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Good Intentions (The Road to Hell, #1)
Good Intentions (The Road to Hell, #1)
Brenda K. Davies | 2016 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This another read for my A-Z challenge on Goodreads. P.S. My cover is different to the one above but I can't find it.

It starts following River as a 8/9 year old as a lot of planes fly over her house, causing car alarms to shriek and windows to rattle. Then on the news it shows that something has happened in the middle of the country, a mushroom cloud is billowing into the air. War has arrived.
Fast forward 13 years and River is now 22. She's the main provider in her house, fishing and trading her catches for other things her brothers need. The army arrive every six months or so to collect volunteers who are going to go help out at the wall - a giant structure that separates the ravaged America from the safer areas. Everything changes for River when she is forced to go to the wall and finds out the truth of what really happened all those years ago.

I'll be honest and admit that the first 20% or so was quite slow. We spent a lot of time with River in her coastal town. I'll admit I was starting to think about DNF'ing this but then we got to the wall and we met Kobal and the rest of the soldiers and I was suddenly intrigued.

I wanted to know exactly what had happened. Who they were? Why were they looking for gifted individuals? What was on the other side of the wall? What did the new volunteers end up doing?

From that point on I was pretty much hooked by the story. It is a bit of information overload as River asks questions and Kobal answers them but they do get spread out over several chapters so it wasn't that bad.

I wasn't that interested in the history of it all anyway. It was more the heat that was flaring between them that had me hooked. I swear I read about 45% straight from the moment I realised something was going to happen and it was only after they'd finally slept together that I put it down around 11.30pm (20/10) and went to sleep. I did pick it up first thing the next morning knowing there wasn't all that much of the book left but work got in the way.

I know it's a four part series and this has ended suitably for the time being. River has some decisions to make (and I'm pretty sure I know which way she's going to go) about her relationship and what is going to do down when they get to the rift. I'll be reading it at some point in the future.
  
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Rick Astley recommended Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths in Music (curated)

 
Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths
Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths
1984 | Rock
9.5 (6 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Johnny Marr was quite young around this time, wasn't he? And Morrissey…some people are more lyrical than others and their conversation can use the language more [stylishly]. And he must have found that it came easily to him. But how does Johnny Marr play like that! Even people who hate The Smiths agree that Johnny Marr was a genius. To be honest, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce weren't a bad rhythm section either. How did they do that quite young? I don't know. One of my older brothers was into The Smiths and we shared a bedroom so I heard a lot of their music. We would have been teens about this time. I loved the fact that they were from Manchester. I saw Andy Rourke around this time in town and it made me think 'fucking hell! It happens! I've just seen HIM! He's in this band that are totally credible, cool, has put Manchester on the map and I've just seen him walk out of the Arndale Centre!' And so yeah, we bought records and got drunk in Manchester and it felt like the town was happening at the time. The first time I saw them was on a north west television show and they did 'This Charming Man' and I was like [mouth agape]. We had had the Duran Durans and Spandau Ballets who looked great and were very glamorous and then you're confronted with these guys from Manchester – very ordinary in a way you might actually see them in Manchester but they weren't ordinary in their music. They didn't dress in clothes made by someone in Soho. It was like they got their shirts in Afflecks Palace! It was almost anti-glamour. And that felt very touchable. What do I think of Morrissey now? For me, lyrically he's still incredible. I can't say I know the last album well but I just think, like anybody who is an artist, you can tell a story a number of times and it has a freshness about it but we know Morrissey's way [by now]. I don't want to judge him but I don't really get into what he says off record because sometimes you wonder if he's taking the piss? But I don't know, I haven't really followed it. Is he doing that to create something going? Will he come back and say 'I didn't mean it like that'? Surely he must know [his recent comments around Britain First] are not a cool thing to do. But he's bizarre and thank God he's bizarre. I don't want him to be normal in any way, shape or form."

Source
  
Another Music in a Different Kitchen by Buzzcocks
Another Music in a Different Kitchen by Buzzcocks
1978 | Punk
8.4 (5 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Autonomy by Buzzcocks

(0 Ratings)

