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Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Monster Calls (2016) in Movies
Dec 30, 2018
Heartwrenching
Anyone who’s read my reviews on here knows I very rarely like film adaptations of books, but for this one I make an exception. The book is excellent, and the film is not only as good as the book, but possibly slightly better.
This is a heartwrenching story about grief, and doesn’t shy away about being stark and honest about a very brutal and difficult subject. And it deals with this subject matter in such an elegant way. The film really surpasses the book when it comes to the visuals. The monster looks and sounds amazing, and is sinister looking without being too scary, and the stories he tells are animated brilliantly - looking very similar to the Deathly Hallows animation. The colours and effects are truly impressive. And it helps that the film sticks very true to the book.
Conor is a relatable young character and is played brilliantly in this. The rest of the supporting cast are also excellent, although one of my few criticisms is that Toby Kebbell is underused. He’s a fantastic actor and I appreciate that there isn’t much room to include his character more, I just always wish to see him more no matter what film he’s in.
This is a beautifully made heartwrenching film, that deals with a very difficult subject in a fitting matter. I can’t find anything bad to say about this Not a dry eye around when it got to the ending.
This is a heartwrenching story about grief, and doesn’t shy away about being stark and honest about a very brutal and difficult subject. And it deals with this subject matter in such an elegant way. The film really surpasses the book when it comes to the visuals. The monster looks and sounds amazing, and is sinister looking without being too scary, and the stories he tells are animated brilliantly - looking very similar to the Deathly Hallows animation. The colours and effects are truly impressive. And it helps that the film sticks very true to the book.
Conor is a relatable young character and is played brilliantly in this. The rest of the supporting cast are also excellent, although one of my few criticisms is that Toby Kebbell is underused. He’s a fantastic actor and I appreciate that there isn’t much room to include his character more, I just always wish to see him more no matter what film he’s in.
This is a beautifully made heartwrenching film, that deals with a very difficult subject in a fitting matter. I can’t find anything bad to say about this Not a dry eye around when it got to the ending.
Perfect Strangers: Friendship, Strength, and Recovery After Boston's Worst Day
Roseann Sdoia and Jennifer Jordan
Book
As Roseann Sdoia waited to watch her friend cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013,...
Library Cat: The Observations of a Thinking Cat: Edinburgh University Library's Resident Cat
Book
For the last year, Library Cat - the resident cat of Edinburgh University Library - has been...
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
Book
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim is Jonathan Coe's latest heart-breaking and hilarious novel...
Safe Planet: Renewable Energy Plus Workers' Power
Book
What is the greatest challenge facing humanity this century? The answer is, how we can produce the...
Are You Considering Therapy?
Book
Are You Considering Therapy? is a guidebook for people who are thinking about going into therapy but...
Merissa (12969 KP) rated Colorado Flames With A Texas Twist (Colorado Heart #3) in Books
Apr 15, 2023
We're back with the boys of the Wild Bluff ranch and this time it's James who takes the spotlight. He is following - or stalking in his words - Brody, supposedly to make sure that Brody doesn't talk about the ranch but in reality, it is because James is fascinated with him. Brody comes across as a 'clean-cut boy' but has his own secrets to hide.
The one thing that stuck out for me in this book is the introduction to new characters, a new scene and a whole backstory that I know absolutely nothing about. Whilst I can see them having more importance as the story goes on, I have no idea who they are or what they're about right now. The other thing is that 'Mike' is mentioned more than once but from what I could understand, there is more than one 'Mike' character so I have no idea which one was which and who was being spoken about. I guess if you've read the other series, you will know more but I haven't.
On the whole, this was very enjoyable and I liked spending time with Zander, Marshall, Tucker and Billy, as well as James and Brody. Definitely enjoying these reads.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 9, 2015
The one thing that stuck out for me in this book is the introduction to new characters, a new scene and a whole backstory that I know absolutely nothing about. Whilst I can see them having more importance as the story goes on, I have no idea who they are or what they're about right now. The other thing is that 'Mike' is mentioned more than once but from what I could understand, there is more than one 'Mike' character so I have no idea which one was which and who was being spoken about. I guess if you've read the other series, you will know more but I haven't.
