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Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated MAC and Me (1988) in Movies
Jul 17, 2018
Bad acting (2 more)
Horrible costumes
Terrible CGI
Horrible movie but entertaining with friends
This was a horrible movie but entertaining since I watched it with friends.
Released 6 years after ET, which is comparable. Yet the CGI was worse and the costumes were horrible. I don't understand the plot exactly and the ending was just weird and bad.
The characters were not likeable, the acting was terrible. So much product placement from McDonald's and coca cola. We laughed at the aliens but they were just annoying.
Not sure if this was self aware about how bad it is but that's what it is. Bad. Don't even ask about that ending. I am as confused as anyone.
***Spoiler alert*** chased by government which soon goes away and suddenly the aliens are granted us citizenship with noone questioning anything. Oh and the daddy alien is wearing a suit.....yeah this movie was weird ***end spoiler***
I would still say give it a watch but watch it with friends so you can laugh at it. This is like the lower budget ET except no emotion osr redeeming qualities. The characters reactions to the aliens were too calm and rational and I have no idea of the point of the government chasing them. Didn't build to anything.
The lesson I came away with was that coca cola seems to solve everything.
Released 6 years after ET, which is comparable. Yet the CGI was worse and the costumes were horrible. I don't understand the plot exactly and the ending was just weird and bad.
The characters were not likeable, the acting was terrible. So much product placement from McDonald's and coca cola. We laughed at the aliens but they were just annoying.
Not sure if this was self aware about how bad it is but that's what it is. Bad. Don't even ask about that ending. I am as confused as anyone.
***Spoiler alert*** chased by government which soon goes away and suddenly the aliens are granted us citizenship with noone questioning anything. Oh and the daddy alien is wearing a suit.....yeah this movie was weird ***end spoiler***
I would still say give it a watch but watch it with friends so you can laugh at it. This is like the lower budget ET except no emotion osr redeeming qualities. The characters reactions to the aliens were too calm and rational and I have no idea of the point of the government chasing them. Didn't build to anything.
The lesson I came away with was that coca cola seems to solve everything.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2436 KP) rated Wrath of the Triple Goddess in Books
Dec 2, 2024 (Updated Dec 2, 2024)
Pet Sitting at Halloween
It’s October, and things are been quiet for a few weeks now. While Percy has enjoyed the down time, he is worried about needing to get two more recommendation letters to get into college. So he has mixed emotions when he is contacted by Hecate. She is planning to travel to enjoy all the Halloween festivities around the world and needs someone to pet sit. Of course, when those pets are a polecat and a hellhound, both of whom used to be human, things aren’t as easy as they appear. Especially when they escape. Can Percy and his friends track them down before Hecate returns? And what about repairing her mansion?
Like the first of these recent releases, I found the book a little low stakes and a little slow to start. Not to say that Percy didn’t face death. And once things got going, I was hooked on the story, wanting to know how Percy would prevail. I love Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, so getting to spend time with them was great, and I liked the updates on the others we got. I also appreciated how Percy left the new characters we met here. As always, there are plenty of laughs, which I really enjoyed. Fans will enjoy this book. I’ll definitely be back for the next book.
Like the first of these recent releases, I found the book a little low stakes and a little slow to start. Not to say that Percy didn’t face death. And once things got going, I was hooked on the story, wanting to know how Percy would prevail. I love Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, so getting to spend time with them was great, and I liked the updates on the others we got. I also appreciated how Percy left the new characters we met here. As always, there are plenty of laughs, which I really enjoyed. Fans will enjoy this book. I’ll definitely be back for the next book.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The S-Word in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I was super excited to read this book! I had wanted it since I first heard about it. While it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it was still a good read.
The book blurb above does a good job in describing what this book is going to be about, so I won't put it into my own words or else it'll be a bit repetitive.
I don't really know if I like the title or not. It does sum up the book pretty well because it's the s-word that starts off a whole chain of events.
I do like the cover! I enjoyed the simplicity of it, really, so it was a great choice by the author. What I liked most was how some words were etched into the cover.
The world building was a bit wishy-washy. Personally, I really don't think someone would be as forgiving as Angie if their best friend (or any girl for that matter) slept with their boyfriend, especially one of four years. Secondly, I really don't think a high school student would conduct an investigation into who made their friend commit suicide. However, there is some creditably to this world. The different people in the high school really make it feel like it's taking place there. The feelings in the book also come across as being genuine.
The pacing was good. There were a few parts throughout the book where the pacing does get a bit shaky, but it quickly goes back to being a decent pace. I wouldn't say it's a book devouring pace, but it's still good enough where you do want to read it quickly.
I enjoyed the plot. It definitely picks up on a very real problem happening around schools (and well, a lot of places) - bullying and its consequences. I loved the message it was conveying. I did predict something about Lizzie which I can't say because of a spoiler. I also predicted a plot twist as well which I won't elaborate on due to spoilers. There was one plot twist that I definitely didn't see coming!!
