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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Wandering Souls in Books
Mar 25, 2023
Since reading Wandering Souls on The Pigeonhole, it has made it on to the Women’s Prize long list. And well-deserved it is too.
This is the story of a family who make it by boat to Hong Kong from Vietnam. At least Anh and her two brothers do. Their parents and younger siblings come after them and drown.
This is Anh’s story, and how she copes on their journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong, and then on to London where they settle permanently. It’s a story of loss, life-long trauma and the struggle to find security and happiness. It brought home the continuing issues of refugees - particularly those who take the dangerous route of the sea. It always makes me think of these lines from Warsan Shire’s “Home”:
“You have to understand that no one puts children in a boat
Unless the water is safer than the land”
Anh and her family want a better life than that of poverty, war and political oppression.
This is a dark story and the experiences have such a huge effect on every aspect of Anh and her brothers lives, and you can still see this in the interactions that Anh has with her own children.
It’s a wonderful book, and well worth reading. I’ve learnt so much about the Vietnamese people who resettled in the UK and their journeys here.
I wouldn’t be at all disappointed to see this make the short list.
This is the story of a family who make it by boat to Hong Kong from Vietnam. At least Anh and her two brothers do. Their parents and younger siblings come after them and drown.
This is Anh’s story, and how she copes on their journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong, and then on to London where they settle permanently. It’s a story of loss, life-long trauma and the struggle to find security and happiness. It brought home the continuing issues of refugees - particularly those who take the dangerous route of the sea. It always makes me think of these lines from Warsan Shire’s “Home”:
“You have to understand that no one puts children in a boat
Unless the water is safer than the land”
Anh and her family want a better life than that of poverty, war and political oppression.
This is a dark story and the experiences have such a huge effect on every aspect of Anh and her brothers lives, and you can still see this in the interactions that Anh has with her own children.
It’s a wonderful book, and well worth reading. I’ve learnt so much about the Vietnamese people who resettled in the UK and their journeys here.
I wouldn’t be at all disappointed to see this make the short list.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Hunters of the Dead in Books
Oct 18, 2023
Finding a Killer Among the Bones
For their first assignment as part of the A.A. Western Detective Agency, Old Red and Big Red are being sent to Wyoming to help with security at a dinosaur dig. You wouldn’t think it would be a hot bed of crime, but as the brothers learn when they arrive, there is another group of paleontologists nearby, and the two groups do not get along at all. Still, keeping watch in the middle of the night sounds like a boring job, until Old Red finds a dead body. Will he figure out what happened before a killer strikes again?
It’s been several years since the previous book in this series came out, but it wasn’t long before I was back in this world. And it was delightful to return. As always, the plot seems to wander a bit, but at the end, we see that everything was important. I love watching Old Red weave everything together to solve the case. Likewise, the characters come to life as the book goes along. I appreciate the humor we get along the way. With the setting, it’s no surprise that we get a little more foul content than I typically read, but it feels realistic. This book teases the next case for the brothers, and I hope we get it soon. But for now, fans will be glad the series is back. If you haven’t tried these books yet, I recommend you change that today.
It’s been several years since the previous book in this series came out, but it wasn’t long before I was back in this world. And it was delightful to return. As always, the plot seems to wander a bit, but at the end, we see that everything was important. I love watching Old Red weave everything together to solve the case. Likewise, the characters come to life as the book goes along. I appreciate the humor we get along the way. With the setting, it’s no surprise that we get a little more foul content than I typically read, but it feels realistic. This book teases the next case for the brothers, and I hope we get it soon. But for now, fans will be glad the series is back. If you haven’t tried these books yet, I recommend you change that today.
Shouting Match (Amore Matchmaking #1)
10.0
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Book
After the death of his father, Capone Lombardi was tasked not only with keeping his father’s...
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Outcasts of Time in Books
Feb 9, 2019
Yet another book I waited so long for that ended up not being all that great. Ian Mortimer is a historian, so when I saw he was writing a novel, I was intrigued.
Well, the result was just ok. Two brothers end up catching the plague and get to live their last 6 days, 99 years in the future each day. The novel normally focuses on the changing customs, clothing, and it's deeply focused on religion. It was alright with me, but it's probably not what people thought they'd be getting into while reading this. I would deem this whole book as a sort of religious mediation. Overall, just kind of meh and a let down for me.