On the whole, this was very enjoyable and I liked spending time with Zander, Marshall, Tucker and Billy, as well as James and Brody. Definitely enjoying these reads.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 9, 2015
ClareR (5906 KP) rated The Pharmacist in Books
Jul 24, 2022
The Pharmacist is the kind of book that I find I have to ration. I love it, but frankly the concept is terrifying. I read a lot of books about End Of Times, apocalypse, dystopia - I’m addicted, but I find I can’t stop thinking about them, and I even dreamt about The Pharmacist!
This isn’t a light read, and the dread isn’t even underlying: it’s constantly there, glowering in every paragraph, every sentence. The reader doesn’t know why these specially chosen people are all holed up in a bunker together, but something terrible, world changing, has happened.
And the claustrophobia! I could imagine the close living quarters, the smell of the not-quite-clean inhabitants, the fear of doing something to incur the wrath of the bunkers leader. Now, he’s quite some character: power mad and more than happy to use anyone to get what he wants. And although the pharmacist, Wolfe, is supplying him with ever greater supplies of drugs, she is the one who is at his mercy.
Whatever is outside the bunker is worse than what’s inside (I debate this, and would be much happier taking my chances on the outside!). And the tasks that the leader demands that Wolfe undertakes, get worse and worse.
This is an unrelentingly grim read, and I’m sure it says a whole lot about me when I say that I loved it. I looked forward - with trepidation - to reading every one of the ten instalments on The Pigeonhole.
This isn’t a light read, and the dread isn’t even underlying: it’s constantly there, glowering in every paragraph, every sentence. The reader doesn’t know why these specially chosen people are all holed up in a bunker together, but something terrible, world changing, has happened.
And the claustrophobia! I could imagine the close living quarters, the smell of the not-quite-clean inhabitants, the fear of doing something to incur the wrath of the bunkers leader. Now, he’s quite some character: power mad and more than happy to use anyone to get what he wants. And although the pharmacist, Wolfe, is supplying him with ever greater supplies of drugs, she is the one who is at his mercy.
Whatever is outside the bunker is worse than what’s inside (I debate this, and would be much happier taking my chances on the outside!). And the tasks that the leader demands that Wolfe undertakes, get worse and worse.
This is an unrelentingly grim read, and I’m sure it says a whole lot about me when I say that I loved it. I looked forward - with trepidation - to reading every one of the ten instalments on The Pigeonhole.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Cold Calling in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Even from the description, it was visible, that this book will contain tons of strong language, and it did. I believe all of us had to deal with a “cold call” at least once in our lifetime, and it is really annoying, to be honest. This book is an insight into behind the scenes of “cold calling” companies, and I found it incredibly interesting to read. After reading this novel, I promised myself not to be rude to people who work in this industry, because as it showed, their life is already not the best.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
This book about a guy named Rhys. He works in a call centre and lives really sad and monotonic life. He hates his job and actually his life. His life is a routine of work, porn websites after work, casual drink with friends he hates, sleep, repeat. One day after a lot of drinks, he kills a family, takes their baby, cooks it and eats it. And it somehow changes his life, and he needs more… So this book is about a guy who from being an ordinary boring dude, becomes a vicious and exciting murderer. The characters chosen for this book are just like normal, ordinary lads, very believable and you see these kinds of people every day. Haydn Wilks has quite a bit of experience working in call centres himself, and I appreciate, that he shared the details of it with the readers.
The plot of this book left me interested and grossed out at the same time. I like horror books, but this one overwhelmed me. There were some really nasty parts in here, and if I would be a meat eater, it would put me off from it for quite a while. The details of cooking human flesh, eating it, and sharing with others just gives me nausea. So if you got weak stomach and you are sensitive, this book is definitely not for you. I really enjoyed reading about Rhys’s psychotic plans of how to find new victims and how to preserve their bodies, I like when books give insights into murderers thoughts, I find that very interesting.
This book is quite short and really quick paced, so it is a quick read even though it doesn’t have chapters. This book is written in a very interesting manner, it is like a letter to yourself, about yourself. Here is the first paragraph of the book:
“You were born the year the Berlin Wall fell. For your generation, it’s impossible to conceive of life outside capitalism. It feels as permanent and natural as gravity or the four seasons. You were born into a system and you’ve inherited its world view. A person’s beliefs are shaped by their society. No preindustrial revolution European intellectuals were openly atheist. Human civilisation is an echo chamber. Imagine how ideas that are emerging now will get amplified and distorted over time. These are the thoughts that fill your head as you stare into the computer screen; at names and addresses and telephone numbers; black details on slow-blinding white.”