The characters were alright. Sometimes the character of Angie felt a bit one dimensional and unrealistic. As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone conducting an investigation about who was calling someone a slut and all that after the fact. Sometimes, there was something about her that made her seem like she wasn't a teenager even though she was meant to be. She didn't really act like one through a lot of the book. I did enjoy that the author didn't make her out to be a stuck-up cheerleader though because not all cheerleaders are snobby. I liked how she would take chances on people. I felt like I didn't get to know too much about Drake to pass that much judgement on him. He comes across as a bit of a sleaze for cheating on Angie. I wish he was featured a bit more. I loved the character of Jesse. I enjoyed his flamboyant nature and how he didn't care what anyone really thought about him. I would even dare to say that I found him to be the strongest and most believable character. Lizzie comes across as a goody two-shoes and your typical teen sweetheart. I don't really have a a clear feeling about Lizzie because, although we get to read some of her diary entries and she's talked about, there's nothing strong enough to give me a clear picture of her personality.
The dialogue was believable for the most part. What I didn't find believable is some of the times Angie would question people. For example, in one scene in the book, Angie is questioning a character named Shelby. She circles around her interrogating her, and while Shelby is an actress, I just couldn't ever imagine that scene and that dialogue taking place. Also, there is a bit of swearing in this book, and while some of it does seem like everyday teen speak, some of it seems forced like the author was just throwing it in for good measure. Other then that, the dialogue came across as teens speaking which is what this book is.
Overall, The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher is a good read. However, the main character and some of the world building does let it down, but the plot and pacing do help to make this a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who have been affected by bullying.
I'd give The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher a 3.5 out of 5.
I was super excited to read this book! I had wanted it since I first heard about it. While it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it was still a good read.
The book blurb above does a good job in describing what this book is going to be about, so I won't put it into my own words or else it'll be a bit repetitive.
I don't really know if I like the title or not. It does sum up the book pretty well because it's the s-word that starts off a whole chain of events.
I do like the cover! I enjoyed the simplicity of it, really, so it was a great choice by the author. What I liked most was how some words were etched into the cover.
The world building was a bit wishy-washy. Personally, I really don't think someone would be as forgiving as Angie if their best friend (or any girl for that matter) slept with their boyfriend, especially one of four years. Secondly, I really don't think a high school student would conduct an investigation into who made their friend commit suicide. However, there is some creditably to this world. The different people in the high school really make it feel like it's taking place there. The feelings in the book also come across as being genuine.
The pacing was good. There were a few parts throughout the book where the pacing does get a bit shaky, but it quickly goes back to being a decent pace. I wouldn't say it's a book devouring pace, but it's still good enough where you do want to read it quickly.
I enjoyed the plot. It definitely picks up on a very real problem happening around schools (and well, a lot of places) - bullying and its consequences. I loved the message it was conveying. I did predict something about Lizzie which I can't say because of a spoiler. I also predicted a plot twist as well which I won't elaborate on due to spoilers. There was one plot twist that I definitely didn't see coming!!
The characters were alright. Sometimes the character of Angie felt a bit one dimensional and unrealistic. As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone conducting an investigation about who was calling someone a slut and all that after the fact. Sometimes, there was something about her that made her seem like she wasn't a teenager even though she was meant to be. She didn't really act like one through a lot of the book. I did enjoy that the author didn't make her out to be a stuck-up cheerleader though because not all cheerleaders are snobby. I liked how she would take chances on people. I felt like I didn't get to know too much about Drake to pass that much judgement on him. He comes across as a bit of a sleaze for cheating on Angie. I wish he was featured a bit more. I loved the character of Jesse. I enjoyed his flamboyant nature and how he didn't care what anyone really thought about him. I would even dare to say that I found him to be the strongest and most believable character. Lizzie comes across as a goody two-shoes and your typical teen sweetheart. I don't really have a a clear feeling about Lizzie because, although we get to read some of her diary entries and she's talked about, there's nothing strong enough to give me a clear picture of her personality.
The dialogue was believable for the most part. What I didn't find believable is some of the times Angie would question people. For example, in one scene in the book, Angie is questioning a character named Shelby. She circles around her interrogating her, and while Shelby is an actress, I just couldn't ever imagine that scene and that dialogue taking place. Also, there is a bit of swearing in this book, and while some of it does seem like everyday teen speak, some of it seems forced like the author was just throwing it in for good measure. Other then that, the dialogue came across as teens speaking which is what this book is.
Overall, The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher is a good read. However, the main character and some of the world building does let it down, but the plot and pacing do help to make this a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who have been affected by bullying.
I'd give The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher a 3.5 out of 5.
Fred (860 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Apr 29, 2019
Not worth your time
Let's face it, Marvel doesn't really have any female characters that can lead a movie by themselves. We are told this is the first, but yet our main character is surrounded by men & well established characters like Nick Fury & Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.
This movie was surrounded by controversy because it's star, Brie Larson, said something about the movie being for the empowerment of women & doesn't care what white men think about it. This set off white men who boycotted the movie, which didn't amount to much, since the movie was still a hit. But did it deserve it?
