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Stan has just moved to a small Connecticut town and is taking her cat to the only bet in town for the first time when she finds Carole's dead body on the floor. The vet wasn't well loved, but with the police and local gossip focusing on her as the killer, she needs to act fast to find out who really killed the vet.

I certainly enjoyed this debut. The pets were absolutely charming if not always well behaved. Stan was a refreshing change of pace for a main character because she reacts more realistically to what is happening to her than many main characters do. The plot could have been stronger, but overall it was still entertaining.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-kneading-to-die-by-liz.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Quantum Leap in TV

Feb 14, 2018  
Quantum Leap
Quantum Leap
1989 | Sci-Fi
Possibly the best TV show ever
Technically sci-fi (Sam is sent back through time into the body of people whose lives went wrong to try and stop certain events from happening) but each episode was a mini-drama in itself with a sci-fi overlay. Whether Sam became a pregnant woman, a struggling aging baseball player or a young man with down's syndrome, Scott Bakula's character had to work out who they were (starting with the standard "Oh boy" in the mirror), and with the help of his hologram assistant Al (Dean Stockwell) what events they would be trying to avoid. Once the task was complete, Sam would "leap" out, each time hoping the next leap would be the leap home.
Truly brilliant and I have nice warm fuzzy memories of watching with my family throughout the early 90s.
  
Elvis is hired to track down Ellen Lang's husband because the husband disappeared with their son. However, after the Lang house is searched and the first body turns up, he realizes he is in way over his head.

This book suffers from the cliches of the PI genre, but manages to overcome them with some pretty entertaining characters. Elvis and his PI partner Joe are both interesting, and Elvis's sense of humor is fun. There are some twists that surprised me as well. The book is definitely outside my normal comfort zone with the use of bad language and more violence, which I wasn't always comfortable with. Still, I do intend to read more in the series.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-monkeys-raincoat-by-robert.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Stickmen's Guide to Your Mighty Muscles and Bones by John Farndon and Venitia Dean is well-written with clear text and illustrations. The diagrams are labeled well and easy to understand. Children will enjoy the interesting diagrams throughout the book. The book contains a large about of information that is presented in a way that is accessible by the reader. An illustrated timeline shows the history of muscle and bone is fascinating. It has an added bonus of providing a sense of how understanding of our skeletal system grows. The timeline also provides extra information about muscles and bones.  

I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about the human body and how it works. 

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group and Hungry Tomato in exchange for an honest review. 
  
All Star Superman
All Star Superman
Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
While I initially thought that this was going to be a self-contained story in its own right, upon having read it I now think that this is instead a compilation of a (roughly) 12 issue long comic run.

Some of the episodes, I felt, were far superior to others: in some (perhaps more than I was comfortable with), I didn't really follow what was happening.
There is an over-arching plot throughout the entire series, with Superman 'overpowering' himself with solar radiation in the opening of the first episode, and with his body beginning to fail as a result.

I also found the art-style slightly off-putting: I can understand drawing the man of steel in a square/blocky 'strong' art style, but ma and pa Kent? Really?

Perhaps not the best of introductions for anybody new to Superman comics.
  
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Laura lou (304 KP) rated Insatiable in TV

Dec 18, 2018  
Insatiable
Insatiable
2018 | Comedy, Drama
8
6.9 (16 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Funny (2 more)
Entertaining
Relatable
Far fetched (0 more)
This show has had a lot of mixed reviews. Some people love it and some people don’t like the way that it represents body issues.

Personally I thought this was a great show. If you don’t think too much about how far fetched some of the story lines are and just take the show for what it is, a show, then it’s very entertaining, funny and a joy to watch.

I found it quite addicting and ended up watching the entire series over a few days. I enjoyed the witty dialogue, quirky characters and personally thought that they approached some touchy subjects in a way that people can relate to but also in a way that made the show fun.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed watching insatiable and am looking forward to the next series.
  
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Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated The Irishman (2019) in Movies

Nov 28, 2019 (Updated Nov 30, 2019)  
The Irishman (2019)
The Irishman (2019)
2019 | Biography, Crime, Drama
Some people paint houses. Some people paint our screens with incredible performances. I have been looking forward to seeing The Irishman all year and it was even better than I could have hoped for; what a story. Not sure which excited me more, just seeing Pesci back on the screen, De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci all together on screen, or Scorcese back behind the camera(even if I disagree with his opinion on Marvel movies). This movie is packing some serious heat in regards to the supporting cast as well. I was a little nervous when I heard they were using cgi aging technology, but if was very well done. The movie's run time is as long as a mid 70's Lincoln Towncar, but cruises along just as smooth, and just like Jimmy Hoffa's body the time disappears.
  
Little Joe (2019)
Little Joe (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Offbeat Anglo-Austrian contribution to the botanical horror subgenre possibly makes too much of a virtue of understatement. A dedicated researcher breeds a special new flower with the ability to affect its owner's mood. But has she underestimated her creation's influence?

Clearly a movie which has been made with the greatest care and thought; every camera move and composition has obviously been planned for a reason. The plot is ultimately a somewhat derivative one (elements of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and perhaps even Rosemary's Baby are in the mix), but the slow-burning slide from normality into something rather unsettling is impeccably done, helped a lot by a strong performance from Emily Beecham in the lead role. The lack of a big, obvious genre climax is probably going to be an issue for many people, but very creepy and watchable nevertheless.
  
Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones
Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones
1967 | Sci-Fi
9
6.1 (9 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Patrick troughton (4 more)
Fraser Hines
Pauline Colin's
Animation
Donald Pickering
Just watched the first three episodes of this lost classic doctor who that was first shown in the 1960s but was junked by the BBC in the 70s but all that remains of the story is episodes one and three untill now we can watch it in full animated release is it any good so far yes the plot which takes place in and around Gatwick airport in which aliens are kindapping young people thru chameleon tours and replacing them with dupaites. The plot is very invasion of the body snatchers but on a BBC budget. Acting wise Patrick troughton is in his element as the doctor with support from the rest of the cast. Looking forward to the animated release later in the year fury from the deep that once a true classic
  
The Girl Beneath the Sea
The Girl Beneath the Sea
Andrew Mayne | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Florida diver and police officer Sloan is thrown headlong into a messy case when she emerges from the water to find a the dead body of someone she knew. Alongside disgraced officer Solar, Sloan must learn who to trust, keep herself and her family safe and solve this case.

I struggled when deciding the rating as I have rather mixed views. I struggled to motivate myself to carry on reading after I had put the book down, and then when I was reading it struggled to put it down! The novel itself is well written, however I find that some of the decisions the characters made were, maybe unrealistic or definitely stupid. The main character is very likeable, but over the top. It was overall an enjoyable read, but ended abruptly after a long build up.