graphic novel that is setting up the rest of the story and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
The artwork is phenomenal. I cannot express enough how amazing it is! Props to the artists who worked on this, because I feel like they don't get enough credit. So if you're reading this, very well done!!
I loved this edition of Dracula. Though I have not finished the novel itself, I have friends who have and they assured me that this does not leave much out.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
Bysa (2 KP) rated The Time Traveler's Wife in Books
Sep 19, 2018
Either you love this story or you hate it. There seems to be no in between when I peruse other reviews.
I won't make this long. I will list my pros and cons and be done.
pro- I loved the originality. I've not read anything like this before.
pro- I enjoyed the cultured references to writers, poets, and artists peppered throughout.
pro- the characters were mostly endearing.
here comes the cons:
-the voices of the characters were very much the same. there was little distinction between Clare and Henry's dialogue. it was at times confusing to distinguish between the two.
-the relationship between the 2 characters was uncomfortable, at best, during Clare's younger years.
-some of Henry's personality traits made it difficult for me to believe or align some of his actions with. without going into too many specifics, it seemed in his everyday life, during periods of which he spent with Ingrid, his lifestyle and actions didn't seem to be super virtuous so I found it hard to believe he would so virtuously refuse Clare's advances as a teenager toward him, well because, frankly he seemed "whorish"...to each their own...
-parts of the story dragged on and probably could have been cut.
all in all I enjoyed the escape this book offered. it was a unique story that was written well and it kept my attention. it's fiction, so all things considered, I'd recommend it.
I won't make this long. I will list my pros and cons and be done.
pro- I loved the originality. I've not read anything like this before.
pro- I enjoyed the cultured references to writers, poets, and artists peppered throughout.
pro- the characters were mostly endearing.
here comes the cons:
-the voices of the characters were very much the same. there was little distinction between Clare and Henry's dialogue. it was at times confusing to distinguish between the two.
-the relationship between the 2 characters was uncomfortable, at best, during Clare's younger years.
-some of Henry's personality traits made it difficult for me to believe or align some of his actions with. without going into too many specifics, it seemed in his everyday life, during periods of which he spent with Ingrid, his lifestyle and actions didn't seem to be super virtuous so I found it hard to believe he would so virtuously refuse Clare's advances as a teenager toward him, well because, frankly he seemed "whorish"...to each their own...
-parts of the story dragged on and probably could have been cut.
all in all I enjoyed the escape this book offered. it was a unique story that was written well and it kept my attention. it's fiction, so all things considered, I'd recommend it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Scone Cold Dead in Books
Jul 23, 2019
Can Natalie Find a Scone Cold Killer?
It’s late spring on Cranberry Island, but the beautiful weather is doing nothing for the tensions building. Something is going on with the lobstermen on the island. There are rumors of illegal activity, but no one seems to have any proof. Natalie Barnes is concerned about that, but she is also concerned that her bed and breakfast doesn’t have reservations like in years past. Fortunately, she does have some guests thanks to the new artists commune her niece, Gwen, has opened. But when the tension on the island leads to murder, will Natalie figure out what happened?
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
It’s always a pleasure to visit Cranberry Island, and this book is no exception. The characters are old friends by this point, and there are a couple of sub-plots that focus on them that helped pull me into the book early. Not that the mystery itself wasn’t compelling, and the sub-plots and mystery weave in and out of each other expertly. There are several good fully developed suspects we meet and plenty of turns before we hit the suspenseful climax. Natalie is working on recipes for a scone competition, so it is no surprise that three of the recipes at the end of the book are scones. Fans of the series will be happy with our latest visit to the island, and this book is fun enough to hook new fans as well.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A History of Heavy Metal in Books
Jan 7, 2020 (Updated Jan 7, 2020)
Knockabout trot through the history of the genre makes up for in enthusiasm what it lacks in objectivity, probably. Full disclosure: I'm not a huge fan of metal, but I'm always interested in learning new stuff , and you'd think that would make me the ideal audience for this book. However, there's an in-jokeyness here, a level of gushy fannishness, and a way in which the book prioritises jokes over facts, that leads me to suspect it's aimed at the devoted rather than newcomers.
It is good on the origins and early years of the music (or so it seems to me), but as it gets closer to the present day the narrative becomes increasingly fragmented and coloured by the author's personal tastes. Do you really need to try to be funny when writing about a genre featuring artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Lawnmower Deth? The book keeps the one-liners coming regardless. The blokey familiarity of it also feels inappropriate sometimes - subjects are referred to by their first names, even when they are white supremacists and convicted murderers (oh, the metal lifestyle). It's okay, but I didn't learn as much as I hoped and am not even that inspired to listen to more of this music after finishing the book.
(It may be a bit more satisfactory if you just approach it as a comedy book for metal fans. Didn't really make me laugh though.)
It is good on the origins and early years of the music (or so it seems to me), but as it gets closer to the present day the narrative becomes increasingly fragmented and coloured by the author's personal tastes. Do you really need to try to be funny when writing about a genre featuring artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Lawnmower Deth? The book keeps the one-liners coming regardless. The blokey familiarity of it also feels inappropriate sometimes - subjects are referred to by their first names, even when they are white supremacists and convicted murderers (oh, the metal lifestyle). It's okay, but I didn't learn as much as I hoped and am not even that inspired to listen to more of this music after finishing the book.
(It may be a bit more satisfactory if you just approach it as a comedy book for metal fans. Didn't really make me laugh though.)
Kate Nash recommended track Without You by Harry Nilsson in Original Album Classics by Harry Nilsson in Music (curated)
Tyondai Braxton recommended Quaristice by Autechre in Music (curated)
