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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Long for Me (Luminous, #3) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A boss romance involving BDSM. Sounds like the perfect recipe right? I thought so too, but I wasnt 100% happy with this novel. On one hand, the erotic scenes were as graphic as they were hot. The chemistry between the leads was undeniable.
The being said, I wanted to punch the heroine in the face on multiple occasions. Okay, I know that is a bit extreme. Overreactions aside, she could be pretty obnoxious. I understand that she is supposed to have the PTSD from past abuse back story but she over the top with it. Even after the long extensive conversations with her best friend about the BDSM community, she still cant separate from abuse. Even after going to the club and seeing consenting couples enjoying themselves. She still cant separate it from abuse. I had to put the book down multiple times because she was so annoying.
If that doesnt bother you, or you can get past that aspect, the story is pretty enjoyable.
A boss romance involving BDSM. Sounds like the perfect recipe right? I thought so too, but I wasnt 100% happy with this novel. On one hand, the erotic scenes were as graphic as they were hot. The chemistry between the leads was undeniable.
The being said, I wanted to punch the heroine in the face on multiple occasions. Okay, I know that is a bit extreme. Overreactions aside, she could be pretty obnoxious. I understand that she is supposed to have the PTSD from past abuse back story but she over the top with it. Even after the long extensive conversations with her best friend about the BDSM community, she still cant separate from abuse. Even after going to the club and seeing consenting couples enjoying themselves. She still cant separate it from abuse. I had to put the book down multiple times because she was so annoying.
If that doesnt bother you, or you can get past that aspect, the story is pretty enjoyable.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Chocolate (2008) in Movies
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Mmm, Chocolate
Yet another film about an autistic girl with prodigious martial arts skills forced to beat the living daylights out of dozens of gangland thugs in order to pay for her mother's cancer medicine. But a really good one, by the standards of the kung fu movie genre at least. From the director of Ong-Bak, Prachya Pinkaew, who almost single-handedly seems to have put Thai martial arts movies on the map.
The plot is, as you can probably tell, somewhat eccentric and quite possibly in dubious taste (the final boss battle sees the autistic kickboxing girl facing off against a teenage capoeira expert with Tourette's syndrome), but this just adds to the distinctive flavour of this particular chocolate. Terrific performance, both acting and athletic, from Jeeja Yanin. The fight scenes are stupendously well-choreographed, especially the climax (a vertical fight up and down the side of a building). I don't know which is more surprising: that this movie exists at all, or that it's real and also really lives up to its potential.
The plot is, as you can probably tell, somewhat eccentric and quite possibly in dubious taste (the final boss battle sees the autistic kickboxing girl facing off against a teenage capoeira expert with Tourette's syndrome), but this just adds to the distinctive flavour of this particular chocolate. Terrific performance, both acting and athletic, from Jeeja Yanin. The fight scenes are stupendously well-choreographed, especially the climax (a vertical fight up and down the side of a building). I don't know which is more surprising: that this movie exists at all, or that it's real and also really lives up to its potential.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated The Corpse with the Silver Tongue (Cait Morgan #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Cait Morgan has traveled to Nice to present a paper for a sick colleague when she runs into her former boss, Alistair Townsend. Unable to say no, she finds herself at a birthday party for Alistair’s wife that night. Dinner is ruined when Alistair drops dead at the table and the other guests start feeling sick. With the police looking at Cait, she needs to figure out what is really happening.
Cait is an interesting character because she has an excellent memory but a habit of judging others quickly. I did find myself annoyed by her at times, but that never lasted for long. The suspects make a strong cast as they have layers to them that Cait has to peal back before she can solve the crime. And the plot heads into some areas I wasn’t expecting that I found interesting. I had a couple of niggles with the climax, but they were minor.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-corpse-with-silver-tongue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Cait is an interesting character because she has an excellent memory but a habit of judging others quickly. I did find myself annoyed by her at times, but that never lasted for long. The suspects make a strong cast as they have layers to them that Cait has to peal back before she can solve the crime. And the plot heads into some areas I wasn’t expecting that I found interesting. I had a couple of niggles with the climax, but they were minor.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-corpse-with-silver-tongue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Gail (4 KP) rated Do Not Disturb (Resort Romances #1) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Do Not Disturb by Mary Billiter
Four Stars
The story revolved around a young woman still coming into herself. She wants independence but hasn’t found that dream job to make it happen. She puts herself out there and might have even struck gold. I don’t usually enjoy love triangles because someone always gets hurt. The story was written very tastefully. It wasn’t overly dramatic where there was always something happening. The characters were enjoyable and I feel that Katie was a brave and determined character. It was a little slow at the beginning but it started to pick up after a few chapters. This was a new spin a romance and a woman’s determination to be her own boss. I look up to women who can hold it down on their own but softens when needed. We have too learn how to let go of the reins when someone else comes a long to be that support we need. The author did a really good job on bringing flaws and personality to the characters.
