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Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982)
1982 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
I was going to start this by claiming this was the middle of the Mad Max trilogy, but I had temporarily forgotten about Fury Road.

Perhaps it's better to say this is the middle of the Mel Gibson era of Mad Max films.

It's also hard to believe that this is nearly 40 years old now, holding up remarkably well for its age. That, I think, is probably due to its reliance on practical effects for most of the scenes of vehicular mayhem that occur throughout (in the post apocalyptic wasteland) rather than CGI.

In my books, this is definitely a step up from the first movie.
  
The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black
Susan Hill | 1998 | Fiction & Poetry
4
6.9 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
202 of 230
Book
The Woman in Black
By Susan Hill
⭐️⭐️

"The Woman in Black" tells haunting testimony of a young solicitor, Arther Kipps, who records in detail the nightmarish events of his stay in a house on a marsh in northern England, and the terrible events that were to alter his life forever.

I have never taken so long to read such a short book! I was so bored and disappointed in it. I think it’s one of those books you hear so much about that you go in with high expectations and unfortunately I found it lacking. At least it’s one of those must reads ticked off!
  
Vikings: A History of the Viking Age
Vikings: A History of the Viking Age
Robert Carlson | 2015 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book provides a short introduction to the Vikings - showing they are much more than just horned helmets and pillaging. Giving you an idea of what day-to-day life might have been like, as well as hearing about the explorers and adventurers too, this history book gives you more of a well-rounded idea of the world of the Vikings. This in no way gives you all the information you may want, but for a brief introduction then I can definitely recommend it.

* I received this book from Hourly History in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 22, 2016
  
When Disney took over the Star Wars franchise in circa 2015, they threw all the old Expanded Universe stuff out.

Which is understandable, from a certain point of view.

This, however, meant they threw the good out with the bad - for my money, this series was one of the major losses of that decision.

Essentially, these books - based on the old X-Wing/TIE fighter video games - are Top Gun in space, and - IMO - are far more interesting than just about anything Disney has done since (including the 'new' Alphabet Squadron series).

Corran Horn himself is a major loss in the 'new' Disney films.
  
Housekeeping: Faber Modern Classics
Housekeeping: Faber Modern Classics
Marilynne Robinson | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Haunting imagery, tremendous classic American literature
There was something deeply unsettling yet moving about this book exploring abandonment, solitude and loss over the span of three generations of women in a family.

Ruth, who is our main narrator, is speaking about her childhood in which her sister Lucille and her were continually abandoned by one family or another. Eventually they end up with their deeply eccentric aunt Sylvie, and she seems completely incapable in many ways of being a responsible parent, but rather a sister instead. She leads a transcient life, having deserted her husband, jumping on trains to get from place to place. She's a spirited wanderer, and sees Ruth as an ally and her own sister, Helen, who killed herself at the start of the book.

Their solitary life of never mixing, but staying in the great outdoors both seems idyllic and claustrophobic. There are images of the lake where the children's mother committed suicide, that seem to draw the women to this area. The metaphors are cold and quiet hence it feels unnerving.

It's a classic American tale about real women, which makes this different to the old books talking only about marriage and fidelity.
  
No Fear (No Shame #3)
No Fear (No Shame #3)
Nora Phoenix | 2017 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
No Fear (No Shame #3) by Nora Phoenix
In No Fear, we meet Aaron, Josh's brother. He gave Josh a hard time when Josh came out, so you can understand where Josh's feelings towards him come from. However, he stays at Blake's house, and gradually learns just who he is and where he wants to be.

This is probably the hardest book so far for me to read, simply because it talked about 'puppy play' which I've heard about, but never read about until now. The thing I love about Nora Phoenix's writing is that none of it is written for shock value. It all plays a part in the whole story, and nicely rounds out the story arcs that continue through this book.

All of the characters are different, so you won't get confused between the differing voices. This IS part of a series though, and definitely can't be read as a standalone. As with the previous two books, it was excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I am absolute loving this series, and the way the characters and their lives intertwine. Highly recommended by me.
  
This is a great book that honestly changed how I felt about comics completely. I had never really been exposed to comics outside of the weekly newspaper. Of course I knew the titles that were out there, and I did more than my fair share of watching cartoons and movies based on comic characters, but I didn't "get it." The medium was not mine. McCloud's book gave me the tools I needed to really understand the art of comics. How comics use the blending of art and written word to really present ideas in a unique way that no other art form can really do.
Reading this book opened my mind to a broad range of stories that I never would have read or even known about, some of which are among my most cherished books now.
  
TW
Taran Wanderer (The Chronicles of Prydain #4)
Lloyd Alexander | 1967 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
If the third of the series is my favorite, I love this novel infinitely more. I forgot what it was like to read such great literature that each pages inspires you to think and wonder. No body writes literature like this anymore, such thought provoking, enthralling books that bring you so close to the characters that you almost don't want to finish the novel for fear of losing such a friendship. You share their pains, triumphs, frustrations, and joys that it's almost heartbreaking to finish.

Taran Wanderer starts out with Taran setting out to search for his lineage so that he will have no doubts about asking Eilonway to marry him. Instead, he creates one of the greatest tales about finding ones self. If Taran existed here and now, I would demand that we be friends.