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The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J.K. Rowling | 2008 | Children
6
8.2 (38 Ratings)
Book Rating
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard": a series of five 'in universe' short stories first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and portrayed as having being discovered amongst Professor Dumbledore's belongings (following the events of the Harry Potter series), and with each of theses stories as being annotated by the Professor himself.

The version I 'read' was the Audible version, narrated by several of the stars of the films themselves, so I obviously can't comment on the (supposedly magnificent) illustrations: indeed, I didn't even know until just now that this was as illustrated book!

The stories within include:

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Warlock's Hairy Heart
Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump
The Tale of the Three Brothers

and are, like their muggle fairy tale counterparts, designed to pass on moral lessons to the young reader.
  
    New Forms by Ronnie Size

    New Forms by Ronnie Size

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Album

    4CD hardcover DVD-style box of Roni Size’s Mercury Music Prize winning and platinum selling New...

Courting Mr. Cutthroat (Campy Romances #3)
Courting Mr. Cutthroat (Campy Romances #3)
Deborah Camp | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
cute read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I enjoyed this, it just didn't blow me away.

It's a lovely sweet, small town, second chance (kinda) romance, with some steam, but not too much.

Cutter's art sounded interesting, and I googled nuts and bolts art to see what came up, and I loved them!

I liked that Gemma still held her crush for Cutter, even after all this time. And Cutter too, to an extent, held his feelings for Gemma but it takes time for him to fully admit to them and give in.

I loved that, while Cutter and his brothers appeared to have everything, being born into wealth, it's clear that money doesn't really buy you happiness.

It was a nice book, and someone will love but I couldn't, and for that I'm sorry!

3 solid stars

same worded review will appear elsewhere​
  
Black List, White Death
Black List, White Death
Steve Hockensmith | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Two More Novellas with the Reds
The book features two novellas featuring cowboy detectives Old Red and Big Red. Up first, the two travel to the Arizona territory to try to find a list of names related to a murder that happened years before. Then, they go undercover at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Colorado where patients have died of unnatural causes. In between, we get a short story involving Big Red’s first solo case in which a package pickup goes wrong.

When you combine the three stories, you get a full-length book. And all three stories are filled with fun. I laughed multiple times while reading. But they are solid mysteries, and I’m always amazed at how Old Red pieces things together. As always, the brothers’ interactions are fun, and I really do enjoy spending time with them as they navigate cases in the 1890’s.
  
Hell or High Water (2016)
Hell or High Water (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
Classic
Two brothers rob banks in west Texas to pay off overdue loans before their family home is foreclosed on.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
From the first scene in the beginning with Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine), I knew I was going to like the two brothers. One’s a loose cannon while the other is more level-headed and calculated. They argue like typical brothers because they are so different and their interactions remind you of typical sibling hate/love. As a viewer, their personalities worked so well for me because you realize both were needed throughout the movie. Sometimes you needed cool, other times crazy was definitely needed to get the two out of a rough scrape.

I also enjoyed Jeff Bridges character playing the role of Sheriff Marcus, the area’s dedicated peacemaker. He speaks with a quick drawl straight out of an Eastwood western. He is overly truthful to a hilarious extent. He is on his way to retirement and feels like catching Tanner and Toby could be his last bit of peace.

Cinematography/Visuals: 9

Conflict: 7
While there truly are some impactful intense moments that help drive the narrative, Hell Or High Water is more drama than it is an action film. You do get a fair share of bank robberies, car chases, and shootouts. It just would have been nice if they had showed a bit more of that. Some of the parts that dragged on a bit would have served well with a bit more conflict.

Genre: 8
A powerful story about family helping family. Time will tell, but I think it’s a story that will keep its power years from now. The storytelling and direction is just as strong as any of my all-time favorites. Hell Or High Water packs a potent punch.

Memorability: 8

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
The bank robbery genre has been done and redone, but not quite like this. From its setting to the backdrop of the plot, this movie paves its own way within a crowded and successful genre. It succeeds with memorable dialogue and making every single scene count towards a definitive end.

Resolution: 10
The final scene features a conversation between Marcus and Toby. It’s hands-down the most memorable scene in the entire film as you get to see how this chain of events has ultimately affected both characters. They have both gained and lost and both face ghosts that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. It’s a scene that stuck with me long after I watched it.

Overall: 92
Set against a sprawling, yet compacted west Texas, Hell Or High Water gives you everything you look for in a movie. Memorable scenes abound keeping the movie entertaining and fresh. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a classic.