Four Stars
The story revolved around a young woman still coming into herself. She wants independence but hasn’t found that dream job to make it happen. She puts herself out there and might have even struck gold. I don’t usually enjoy love triangles because someone always gets hurt. The story was written very tastefully. It wasn’t overly dramatic where there was always something happening. The characters were enjoyable and I feel that Katie was a brave and determined character. It was a little slow at the beginning but it started to pick up after a few chapters. This was a new spin a romance and a woman’s determination to be her own boss. I look up to women who can hold it down on their own but softens when needed. We have too learn how to let go of the reins when someone else comes a long to be that support we need. The author did a really good job on bringing flaws and personality to the characters.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Blinded by the Light (2019) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019 (Updated Aug 13, 2019)
Clumsy, trite, and overlong musical coming-of-age drama. The story of an Asian teenager living in Luton in a dress-up version of the late 1980s is brought to life through the music of Bruce Springsteen (well-known as one of the great interpreters of the British Pakistani experience).
As you can probably tell, there is something slightly odd and out-of-whack about the whole premise of the movie, but it's the realisation that is really shocking. Badly-performed characters swap platitudes and re-enact virtually every movie about growing up with strict Pakistani or Muslim parents you have ever seen before, with occasional musical interludes where characters sing along, not well, with Springsteen tracks. To say the dance routines look under-rehearsed is charitable. Apparently aims to be a feel-good movie but I'm sure I felt it trying to suck the soul out of my body. 'Blinded by the Trite', more like - certainly more dross than Boss (I can keep this up all day).
As you can probably tell, there is something slightly odd and out-of-whack about the whole premise of the movie, but it's the realisation that is really shocking. Badly-performed characters swap platitudes and re-enact virtually every movie about growing up with strict Pakistani or Muslim parents you have ever seen before, with occasional musical interludes where characters sing along, not well, with Springsteen tracks. To say the dance routines look under-rehearsed is charitable. Apparently aims to be a feel-good movie but I'm sure I felt it trying to suck the soul out of my body. 'Blinded by the Trite', more like - certainly more dross than Boss (I can keep this up all day).
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Super Metroid in Video Games
Jun 21, 2019
An enormous jump in quality from the NES version to this (6 more)
An even larger variety of enemies and bosses
The worlds are no longef as redundant and really feel as if they're individual biomes
An even better soundtrack
The absolutely beautiful dark tone of the game
An even bigger variety of weapons and upgrades to collect
While still extremely difficult, the game did lighten up drastically
While still keeping with the horrendously difficult nature of Metroid games, Super Metroid tones it down enough to not be overwhelming. The game is actually a masterpiece from the dark tone to the music to the no longer redundant but vibrant biomes and more. Samus has more weapons and more abilities giving you better control and ability to explore the upgraded world. The villains are epic in scale and some of the boss battles are absolutely epic. Even the mini bosses give you fight you won't soon forget. Going from Metroid to Super Metroid is like going from McDonald's to gourmet. Sure the Mickey D's is good, but the alternative is fucking gourmet!
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of Hollow Knight in Video Games
Dec 30, 2019
Masterful platformer. (2 more)
Gorgeous visuals.
Superb story.
Hollow Knight is one of those rare games that will be remembered as a classic Metroidvania. A true gem amongst AAA videogames that year, that outshines them on almost every level.
A simple platformer, expertly crafted to perfect, with a gloomy black and white palette to boot, Hollow Knight tells the story of a small, sword wielding knight, who must discover the various secrets in the underground cities of Hallownest.
It's hard to sum up just how brilliant, often brutal and pulsating Hollow Knight can be. With so much to explore, so many quests to complete, and many, many boss battles that will make you want to jump out of tall building. Yet, once you do defeat that one frustrating creature, the game rewards you further with excellent progression with new abilities and items that help you along your journey.