Track

"‘Autonomy’ was a massive wakeup call for me. I bought the album the day it came out, I got the bus after school and it was in a silver plastic bag. When I got home and put it on I knew the singles, but when I got to ‘Autonomy’ it was genuinely a new kind of rock music. “There’s no way I can ever separate the fact that I was aware it was from my town. If it had been from Düsseldorf I would have been mind blown, but I was more mind blown it was from Manchester, because it could have been from Düsseldorf. I knew it couldn’t have been from Los Angeles and sounded like The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac or Jackson Browne and knowing it now I don’t think it could have come from London. “London at that time was very dominated by the sound of The Clash and The Pistols and in spite of what people like to say it was quite testosteroney and straight, certainly compared to the Buzzcocks and Magazine. Wire were a different matter, they had an arch femininity and an intellectual aspect about them, but Buzzcocks sounded like my environment, in much the same way Joy Division were going to a year later, the way The Smiths did a few years after that and the way The Fall did. “I might have been projecting, but when I put it all together it sounded so modern and so Manchester and it gave me an insight into my city, modern Manchester. I was always looking for clues, for a key to pick up, to open and go through the next door as a musician and a thinker and I probably still am, that’s the best way I can describe it. ‘Autonomy’ was like a key, it was ‘This riff is very, very deliberate, it’s not bluesy, it’s very bold and it doesn’t sound anything like classic rock.’ It’s really in your face, the words are very clever and sang in quite an effeminate, challenging vocal. I love The Clash but to me it was better than ‘White Riot’, it was this cross between aggression and arty. “The punks I’d see around Manchester personified that, they looked like little thugs and they were very effeminate, so again it’s that thing about the feminisation of rock music. I hadn’t realised that actually, but almost everything I’ve mentioned has got a non-testosterone aspect to it. That was quite a moment and being that age, fourteen, fifteen, you’re so fearless and open to being free, well I was anyway, I was looking for things to give me juice to fire that fearlessness up. I think you see through bullshit really well when you’re that age, when you get older you think too much!"

Source
  
Half Bound (Helheim Wolf Pack Tale #5)
Half Bound (Helheim Wolf Pack Tale #5)
Lauren Dawes | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thank you, Ms Dawes, for writing these books, I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into this world.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 5 in the Helheim Wolf Pack series, the last book and you do NEED to have read the other books before this one. This one pulls everything together but not everything important is recapped.

I found this one a much darker read than the others. The others are graphic and explicit but I thought this one was so much MORE. The violence Vivian expends to get what she wants is described in great detail, what she does and what she has others do. This is the only reason I gave it. . .oh . . no. . .wait, there is ANOTHER reason. Let me try that again! This is ONE of the reasons I gave it 4 stars. Oh but she does get her comeuppance, she really does!

Saxon is captured and Casey allows herself to be taken, on the condition Saxon is freed. Yeah, right, we did not see that one being double-crossed by Vivian! Vivian breaks Casey, she really does, physically and emotionally. It's painful reading, not just the physical stuff, but when Casey comes to terms with what Vivian does to her, what it means for her future, what it means she can never be. And then. . .not yet. . .I'll say soon.

Across the other side of the story, Brax, who left Rhett a while ago because he was addicted to Indi's bite, has to fetch a new pack member who affects him, and his wolf, deeply. But Andrea is damaged, both inside and out, and she doesn't think anyone will want her now her abusive ex has marked her as he did. Besides, all men are gonna hurt her, so she steers clear. When said ex gets too close, Brax and Drae bond, and when they do? Oh it's so beautiful, their bonding, it really is. Said ex also gets his comeuppance, but not quite how I thought he would!

Back to what Vivian does to break Casey emotionally. This is the other reason I gave it 4 stars. Casey loves Saxon and he loves her. But they never really got to tell each other that. After Casey gets free, I'm not surprised she has the thoughts she does. And then there was that "Besides. . . ." when Vivian was gloating! So now my mind is racing and I want answers! At least I know the questions this time!

A very fitting end, and one that spawns another series about Casey and her brothers. I hope to get my hands on them too.

Thank you, Ms Dawes, for writing these books, I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into this world.

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated Viking (2016) in Movies

Jun 25, 2019  
Viking (2016)
Viking (2016)
2016 |
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Viking starts as three brothers rule different kingdoms under the Russia we follow the youngest Vladimir (Kozlovsky) who is trying to end the war between them after being exiled to the frozen land of Novgorod. Completing his quest, he will need to come across new enemies, while old enemies are waiting in the wings for his weaknesses to be exposed.

 

Thoughts on Viking

 

Characters – Vladimir is the youngster son of the king, he gets the weakest area to rule, but isn’t going to let that stop him taking control of the area, he proves to be a strong leader one that is fair and will look after his people. When it comes to the rest of the characters it was hard to figure out who to focus on, because as soon as one looked like they were going to be important, they seemed to get killed.

Performances – The performances suffer because of the issues with the characters not being given the focus they require in the film, it is too hard for the audience to know who they should be following in this film.

Story – The story seems to focus on Vladimir the youngest son of the rule of Russia, whom after his death gets given part of the land to defend, we watch his rise to try and claim his crown as the rule of Russia as he takes on enemies from all over the land including his own blood. The story telling process is difficult to keep up with as we do seem to meet group one get slightly invested in these character, but nope they get killed leaving us wondering just who we are meant to be supporting through the film.

Action/History/War – The action is plenty of battle sequences, each one getting bigger, bloodier and deadlier as the film unfolds. The history, well I don’t know how accurate any of it is, most of that would involve research and the war side of the film shows us the different strategies adopted during the 10th century.

Settings – The film shows us the settings that will keep us believing we are in the time the film is set, it keeps the battles feeling down and dirty which is how you would imagine them happening.


