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A descent into madness by an author with a talent for story telling. (0 more)
Some events required better explanations that what was offered at the end of the story. (0 more)
Casual Reading Review
I will admit this is one of the few books that I have read after watching the movie. I was not impressed by the movie at all and had high hopes that the book would be better, as is usually the case. This time I was somewhat wrong. While the book was better than the movie, it still was not good. It is a rare occurrence when I do not like something that Stephen King writes but this one just was too confusing. I understood what was happening and why, but oddly enough I felt as if Stephen King did not explain how it happened quite well enough to satisfy me.

After recently getting divorced an author goes to his old lakeside house unsure of how long he is going to stay there, while his ex-wife takes over their old house. It is here that he is confronted by someone claiming that he is the original author of a story that was published a few years back and is demanding that things be made right. The author slowly starts to fall victim to paranoia and go crazy, leaving to question was he crazy before or after the appearance of the man accusing him of plagiarism.

That was an extremely vague summary of this short story but like with much of Stephen King's work, I am afraid of saying too much and spoiling some shocking twists for those who have not yet read it.

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling | 2014 | Children
9.0 (221 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Finished this one last week and forgot to mark, but I loved it. I ended up taking a massive break for several months because I'm such a mood reader but I really have always loved this one. I remember missing the magic as a teen since Umbridge was being Umbridge but the last act remains one of the most exciting in the series. And I was really happy to get to revisit the scene where Harry talks to Nearly Headless Nick about why some wizards become ghosts and why most don't. I always wanted that scene in the movie, but it's beautifully done in the book. Also loved the extensive conversation between Harry and Dumbledore, which was also reasonably shortened in the film. #AdamRereadsHP"

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Sarah (7800 KP) created a post in Smashbomb Feedback

May 26, 2020  
Is there anything that can be done to improve the search facility? I've found it seems to struggle finding certain items or doesn't show them first in the list of possible results, despite the fact that the item should probably be the most popular.

Most recent example is the book Christine by Stephen King. It finds the movie with no issue, however searching under books just brings up page after page of authors named Christine rather than the title itself. In the end I had to find it by searching for the author & looking under his list of books.

This has happened a few times with other items, not just books. Anything that could be done to improve or prioritise results would be useful!
  
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Imogen SB (4507 KP) May 26, 2020

Hi Sarah, we are regularly updating and improving the search tool on Smashbomb, however it is a constant ongoing project full of constant tweaks and adjustments so may take some time, but this is now on the list! :)

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Sarah (7800 KP) May 26, 2020

Thanks @Imogen SB - appreciate it's a big job but anything you can do to help would be great 🙂

Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Lindy Miller | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
cute and sweet!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

If you follow my reviews, you'll know I'm all about the book feelings and how much I hate using the word NICE to describe a book. But sometimes, that word sticks at the tip of my fingers and I can't shift it no matter what.

So, this is a nice book.

Roxy goes home for Christmas for the first time in several years, at the request of her aging grandmother. Her (currently) off-again boyfriend is in Milan. A conversation between them sets Roxy off in a bad mood and things go downhill from there. Or rather, Roxy goes uphill but the weather turns for the worse and Roxy runs off the road in a blizzard and she only packed her good clothes. Ranger Mark finds her, and there follows a lovely tale of finding your true self.

I liked it. It's relatively clean, just some kissing. Low angst, although Roxy does have to dig deep to make the decision she does. Just Roxy has a say though, and maybe if Mark had been given a voice, I might have enjoyed it more.

I refer back to the book feelings. My first and most lasting feeling about this book is that it's a Hallmark Christmas movie, wrapped up in some 178 pages. It didn't seem that long though.

It's incredibly sweet, and I think, for ME, just a bit too much.

But! This is the first I've read of this author, under either name she uses, and I'd certainly give her another go. A book with a bit more bite might be more for me.

3 good, twinkly stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Wedlocked in Books

Feb 11, 2019  
W
Wedlocked
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
While the cover of the book gives the impression that the story is exclusively about the main character Rebecca's bad marriage. The book actually encompasses her life leading up to the bad marriage and what happens as a result of the rocky nuptials. The actual ceremony is understood to have happened sort of "between the lines," so to speak. The book is a before and after image in prose.
The prologue to the book is the immediate aftermath of the ceremony when Rebecca is undergoing the realization of her mistake. I was a bit confused at this point since I could not figure out if the ceremony took place or not. The next chapter starts in Rebecca's childhood, growing up with two sisters and a very marriage-minded mother in a strict Jewish household. To her mother's dismay, Rebecca is quickly influenced by her grandma Emma into a love for acting, movies, and theater. From there, the book walks us through Rebecca's pursuit of an acting career and near-absence of dating material.
Though Rebecca is likable enough, I had a difficult time relating to her career struggles, since I have little interest in that side of the business. I also did wonder if she was really as talented as she claimed to be, since her struggles were so great.
When a man, Evan, finally lays claim to Rebecca's heart, both Rebecca and Evan handle the relationship poorly and Rebecca abandons her suffering career with a broken heart. The man she eventually becomes "wedlocked" to, Craig, then shows up in her life, and a rebound relationship becomes a permanent one before Rebecca thinks to learn a bit more about her new husband. A honeymoon from hell makes the reality of her situation quite clear as Craig's bad behavior and numerous secrets get him in trouble with the Italian government, until a new friend, Michael, flies in to save the day.
Without spoiling the ending, I think Rebecca handled her problems remarkably well, with a little help, and ended the book with a humorous twist. If I suspend my opinions of the Hollywood-influenced methods of dating, marriage, and divorce that is so common in America today, the book was an entertaining read, and likely would make an even better movie.
  
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Merissa (12934 KP) rated Not Okay Cupid in Books

Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 17, 2023)  
Not Okay Cupid
Not Okay Cupid
Heidi R. Kling | 2016 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An old tale of cheating boyfriends and betraying best friends gets a revamp in this YA, humour-filled story, starring Felix and Hazel. Written from the perspectives of both of them, you are with Hazel as she learns about her boyfriend, Jay, and her best friend, Kimmy, now becoming a couple even though Jay forgot to mention it to her. School is tough and to find out in the school cafeteria is a hard one. Felix isn't prepared to let Hazel deal with it by herself, so he puts a plan in motion.

Well-written, humorous and with plenty of opportunities for reflection and passion, this story is light and thoroughly enjoyable. Movie references from the '80s abound, including one from The Princess Bride! I would have no hesitation in recommending this.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 11, 2016
  
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
2018 | Action, Animation, Sci-Fi
Don't see Uncle Ben getting killed (again) (0 more)
Headache inducing! (0 more)
Headache inducing!
To the best of my knowledge, the first Spider-man film to follow the exploits of Miles Morales instead of the more famous Peter Parker, with Brooklyn teen Miles also getting bitten by a radioactive spider and acquiring new abilities just as Kingpin opens a portal into parallel universes after finally killing 'his' version of Spider-Man, as a (un-intended, from his point of view) result of which various other Spider-verse characters arrive in his universe and start to teach Miles Morales the ropes.

Much has been made of this movie, and of it's soundtrack and attempt to portray comic-book panels on-screen: bot of which, I have to say, I found to be headache inducing rather than the (supposed) 'fresh and vibrant' I had read they were.