Okay, so when I see a movie, I quite frankly watch the movie & base my review on it. Yes, I'm a white male who should be bothered by Larson's words, but being a movie fan & a superhero movie fan, I am able to block that out & watch the movie.
So, here we go. I am a Fantastic Four fan. They have been & always will be my favorite comic book. And so, I was looking forward to finally seeing the Skrulls on film. I won't give anything away, but I'll say the Skrulls were done very well, as were the Kree. Now we've seen the Kree before in the Marvel films, but not the Skrulls. So, the movie has that going for it.
The effects to give us a young Samuel Jackson & a young Clark Gregg have been perfected. Yes, we've seen it before, but now it's not even noticeable.
Now, let's get to the movie itself. It's typical Marvel fare, starts off good, gets boring, ends with a bang. The story is quite mediocre, with no real surprises. It's set in the 90s, to try to get that nostalgia people love in today's film. But quite frankly, the 90s were not that great. The music sucked (evidenced by the horrible songs in this movie) & had nothing worth while to be nostalgic over. Yeah, you 90s kids will disagree, but don't worry, the music's only got worse since then, so at least you music is better than the last 20 years'. Now, get off my lawn, punks!
The main problem with this movie is Captain Marvel herself. Like I said, she's not a great enough character to pull off having her own movie to begin with. The character is not a strong character. Yes, she's powerful, but that's not what I mean. I mean she's not a huge comic book character. Is she as well know as let's say, Wonder Woman? Not even close. I can guarantee that most of the people who saw this movie knew little about the character. It's not Marvel's fault. See, although the new thing in movies is to have strong women in the leads, to use older comic book characters doesn't work too well. Women in the comics were hardly represented the way they are in the films of today. They were always weaker, always the damsels in distress. So when today we get the movie people saying "This female character is the strongest in the universe." or "This female character is the smartest in the universe.", it takes years of pushing aside comic book discrimination to accept that.
But okay, I can push that aside. An even bigger problem is Brie Larson herself. She is bland to say the least. We needed a strong actor to push this character in our faces & say "Yeah! She's the best! A real hero!" But, no. She's not. She doesn't even make the character interesting at all. She's a shell of a character. At the end when she's flighting & flying around & smashing things, she feels like she's a CGI puppet being pushed through the scene. There's no sense of power. I don't care about her. I'm not cheering her on, nor am I wanting her to fail. There's just nothing. When she appears in Endgame, it's the same feeling. If the main character is uninteresting, how can the movie be any good?
In the end, I'm giving this one of the lowest scores of all the Marvel films. If not for the supporting cast, which were good, I probably would have given this a 2 out of 10. This movie is unnecessary to the overall plot of the MCU. There are some good lines, good parts, but not enough to want to watch it again.
This movie was surrounded by controversy because it's star, Brie Larson, said something about the movie being for the empowerment of women & doesn't care what white men think about it. This set off white men who boycotted the movie, which didn't amount to much, since the movie was still a hit. But did it deserve it?
Okay, so when I see a movie, I quite frankly watch the movie & base my review on it. Yes, I'm a white male who should be bothered by Larson's words, but being a movie fan & a superhero movie fan, I am able to block that out & watch the movie.
So, here we go. I am a Fantastic Four fan. They have been & always will be my favorite comic book. And so, I was looking forward to finally seeing the Skrulls on film. I won't give anything away, but I'll say the Skrulls were done very well, as were the Kree. Now we've seen the Kree before in the Marvel films, but not the Skrulls. So, the movie has that going for it.
The effects to give us a young Samuel Jackson & a young Clark Gregg have been perfected. Yes, we've seen it before, but now it's not even noticeable.
Now, let's get to the movie itself. It's typical Marvel fare, starts off good, gets boring, ends with a bang. The story is quite mediocre, with no real surprises. It's set in the 90s, to try to get that nostalgia people love in today's film. But quite frankly, the 90s were not that great. The music sucked (evidenced by the horrible songs in this movie) & had nothing worth while to be nostalgic over. Yeah, you 90s kids will disagree, but don't worry, the music's only got worse since then, so at least you music is better than the last 20 years'. Now, get off my lawn, punks!
The main problem with this movie is Captain Marvel herself. Like I said, she's not a great enough character to pull off having her own movie to begin with. The character is not a strong character. Yes, she's powerful, but that's not what I mean. I mean she's not a huge comic book character. Is she as well know as let's say, Wonder Woman? Not even close. I can guarantee that most of the people who saw this movie knew little about the character. It's not Marvel's fault. See, although the new thing in movies is to have strong women in the leads, to use older comic book characters doesn't work too well. Women in the comics were hardly represented the way they are in the films of today. They were always weaker, always the damsels in distress. So when today we get the movie people saying "This female character is the strongest in the universe." or "This female character is the smartest in the universe.", it takes years of pushing aside comic book discrimination to accept that.