Scene of the Movie – The hiding escape.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too many characters introduced for nothing.

Final Thoughts – This is an overly complicated movie that is trying to tell a massive story only for it to end up not given enough time for most of the characters to develop or unfold.

 

Overall: Too long and dull

https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/22/abc-film-challenge-world-cinema-v-viking-2016/
  
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
2017 | Animation, Comedy
Universal Pictures new release Despicable ME 3 stars Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, and brings back Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Nev Scharrel as Margo, Edith and Agnes.

Of course, there must be Minions, as well!

In this third installment of the animated series, Gru (Carell) and Lucy (Wiig) are fired from the Anti-Villain League for letting Balthazar Bratt (Parker) slip away, and embark on an adventure of trying to figure out “what’s next” in their lives.

In the midst of his employment dilemma, Gru discovers he has a long-lost twin brother Dru (also voiced by Carell), and takes the family off to see him in Fredonia. There, he discovers that his brother and his father have a successful pig-farming business, and appear to be quite wealthy. Lucy and the girls are immediately enamored of Dru, but Gru is not so easily won over, especially when he becomes jealous of his brothers luxurious hair.

Dru reveals that the family empire is built not just on the fruits of the pig empire, but also on their fathers’ secret villainy, and tells Gru that he was their dads’ biggest disappointment. Dru wants Gru to teach him how to be a super-villain, as he has always aspired to follow Gru’s footsteps.

While Dru and Gru set off to find and recover the giant diamond stolen by Balthazar Bratt, Lucy follows the girls around Fredonia.

The movie is full of 80’s tunes, brought on by the premise that Bratt is a failed 80’s child star.

The minions have less of a presence in this film, but when they are onscreen, they do provide the usual laughs we would associate with them. The best Minion scene is likely the musical number in prison.

I found the Balthazar Bratt character impossibly annoying, although I do acknowledge that that may have been “the point”. I found myself dreading his next interaction within the movie.

Despite that, I thought the movie flowed well, and I especially enjoyed the development of the relationships between Lucy and Margo, Edith and Agnes. Lucy’s “momma bear” moments made me smile.

My 8 year old son liked the movie a lot, and said his favorite parts were the bubble-gum weapon of the villain, and the new car that Dru and Gru use for their escapades. He especially liked that the end of the film left open the possibility of yet another installment of the Despicable Me series.

The child gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, I myself would give it 3.5 out of 5, as I couldn’t quite get past the annoyance of the Bratt character, but besides that, overall, found it enjoyable.
  
Almost Christmas (2016)
Almost Christmas (2016)
2016 | Comedy
It’s that time of year again, well maybe a little bit sooner than I would prefer because we haven’t hit thanksgiving yet. Holiday Season is here! So the attempts from the studios to get a piece of the holiday season box office. This new comedy from writer David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim) and producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like a Man series, This Christmas), Almost Christmas, tells the story of a beloved patriarch, Walter, played by Danny Glover, a retired mechanic who owned a chain of auto shops and is now getting ready to spend the holiday with his four adult children and their families.

 

This year is the family’s first Christmas since the death of Walter’s wife, Grace, and the film flashes back to show us a beautiful 45 year relationship, that even when their home overflowed with children, they kept their love and affection.

Grace showed her dedication to Walter and the rest of her family with delicious recipes, especially her sweet potato pie.

Walter asks his family for one gift this holiday season to spend five days under the same roof without killing one another.

But later in the film you find out that the real drama is the rivalry between Rachel and Cheryl and the undergoing feud over each other’s life choices. Rachel (Gabrielle Union) a divorced mom, who after different career attempts, finally decided to become a law student; but unfortunately this last one made her financially unstable. Rachel’s overachieving big sister, Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) is always hiding her own insecurities and trying to control her obnoxious husband J.B. Smoove, and older retired athlete, who played basketball in Croatia in the 80’s, and considers himself a celebrity and an American hero.

Their brothers Christian (Romany Malco) is occupied with his congressional run, and Evan (Jessie Usher), the surprise baby of the family, is attempting to conquer a college football injury and secretly abusing of pain killers.

Finally we have aunt May (Mo’nique), who deserves a special mention for being extremely hilarious having a still-functioning career as a backup singer and in the past performed with Mick Jagger and Chaka Khan and now enjoys imparting all of her wisdom to her nieces, nephews and Walter.

The movie’s sibling dynamics feels authentic, with a relatable blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and dependence; Glover’s quest to perfect his wife’s signature dish will pull at anyone’s heartstrings.

It is surprisingly funny and hits it mark more than it misses. But it is not a secret that the major strength of this movie is its cast led by Danny Glover, and how we start to get too old for some shit, and an amazing team of charming actors and actresses that can transport you in the time with the right music and some dancing in the kitchen.
  
    Virtua Tennis Challenge

    Virtua Tennis Challenge

    Games and Entertainment

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    Take on Virtua Tennis Challenge, the deepest tennis game on mobile with unrivaled 3D graphics,...