So this kind of writing style justifies the lack of chapters and brought something new to my reading spectra because I don’t remember reading anything similar. This book is easy to read and doesn’t have a difficult language. I don’t know was the author lazy or genius, but this book does not have an ending. The ending of the book tells the reader to create their own ending. As this is the first book I read by this author, I really don’t know if other books by this author have the same ending style, or it’s just this one. So, to conclude, this book was too strong for me, that’s why my rating for it is not the best. However, if you have a strong stomach, interested in behind the scenes of call centres, and like books about cannibalism, this one would be a great book for you.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Surprise Delivery (Hearts and Health #5) in Books
Mar 25, 2018
the warm and fuzzies are back!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 5 in the Hearts and Health series, but you don't need to have read the other books. I first met Eric in the first book I read, which was book 2, because I still haven't got round to reading book 1 yet! Casper pops up in book 4. All stand alone stories, with connecting characters based in and around the hospital in Ashe, Kansas. But you should! Cos, you know, warm and fuzzies, people! Warm. And. Fuzzies.
Cos that's what I'm loving about this series! That feeling it gives, when two guys finally give in to their feelings. When they get over their hang ups. When they give up the guilt that has been eating them alive and just LOVE on each other! I live my life through books like this!
Casper does all his adrenaline junkie stuff as a way to connect with his dead boyfriend of 5 years. Eric is married to his job, because his real husband left him. When Eric's 16 year old niece turns up at his door, pregnant and thrown out of her home, the two men are thrown together. Casper pulls at Eric to live a little, and Eric pulls at Casper to just slow down a bit.
Expect some roller coaster emotions from Casper here, as he deals with his self inflicted guilt. He struggles to let Kage go, and he struggles to talk to Eric, which in turn leads to some roller coaster emotions from Eric, although not quite as painful reading. I bawled my eyes out for them both!
Paul and Zane play a part, Paul especially for Eric dealing with the Board and budgets, makes Eric see, really SEE what's going on in the ER and it's Paul who makes Eric begin to think that maybe, just maybe, there is life OUTSIDE of this hospital. He just needs the push that Paul, Olivia and Casper give him. Trent and Xavier pop up too, but only briefly.
I loved this book, I read it in one sitting. I can't wait for more books in this series, but I'm wondering which way things will go now. Especially with what Eric, Paul and Trent have to decide to do. I don't really care whether future books will be based in the hospital or elsewhere, I just want and need more of these guys!
5 Warm And Fuzzies stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 5 in the Hearts and Health series, but you don't need to have read the other books. I first met Eric in the first book I read, which was book 2, because I still haven't got round to reading book 1 yet! Casper pops up in book 4. All stand alone stories, with connecting characters based in and around the hospital in Ashe, Kansas. But you should! Cos, you know, warm and fuzzies, people! Warm. And. Fuzzies.
Cos that's what I'm loving about this series! That feeling it gives, when two guys finally give in to their feelings. When they get over their hang ups. When they give up the guilt that has been eating them alive and just LOVE on each other! I live my life through books like this!
Casper does all his adrenaline junkie stuff as a way to connect with his dead boyfriend of 5 years. Eric is married to his job, because his real husband left him. When Eric's 16 year old niece turns up at his door, pregnant and thrown out of her home, the two men are thrown together. Casper pulls at Eric to live a little, and Eric pulls at Casper to just slow down a bit.
Expect some roller coaster emotions from Casper here, as he deals with his self inflicted guilt. He struggles to let Kage go, and he struggles to talk to Eric, which in turn leads to some roller coaster emotions from Eric, although not quite as painful reading. I bawled my eyes out for them both!
Paul and Zane play a part, Paul especially for Eric dealing with the Board and budgets, makes Eric see, really SEE what's going on in the ER and it's Paul who makes Eric begin to think that maybe, just maybe, there is life OUTSIDE of this hospital. He just needs the push that Paul, Olivia and Casper give him. Trent and Xavier pop up too, but only briefly.
I loved this book, I read it in one sitting. I can't wait for more books in this series, but I'm wondering which way things will go now. Especially with what Eric, Paul and Trent have to decide to do. I don't really care whether future books will be based in the hospital or elsewhere, I just want and need more of these guys!
5 Warm And Fuzzies stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Vee5000 (5 KP) Jan 2, 2019
Lee (2222 KP) Jan 2, 2019