But okay, I can push that aside. An even bigger problem is Brie Larson herself. She is bland to say the least. We needed a strong actor to push this character in our faces & say "Yeah! She's the best! A real hero!" But, no. She's not. She doesn't even make the character interesting at all. She's a shell of a character. At the end when she's flighting & flying around & smashing things, she feels like she's a CGI puppet being pushed through the scene. There's no sense of power. I don't care about her. I'm not cheering her on, nor am I wanting her to fail. There's just nothing. When she appears in Endgame, it's the same feeling. If the main character is uninteresting, how can the movie be any good?
In the end, I'm giving this one of the lowest scores of all the Marvel films. If not for the supporting cast, which were good, I probably would have given this a 2 out of 10. This movie is unnecessary to the overall plot of the MCU. There are some good lines, good parts, but not enough to want to watch it again.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020) in Movies
Oct 6, 2020
Not as good as the original (2 more)
Sometimes uses too much CGI making scenes look silly or too fake.
Not enough character development
Peninsula: Half Fast and the Furious, Half Zombie Movie (6/10)
Contains spoilers, click to show
(CCR Original Content) Peninsula Review No Spoiler Section (6/10)
Peninsula is a 2020 South Korean Action Horror movie directed by Yeon Sang-ho and written by Park Joo-Suk and Yeong Sang-ho. The film was produced by Next Entertainment World, RedPeter Film, and New Movie and distributed by Next Entertainment World (worldwide) and Well Go USA (United States) with producer Lee Dong-ha. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Kim Do-yoon, and Lee Jung-hyun.
Four years after the entire country of South Korea fell to a virulent zombie outbreak, former Marine Captain Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) lives a life of regret following tragic events. Jung-seok is guilted in to joining his brother-in-law Chul-Min (Kim Do-yoon) on a suicide mission to go back to South Korea. If they can locate and bring back a truck containing $20 million dollars, then they get half, that is along with two other equally reckless people along for the job.
(Warning Spoilers Below)
I have to say first off that Train to Busan was a great movie. I'm a big fan of that movie so I have to say I was pretty hyped for this movie. I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed with the direction they took on this movie plot/story wise compared to the story they told in the first movie. But it was still a decent zombie movie. Right away it had me with it's opening scene and I think that's what let me down. It started off so emotional and I half expected a similar experience to the first film and it's anything but. It's hard in this genre to be original and I like how they were still able to bring some cool ideas to the board in and otherwise overdone genre. I like how they implemented a couple of things into the movie like showing how the zombies are attracted to light and sound, like with the r/c car and the car alarms. Also the people talking about how the zombies are more active in the day and going out at night more. I didn't like that they went too far in the special effects where things wind up looking overly-fake, even though most were pretty decent. I liked the weird gladiator/survival game that they made the prisoners of Unit 631 compete in. That was interesting. I also liked the sister characters and thought that they were a welcome addition to the movie. I feel like there wasn't enough character development between their mother and Jung-seok. They should have shown him get more attached to her or the daughters. Also with him and his brother-in-law, I feel they skipped a lot in those 4 years. There were some ridiculous zombie scenes with a lot of zombies (number-wise), which was a little expected because Train to Busan was the movie World War Z ripped off with the concept of zombie hordes that way. But I have to say the whole scene with the glass tunnel and all the zombies spilling out was pretty satisfying. All in all I would say this movie fails to reach the emotional tone and despair of the situation as well as setup characters that you care about as well as the first film. That being said it's a pretty good zombie movie and a stand alone sequel that shouldn't really be judged that way even if it's hard not too. I would have to give this movie a 6/10. It does a decent job rising about the average zombie movie in being exciting as well as gripping without holding itself too serious.
Peninsula is a 2020 South Korean Action Horror movie directed by Yeon Sang-ho and written by Park Joo-Suk and Yeong Sang-ho. The film was produced by Next Entertainment World, RedPeter Film, and New Movie and distributed by Next Entertainment World (worldwide) and Well Go USA (United States) with producer Lee Dong-ha. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Kim Do-yoon, and Lee Jung-hyun.
Four years after the entire country of South Korea fell to a virulent zombie outbreak, former Marine Captain Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) lives a life of regret following tragic events. Jung-seok is guilted in to joining his brother-in-law Chul-Min (Kim Do-yoon) on a suicide mission to go back to South Korea. If they can locate and bring back a truck containing $20 million dollars, then they get half, that is along with two other equally reckless people along for the job.
