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Kelly (279 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV

Feb 24, 2019  
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy
2018 | Action, Fantasy
The cast (2 more)
The soundtrack
Dark humour
Wow!! I was hooked
I confess, I knew little about The Umbrella Academy before picking up the series on Netflix, but I am so glad I did. The series combined dark humour with an intriguing plot line and sprinkled a great sound track into the mix to create a truly unique show.

The series centres around a family, purchased as children by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, and their mission to discover the cause of their fathers death as well as preventing the imminent apocalypse. Each of the children (adults in most cases by the time the series is set) have unique super powers, with the exception of Vanya, who has be partially excluded from family affairs as a result.

The casting of the show couldn’t have been any better, with a mix of characters you can take seriously and others who add a touch of humour to the show. Notably Robert Sheehan, who plays Klaus - I have been a fan of his work since Misfits, and Cameron Britton, who plays Hazel (An assassin who falls for Agnes, a waitress who is significantly older than himself). The series was well acted and a wide range of emotions were shown by the actors.

The only real downfall to the series was that it was so short (and ended on a cliff hanger, so please, please renew the show Netflix). I was left wanting more after episode 10.

I highly recommend watching this.
  
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Kimmic (814 KP) Feb 25, 2019

On my list to watch this. It has good reviews so I cant wait x

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Kelly (279 KP) Feb 25, 2019

I thoroughly enjoyed it- hope you do too x

Killer in the Band
Killer in the Band
Lauren Carr | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Killer in the Band is like another Halloween set up for the setting. Lauren Carr once again does it again with her book. You get pulled into this book from the beginning. There seem to be more murderers than the eye can see.

We learn about the Band that Suellen is the leader to. She gets a phone call from a friend in the band named “Cat.” Who could be the Killer of Dylan Matthews and Wendy Mathews? We fall for more mysteries and cold cases. Could all the cold cases be connected?

We also have JJ Thornton and his dad and siblings involved with Cameron Gates. Who would want to kill JJ and his family? His family helps him out along with getting a horse trainer to help with the horses. We also meet Izzy once again and her personally.

We meet Noah and a few others. Who killed Clyde’s wife? There are quite a few twists and turns as you turn the pages. I would suggest that if you have children you are okay with them reading about deaths for this as a lot of it. It is the decent clean book for children that are 13 and up.
If you enjoy one of Lauren Carr’s book. You will enjoy this one as well. I know for this another one that I enjoyed and wished to know more. You will be surprised at how it ends.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Mystic Summer in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
MS
Mystic Summer
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Maggie Griffin seems to have the perfect life - she has a good teaching job at a private school in Boston, even if some of the parents can be a little trying sometimes. She has a loving boyfriend who wants to move in with her. Her best friend is getting married and Maggie is co-maid of honor. She even has a supportive family back in her hometown of Mystic, Connecticut. But when things start to unravel in Boston, Maggie finds herself back in Mystic. She tells herself it's just because her best friend, Erika, is getting married there, but once Maggie arrives back home, she isn't sure she wants to leave.

This book started out a bit slowly, but it quickly grew on me. Maggie is a slightly frustrating character at times, but she's also endearing and sweet. She's still finding herself, so you have to cut her a little slack. It happens to us all as we near thirty, right? The novel is certainly a bit predictable, but Maggie's character, as well as some of the supporting characters -- mainly her high school boyfriend Cameron -- keep it from being too silly and saccharine. It's not a literary masterpiece, but it's a fun, quick read: perfect to toss into a beach bag for the summer.

I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 6/7/2016.
  
Letters from the Earth is an alternative outfit. Not too long ago, they released a music video for their “Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee” single.

“‘Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee’ illuminates the life of a typical employee. Also, it examines the true value of work in the west. The song’s surrealist music video finds a somber employee attending her own absurd retirement party. Where, Foster, portraying the titular Frank Ghilardi, presents his melancholic address.” – Letters from the Earth

‘Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee’ tells an interesting tale in the form of a farewell speech. Also, the speech is delivered from a fictional company head to an unnamed subordinate.

The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and ear-welcoming vocals. Also, it possesses charming instrumentation which was produced and mixed by Ben Hirschfield (Against Me!, The Story So Far, and Elder Brother).

“It’s okay to cry. You’ve made it alive through forty years here at Ghilardi. Don’t be afraid of your life turning gray. There’ll be no more files to be sorted. No people to wave you on at the gate. No phone calls to take, no lunches to make, no more coming home to dinners alone.” – lyrics

Letters from the Earth consists of Matt Foster (vocals, guitar), Ben Hirschfield (guitar, keys, synth), Cameron MacBain (drums), and Morgan Foster (bass).

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/letters-from-the-earth-frank-ghilardi/
  
    Girls  - Season 3

    Girls - Season 3

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    TV Season

    In Season 3, Hannah is now in a committed relationship with Adam (Adam Driver), and the two are...

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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Vendetta in Books

Jun 5, 2019  
Vendetta
Vendetta
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vendetta by Iris Johansen brings back characters introduced in the Eve Duncan books. Although it is billed as an “Eve Duncan” she is only mentioned briefly. But, this does not take anything away from the plot and the main characters, Rachel Venable and Jude Brandon. The story centers on these two and their attempts to bring down Max Huber, the head of Red Star, a terrorist organization with immense power.

The story begins with the shooting of a top CIA official, Carl Venable. His dying breath to the operative, Jude Brandon, to save his daughter, Dr. Rachel Venable, and give her the choice of eliminating Huber to prevent him from wreaking further havoc on a global scale. Huber wants revenge on Rachel, believing that she killed his father by poisoning him. Enlisting the help of her good friend, CIA operative Catherine Ling and her on again, off again boyfriend, Richard Cameron, they work together to bring Huber down.

Johansen noted, “Every other chapter has a choice come into play. It is all about making choices. Rachel had to decide if she would go after the bad guys. Brandon whether he would involve himself emotionally with Rachel. Catherine made the choice not to hide from her desire for Cameron, as well as knowing she had to give Rachel space and control over her own destiny. The bad guy Huber is pure evil without redeeming qualities and his choice was to inflict as much collateral damage as possible. Even though I have a choice as a writer, I just wanted to kill Huber for doing terrible things to the people I love in my books.”

Both Rachel and Catherine had similar experiences of having to overcome rape. At the age of fifteen Rachel was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, watched them kill her mother and brother, and was brutally raped as well as tortured. What Johansen does wonderfully is to show how Rachel is determined to overcome her past experiences. One of the reasons she becomes a medical doctor is to heal people. Both Catherine and Rachel are intelligent, tough, strong, independent, and stubborn.

The book quote has Rachel determined to not be seen as a cripple. “I wrote that because I consider it the bravest thing she ever said. She went through a terrible event, but she fought and conquered it. Catherine also had a tough life, growing up on the Hong Kong waterfronts. She learned from it to become stronger. These two women are more similar than different. They had rough teenage years that they had to overcome. I think they are more sisters than friends and will always go to bat for each other. I think Catherine is more like the older sister because she has a son, which makes a big difference.”

Johansen writes female characters that are something other than constant damsels in distress. They find a way to survive and have come out even stronger. This story shows how a character’s past and the decisions made influence the present and future, sometimes to the point of getting revenge by pursuing a vendetta.