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Elizabeth (1521 KP) rated iZombie, Vol. 4: Repossession in Books
Apr 24, 2019
I didn't know anything about this series beyond the TV show before I got into it. I certainly hadn't read any reviews on this last volume before reading it either, otherwise, I would have been more prepared for the chaos and confusion. It never crossed my mind that a graphic novel could be canceled just like a tv show, but apparently, that's what happened here and explains a lot.
As I said after reading the first volume, other than the resemblance to Gwen, the TV series is so loosely based on the graphic novel that they really are two different stories. I grew used to the campy, out there-ness (I know it's not a word, but just go with it) filled with just about every supernatural creature Bella Lugosi has ever portrayed. But the way this ended was over the top and felt rushed.
The worst part was the way one of the issues was drawn in a completely different style. It was the artwork that kept me reading past the first volume. That and my natural compulsion to see stories through to the end, unless they are just THAT bad that I can't stomach it. But the overly cartoonish images felt off. Think Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go being crammed together in the same volume. It's just not the same.
If you're looking for a light read and don't care to get too invested in the characters, then this is the series for you.
As I said after reading the first volume, other than the resemblance to Gwen, the TV series is so loosely based on the graphic novel that they really are two different stories. I grew used to the campy, out there-ness (I know it's not a word, but just go with it) filled with just about every supernatural creature Bella Lugosi has ever portrayed. But the way this ended was over the top and felt rushed.
The worst part was the way one of the issues was drawn in a completely different style. It was the artwork that kept me reading past the first volume. That and my natural compulsion to see stories through to the end, unless they are just THAT bad that I can't stomach it. But the overly cartoonish images felt off. Think Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go being crammed together in the same volume. It's just not the same.
If you're looking for a light read and don't care to get too invested in the characters, then this is the series for you.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Say My Name in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Drawing on her impressive intellectual prowess, Allegra Huston introduces us to a spectacular cast, all each with their part to play.
This story goes beyond the love and friendship surface and digs deep into the sensual world of danger and excitement from which the main character, middle-aged Eve Armanton, blossoms. But this is no normal voyage of self-discovery, but an empowering awakening brought on by a much younger musician Micajah, and a mysterious, battered old violin. Through these Eve has a startling realisation that her life will never be the same again – with or without a man in her life.
The author has a very distinct writing style with a kind of musical rhythm of her own! What I thought was just going to be a basic love story with a happy ending, turned into an exciting, page-turning thrill.
Eve is buried under the difficulties of her married life and the longing to find who she really is. But how far is she prepared to go to discover her own true power?
I liked the connection (which I think was intentional) between the the shattered violin and Eve’s life. Both had seen better days. Both were lost and now found. But what is to become of them?
A stirring account of a broken wife slowly coming to terms with the reality of what is her life, one powerfully sensual beat at a time.
This story goes beyond the love and friendship surface and digs deep into the sensual world of danger and excitement from which the main character, middle-aged Eve Armanton, blossoms. But this is no normal voyage of self-discovery, but an empowering awakening brought on by a much younger musician Micajah, and a mysterious, battered old violin. Through these Eve has a startling realisation that her life will never be the same again – with or without a man in her life.
The author has a very distinct writing style with a kind of musical rhythm of her own! What I thought was just going to be a basic love story with a happy ending, turned into an exciting, page-turning thrill.
Eve is buried under the difficulties of her married life and the longing to find who she really is. But how far is she prepared to go to discover her own true power?
I liked the connection (which I think was intentional) between the the shattered violin and Eve’s life. Both had seen better days. Both were lost and now found. But what is to become of them?
A stirring account of a broken wife slowly coming to terms with the reality of what is her life, one powerfully sensual beat at a time.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Crimson Sky (Dark Sky, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first novel I have read from Amy Braun, but it is certainly not the last. While I appreciate other genres beyond romance and erotica, it has to really be something to grab my attention. Crimson Sky had me from page one. Not only did it blow me away, I became obsessed, having to know what happened next and not being satisfied until I finished the novel.