Well, the result was just ok. Two brothers end up catching the plague and get to live their last 6 days, 99 years in the future each day. The novel normally focuses on the changing customs, clothing, and it's deeply focused on religion. It was alright with me, but it's probably not what people thought they'd be getting into while reading this. I would deem this whole book as a sort of religious mediation. Overall, just kind of meh and a let down for me.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
I’ve always said that the best Marvel films are the ones that feature a different genre, rather than just ‘superhero movie’. Case in point with The Winter Soldier. Directed by the Russo brothers, this second outing for the First Avenger is almost heist-like in its presentation.
With a great cast and some absolutely breath-taking action sequences, it remains one of the very best films in the MCU with very few negatives. If I had to criticise, I’d say that Henry Jackman’s score is a little forgettable but this is a very small point in a film filled with surprises.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/04/21/the-entire-marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked/
With a great cast and some absolutely breath-taking action sequences, it remains one of the very best films in the MCU with very few negatives. If I had to criticise, I’d say that Henry Jackman’s score is a little forgettable but this is a very small point in a film filled with surprises.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/04/21/the-entire-marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked/
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated TMNT (2007) in Movies
Jun 13, 2019
Cowabunga
In this animated 4th instalment of the original franchise, the Turltles are semi retired, with Leonardo training in the deep Jungles, Michelangelo ironically dressing as a turtle for kids party's, donatello working as I.T support, Raphael having a secret Night life and April o'neil now working for a mysteriously rich relic collector, the four brothers aren't as close as they once were. until one night OG badass Casey Jones teams up with the mysterious vigilante nightwatcher, they discover ancient monsters terrorizing the city and the return of the foot clan.
This movie has a great coming of age story, wonderful cgi animation and a well balanced tone. This is one for all old school Half Shell fans.
This movie has a great coming of age story, wonderful cgi animation and a well balanced tone. This is one for all old school Half Shell fans.
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
AOB BOARDGAME REVIEW: THROUGH THE AGES
Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization is a bear of a game – and I love it. It’s the game that I wish I had as a teenager to play with my older brothers instead of our weekend long Risk or Axis and Allies binges (Those weekends may have had something to do with why I feel this way about dice now).
If you are a filler game type of person, or someone who doesn’t like to get too deep into games, I want to be honest with you – Through the Ages is probably not for you.
Reviewer: Joseph
Read the full review here: http://www.artofboardgaming.com/reviews/through-the-ages-review/
If you are a filler game type of person, or someone who doesn’t like to get too deep into games, I want to be honest with you – Through the Ages is probably not for you.
Reviewer: Joseph
Read the full review here: http://www.artofboardgaming.com/reviews/through-the-ages-review/
Awix (3310 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Period-set black comedy-thriller with Matt Damon as a pillar of the titular planned community, struggling to recover from the death of his wife in a burglary-gone-wrong. (Or is he...?) Actually based on a script set aside by the Coen brothers decades ago; it's tempting but fruitless to speculate as to how much of their work remains.
Quite well directed by Clooney, and the plotting is very smart, but a subplot about toxic racism feels intrusive and disconnected from the rest of the film - as a result what could have been a clever and understated film just feels like it's indulging in clumsy virtue-signalling. Would have been much better without the preachiness.
Quite well directed by Clooney, and the plotting is very smart, but a subplot about toxic racism feels intrusive and disconnected from the rest of the film - as a result what could have been a clever and understated film just feels like it's indulging in clumsy virtue-signalling. Would have been much better without the preachiness.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Vincent the Vixen: A Story to Help Children Learn about Gender Identity in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Beautifully illustrated and a simple
This is a great start in explaining trans gendered to children, whither the feelings are theirs, or someone in their social group. It’s extremely simpleized, which I think is great for the age it’s geared towards. I do think there needs to be some explanation of what a “Vixen”. Vincent talks about his brothers and sisters, but they are always described as a fox. But the ending line is “Vincent grew up and lived happily as Vincent the Vixen” with no explanation of why that is important. The illustrations help greatly with the concept, but I think it needs to be in words as well.
Peter Pan (1953)
8.0
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Movie Watch
Wendy (Kathryn Beaumont) and her two brothers are amazed when a magical boy named Peter Pan (Bobby...