(Warning Spoilers Below)
I have to say first off that Train to Busan was a great movie. I'm a big fan of that movie so I have to say I was pretty hyped for this movie. I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed with the direction they took on this movie plot/story wise compared to the story they told in the first movie. But it was still a decent zombie movie. Right away it had me with it's opening scene and I think that's what let me down. It started off so emotional and I half expected a similar experience to the first film and it's anything but. It's hard in this genre to be original and I like how they were still able to bring some cool ideas to the board in and otherwise overdone genre. I like how they implemented a couple of things into the movie like showing how the zombies are attracted to light and sound, like with the r/c car and the car alarms. Also the people talking about how the zombies are more active in the day and going out at night more. I didn't like that they went too far in the special effects where things wind up looking overly-fake, even though most were pretty decent. I liked the weird gladiator/survival game that they made the prisoners of Unit 631 compete in. That was interesting. I also liked the sister characters and thought that they were a welcome addition to the movie. I feel like there wasn't enough character development between their mother and Jung-seok. They should have shown him get more attached to her or the daughters. Also with him and his brother-in-law, I feel they skipped a lot in those 4 years. There were some ridiculous zombie scenes with a lot of zombies (number-wise), which was a little expected because Train to Busan was the movie World War Z ripped off with the concept of zombie hordes that way. But I have to say the whole scene with the glass tunnel and all the zombies spilling out was pretty satisfying. All in all I would say this movie fails to reach the emotional tone and despair of the situation as well as setup characters that you care about as well as the first film. That being said it's a pretty good zombie movie and a stand alone sequel that shouldn't really be judged that way even if it's hard not too. I would have to give this movie a 6/10. It does a decent job rising about the average zombie movie in being exciting as well as gripping without holding itself too serious.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated It in Books
May 16, 2018
As seen first on <a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/"; target="_new"><i>The Ghastly Grimoire</i></a>.
If you're looking for an absolute tome of horror to read, It by Stephen King definitely fits that bill. I still prefer The Stand over this book, though. Wrought with the horrific trials visited upon children in the town of Derry, Maine, readers learn to love and loathe an extremely wide range of characters. While much of this book is entertaining, there are a few things I simply cannot condone.
There's a few scenes in here that are sexually graphic. This isn't uncommon in the horror market, and normally doesn't bother me. Only, I made the mistake of laughing off one of my ex's remarks regarding pre-pubescent intercourse and circle-jerking. I'm throwing that out there, in case it's something my readers wish to steer clear of. Not only that, but... Let's just say I prefer the movie's approach to Bev not being afraid, to the actual... what happened in the book, and we'll leave it at that. I cannot stomach some of the scenes of this book, not because they are terrifying, but because they are downright wrong, disgusting, and rather unnecessary.
That rant aside, this massive tome tells two stories alongside one another: the past and present battles with Pennywise the Dancing Clown mingle and cross between one another and, perhaps because I was listening to the audiobook (a whopping 45 hour track, if we're rounding), this made it difficult for me to keep the two straight. In fact, I had to rewind now and then to make sure I was hearing things properly (i.e. aforementioned rant). I've said it before, and I'll say it again: alternating time periods in this manner between the same characters in a story is maddeningly distracting for me.
King's character depth will always astound me. He makes even the briefest characters of his books memorable, giving them a backstory that is fully developed. There are several times he managed to goad emotions out of me that I didn't want to feel, and I love that. Ben Hanscom is by far my favorite, perhaps because in many ways, we share similar childhoods. Parents that care, the bullies, the blossoming from pre-pubescent torture - though the entire Loser's Club endured this, I feel Hanscom had it worst. Not counting Eddie's run in with Henry. His heartfelt devotion for Bev is mesmerizing, and I can only hope they had their happy-ending.
Which... is heartbreaking, in its own right. While I have no doubt there are many things about the sewers of Derry that would be horrible to live with for the rest of your life, can you imagine forgetting chunks of your life, of your past? It has to be absolutely disorienting, and readers can feel it in the conclusion of Bill and Audra's future. They'll never know the incident that happened, nor will they remember their childhood friends whom they loved.
On a brighter note, Steven Weber, the narrator for several of King's books, puts on a dazzling performance in It. He's easily carried away now and then, and it's nice to have a reader that is truly invested into the material he's recording. Weber earns a spot right next to Amanda Dolan as one of my all-time favorite narrators and this production is amazing.
Reluctantly, I have compromised with myself to give this a mid-grade rating. I am a tough critic, and this is something that has caused disagreements between myself and other readers, but in the end, there are elements of this book I simply cannot accept, no matter whose hand wrote them.
Fun fact: My fear of clowns began when I was eight years old and witnessed Tim Curry's Pennywise. It ended with Bill Skarsgard's.
If you're looking for an absolute tome of horror to read, It by Stephen King definitely fits that bill. I still prefer The Stand over this book, though. Wrought with the horrific trials visited upon children in the town of Derry, Maine, readers learn to love and loathe an extremely wide range of characters. While much of this book is entertaining, there are a few things I simply cannot condone.
There's a few scenes in here that are sexually graphic. This isn't uncommon in the horror market, and normally doesn't bother me. Only, I made the mistake of laughing off one of my ex's remarks regarding pre-pubescent intercourse and circle-jerking. I'm throwing that out there, in case it's something my readers wish to steer clear of. Not only that, but... Let's just say I prefer the movie's approach to Bev not being afraid, to the actual... what happened in the book, and we'll leave it at that. I cannot stomach some of the scenes of this book, not because they are terrifying, but because they are downright wrong, disgusting, and rather unnecessary.