Crimson Sky is an action packed novel that is hard to describe. Braun is such a talented writer, she easily incorporates multiple genres into one. It can be classified as steampunk, horror, action, romance, and dystopian all in one. I appreciate that Braun could easily show so many themes without having to shove it down our throats. She does such a good job of showing, there is no need for telling.
This novel is an intense roller coaster ride that begins from the very first page. Filled with complex realistic characters in a terrifying world, Braun weaves a story filled with twists and personal growth that keeps you hooked until the very end. Its been a long time since I have been this obsessed with a novel that didnt qualify as erotic. Even now, I am stuck in literary limbo because nothing seems to match up to the intense emotions this novel pulled from me. I cant wait to read more.
This is the first novel I have read from Amy Braun, but it is certainly not the last. While I appreciate other genres beyond romance and erotica, it has to really be something to grab my attention. Crimson Sky had me from page one. Not only did it blow me away, I became obsessed, having to know what happened next and not being satisfied until I finished the novel.
Crimson Sky is an action packed novel that is hard to describe. Braun is such a talented writer, she easily incorporates multiple genres into one. It can be classified as steampunk, horror, action, romance, and dystopian all in one. I appreciate that Braun could easily show so many themes without having to shove it down our throats. She does such a good job of showing, there is no need for telling.
This novel is an intense roller coaster ride that begins from the very first page. Filled with complex realistic characters in a terrifying world, Braun weaves a story filled with twists and personal growth that keeps you hooked until the very end. Its been a long time since I have been this obsessed with a novel that didnt qualify as erotic. Even now, I am stuck in literary limbo because nothing seems to match up to the intense emotions this novel pulled from me. I cant wait to read more.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Hereditary (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
Oscar worthy performances from the cast (2 more)
A genuinely complex approach to character based horror
Grounded horror, exploring reality and supernatural settings
It may be a little too slow for some (1 more)
This is not an easy viewing, and not a popcorn flick, you will need to pay full attention!
We Are family...
This movie is....intense.
It is painful.
It is uncomfortable.
It has moments of genuine scares too, but mostly it has slow dread.
The performance of this movie are outstanding and very much worthy of Oscar consideration, especially for Toni Collette who is just beyond amazing as a mother watching her family fall apart, but whose mental fragility is questioned over the course of the movie.
They keep the viewer guessing at all times as to whether the actions of this movie are due to insanity or something else, and honestly, either way, it is nightmarish.
The actions and conversations of the main characters all seem natural, or at least plausible, and this grounds the otherwise surreal situations in a way that is rare on movies of this type.
The sound design in this movie is fantastic, using really dynamic sound effects and periods of silence to create tension and keep the viewer focused, since there are very few musical cues on offer.
It is a classic, beautifully performed, lovingly crafted, and haunting in its brutality, realism and despair.
Watch it!
It is painful.
It is uncomfortable.
It has moments of genuine scares too, but mostly it has slow dread.
The performance of this movie are outstanding and very much worthy of Oscar consideration, especially for Toni Collette who is just beyond amazing as a mother watching her family fall apart, but whose mental fragility is questioned over the course of the movie.
They keep the viewer guessing at all times as to whether the actions of this movie are due to insanity or something else, and honestly, either way, it is nightmarish.
The actions and conversations of the main characters all seem natural, or at least plausible, and this grounds the otherwise surreal situations in a way that is rare on movies of this type.
The sound design in this movie is fantastic, using really dynamic sound effects and periods of silence to create tension and keep the viewer focused, since there are very few musical cues on offer.
It is a classic, beautifully performed, lovingly crafted, and haunting in its brutality, realism and despair.
Watch it!
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Feel It - Single by Gia Woods in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Gia Woods is a 22-year-old Persian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Not too long ago, she released a sweltering pop tune, entitled, “Feel It”, produced by Jordan Palmer.
“I got it so bad but I guess I got it so damn good. Your eyes are bloodshot red. Keep lookin’ at me look at you. Got your body on my mind. No, no, not logic, it’s emotional. So put your body right on mine. No, no, don’t make sense, it’s irrational.” – lyrics
‘Feel It’ tells a sensual tale of a young woman who intimately explores the feeling of infatuation for her girl crush.