From a game that was crowdfunded on a budget of $57,000, its astounding just how meticulously crafted Hollow Knight is. Support Team Cherry, you will love this amazing piece of art and entertainment.
A simple platformer, expertly crafted to perfect, with a gloomy black and white palette to boot, Hollow Knight tells the story of a small, sword wielding knight, who must discover the various secrets in the underground cities of Hallownest.
It's hard to sum up just how brilliant, often brutal and pulsating Hollow Knight can be. With so much to explore, so many quests to complete, and many, many boss battles that will make you want to jump out of tall building. Yet, once you do defeat that one frustrating creature, the game rewards you further with excellent progression with new abilities and items that help you along your journey.
From a game that was crowdfunded on a budget of $57,000, its astounding just how meticulously crafted Hollow Knight is. Support Team Cherry, you will love this amazing piece of art and entertainment.
Melika Jeddi (1145 KP) rated Boss Monster 2: The Next Level in Tabletop Games
Nov 7, 2019
It's quick to learn (4 more)
Each round only lasts about 15 minutes
There's a good amount of skill involved as well as just luck of the draw
The artwork is cute and simple
The game mechanics work well together
Simple But Fun
Boss Monster 2 is a really fun introduction to board games for people who want to expand beyond mainstream games like Uno or Scrabble, but don't want to commit to hour long games with complicated rules.
This is an improvement on the original, in my opinion, as it allows for more interaction between cards, and the new additions to the deck are really clever.
Building your own dungeon involves having to make tactical decisions, and although you're limited by which cards you draw, the main decider of the game is the order in which you play them.
This game is as fun with 2 players as it is with 4. I'd highly recommend it.
This is an improvement on the original, in my opinion, as it allows for more interaction between cards, and the new additions to the deck are really clever.
Building your own dungeon involves having to make tactical decisions, and although you're limited by which cards you draw, the main decider of the game is the order in which you play them.
This game is as fun with 2 players as it is with 4. I'd highly recommend it.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020) in Movies
Feb 1, 2020
Taylor Swift is a powerhouse. Throughout this film she goes through her career and how she ended up to this spot, to build this album, to create this life for herself. She discusses her struggles with food, the media, her "downfall" after another Kanye West debacle, loving herself, living for herself, and so much more.
I might be biased a bit, as I've loved Taylor since she first hit the scene so many years ago, but what I love most is her openness to grow, to change, to learn from who she was, and all of those things have created who she is now. As a woman, she is fierce, strong, loud, a boss, a fighter, a dreamer, and so much more. She's herself and throughout the film, you watch her tell the story of how she came to love the person that she is.
Music documentaries are some of my favorite films to exist and this one might just have shot to the top of the list.
I might be biased a bit, as I've loved Taylor since she first hit the scene so many years ago, but what I love most is her openness to grow, to change, to learn from who she was, and all of those things have created who she is now. As a woman, she is fierce, strong, loud, a boss, a fighter, a dreamer, and so much more. She's herself and throughout the film, you watch her tell the story of how she came to love the person that she is.
Music documentaries are some of my favorite films to exist and this one might just have shot to the top of the list.
Awix (3310 KP) rated I Walked with a Zombie (1943) in Movies
Jan 8, 2020 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)
One of the granddaddies of the modern zombie movie is almost unrecognisable as such: no blood to speak of and the plot is derived from a novel by Charlotte Bronte. Nice young nurse goes off to morbid, doomy Caribbean island to care for the creepy wife of her employer (can't speak, has no will of her own following strange 'fever'); finds herself falling for her boss (though God knows why, he's so disagreeable). Perhaps the local voodoo spirits can help cure the afflicted woman?
A zombie movie in the traditional sense, and all the creepier for it. The plot is rather melodramatic, and the gentility of the film is quite amusing to the modern eye (male worshippers at a voodoo ritual all turn up in suits and ties), but it scores hugely for atmosphere, though, and there are some genuinely eerie sequences. Usual studied ambiguity and lack of overt 'horror' you often get in Lewton movies, but this just adds to the sense that this is a classy piece of work.
A zombie movie in the traditional sense, and all the creepier for it. The plot is rather melodramatic, and the gentility of the film is quite amusing to the modern eye (male worshippers at a voodoo ritual all turn up in suits and ties), but it scores hugely for atmosphere, though, and there are some genuinely eerie sequences. Usual studied ambiguity and lack of overt 'horror' you often get in Lewton movies, but this just adds to the sense that this is a classy piece of work.