That rant aside, this massive tome tells two stories alongside one another: the past and present battles with Pennywise the Dancing Clown mingle and cross between one another and, perhaps because I was listening to the audiobook (a whopping 45 hour track, if we're rounding), this made it difficult for me to keep the two straight. In fact, I had to rewind now and then to make sure I was hearing things properly (i.e. aforementioned rant). I've said it before, and I'll say it again: alternating time periods in this manner between the same characters in a story is maddeningly distracting for me.
King's character depth will always astound me. He makes even the briefest characters of his books memorable, giving them a backstory that is fully developed. There are several times he managed to goad emotions out of me that I didn't want to feel, and I love that. Ben Hanscom is by far my favorite, perhaps because in many ways, we share similar childhoods. Parents that care, the bullies, the blossoming from pre-pubescent torture - though the entire Loser's Club endured this, I feel Hanscom had it worst. Not counting Eddie's run in with Henry. His heartfelt devotion for Bev is mesmerizing, and I can only hope they had their happy-ending.
Which... is heartbreaking, in its own right. While I have no doubt there are many things about the sewers of Derry that would be horrible to live with for the rest of your life, can you imagine forgetting chunks of your life, of your past? It has to be absolutely disorienting, and readers can feel it in the conclusion of Bill and Audra's future. They'll never know the incident that happened, nor will they remember their childhood friends whom they loved.
On a brighter note, Steven Weber, the narrator for several of King's books, puts on a dazzling performance in It. He's easily carried away now and then, and it's nice to have a reader that is truly invested into the material he's recording. Weber earns a spot right next to Amanda Dolan as one of my all-time favorite narrators and this production is amazing.
Reluctantly, I have compromised with myself to give this a mid-grade rating. I am a tough critic, and this is something that has caused disagreements between myself and other readers, but in the end, there are elements of this book I simply cannot accept, no matter whose hand wrote them.
Fun fact: My fear of clowns began when I was eight years old and witnessed Tim Curry's Pennywise. It ended with Bill Skarsgard's.
Merissa (13419 KP) rated The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad (Farthingdale Ranch #3) in Books
Jul 27, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
THE RANCH HAND AND THE SINGLE DAD is the third book in the Farthingdale Ranch series, and I would recommend you read them as a series simply because of how wonderful these stories are.
Austin has been put through the wringer by his delight of an ex-wife, and he has to cope with not having full custody of his daughter. He is unsure of who he is or what he wants, but he finds peace at Farthingdale Ranch due to his friendship with Clay.
Clay thinks that one-night stands are all he needs and doesn't always say what he wants. With the help and encouragement of Austin, Clay realises that life could be so much more than just a hookup.
This was a brilliant low-angst read with a slow-burn romance that filled me to the brim with warm fuzzies. I loved seeing the previous couples and seeing how their romances were going whilst still enjoying the spotlight on the main pair. And, of course, using recycled wisdom is some of the best advice you can give or receive!
A fantastic addition to the series, I would still recommend you read this as a series to ensure you don't miss out on any of the previous couples. For now, though, I can highly recommend Austin and Clay's story.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 27, 2021
Austin has been put through the wringer by his delight of an ex-wife, and he has to cope with not having full custody of his daughter. He is unsure of who he is or what he wants, but he finds peace at Farthingdale Ranch due to his friendship with Clay.
Clay thinks that one-night stands are all he needs and doesn't always say what he wants. With the help and encouragement of Austin, Clay realises that life could be so much more than just a hookup.
This was a brilliant low-angst read with a slow-burn romance that filled me to the brim with warm fuzzies. I loved seeing the previous couples and seeing how their romances were going whilst still enjoying the spotlight on the main pair. And, of course, using recycled wisdom is some of the best advice you can give or receive!
A fantastic addition to the series, I would still recommend you read this as a series to ensure you don't miss out on any of the previous couples. For now, though, I can highly recommend Austin and Clay's story.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 27, 2021
Merissa (13419 KP) rated Raising Hell: How To Survive The Terrible Twos in Books
Sep 6, 2023
RAISING HELL: HOW TO SURVIVE THE TERRIBLE TWOS really should be read after What To Expect When You're Expecting Something Different as the story continues on from that one.
Eve now has two children - Seraphina and Malak. She is trying her best to rein in Seraphina's erm... let us say evil tendencies! Not so easy when you have a strong-willed child but especially so if they're the antichrist! Thank goodness for Malak. He is a child who just eats and sleeps, giving Eve a little respite. Her world is still crazy, although Lucas does his best when he can.
It is a while since I read the first book so it took me a while to fully get into this one, as events that helped to shape Eve, I couldn't fully remember. The story soon dragged me in, and I was lost within the world created. Some of the events were expected but some weren't!
The imagery you are given in Katie Zaber's stories is just outstanding! The descriptions of Eve's mindscape are so clear. And the emotions come through loud and clear. You can feel her frustrations rolling out through the pages.