Eventually, she undergoes that blissful experience when her lover’s lips and body are pressed against hers. That electric connection sends shivers down her spine.
‘Feel It’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lovely instrumentation scented with a commercial pop fragrance.
“To me, this is one of those perfect moments where the sound of the song sounds like the feeling in the lyrics. It’s slinky and seductive. It sort of creeps up on you. You can dance to it, but it’s not aggressive. It’s sensual and fun—just like the beginning of a heavy crush.” – Gia Woods
Gia Woods possesses an exotic presence and her sex appeal translates beyond music. So far, her songs have amassed over 37M streams via Spotify.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/gia-woods-feel-it/
“I got it so bad but I guess I got it so damn good. Your eyes are bloodshot red. Keep lookin’ at me look at you. Got your body on my mind. No, no, not logic, it’s emotional. So put your body right on mine. No, no, don’t make sense, it’s irrational.” – lyrics
‘Feel It’ tells a sensual tale of a young woman who intimately explores the feeling of infatuation for her girl crush.
Eventually, she undergoes that blissful experience when her lover’s lips and body are pressed against hers. That electric connection sends shivers down her spine.
‘Feel It’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lovely instrumentation scented with a commercial pop fragrance.
“To me, this is one of those perfect moments where the sound of the song sounds like the feeling in the lyrics. It’s slinky and seductive. It sort of creeps up on you. You can dance to it, but it’s not aggressive. It’s sensual and fun—just like the beginning of a heavy crush.” – Gia Woods
Gia Woods possesses an exotic presence and her sex appeal translates beyond music. So far, her songs have amassed over 37M streams via Spotify.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/gia-woods-feel-it/
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Genesis Fleet: Vanguard in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Another spin-off from Jack Campbell's 'The Lost Fleet' series, with this one taking place centuries before the events of those novels (and their own other spin-off series'), back when mankind has omly just begun to colonise the stars.
Like the intial series (and it's first set of spin-offs in the 'Beyond the Stars' series), the main character in this is once again a Geary: like his descendant, a fleet officer in the Navy who just happens to be the only such on the brand-new colony world of Glenyon, with the leaders of that world turning to him for help when they are attacked by a neighbouring star system. Alongside Rob Geary, they also turn to a former Marine (Mele Darcy) for help when that star system illegally sets up a colony on their planet, with two of Mele's former associates also pulled in the orbit of the story.
Alongside the usual military sci-fi of this series ('Newtonian' battles in space and on land), what I found to be the main 'hook' on this particular one was just how it lays the groundwork for the state of the universe as shown in 'The Lost Fleet' series: the start of the recerence for ancestors movement/religion and the proto-type (in effect) for The Syndics and The Alliance, alongside how politicians would become (?) to be viewed, and how those same politicians would view the military.
Like the intial series (and it's first set of spin-offs in the 'Beyond the Stars' series), the main character in this is once again a Geary: like his descendant, a fleet officer in the Navy who just happens to be the only such on the brand-new colony world of Glenyon, with the leaders of that world turning to him for help when they are attacked by a neighbouring star system. Alongside Rob Geary, they also turn to a former Marine (Mele Darcy) for help when that star system illegally sets up a colony on their planet, with two of Mele's former associates also pulled in the orbit of the story.
Alongside the usual military sci-fi of this series ('Newtonian' battles in space and on land), what I found to be the main 'hook' on this particular one was just how it lays the groundwork for the state of the universe as shown in 'The Lost Fleet' series: the start of the recerence for ancestors movement/religion and the proto-type (in effect) for The Syndics and The Alliance, alongside how politicians would become (?) to be viewed, and how those same politicians would view the military.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Too many genres!
I’m a massive fan of zombie films, musicals and Christmas films, but I’m really not too sure what to make of them all thrown into one film. I feel like they’ve just picked a handful of popular genres of films that people love and decided to mash them all together. And not very successfully either.
