Blood of the Bear (Fire Born volume 5)
6.0
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Battle calls the berserker once again... AD 781. Pagan Saxony groans under the Christian yoke. The...
Interviewing a Regular Joe: January 2020
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Good evening. This is ‘Green Wave’ radio station. I’m Gabriella Bitton. For the first time,...
religion
The Uzbek Girl
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American diplomat Nicholas Rosa receives a cryptic note from his mother hinting at a dark union...
mystery crime
Barrowbeck
10.0
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Welcome to Barrowbeck. A hard place to live. A harder place to leave. For centuries, the...
Historical fiction Cli-Fi
Spirit Out of Balance (The Guardians #5)
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Broken and dangerously so. Why did he find her now, when he can’t protect her? Centuries spent...
Magical Realism Romance
David McK (3705 KP) rated Dune: The Graphic Novel, part 1 in Books
Mar 6, 2022
My only frame of reference is the 2021 movie.
Oh, I knew the basics prior to that: Spice, the giant worms, space politics, but beyond that ... ?
Released in the wake of that movie, this is - apparently (or so the authors say) - a straight visual retelling (as much as is possible) of Frank Herbert 1965 epic, rather than putting their own stamp on it.
Never having read that original, I'm in no position to say whether it is or not.
What I will say, however (if it is) then so is the 2021 movie, although there are distinct visual differences between the two mediums.
This also ends in a different place, slightly earlier than the movie, with Paul and Jessica alone in the desert and before their run-in with the Fremen.
So, yes, engaging if dragging slightly in parts and well set-up for the release of Part 2 in Autumn 2022 ...
ClareR (6067 KP) rated The Sunshine Man in Books
Nov 23, 2025
In 1989, Bridie prepares to find and shoot the man, Jimmy Maguire, that murdered her sister upon his release from prison. She follows him as he’s picked up from the prison gates by his daughter, and as she drives him to old haunts and to visit his family.
In 1971, Jimmy and Providence are good friends. Jimmy and his family are outcasts, undesirables, always in trouble with the police. Providence can see beyond this with Jimmy.
This is such a sad story of family in all its guises (good and bad), revenge and redemption.
The Sunshine Man is a slow burn, but I found it worthwhile. I really got to know the characters, whether I really wanted to or not. Some were distinctly unpleasant people, but the motivations for their actions, whilst not excusable, were explained. I certainly won’t be forgetting this book in a hurry.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Tree of Life (2011) in Movies
Apr 19, 2019
I saw another review which said to describe this film would be like trying to describe the color blue to someone who was blind. A basically impossible task.
The easiest way for me would be to mention other movies, so if you took parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mother!, Revolutionary Road and Stand By Me you might start to come close to the interesting weave of imagery and story which conjoin this film.
Loosely speaking, it's about a family with 3 young boys in Texas in the 1950s. Their relationships, their troubles, their triumphs, the small insignificant moments in their lives combined with the very important ones. Throw in scenes of the creation of the universe, dinosaurs and unusual images of the Earth itself you'll finally start to maybe understand the complexity of this film.
Of course, this is a film like 2001 or Mother in which some will say it is crap or there is no meaning beyond what is displayed onscreen, but I would beg to differ. I respect everyone's opinions, but strive to seek out films that make me think a little and make me ponder during and after the end credits are complete and this film will do that for sure.
I am not a religious person, but you don't need to be to appreciate the vivid imagery in this film. I believe Malick supports differing views whether you believe in God or not.
In short, in a world of summer blockbusters just beyond the horizon, I would challenge you to enjoy those films as they have their place, but also challenge yourself with something rich.
I know I will be finding Days of Heaven and Badlands to get more Malick in the weeks ahead.
Tippu Tip: Ivory, Slavery and Discovery in the Scramble for Africa
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Tippu Tip was chiefly an ivory trader, who pioneered for new sources through present day Tanzania...
The Girl
Book
In this searing and surprising memoir, Samantha Geimer, "the girl" at the center of the infamous...
ClareR (6067 KP) Apr 13, 2025