It does end on a cliffhanger so fair warning. Plus, I really need to know more about Desmond. A thoroughly enjoyable book that is different to the rest and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 1, 2023
Eve now has two children - Seraphina and Malak. She is trying her best to rein in Seraphina's erm... let us say evil tendencies! Not so easy when you have a strong-willed child but especially so if they're the antichrist! Thank goodness for Malak. He is a child who just eats and sleeps, giving Eve a little respite. Her world is still crazy, although Lucas does his best when he can.
It is a while since I read the first book so it took me a while to fully get into this one, as events that helped to shape Eve, I couldn't fully remember. The story soon dragged me in, and I was lost within the world created. Some of the events were expected but some weren't!
The imagery you are given in Katie Zaber's stories is just outstanding! The descriptions of Eve's mindscape are so clear. And the emotions come through loud and clear. You can feel her frustrations rolling out through the pages.
It does end on a cliffhanger so fair warning. Plus, I really need to know more about Desmond. A thoroughly enjoyable book that is different to the rest and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 1, 2023
Charlie Miller (882 KP) rated Fitbit Inspire HR in Tech
Oct 17, 2020
Fitbit changed my life(style)
First of all thanks to @Smashbomb for the great giveaway of a Fitbit Inspire HR
The heading of this review might seem dramatic but it is no exaggeration.
I had a fitbit charge 3 before I won this giveaway. So I am going to repost this review on the charge 3 as well as here. As it is a review on both and I will compare them against each other. I will also post this review for the Fitbit app as both fitness trackers are used in conjunction with the app. I will score them all separately on what they offer.
I was never one to over worry about my appearance so I paid little attention to my weight and in fact have been slightly overweight most of my life. My change started a week or two before I decided to buy a Fitbit. My wife who is one to care about her appearance had recently successfully implemented her own diet and exercise plan using a Fitbit Charge 3 and the Fitbit app to monitor her calorie intake and her daily exercise.
She had recently put on a bit of weight and this had affected her confidence so she decided to change. As I have Lupus an autoimmune disease. I am classed as clinically vulnerable to Covid so we were shielding for 19 weeks. I was advised to go in a little earlier than the rest of the UK nation being locked down. Towards the end of lockdown we started to go for walks on our daily exercise. This was the beginning of the change.
One day I caught site of my reflection in the microwave of all places. It was a side profile of my stomach and my waist and I realised I had let my weight gain go too far.
So I decided to use our daily walks to try and push myself first by slowly increasing the distance walked then to trying to improve the pace and choosing different routes which would push me a bit more. For instance with steep inclines.
I noticed some benefits almost straight away. Being quite goal driven. I set myself a goal of weight loss of 1lb a week. I started using the Fitbit app to monitor my calorie intake alongside my daily exercise.
It has worked wonders. I was 15st 8lb (clinically obese) when I started. I am now 13st 10lb(still overweight) and counting. I walk at least 2 miles, 5 out of 7 days. Most weeks I walk 6 days and some weeks I walk every day.
My wife and I have also allowed ourselves cheat days. This is so we don't feel deprived so that if we really fancy a treat we can say we will have that on Friday or Saturday and it works. Although we have cheat days we always monitor our calorie intake. This is so we can see over a week or month we still have a healthy deficit.
Having the fitness tracker alongside the app has inspired my wife and I to make additional changes. We have implemented new habits due to the tips popping up on the app now and again. I used to drink tea all day. I have changed this to no added sugar dilute juice and now drink my daily recommended amount of water every day.
Another tip that popped up is to eat a high protein breakfast early in the day this gets your metabolism going early and stages of cravings for carbs and sweet things. Of the options recommended my wife and started making overnight fruit and oat jars. This has also worked. I eat much more salad and a lot less carbs and sugar.
The next habit I am going to try and implement is to not eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Overall these are great buys. I love the step counter/goal, distance counter/goal, the exercise tracker, the water intake monitor and the calorie intake/outgoing monitor.
It's not often that you can say a purchase actually has a positive effect on your lifestyle.
One gripe about all the products is you have to pay extra for premium content once you have forked out for the trackers.
The scores I have given are: Inspire HR - 7
Fitbit app - 9
Charge 3 - 9
After raving about them you might wonder why not 10's all round. I knocked 1 off the charge 3 and the app for the fact that there is additional content that doesn't come with the purchase of the tech.
The additional knock of a further 2 points is because the HR doesn't offer an altimeter and it doesn't have the advertised battery life of 5 days. It lasts just under that amount of time.
So either one of these would be a good investment for a fitness tracker on a budget. Personally I would fork out the extra £30 for the Charge 3. The altimeter and the extra battery is worth the little bit extra.
The heading of this review might seem dramatic but it is no exaggeration.
I had a fitbit charge 3 before I won this giveaway. So I am going to repost this review on the charge 3 as well as here. As it is a review on both and I will compare them against each other. I will also post this review for the Fitbit app as both fitness trackers are used in conjunction with the app. I will score them all separately on what they offer.