This film isn’t bad. The songs are quite good, they just seem ridiculously out of place in a zombie film and there are some dodgy vocals at times. A Christmas zombie film is a pretty decent idea though, especially as there’s nothing more anti-festive than a load of flesh eating zombies. It has a decent cast, with Mark Benton and Paul Kaye the old hands in a younger cast. However i think Paul Kaye may have taken overacting a little too far in this. He’s beyond fun and hammy and just sheer ridiculous. It’s a shame as he’s a great actor but it feels like he’s hamming it up in a kids pantomime. In fact, a lot of the humour in this seems to be made for kids or very young teenagers. Which is strange seen as it has a 15 rating! I just found it all a little bit juvenile, which is a shame as I had little expectations about this film.
It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. Watchable, and only memorable because of how truly bizarre it is!
This film isn’t bad. The songs are quite good, they just seem ridiculously out of place in a zombie film and there are some dodgy vocals at times. A Christmas zombie film is a pretty decent idea though, especially as there’s nothing more anti-festive than a load of flesh eating zombies. It has a decent cast, with Mark Benton and Paul Kaye the old hands in a younger cast. However i think Paul Kaye may have taken overacting a little too far in this. He’s beyond fun and hammy and just sheer ridiculous. It’s a shame as he’s a great actor but it feels like he’s hamming it up in a kids pantomime. In fact, a lot of the humour in this seems to be made for kids or very young teenagers. Which is strange seen as it has a 15 rating! I just found it all a little bit juvenile, which is a shame as I had little expectations about this film.
It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. Watchable, and only memorable because of how truly bizarre it is!
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Throne of Fools (The Omaran Saga #2) in Books
Nov 26, 2019
The second book of the Omaran Saga, Throne of Fools, changes the tone a little from the first. Where that was fairly standard in structure of an obvious evil to overcome, this is more concerned with the political machinations of the island state of Goldenisle. Ottemar Remoon intends to take the throne but the corruption of the court is deep. The mysterious Orhung, who claims to have been created and carries a rod of enormous power, reveals that the darkness at the heart of Goldenisle may be a power beyond any reckoning.
To some extent this book does suffer from being a bridge between the rather self-contained first book and the rest of the Saga and so rates with me as the weakest of the series. But its still better than the strongest books of other series, helped by Cole's take on worlds and creatures, neatly sidestepping creations that might be construed as 'Tolkienesque'. And indeed the whole saga has a very much darker and more brooding tone than anything set in Middle Earth.
As a bridge between the first and subsequent books this works well, setting up the nature of the threat that must be tackled as well as cementing the characters, Wargallow, Ottermar and Sisipher in particular. The actual narrative is perhaps less engaging but perhaps should be viewed as the framework which holds together the necessary threads being woven for the end of the saga
To some extent this book does suffer from being a bridge between the rather self-contained first book and the rest of the Saga and so rates with me as the weakest of the series. But its still better than the strongest books of other series, helped by Cole's take on worlds and creatures, neatly sidestepping creations that might be construed as 'Tolkienesque'. And indeed the whole saga has a very much darker and more brooding tone than anything set in Middle Earth.
As a bridge between the first and subsequent books this works well, setting up the nature of the threat that must be tackled as well as cementing the characters, Wargallow, Ottermar and Sisipher in particular. The actual narrative is perhaps less engaging but perhaps should be viewed as the framework which holds together the necessary threads being woven for the end of the saga
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated 100 Hours in Books
Feb 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
A decadent spring break beach getaway becomes a terrifying survival story when six Miami teens are kidnapped.
Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.
While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.
But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.
Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t thwart their captors’ plan, no one will make it out alive.
At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book but it turned out to be pretty good! I did think I was going to like Genesis at all but she was the best thing about it! The hostages manage to thwart the plans of the enemies but at the cost of Genesis and her supposedly dead uncle! Love the twists and turns at the end and definitely looking forward to book 2
Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.
While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.
But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.
Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t thwart their captors’ plan, no one will make it out alive.
At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book but it turned out to be pretty good! I did think I was going to like Genesis at all but she was the best thing about it! The hostages manage to thwart the plans of the enemies but at the cost of Genesis and her supposedly dead uncle! Love the twists and turns at the end and definitely looking forward to book 2
Transformers Prime: Scout's Honor
Book and Entertainment
App
Fun-filled interactive Transformers Prime iReader that kids will love to read and play! Perfect for...