I was never one to over worry about my appearance so I paid little attention to my weight and in fact have been slightly overweight most of my life. My change started a week or two before I decided to buy a Fitbit. My wife who is one to care about her appearance had recently successfully implemented her own diet and exercise plan using a Fitbit Charge 3 and the Fitbit app to monitor her calorie intake and her daily exercise.
She had recently put on a bit of weight and this had affected her confidence so she decided to change. As I have Lupus an autoimmune disease. I am classed as clinically vulnerable to Covid so we were shielding for 19 weeks. I was advised to go in a little earlier than the rest of the UK nation being locked down. Towards the end of lockdown we started to go for walks on our daily exercise. This was the beginning of the change.
One day I caught site of my reflection in the microwave of all places. It was a side profile of my stomach and my waist and I realised I had let my weight gain go too far.
So I decided to use our daily walks to try and push myself first by slowly increasing the distance walked then to trying to improve the pace and choosing different routes which would push me a bit more. For instance with steep inclines.
I noticed some benefits almost straight away. Being quite goal driven. I set myself a goal of weight loss of 1lb a week. I started using the Fitbit app to monitor my calorie intake alongside my daily exercise.
It has worked wonders. I was 15st 8lb (clinically obese) when I started. I am now 13st 10lb(still overweight) and counting. I walk at least 2 miles, 5 out of 7 days. Most weeks I walk 6 days and some weeks I walk every day.
My wife and I have also allowed ourselves cheat days. This is so we don't feel deprived so that if we really fancy a treat we can say we will have that on Friday or Saturday and it works. Although we have cheat days we always monitor our calorie intake. This is so we can see over a week or month we still have a healthy deficit.
Having the fitness tracker alongside the app has inspired my wife and I to make additional changes. We have implemented new habits due to the tips popping up on the app now and again. I used to drink tea all day. I have changed this to no added sugar dilute juice and now drink my daily recommended amount of water every day.
Another tip that popped up is to eat a high protein breakfast early in the day this gets your metabolism going early and stages of cravings for carbs and sweet things. Of the options recommended my wife and started making overnight fruit and oat jars. This has also worked. I eat much more salad and a lot less carbs and sugar.
The next habit I am going to try and implement is to not eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Overall these are great buys. I love the step counter/goal, distance counter/goal, the exercise tracker, the water intake monitor and the calorie intake/outgoing monitor.
It's not often that you can say a purchase actually has a positive effect on your lifestyle.
One gripe about all the products is you have to pay extra for premium content once you have forked out for the trackers.
The scores I have given are: Inspire HR - 7
Fitbit app - 9
Charge 3 - 9
After raving about them you might wonder why not 10's all round. I knocked 1 off the charge 3 and the app for the fact that there is additional content that doesn't come with the purchase of the tech.
The additional knock of a further 2 points is because the HR doesn't offer an altimeter and it doesn't have the advertised battery life of 5 days. It lasts just under that amount of time.
So either one of these would be a good investment for a fitness tracker on a budget. Personally I would fork out the extra £30 for the Charge 3. The altimeter and the extra battery is worth the little bit extra.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor in Books
Mar 30, 2020
Adam Kay was a junior doctor from 2004 until 2010, before a devastating experience on a ward caused him to reconsider his future. He kept a diary throughout his training, and This Is Going to Hurt intersperses tales from the front line of the NHS with reflections on the current crisis. The result is a first-hand account of life as a junior doctor in all its joy, pain, sacrifice and maddening bureaucracy, and a love letter to those who might at any moment be holding our lives in their hands.
I happened to win this book in a competition @smashbomb it's not something I would normally buy myself but I'm so glad I did! I have laughed, felt physically sick and cried and Adams recounts. After having a lot of issues on a personal level with birthing 4 children one of which was preterm and died at 18 days old I can see the constant struggle in our maternity wards. The second begin now I face endometrial pre cancerous cells and need an Hysterectomy, its quite funny that I chose to read this during our covid 19 lockdown it brought so much home. We should be celebrating doctors like Adam and our staff in the NHS as they keep battling on against budget cuts, long hours, shit pay and a barrage of patient abuse!!! Please read this book and please next time you use our NHS say thank you it goes a long way!!
I happened to win this book in a competition @smashbomb it's not something I would normally buy myself but I'm so glad I did! I have laughed, felt physically sick and cried and Adams recounts. After having a lot of issues on a personal level with birthing 4 children one of which was preterm and died at 18 days old I can see the constant struggle in our maternity wards. The second begin now I face endometrial pre cancerous cells and need an Hysterectomy, its quite funny that I chose to read this during our covid 19 lockdown it brought so much home. We should be celebrating doctors like Adam and our staff in the NHS as they keep battling on against budget cuts, long hours, shit pay and a barrage of patient abuse!!! Please read this book and please next time you use our NHS say thank you it goes a long way!!